How To Make Money On TikTok: A Creator's Guide

TikTok is one of the fastest-growing and most popular social media platforms. It’s a diverse app for content creators publishing all kinds of media from dance and comedy clips to instructional and cultural education videos. With so many viewers and so many opportunities to be noticed, it’s no surprise that creators want to learn how to monetize TikTok videos.

So how do you make money on TikTok? There’s more to it than just publishing content and watching the money roll in. In this guide, we’re walking you through the platform’s variety of methods for how to make money on TikTok. As the platform continues to evolve, new ways to monetize TikTok videos may become available in the future.

How Do You Make Money On TikTok? Join Creator Next.

Learning how to make money on TikTok is essential to creators supporting themselves with their content and looking to grow their brand over time. The platform has evolved since its launch in 2016, expanding methods for how to make money on TikTok from solely the Creator Fund to now offering seven different ways to monetize TikTok content at the time of this article’s publication.

How do you make money on TikTok? The first step is joining Creator Next. The TikTok Creator Next program is meant to help content creators monetize their media as they grow their followers, build their brand, and collaborate with others1. It gives creators access to tools and features that boost how to monetize TikTok videos such as LIVE gifts, Tips, the Creator Fund, and more.

If you’re looking for how to make money on TikTok, Creator Next is the gateway.

How to Make Money on TikTok as a Creator

Learning how to make money on TikTok means taking advantage of the methods the platform offers. In order to be successful, you have to know how to make engaging TikTok videos, interact with your followers, and remain on top of ever-changing trends in your niche. It’s a fast-moving platform that rewards creators who continue to produce content people want to digest.

As of the date of this article’s publication, the available methods for how to make money on TikTok are:

• Creator Fund
• Creativity Program Beta
• TikTok LIVE Gifts
• TikTok Video Gifts
• Tipping on TikTok
• Creator Marketplace
• TikTok Series

Not all of these programs are available to all users or all countries, so consult the TikTok Creator Portal for the latest information and eligibility requirements2.

1. TikTok Creator Fund

Similarly to other platforms, like a comparison between YouTube Shorts vs TikTok, you’ll find TikTok offers a Creator Fund allowing participants to get paid for their content and grow their brand3. As the first method for how to make money on TikTok, the Creator Fund has undergone changes in its eligibility requirements since its inception and continues to evolve today.

The current requirements for joining the TikTok Creator Fund are:

• Be 18 years or older
• Have at least 10K authentic followers
• Have at least 100K authentic video views in the last 30 days
• Be a resident of the U.S. (including territories), UK, Germany, Italy, France, or Spain
• Join the Creator Next program
• Create original content and keep your account in good standing

The way funds earned via the Creator Fund are calculated depends on a number of factors including video views and engagement. The launch of the newly-created Creativity Program Beta offers creators the opportunity to change over to the new program, with the understanding they cannot revert back. This may signal the permanent future conversion of the Creator Fund, which TikTok expected to pay out over $1 billion in the US over a three-year period4, into the Creativity Program.

2. Creativity Program Beta

Announced May 3, 2023, the new TikTok Creativity Program Beta is currently available to creators by invitation only but with plans to open applications to all eligible U.S. creators soon. TikTok said they developed the Creativity Program Beta to offer a higher revenue potential for top content creators, using what they’ve learned from other methods for how to make money on TikTok, including the Creator Fund.

Current eligibility requirements for the Creativity Program Beta are:

• Be 18 years or older
• Have at least 10K authentic followers
• Have at least 100K authentic video views in the last 30 days
• Join the Creator Next program
• Create and publish high-quality, original content longer than one minute

One of the primary differences between the TikTok Creator Fund vs Creativity Program Beta is that the latter is focusing on longer videos, requiring content to be longer than one minute. The Creativity Program is currently set to be available in the U.S., France, and Brazil with plans to introduce it to more regions soon.

3. TikTok LIVE Gifts

Many content creators have learned how to make money on TikTok by hosting LIVE video and engaging with viewers in real time. With the LIVE Gifts feature active, viewers can send Gifts to your LIVE video which are then calculated as Diamonds5. Diamonds are also awarded by TikTok to content creators based on the popularity of their LIVE videos. This is why many creators mention their LIVE standings on different challenges for their niche.

The current eligibility requirements for how to make money on TikTok LIVE are:

• Be 18 years or older
• Join the TikTok Creator Next program
• Have a personal TikTok account (not a business account)
• Have at least 1K followers
• Have an account that’s at least 30 days old and follows community guidelines

LIVE gifts come in a wide variety, from roses and interactive AR gifts like sunglasses to galaxies. Each gift holds a different value for Diamonds and you’re able to see the number of gifters and gifts in your LIVE summary after you end your stream. Diamonds are able to be redeemed for money, which is processed and deposited into your attached bank account. 

It’s important to note that TikTok retains 50% of the money you’ve earned when cashing in your Diamonds, and LIVE gifting may not be available in all areas.

4. TikTok Video Gifts

Another method for how to monetize TikTok videos is through video gifts. Similar to LIVE gifting, turning on TikTok video gifts allows viewers to send gifts in the comments section of a video6. This removes the limitations of being on a LIVE session. As TikTok awards Diamonds to creators based on the popularity of their media, the number of video gifts sent is a factor in their calculation.

Current eligibility requirements for TikTok video gifts are:

• Be 18 years of age or older
• Join the TikTok Creator Next program
• Have a personal TikTok account (business accounts are ineligible)
• Have at least 100K followers
• Have an account that is over 30 days old
• You must publish a public video in the last 30 days
• No repeated violations of Community Guidelines

It’s important to note that not all videos are eligible to receive TikTok video gifts. Duets, Stitch videos, ads, sponsored content, and promoted posts will not be able to receive video gifts. To enable video gifts for eligible media, you’ll have to go to your Settings and privacy page. Select “Creator tools” and then select “Video Gifts.” Finally, select “Turn on Video Gifts.”

5. Tipping on TikTok

The Creator Next program also allows creators to receive tips as part of how to make money on TikTok. Once enrolled, go to your Settings and privacy page, select “Creator tools,” then select “Tips.” Click “Apply” and follow the prompts to set up payment via Stripe7.

Current eligibility requirements for how to make money on TikTok via tipping are:

• Be 18 years of age or older
• Join the TikTok Creator Next program
• Have a personal TikTok account (not a business account)
• Have at least 100K followers
• Be in good standing on the platform

Viewers who want to send tips to creators will be able to choose between a $5, $10, $15, or a custom tip amount. There is a limit for viewers of $100 per transaction or $500 per day for tips to content creators. Unlike Diamonds, for which TikTok takes a 50% cut, creators receive the entirety of tip amounts minus a processing fee.

6. Creator Marketplace

Some of the best methods for how to make money on TikTok are through brand sponsorships and collaborations. The TikTok Creator Marketplace is the central hub for connecting creators to brands seeking out collaborations. There, content creators can work with brands on both paid and reward-based campaigns.

The current eligibility requirements for applying for the TikTok Creator Marketplace are:

• Have a personal TikTok account and be 18 years or older
• Have over 10K followers (this was previously 100K)
• Posting at least 3 videos within the last 28 days
• Getting more than 100K likes on posts within the last 28 days

The TikTok Creator Marketplace is available in 24 countries at the time of this article’s publication. Once your application is approved, you’ll be able to edit your Creator Marketplace profile page, including setting your rate for partnering with brands.

7. TikTok Series

The latest method for how to make money on Tiktok at the time of this article’s publication is through TikTok Series. Adding to the plethora of ways to monetize video content on the platform, TikTok Series is a new way to package content and sell access to viewers.

Instead of publishing videos publicly, TikTok Series lets you bundle up to 80 videos, each up to 20 minutes long, then set a price and offer them to viewers to purchase access. It’s currently available to select creators by invitation, but TikTok has listed that it intends to open applications for all eligible creators via the Creative Center soon. 

Eligibility requirements to take part in offering TikTok Series bundles are currently listed as:

• Be 18 years of age or older with an account 30+ days old
• Have a public account
• Post 3+ original public posts and reach more than 1K views in the last 30 days
• May be required to provide a sample of videos sold on another platform
• Be in good standing with no repeated violations of TikTok Community Guidelines

Content creators marketing media on TikTok Series will publish their bundles on TikTok.com/Series. There is an option to publish a free introductory video and you can set your pricing between $0.99 and $189.99 (U.S. Dollars)9.

Content Creator Resources for TikTok Videos

In order to successfully start making money on TikTok, you must be publishing high-quality content viewers engage with and want. We’ve gathered some TikTok creator guides to ensure you’re producing content that performs:

• TikTok Tips: How to Make a Good TikTok Video
• How to Add Captions to TikTok Videos
• How to Do Text to Speech on TikTok
• How to Make a Sound on TikTok
• How to Get Better Quality on TikTok With Your Phone

There are many methods for how to make money on TikTok. To maximize your revenue potential, make sure you’re creating high-quality content, staying ahead of trends, and enrolling in the proper TikTok programs for monetizing your media. The platform is always changing and new methods for how to monetize TikTok videos will roll out over time. Check the Creator Portal to stay up to date on the latest changes as they happen. 

Additional References and Resources

1. https://www.tiktok.com/creators/creator-portal/getting-paid-to-create/creator-next/
2. https://www.tiktok.com/creators/creator-portal/category/getting-paid-to-create/
3. https://www.tiktok.com/creators/creator-portal/getting-paid-to-create/creator-fund/
4. https://www.theverge.com/2023/5/3/23709559/tiktok-creator-fund-expansion-creativity-program-monetization
5. https://www.tiktok.com/creators/creator-portal/getting-paid-to-create/live-gifting/
6. https://www.tiktok.com/creators/creator-portal/getting-paid-to-create/video-gifts/
7. https://www.tiktok.com/creators/creator-portal/getting-paid-to-create/tips/
8. https://www.tiktok.com/creators/creator-portal/getting-paid-to-create/creator-marketplace/
9. https://www.tiktok.com/creators/creator-portal/getting-paid-to-create/introducing-series-a-new-monetization-feature-available-to-creators/