After TikTok launched in 2017, it went from an obscure video-sharing app to a household name in just a few years. The popular social media platform offers an engaging—some might say addictive—algorithmic stream of content. It has proved to be a unique way of sharing videos, giving lesser-known creators a chance to go viral.
When you post a video, the TikTok app shows it to a diverse group of users likely to enjoy your content. If it maintains a high engagement rate—meaning a high percentage of likes or comments compared to the number of views—the app keeps pushing it to more viewers. Unlike other platforms, which often show posts to friends and followers, TikTok’s approach rewards engaging content no matter your follower count.
For the savvy social media user, this is an opportunity to reach a wider audience and increase visibility—but can it also be a source of income? Here’s what you need to know.
How much does TikTok pay per view?
If you create content that keeps users engaged and meets Creator Rewards Program eligibility requirements, TikTok pays 50¢ to $1 per thousand views, depending on the video.
TikTok is a platform for user-generated content (UGC), meaning the company doesn’t produce videos but hosts them and provides the algorithm and infrastructure. It makes most of its money by selling ad space and promoting paid videos in between the non-paid UGC. The more time a user spends on the app, the more ads they see, and the more money TikTok makes. So, it’s in their interest to keep people engaged on the app for as long as possible.
Before 2023, TikTok paid creators through the TikTok Creator Fund, which paid between 20¢ and 40¢ for a thousand views. Facing criticism for these low rates, TikTok launched the Creator Rewards Program in 2023, which promised to increase these figures. Assuming your account is eligible for monetization through the Creator Rewards Program, TikTok pays 50¢ to $1 per thousand video views, depending on the video.
Besides the money they make from the Creator Rewards Program, many creators have additional revenue streams to monetize their work, such as selling merchandise or engaging in brand partnerships.
What is the Creator Rewards Program?
In 2023, TikTok launched a beta version of its Creator Rewards Program (Creativity Program Beta) to compensate content creators for producing high-quality, original, longer-form content. This includes all-original TikTok videos that are more than a minute long, don’t include duets or stitches, and are made by eligible creators.
To join the Creator Rewards Program, you must meet the eligibility criteria:
- Be at least 18 years old
- Have a personal account (not a business account)
- Based in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, South Korea, France, or Brazil
- Have at least 10,000 followers
- Have at least 100,000 video views in the past 30 days
- Make original videos that are one minute or longer
- Content that follows the company’s community guidelines
Other ways to make money on TikTok
- Partner with brands
- Promote affiliate links
- Sell merch
- Livestream to get gifts
- Create a paywalled series
Besides the Creator Rewards Program, you can also monetize TikTok content through these methods:
Partner with brands
Successful TikTok creators can earn an income through brand partnerships (or sponsored content), where a creator works with a company to create sponsored posts that promote its brand or products. A sponsored post can be a makeup tutorial featuring a brand’s products, a video modeling a company’s fashion line, or a quick video testimonial about a product.
How much a creator charges often depends on their engagement rates and follower count. This model works best when the brand is trying to reach a target audience that already engages with the creator’s account.
You can find brands to partner with for sponsored content on the TikTok Creator Marketplace, which matches brands with creators, allowing you to negotiate a fair price based on your followers, engagement rate, and audience alignment. You can also join Shopify Collabs to find brands to partner with.
Promote affiliate links
Affiliate marketing is a performance-based strategy where a creator—i.e., an affiliate—earns money by promoting products or services for a brand. The affiliate uses custom affiliate links to guide their audience to the company’s online store. This link lets the brand track where a customer came from, so affiliates get paid when their referrals lead to sales. So, unlike brand partnerships where creators get paid to make content regardless of its impact on sales, affiliates only get paid when their content results in sales or other types of conversions.
For example, when you sign up for TikTok’s affiliate marketing program, you might post a video featuring a brand’s new travel mug, and then share a link on your account where people can buy it. When someone purchases it through your unique affiliate link, you earn a commission.
Sell merch
Acontent creator can make money on TikTok by selling merchandise online. For instance, if you’re a culinary TikToker who posts cooking videos, you might sell branded cookware. If you are a travel vlogger, you could sell branded luggage. This approach works whether you’re a TikTok creator with a million views per video, or if you’re creating content with a dedicated, niche audience.
Once you have merch to sell, you can sell it through your own online store and directly on the app through TikTok Shop, TikTok’s in-app shopping platform.
Livestream to get gifts
In recent years, live video has become a popular way for content creators to engage their audiences, with platforms like YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok integrating livestreams for real-time viewer interaction. TikTok added the ability for viewers to give “live gifts”—digital stickers worth anywhere from a few cents to a few hundred dollars—to creators during livestreams. Users can essentially tip creators by sending credits, which can be exchanged for money within the app.
Create a paywalled series
Brands and influencers are finding new revenue streams by offering exclusive content behind paywalls. TikTok’s Series feature lets eligible creators make paywalled content for their most dedicated fans. This feature also allows them to upload longer videos of up to 20 minutes—double TikTok’s standard 10-minute limit.
You must meet the following requirements to use the Series feature:
- Be 18 years old (19 in South Korea)
- Have an account that is at least 30 days old
- Have a public personal or business account
- Have posted three or more original public posts in the past 30 days
- Have 10,000 or more followers (negotiable if you meet the other requirements)
- Have reached 1,000 or more views in the past 30 days
- Be in good standing and follow the community guidelines
Tips for making money on TikTok
You need a lot of views to make money on TikTok. There’s no silver bullet for this, but there are some proven methods for building a following on TikTok and increasing your likelihood of getting paid:
Create engaging content
The most important piece of advice for building an audience and making money as a creator is to create engaging content that people want to watch. This might sound obvious, but remember that TikTok users see many videos in a single sitting, so your videos have to cut through the noise.
To make your content as engaging as possible and increase your chances of going viral, consider:
- Using trending sounds
- Telling a story in multiple parts
- Establishing a hook in the first three seconds
- Providing a behind-the-scenes look at your life or business
- Courting low-stakes controversy
Find a niche
One of the best ways to build an audience is to find a niche and createvideos that align with your interests and fill that unique space. Whether it’s eco-friendly van life, makeup tutorials for a specific cosplay genre, or how-to videos on building musical instruments, the trick is to find something unique that you can speak to.
Post often
Social media platforms reward creators who post regularly, so creating a lot of content is key to building an audience. And since TikTok pays relatively little per view, uploading more videos increases your chances of earning more income. Aim to post at least three videos a week and stay on top of your posting schedule by creating a content calendar.
How much does TikTok pay FAQ
How much does TikTok pay for a thousand views?
TikTok pay varies due to several factors, with eligible creators earning around 50¢ to $1 for a thousand views based on each video’s view count, duration, and engagement. Popular creators also earn money through brand partnerships, affiliate marketing, and merchandise sales.
Who are the highest-paid TikTokers?
Two of the highest-paid TikTok stars are the D’Amelio sisters. Charli and Dixie D’Amelio built dedicated followings while branching out into fashion, cosmetics, and pop music. After them, Addison Rae, Bella Poarch, and Josh Richards are other popular TikTokers.
How many views do you need to get paid on TikTok?
To be eligible for payment through the TikTok Rewards Program, your account must have 10,000 followers and have earned at least 100,000 views in the past 30 days. You must also be 18 or older; be based in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, South Korea, France, or Brazil; and meet all of TikTok’s terms of service and community guidelines.
