When I started posting videos on TikTok in 2020, I had no intentions of monetizing my content. I did it more for the thrill. I loved hopping on new trends, copying dance moves and using popular audio tracks. But as my following grew from 0 to over 50,000 I figured, why not try to monetize?
After two years on TikTok, posting 5-7 videos a week, I landed a few brand deals. I also set up affiliate links for products I promoted in videos. While this brought in income, it was sporadic and unpredictable.
That’s why I decided to join TikTok’s Creativity Program Beta, now known as the Creator Rewards Program.
What is TikTok’s Creator Rewards Program, Formerly The Creativity Program Beta?
After shutting down the Creator Fund in 2023, TikTok launched the Creative Program Beta. Creators were told they could earn 20 times the amount with this new program.
The news sparked a lot of attention. One issue with TikTok’s Creator Fund was that earning more than a few dollars was tough. Even when videos had millions of views struggled to earn money.
TikTok’s Creator Rewards Program was designed to help creators earn more from their viral content. The program encourages creators to make longer-form content by helping monetize work that meets TikTok’s criteria.
Who Is Eligible For The Program?
To be eligible for the TikTok Creator Rewards Program, you must have a U.S.-based account and be over 18. Creators also need at least 10,000 followers and 100,000 video views or more in the last 30 days.
I scanned my profile and realized that I met all of those requirements. I applied for the program, and within a day, I was notified in the app that I was accepted.
How Does the Creator Rewards Program Work?
While I primarily create videos on TikTok that are under 30 seconds, for a video to be eligible for the program, it needs to be at least one minute long, reach 1,000 views, and not be a duet or stitch video.
After you are in the program and post a video that meets those eligibility requirements, you can see performance and earnings inside the Creativity Program Dashboard.
I decided to spend a week creating videos that met those requirements to test out the program and see how much money I could make.
Under the Creator Rewards Program, creators are rewarded based on a formula that weighs four factors.
Here’s what I learned in 30 days under the Creator Rewards Program.
I Earned $26 Total From Three Videos In A Week
In one week, I posted six videos that I thought met the eligibility requirements for TikTok’s Creator Rewards Program. However, when I looked at the insights in my dashboard, it showed that only three of the six videos were indeed eligible.
TikTok doesn’t tell you why a video isn’t eligible. So I did some investigating on my own. One video didn’t meet the requirements because it was 59 seconds when I posted it.
Another video probably didn’t meet the requirements because it used an audio track that was removed after Universal Music Group pulled its song catalog from the platform that same week.
A third video, long, met all the requirements but ultimately was deemed ineligible. The only reason I can think of was that it didn’t get enough qualified views—another requirement from TikTok that’s not transparent to the creator.
The other three videos met the eligibility requirements and have been earning money since I posted them. Right now, my revenue per 1,000 qualified views (RPM) is $1.20.
However, that number varies and can change based on a variety of factors set by TikTok’s algorithm. These factors including where the views are based, video length, and the retention rate.
There’s A Difference Between Total Views And Qualified Views In the Creator Rewards Program
One of the most confusing parts of the program is how TikTok counts qualified views on an eligible video. For a video to earn money, it has to have over 1,000 qualified videos, which is considered different from total views. For example, one of the eligible videos has 25,000 total views but only 15,500 of them are considered qualified.
According to the platform, views are deemed qualified if the watch time is at least 5 seconds and comes from the For You feed. In addition, multiple views from the same account are counted as just one view. There’s little transparency around how TikTok accurately records views as qualified and the only way a creator can find out this information is inside their dashboard. Of my three eligible videos, the total views were always 25-50% more than the qualified views.
That was tough to stomach as a creator. When you see a video taking off but then find out that half the views don’t qualify for monetization, it can be frustrating.
The Creator Rewards Program Could Be Worthwhile To Include As Part Of My Content Creation Strategy Going Forward
As of today, I’ve made $26.27 off of my three eligible videos as part of the Creativity Program. Since 90% of the content I create doesn’t meet the eligibility requirements of TikTok’s Creativity Program Beta, I do think it’s worthwhile for me to shift my strategy so that 50% of the videos are more likely to be eligible for monetization. That way, I can tap into more passive income generated from the platform.
While earnings from brand deals and affiliate links bring in cash, it’s certainly not enough to lean into being a full-time content creator.
However, as the new Creator Rewards Program changes continue to be implemented, things may improve. We will revisit this program in a few months to see how it changes with time.
