TikTok will start to share ad revenue with creators

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

A new way for creators to make money is being opened up by TikTok. When their videos run alongside certain ads, the company will start sharing revenue with top creators. The program is similar to how YouTube pays out creators, which could lead to more payouts from the platform.

The top 4% of all videos on TikTok can be seen in ads, the company wrote in a post today. When their videos are included, creators and publishers with at least 100,000 followers can receive a cut of revenue. For now, TikTok isn't saying how many creators it will accept into the program.

Sandie Hawkins, the GM of North America global business solutions at TikTok, told The Verge that there will be additional markets coming this fall.

TikTok's main way of paying creators has been through its Creator Fund, which pays out users based on the popularity of their videos. The payouts from this program can be small and inconsistent, which means it hasn't offered a sustainable revenue stream the way that YouTube's ad program has for some video makers.