Instagram & TikTok testing subscription-based services for their influencer’s

Instagram and TikTok are reportedly both testing subscription-based services for their influencer’s feeds.

While Instagram announced yesterday in a blog post that it was beginning to test the idea of subscriptions with a small number of creators, a report from The Information suggests that TikTok may well be doing the same.

According to the report, a spokesperson told the outlet that TikTok is “testing the idea of allowing its creators to charge subscriptions for their content,” though declined to elaborate further on what those tests entail. Currently, the app allows fans to give money to creators both by sending them a tip or by purchasing virtual gifts that can be sent to creators and cashed in.

The news of TikTok’s interest in a subscription-based service for creators on the app follows a similar announcement from Instagram made yesterday. As part of a blog post, the Meta-owned social media app explained that it would be testing a number of subscription-based services with a handful of creators, who will be able to set a monthly price of their choice for content, unlock a “subscribe” button on their profile and offer their followers a number of paid-for benefits – as can be seen listed below:

Instagram’s Subscriber Benefits:

Subscriber Lives: Creators can broadcast exclusive Lives to their subscribers, allowing them to engage more deeply.

Subscriber Stories: Creators can create stories just for their subscribers, allowing them to share exclusive content and to use interactive story stickers with their most engaged followers only.

Subscriber Badges: Creators will see a subscriber badge next to comments and messages so they can easily identify their subscribers.

According to Instagram, the feature will only be available to a limited number of U.S. creators during its initial test, though the social media platform has also stated that it has plans to expand the service to more creators over the coming months. Earlier this year, Meta announced that it would not collect any fees from creators on Facebook’s similar subscription service until 2023 at the earliest, a factor that it says will also apply to Instagram’s services.

For more from the world of social media companies, make sure to check out this article detailing how Meta has reportedly scrapped a VR/AR operating system that it’s been working on for years.