TikTok Creator Fund: FAQs, Step-By-Step Guide, Tips

The TikTok Creator Fund is crucial to your clients’ success in TikTok.

It doesn’t just open the opportunity for a sustainable, passive income stream; it is essential for other reasons as well.

This guide cover everything you need to know about the TikTok Creator Fund.

We’ll discuss how your clients can apply for the fund, ways to maximize their earnings, and tips to make the whole process a breeze.

Crucial reminder: Read our guide on how to get more views on TikTok after posting—it will come in handy!

Let’s begin.

What you’ll learn:

• What is the TikTok Creator Fund?
• Why is TikTok Creator Fund important
• How does TikTok Creator Fund work?
• Pros and cons of the TikTok Creator Fund
• How to sign up for TikTok Creator Fund?
• TikTok Creator Fund eligibility guidelines
• How to leave TikTok Creator Fund
• How much does TikTok Creator Fund pay?
• Other FAQs about the TikTok Creator Fund

What is the TikTok Creator Fund?

The Creator Fund is TikTok’s initiative to reward creators who provide the community with high-quality and engaging videos. 

TikTok launched the Creator Fund in 2020 with a $200 million fund for creators in the United States. The fund also launched a year later in the UK, Italy, France, Spain, and Germany—allocating a pool of $70 million or around £54 million for thousands of proven TikTok creators. 

Thanks to the overwhelmingly positive public response to the TikTok Creator Fund, the company projects the US fund to reach over $1 billion in the next three years. Globally, the fund is estimated to grow more than double that amount. 

Why is TikTok Creator Fund important?

TikTok users who want to make money on the platform can choose between creating a business account or signing up for the creator fund. 

Choosing either unlocks benefits like:

• Integrate third-party tools like Vista Social.
• Access built-in advertising, analytics, and advanced creator tools. 
• Creative learning resources. 
• Pick royalty-free sounds for your marketing TikTok videos.

A business account gives you flexibility and control over how you monetize your TikTok content. But for creators who wish to focus on video content creation only, the TikTok Creator Fund is the obvious choice. 

In addition to rewarding talented and hard-working creators, the TikTok Creator Fund also pushes aspiring influencers to reach beyond learning how to get 1,000 followers on TikTok.  

The Creator Fund builds on the perception that creating TikTok videos isn’t just a hobby. If a creator is talented, skilled, and dedicated enough, it can also be a lucrative, long-term career. 

This idea serves as motivation for every TikTok creator—beginners and veterans alike—to pour their creativity and dedication into each video they post. 

In turn, the TikTok Creator Fund spurs the creation of top-quality, original, and entertaining videos that pull new users in droves. 

How does TikTok Creator Fund work?

The TikTok Creator Fund works by paying creators to do what they do best: produce captivating content. 

Payments can be tracked and transferred within the app. This is perfect for first-time social media rising stars who are still exploring ways to monetize their passion. 

It is not an ad revenue sharing program. Rather, eligible creators get paid just for publishing videos.  

Creators receive an amount based on several factors tied to their content’s performance. This includes views, likes, comments, and shares. 

TikTok creators also need to ensure that their content abides by the TikTok community guidelines and terms of service. And with everything in order, approved creators will be able to see their earnings in their Creator Fund Dashboard in-app. 

To withdraw funds, creators need to wait at least 30 days after the month in which their earnings were accrued. The minimum withdrawal amount is $50, which can be transferred to a payment service like PayPal or Zelle. 

Pros and cons of the TikTok Creator Fund

The TikTok Creator fund is great for making cash by putting out incredible TikTok videos. 

However, before you jump in headfirst, let’s talk about some its pros and cons:

Pros:

• More eyeballs on your client’s brand. Creating content and joining the Creator Fund can get your clients more exposure to a younger, super-engaged audience. Expanding your client’s reach to wider audiences can make the TiKTok Creator fund worth the time and energy.
• More earning opportunities (Cha-ching). The TikTok Creator Fund pays—when you can nail your strategy. The creator economy with the Creator Fund can provide an extra revenue stream for your clients already on TikTok and even open opportunities for closing brand deals.
• Get access to resources. Getting clients approved for the TIkTok Creator Fund means they can access key resources like analytics and support to help them grow their business on TikTok and earn money.

Cons:

• Can cost you precious time and resources. Creating engaging content can be time-consuming and require resources, which your clients won’t always want to spend.
• Staying true to your client’s brand. TikTok content that goes viral and gets a million views doesn’t always match up with your client’s brand image or goals. It can be a bummer if you want to maintain consistency across original content even if your clients are earning money from viral content.
• Sharing is caring…but not always worth it. The Creator Fund means content creators share revenue with TikTok, which might not be worth it for businesses who aren’t getting more views and seeing a ton of return.

Overall, the TikTok Creator Fund is a rad opportunity for your clients who are down to put in the effort and resources to make amazing and engaging content on the platform. 

Ensure your clients know the pros and cons before jumping in so they know what joining the program can cost and how it can benefit them.

How to sign up for TikTok Creator Fund?

To sign up for the Creator Fund, creators simply need to process their application through the TikTok app. 

1. Make sure you have a TikTok Pro account 

The TikTok Creator Fund is only available for business or “Pro” accounts in select regions. 

To switch to a business account, launch the TikTok app, tap the hamburger menu icon, and tap ‘Settings and privacy.’

Go to the ‘Manage account’ page and tap ‘Switch to Business Account’ under “Account control.” 

TikTok will show you some of the top benefits of creating a business account. Simply tap ‘Next’ and choose a niche or category that matches the TikTok account you’re creating. 

If none of the pre-defined categories apply, scroll to the bottom and tap ‘Others.’

Tap ‘Next’ to finish switching to a TikTok business account. 

2. Submit an application

On your TikTok business profile page, tap the hamburger menu icon and tap Creator tools.’

Take note that, in some versions of TikTok, the ‘Creator tools’ page can be accessed from the ‘Settings and privacy’ page. 

From there, look under “Monetization” and tap ‘TikTok Creator Fund.’ 

Take the time to read the TikTok Creator Fund Agreement. This contains important information on what to expect from the program and your role as an approved creator. 

Be sure to review the eligibility requirements before acknowledging the TikTok Creator Fund Agreement. For more information, see “TikTok Creator Fund eligibility guidelines” below.

Tap ‘Next’ on the TikTok Creator Fund application page and choose your country and preferred currency. When done, select the “I acknowledge” option and tap ‘Apply’ to finish this step.

3. Wait for TikTok’s approval

TikTok internally evaluates applications for the Creator Fund program. The only thing left for creators to do is to wait for a notification on whether they’re accepted or rejected. 

Keep in mind that TikTok reserves the right to reject an application if they deem the creator unfit according to their eligibility requirements. 

If rejected, don’t worry—you can resend an application 30 days after the notice. 

To maximize your chances of being approved, ensure your TikTok account meets all the eligibility requirements. 

TikTok Creator Fund eligibility guidelines

Approved creators need to meet the minimum eligibility requirements at any time during their participation in the Creator Fund program:

• Legal resident of Germany, Spain, France, Italy, the UK, and the US
• At least 18 years of age
• Active and in good standing with the TikTok community guidelines and terms of service
• At least 10,000 real followers
• At least 100,000 authentic video views accrued over the last 30 days (before sending an application) 
• A valid payment channel supported by TikTok 
• If the creator is an entity, they need to provide any requested documentation upon application (i.e. tax reporting documents)

Remember that TikTok may modify its Creator Fund eligibility guidelines at any time without notice. Before signing up, double-check the updated requirements through the Creator Portal in the TikTok app. 

How to leave TikTok Creator Fund

For millions of TikTok creators, the Creator Fund sounds like a dream come true. But for many creators, leaving the Creator Fund is the way to move forward. 

There are two ways to cancel a creator’s participation in the Creator Fund. 

First, creators may leave the Creator Fund in their sole discretion by following these steps: 

1. Go to your profile page and tap the hamburger menu icon
2. Tap ‘Creator Tools’ 
3. Go to your Creator Fund Dashboard
4. Tap ‘Opt out of TikTok Creator Fund’ at the bottom of the page
5. Tap ‘Opt out’ in the pop-up window to leave the TikTok Creator fund

If creators opted out of the Creator Fund, they can join back in through the TikTok app. The approval process should be faster for creators who were approved before. 

TikTok can also suspend or disqualify creators from the Creator Fund in its sole discretion. This may be due to the creator’s inability to maintain compliance with the eligibility requirements, a breach of the community guidelines or terms of service, or without cause for any reason. 

Suspensions and terminations from the Creator Fund come into effect as soon as the creator is notified through the TikTok app. 

Why creators may want to withdraw from TikTok Creator Fund 

The TikTok Creator Fund promises the opportunity to make money by creating videos without relying on third-party TikTok tools and services. 

However, countless creators, including TikTok influencers, are leaving the Creator Fund for a variety of reasons. 

For one, thousands of creators believe that TikTok is deliberately bottlenecking to reduce payouts. 

If you search using the hashtag “#creatorfund,” you’ll find dozens of creators sharing their disappointment with the performance of their TikTok content after signing up. You’ll even find creators who genuinely believe they’ve been “shadow-banned” from the platform after joining the Creator Fund.

However, nobody was ever able to put out conclusive evidence that TikTok is intentionally throttling the views of creators under the Creator Fund. 

TikTok claims that “viewership performance was the same” among a sample set of users inside and outside of the Creator Fund. 

Instead, other TikTok experts and creators—including those who thrived through the Creator Fund—proposed several other reasons why an account’s views may tank after signing up for the program. 

If your TikTok views decreased since signing up for the Creator Fund, here are the possible (fixable) reasons: 

• With more creators signing up for the Creator Fund, more creators are pumping out videos to make a big payday. More videos mean more creators competing for hashtags and your target audience’s attention, which may explain your sudden decrease in views. 
• In an effort to churn out more TikTok videos daily, some creators fail to maintain a consistent level of quality. This has a direct impact on factors that affect your Creator Fund earnings, particularly user engagement. 
• Since joining the Creator Fund, creators may have focused too much on creating elaborate, high-production videos. In turn, they end up publishing fewer videos and therefore compromising their TikTok account’s performance. 
• Other social media publishing factors, like posting times, hashtags, and topic popularity, constantly fluctuate. As such, the performance of your TikTok videos may dip for weeks—only to recover or even exceed your expectations after the slump. 

Other hopeful creators are also concerned with the sustainability of the Creator Fund. 

According to them, the total Creator Fund simply can’t keep up with new Creator Fund members. 

While TikTok promises to increase the amount allocated into the Creator Fund, it’s not happening yet. Meanwhile, new Creator Fund applications are being handed in en masse on a daily basis. 

Vlogger Hank Green mentioned this problem in a podcast with Marques Brownlee. 

In 2022, Green makes 2.5 cents per 1,000 views from the Creator Fund—a sharp decline from the five cents per 1,000 views he was earning in 2020. 

The decreasing rate per 1,000 views may not be a deal-breaker for creators who generate millions of views per day. But for new creators who don’t have the same reach, it takes away the Creator Fund’s viability as a reliable source of income.

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How much does TikTok Creator Fund pay?

The TikTok Creator Fund program pays around $0.02-$0.04 per 1,000 views. That translates to around $20-$40 for a million views. 

If you look around the internet, you’ll find that even TikTok creators with over a million followers make less than $50 a day on average through the Creator Fund. 

The good news is, the Creator Fund is a turnkey monetization strategy that requires little to no maintenance. As long as creators regularly create engaging videos and meet the eligibility requirements, they will get paid.

The Creator Fund is also just one of the many ways creators can monetize their TikTok accounts. 

Other ways to make money through TikTok

In 2021, TikTok consolidated the Creator Fund into their “Creator Next” program. This aims to give creators more native opportunities to turn their TikTok viewership into money.

Other than the Creator Fund, Creator Next includes the following tools:

• LIVE Gifts: Get paid real money from gifts purchased using TikTok “Coins,” which is the app’s virtual currency. Gifts can be converted into “Diamonds,” which pay half the value of Coins users spent to purchase gifts. 
• Video Gifts: Video gifts are like LIVE gifts, except they’re for regular TikTok videos—not LIVE streams. Video gifts can also be encashed by converting them into Diamonds, which can be redeemed for cash. 
• Creator Marketplace: The TikTok Creator Marketplace functions like a built-in influencer marketing platform. It helps TikTok creators connect with brands and make money through sponsorships. 
• Tips (US only): Creator Next also allows approved creators to receive tips from their viewers. While creators get credited the full value of tips, processing fees and limits apply.

Creators need to go through the enrollment process to take advantage of Creator Next features:

1. Launch the Instagram app and go to your profile
2. Tap the hamburger menu icon and tap ‘Creator tools’ 
3. Look for the Creator Next banner at the bottom and tap ‘Join’
4. Review the eligibility requirements and tap ‘Join’
5. Wait for TikTok’s approval notification

Once you’re a part of the Creator Next program, head back to your profile and tap ‘Creator tools’ from the account settings menu. 

Look Creator Next tool you wish to use (Tips, LIVE Gifts, etc.) and follow the instructions to activate them. 

Take note that Tips is only available if you have a Stripe account. The Tips activation page should help you get one up and running within 48 hours. 

How to maximize your Creator Fund payouts

To make the most out of the Creator Fund and other Creator Next monetization tools, it’s clear that you need to up your TikTok content marketing game.

Here are three ideas you should try:

1. Plan and schedule your TikTok content in bulk

Use a social media management platform that features scheduling and supports direct publishing to TikTok.

Vista Social lets you build an automated posting schedule based on your TikTok audience’s most active times. It also provides hashtag suggestions that will boost the discoverability of your content.

These features will maximize the visibility of your TikTok videos and, in turn, generate more profits. 

2. Look at top-performing videos

Observe thriving TikTok creators to find key elements you could incorporate into your content strategy. 

Look for popular TikTok quotes, use trending effects, and borrow video format ideas. If there are people who already figured it out, they’re the top creators that get millions of views per video.

3. Make your TikTok content more interactive

The Creator Fund rewards brands based on user engagement performance, including views, likes, shares, and comments. 

One way to bolster engagement is to instill interactivity into your TikTok content. Use features like TikTok questions, go LIVE more often, and actively invite viewers to engage by leaving comments. 

TikTok also offers interactive add-ons for in-feed TikTok ads. These allow users to interact with content through pop-outs (similar to pop-ups), gestures, voting stickers, and more. 

For other Creator Next monetization tools, remember the following tips: 

• Don’t make promises when asking for gifts. While TikTok doesn’t penalize creators who make promises in exchange for gifts, the company warns that it could ruin the user experience. Some examples are “send a gift for a follow” and “share this LIVE video for a shoutout.”
• Thank followers for their support. When going LIVE, build follower loyalty by thanking viewers who give tips or gifts. This will also encourage other viewers to chip in. 
• Focus on creating value. Don’t create videos or use TikTok LIVE just to ‘beg’ for support. Create valuable content by discussing topics that matter to your audience while sharing useful tips.

Other FAQs about the TikTok Creator Fund

How much does TikTok pay with the Creator Fund?

TikTok pays around 2-4 cents per 1,000 video views, which translates to up to $40 per 1,000,000 views. Factors like user engagement and your region affect the amount you earn per 1,000 views. 

How do I join the Creator Fund on TikTok?

To join the Creator Fund, your account must meet TikTok’s eligibility requirements. You can then apply for the fund through the “Creator tools” page from within the app.

How many followers do you need on TikTok to get paid?

Creators need a minimum of 10,000 followers and 100,000 views over the past 30 days to be eligible for Creator Next and the Creator Fund. In addition, the creator must be at least 18 years of age to apply.

Supercharge your Creator Fund earnings 

Build a solid TikTok content marketing strategy to maximize views and boost your Creator Fund earnings.

Vista Social is an all-in-one platform that can schedule your TikTok videos at the best times, sprinkle them with popular hashtags, and track TikTok user engagement analytics for ongoing optimization. 

Get started today with a free Vista Social account.