Snapchat is changing the way people make money on the platform by introducing a new unified monetization program. The new program will cover content posted to Stories as well as Spotlight, the TikTok-like platform’s discovery feed filled with recommended video content. Under the program, influencers earn revenue from ads placed on eligible Stories and featured posts.
The new program is currently in testing with a small group of users and will be widely rolled out on February 1, 2025. To participate, users must reach a number of benchmarks to be invited: 50,000 followers and 10 million views Snap, 1 million Spotlight views, or 12,000 hours of viewing in the last 28 days.
They must also post consistently, at least 25 times a month to Saved Stories or Spotlight, and post to Spotlight or Public Stories at least 10 of the last 28 days. Some of those eligibility requirements are significantly higher than under the previous structure. In order to make money through Spotlight, for example, creators previously needed things like a public profile, 1,000 followers, and 10,000 video views.
Other video platforms have also simplified or changed the creator’s original backgrounds. TikTok, for example, now has a program for creators that requires videos longer than 1 minute. On YouTube, Shorts creators make money through advertising revenue, a move by the company to significantly compete with TikTok.