TikTok, a Chinese app for sharing short videos, announced on Tuesday that it would permit some creators to compile collections of longer videos and charge their audience a fee for access, creating a new revenue stream for its users.
Through its latest service, “Series,” qualified producers will be able to hide collections of up to 80 videos, each running for roughly 20 minutes, behind a paywall.
On TikTok, videos can currently be up to 10 minutes long. With its short-form videos and sophisticated recommendation engine, TikTok, which has disrupted the social media market primarily dominated by Facebook and Instagram, is now taking aim at YouTube.
The company claims that its users are increasingly turning to the platform for content like essential spreadsheet shortcuts, exercise routines, and recipe guides. It is unclear if TikTok will charge the authors a fee.
In addition to managing a fund to provide incentives for creators to increase their audiences, the business already gives its creators the option of receiving tips and gifts.
The Chinese company ByteDance’s TikTok reached 1 billion monthly active users in September 2021, but has not provided updated user statistics since. Comparatively, as of December 2022, Facebook had close to 3 billion active monthly members.