TikTok has more than 1 billion active users. With such a massive and highly engaged audience, TikTok is one of the best social media platforms to use to create monetized content as a side hustle.
Here, we’ll take a look at some of TikTok’s monetization features that allow you to make money from within the TikTok platform.
1. TikTok Creator Rewards program
Formerly known as the TikTok Creator Fund (and then briefly as the TikTok Creativity Program Beta or Creator Fund 2.0), the TikTok Creator Rewards Program is TikTok’s way of rewarding creators. It’s the first option you should consider if you’re looking for ways to make money on TikTok.
This new version of creator payment scheme offers higher TikTok pay rates than previous versions, with some users claiming to make up to $2.25 for every thousand views they get. This may not be the most lucrative option, but it’s certainly the easiest way to monetize your TikTok account, as long as you qualify.
Sadly, you can only get paid for videos you post after joining the program. Qualifying videos must feature original content, be at least 1 minute long, and be nonpromotional material. In order for your views to qualify for payment, a user must be watching your video for the first time and watch for at least 5 seconds.
Eligibility criteria: You must be 18 years old, live in a qualifying country (the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, South Korea, France, or Brazil), have at least 10,000 followers, and have at least 100,000 video views from the last 30 days.
2. TikTok Gifts and Diamonds
One other way to make money on TikTok is by receiving TikTok Gifts from fans. Gifts get converted into Diamonds, which you can exchange for cash. It used to be the case that you could only get Gifts on TikTok LIVE, but you can now get both LIVE Gifts as well as Video Gifts on your ordinary TikTok videos.
It’s worth noting that you’re not allowed to ask for Gifts or incentivize users to give them to you. You’ll need to reach 2,000 Diamonds (equal to $10) before you can exchange them for cash. At that point, TikTok will pay the balance into your bank or PayPal account.
Eligibility requirements: You must be at least 18 years old and live in an eligible location. For LIVE Gifts, you must have at least 1,000 followers. For Video Gifts, you must have at least 10,000 followers and have an account that’s at least 30 days old with a TikTok video posted in the last 30 days.
3. TikTok Subscription
TikTok offers creators the option to post subscriber-only videos through the TikTok Subscription program. This program was initially invite-only and available on TikTok LIVE, but now it’s a monetization feature available to all TikTok creators.
When your supporters sign up for your subscription, they’ll pay a monthly subscription fee. The default subscription fee is $5.99 per month, but you have the freedom to set your own price anywhere in the range of $2.99–$99.99 per month.
Naturally, some of these funds will eventually end up in your bank account. TikTok doesn’t specify exactly how much of the revenue you’ll actually get, but they do make it clear that they may keep the majority of the payout, stating that creators get to keep up to 50% of subscription earnings.
On top of the subscription revenue, this program also comes with two potential bonuses that allowing you to earn even more:
- Video creator bonus: Get a 20% bonus on your subscription payout if you have at least 10,000 followers and at least 1,000,000 video views from the past month.
- Growth bonus: Get a bonus of up to a 15% on your monthly subscription payout for growing your number of subscribers.
To make it worthwhile for your followers, you’ll need to produce exclusive content that only they can access, such as member-only videos or access to exclusive LIVE streams. You can also give other incentives to subscription members, such as distinctive badges or personalized emoticons and stickers.
4. TikTok Series
TikTok Series is similar to TikTok Subscription in that it’s one other way to offer premium content to your followers for an extra fee. The main difference is that rather than paying a monthly subscription fee, your supporters will get access to a specific selection of videos for a one-time fee.
TikTok has several requirements that you’ll need to meet to use this feature:
- Have a personal TikTok account
- Be at least 18 years old
- Be an active TikTok user for 30 days or more
- Have at least three posts from the past month
- Have 1,000 views or more from the past 30 days
Some users also have to show a sample of premium videos they’ve created for other platforms. If you qualify, this is a great opportunity to generate passive revenue. Once approved, you’ll need to create a collection of exclusive content. Add a price between $0.99 and $189.99, and then publish.
Eligibility requirements: You must have 10,000 followers and 1,000 views from the last 30 days.
5. TikTok Shop
If you don’t have a website of your own, TikTok Shop is a good way to make money by selling physical goods. Even if you have your own site for selling products, you can take advantage of this in-app feature as it gives your followers flexibility in terms of when and where they buy from you.
When you activate this feature, a shopping tab will appear on your profile. Users can use this tab to browse and buy your products (as well as affiliate products). However, the best way to make money from this feature is to create promotional and instructional content around certain products.
For instance, if you make candles, you could publish a series of videos on how to create different scents. Even if it’s not outright promotional, a link to the shop would give followers an easy way to buy relevant products.
Eligibility requirements: You must be at least 18 years old, have a Social Security number, and show proof that you have a United States passport or driver’s license.
6. TikTok Creator Marketplace
The TikTok Creator Marketplace is a program that connects TikTok influencers with top brands. If you have a large base of engaged followers, this is the main way to become an influencer on TikTok and attract brands who are looking to start a paid collaboration.
One of the benefits of using the Creator Marketplace over handling your own brand partnerships is that you’ll have the security and convenience of getting paid through a secure payment system, TikTok Creator Marketplace Pay.
Some creators receive a TikTok invite to the Creator Marketplace, but you can also apply on your own from within the app once you meet the eligibility criteria.
Eligibility: You must be at least 18 years old. Other requirements vary, but you must have a certain number of followers, videos posted in the past 28 days, and video likes from the past 28 days.
7. TikTok Creative Challenge
TikTok Creative Challenge is a way to make money on TikTok from user-generated content (UGC). For this TikTok money-making approach, you create advertisements for a product or service from a consumer’s perspective for the brand to use in their marketing campaign.
Here’s a rundown of how it works. Companies with their own TikTok accounts often need actors and actresses to star in their videos, and they’ll pay good money for people who know how to perform behind the camera. These people are known as UGC creators.
We spoke to TikToker James Brady, who specifically recommended UGC creation as a great way to make money on TikTok these days. “I’ve made a lot of my income by doing this type of work,” he told us.
UGC collaborations differ from brand sponsorships and influencer marketing in that you don’t post the video to your own TikTok account—instead, you send the video to the company you’re working with, and they post it to the business’s TikTok account.
The TikTok Creative Challenge allows you to browse projects posted by brands, including their requirements or specifications. You can then submit your work for consideration. If your video is chosen for the brand’s media campaign, you’ll get paid a commission based on how well your ad performs.
Eligibility: You must be at least 18 years old, be a US creator, and have a minimum of 50,000 followers.
8. Work With Artists / SoundOn
TikTok introduced the SoundOn platform to allow musicians and labels to earn money from their music on TikTok. If you write your own tunes, then SoundOn allows you to earn royalties each time a creator uses one of your songs in their videos.
But it’s not just musical artists who can earn. TikTok also launched the Work With Artists program to reward other TikTok creators for using SoundOn music in their videos. While they don’t specify how much you can earn, it seems that creators receive rewards for adding sounds from TikTok artists to their videos.
In addition to these direct earnings, SoundOn allows you to reach a wider audience and promote your music.
Eligibility: All TikTok users can participate.
9. Effect Creator Rewards
The Effect Creator Rewards program is a TikTok monetization option exclusively for effects designers. You create video effects and get paid when your effects are used by other TikTok creators.
Notably, you’re only paid based on the number of videos your effect appears in during the first 90 days after you’ve created it. You’ll get paid $700 for the first 500,000 unique videos that use your effect and then get an additional $140 for every 100,000 videos after that.
Eligibility: You must be at least 18 years old, have a qualifying badge (Gold, Platinum, or Diamond), have at least 5 effects published, and have at least 3 effects used in 1,000 qualified videos each.
10. TikTok referral program
The TikTok Rewards program is one of the least-restrictive and easiest ways to make money on TikTok. All TikTok users are eligible to join, but there are some restrictions based on where you live.
To participate, go to your TikTok account and grab your invitation code. Share it with friends, acquaintances, and anyone else you want to bring over to TikTok.
You’ll earn rewards points whenever your referrals download the app using your code. You can also earn points for other activities they perform, like watching videos. As you start accruing referrals, you can convert your rewards points into cash.
Eligibility criteria: Open to all TikTok users.
