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How to make money on TikTok in 2024

Want to know all the ways you can earn money on TikTok? Check out our article with all the latest tips and tricks to making money on TikTok.

Alec Chillingworth

• 12 min read
How to make money on TikTok in 2024

If you’re a content creator, you’ve probably wondered how people make money on TikTok, how much they can make, and what the platform’s payments look like. Let’s talk monetization.

Since its global launch in 2017, the social media giant has been hot property. But can you make money on TikTok? Does TikTok pay you? Yes! As its popularity surged, it became a viable income stream for many content creators, rather than just a place to watch videos of Arnold Schwarzenegger chasing a miniature pony.

@arnoldschnitzel Whiskey and Lulu need exercise too! #happyathome ♬ original sound - Arnold

How to make money on TikTok

In this blog, we’ll cover:

How many views and followers do you need to make money on TikTok?

Until December 2021, the barrier to making money directly from TikTok was much higher. To monetize your account, you had to be at least 18 years old –which is still the case – have more than 10,000 followers, and have at least 100,000 video views in the last 30 days.

If you met those criteria, you could apply for TikTok’s Creator Fund. The payment-per-view figures have never been publicly disclosed, so it’s not as easy as saying ‘1,000 views = $X.’

Earning money on TikTok

Roughly, it’s estimated that you can pull in between 2 and 4 cents for every 1,000 views once signed up to the Creator Fund.

However, payments vary depending on the number and authenticity of views, the level of engagement on the videos, and ensuring content is in line with TikTok’s Community Guidelines and Terms of Service.

It's also worth noting that from December 16, 2023, creators in the United Kingdom, United States, Germany, and France will no longer have access to the Creator Fund.

For a while, the Creator Fund was the main way for big-name content creators to passively earn money on TikTok. Then Creator Next came along. 

What is TikTok Creator Next?

Towards the end of 2021, TikTok introduced a new feature. It’s a monetization hub called Creator Next, and it houses all of the platform’s money-making options under one roof, making earning on TikTok more accessible.

To be eligible, you need to have a minimum of 1,000 views over the last 30 days, have shared at least three posts in that timeframe, plus meet the minimum follower requirement in your region. That last one is decided at TikTok’s discretion, but it’s usually 1,000 or more.

Browsing TikTok

Once you’re enrolled in Creator Next, there are multiple ways you can monetize your​ TikTok content beyond just Creator Fund.

Creator Next offers:

  • LIVE Gifts: TikTok awards ‘Diamonds’ based on the popularity of creators’ TikTok LIVE videos, which can then be exchanged for real-life currency. Viewers can also LIVE Gift their favorite content creators during LIVE videos, which can also be converted into cold, hard cash. This feature existed before Creator Next, and any TikTok user over 18 and part of the Creator Next program is eligible to receive LIVE Gifts.
  • Video Gifts: This allows creators to collect Diamonds based on views on their short videos rather than LIVE videos. Viewers can also send Gifts, just like on LIVE videos. To be eligible, creators need at least 100,000 followers, an account that’s over 30 days old, and a public video published in the last 30 days.
  • Tips: Viewers can donate money to their favorite content creators, who’ll receive the full tip (minus any service fees.) This tool is available for creators with more than 100,000 followers. Tips can be sent in blocks of $5, $10, $15, or a custom amount.
  • TikTok Creator Marketplace: This gives creators the chance to connect and collaborate with brands through an official portal on both paid and reward-based campaigns. Brands will invite creators directly to the Creator Marketplace, but you can also apply if you have more than 10,000 followers.
  • TikTok Creator Fund: We already covered this one, and while it’s a high bar to aim for, there’s no harm in trying! After all, TikTok lives and breathes viral content – your next video could rocket you into Creator Fund eligibility. Remember that Creator Next isn’t a replacement for the Creator Fund, but rather a home for it.
Using TikTok

How do you get TikTok Creator Next?

Once you’ve hit the above criteria, follow the below steps:

  1. Open your TikTok mobile app, then click the ‘Profile’ button in the bottom right.
  2. Once you’ve reached your profile, click the ‘three line’ icon in the top right.
  3. Click ‘Creator Tools,’ then tap ‘Join’ on the Creator Next banner.
  4. Follow the on-screen instructions, apply, and wait for confirmation.

65% of TikTok users prefer content from brands that use original sounds. Get yourself a slice of that below with Epidemic Sound.

How to get paid on TikTok

So, how else do you get paid on TikTok? Before Creator Next, there were still loads of avenues for TikTokers to earn money. Aside from Creator Fund, you could – and still can – sell your own merch, direct people to gated content on another platform like Patreon, grow and sell accounts, or become a TikTok consultant for brands.

And, of course, brand partnerships existed before Creator Next – the TikTok Creator Marketplace just makes it easier to facilitate. Between 2019 and 2021, US marketers planning to use TikTok for influencer marketing shot from just 16% to 68% – it’s clear that the platform’s bankability is only rising, and brand-sponsored videos can earn up to $1,000 if they reach 100,000 views.

How to make money on TikTok by watching videos

Some people might tell you that you can make money on TikTok by watching videos. While there are some third-party apps and services that do offer money to complete certain tasks – including watching certain videos – it’s not something we’d recommend. TikTok is an interesting place where anyone can be a star. These third-party platforms are sucking the fun out of it!

Monetize tiktok

How to make money on TikTok without followers

If you find out how to make money on TikTok without followers, you’ll be a millionaire. While you can hustle with third parties like we mentioned, you can’t really sustain long-term, healthy monetization on TikTok without followers. TikTok is about community, and if you’re just in it for the money, you’ll need a bucket-load of followers.

How else can you make money on TikTok?

Despite Creator Next being pushed as the go-to piggy bank, there are more ways to make money on TikTok – we already outlined a few in the previous section. Let’s explore those options, alongside others, below.

Use TikTok Shop to advertise and sell your products and services

If you have your own things to sell and want to try making income as a creator, you can always make TikToks that show off your products and services.

It doesn’t matter if your hustle is proofreading, personal training, or making little necklaces out of seashells – if it looks good, you can hook people in. If you want to spread the word and attract the right kind of viewers, ensure your captions, descriptions, and hashtags are on point when it comes to keywords.

Check out Axel Webber’s merch drop below to get a feel for it.

@axelwebber

MERCH DROP FRIDAY 4/1/2022

♬ original sound - Axel

If you want to go beyond promoting your other storefronts – like Etsy, for example – you can now sell directly through TikTok. You don’t even need a Business account, as TikTok Shop lets you sell products directly through in-feed videos on the For You page, TikTok LIVE broadcasts, and the 'Shop' tab.

You can apply to open a TikTok Shop here. 

Partner with a brand that aligns with your values

‘Sponsored content.’ Surely, that’s the dream – being paid just to be you?

Year after year, brands are taking TikTok more seriously when it comes to their marketing budgets. However, you might struggle to get noticed if you’re a smaller creator. You can still access the TikTok Creator Marketplace and test the waters there, but you have to wait for brands to come to you.

Some creators will sign partnerships outside of TikTok. Occasionally, they luck out and it falls into their laps: a brand notices them, gets in touch, and offers them a deal.

If you’re a smaller creator, it’s worth seeking out brands you want to work with. Find the companies that chime with you and reflect your values. This is important for two reasons:

  1. You need to feel comfortable with the partnership for it to be a success. There’s no point doing it if you feel gross about working with a company you disagree with.
  2. Your audience will see right through a deal you’ve just done for the money. For example, a vegan influencer probably couldn’t get away with a sponsored post for an oil company. Partnerships work when they’re seen as genuine extensions of your personal brand – prepare yourself for sell-out claims if you buddy up with a brand that’s opposed to the views expressed in your content.

You can use websites like TemplateLab to create free, high-quality press kits to send to brands. Let them know you’re serious!

Earning money on TikTok

With that in mind, you could always create a few non-sponsored posts on your TikTok where you just…talk about the brand you have in mind. Maybe they have a killer face cream or life-changing snack. Hype it up. Tell people where you got it, why you got it, and what makes it so special. Creating a non-sponsored post bigging up the brand shows them you have what it takes to communicate their values, products, and services.

And remember: use the ‘Branded Content’ toggle if you’re actually creating sponsored, paid-for content. That way, you can be transparent with your viewers and ensure your video doesn’t get removed for breaking the rules.

Affiliate marketing provides a particular type of hyperlink that, when clicked, takes a user to a page where they can buy something. You’ll earn money every time someone completes an action via your affiliate link.

Most affiliate links leave ‘cookies,’ meaning that after someone clicks it once, you’ll get a commission if they buy it – even if they don’t buy the product during that session. Affiliate links are often used as part of brand partnerships, but some marketplaces, like Amazon, open them up to a wider applicant pool.

Create filters with TikTok Creator Effect Rewards

Augmented reality is a big deal on TikTok – how many hours have you spent imposing a dog’s face on yours, or even your face on your dog’s? These ‘face-altering’ effects and filters are a massive part of the fun, and since 2022, creators have been able to design, publish, and share their AR effects through TikTok Effect House.

Nowadays, you can even get paid for it. After all, some of these filters have started trends and encouraged people to keep using the platform. It’s only fair that the people behind them are compensated.

Man using TikTok

With Effect Creator Rewards, your effects will earn you money based on engagement levels. Creators can expect to receive $700 if their effect’s been used in more than 500,000 videos within 90 days of the effect going live, and $140 for every further 100,000 videos within that 90 days. If your effect goes viral, it could scoop you a tidy sum. Learn more and apply for the program here.

Join TikTok’s Creator Rewards Program

Some TikTokers have voiced concerns about the platform’s Creator Fund, believing the payouts don’t reflect the time and effort that goes into creating content. TikTok listened, and in early 2023, they rolled out the TikTok Creator Rewards Program.

It’s being offered as an alternative to the Creator Fund. If you’ve already joined the latter, you’ll be able to switch to the Creator Rewards Program without any hassle. If not, you’ll need 10,000 followers, plus 100,000 authentic video views in the past 30 days.

Use TikTok Series

TikTok Series was rolled out widely in 2023, and it’s pretty exciting. In a nutshell, it’s a premium service where fans pay a certain amount – up to $190 – to access exclusive, paywalled content.

Each TikTok Series can contain up to 80 videos, in which the run-time can be 20 minutes, rather than the regular 10-minute limit on regular TikTok content.

To start your own Series, you’ll need:

  • To be 18 or older
  • An account that’s at least 30 days old
  • 10,000 followers or more
  • Three public videos in the past 30 days
  • At least 1,000 authentic views within that same period
  • To have not repeatedly violated TikTok’s Community Guidelines

If you’re not quite hitting the 10,000 follower mark, you might still be able to get in on the action. If you have more than 1,000 TikTok followers and a track record of selling premium content on other platforms – think Patreon – then you can still apply. This doesn’t guarantee approval, but it’s worth a shot.

Use TikTok subscriptions

March 2024 saw the wider roll-out of TikTok subscriptions. they’re still invite-only, but once you’re in, you can use them to offer your followers extra benefits. These include perks like badges, personalized emojis, and exclusive content, and can be accessed with a monthly payment.

How to make money on TikTok with ads

You can make money on TikTok with an advertising tool called TikTok Pulse. Similar to YouTube's monetization scheme, it offers a 50/50 split between advertisers and creators. However, you need at least 100,000 followers to use it, so it's not the best thing to recommend for beginners. If you want to learn more about how TikTok ads work, click here.

How much money can you make on TikTok?

So, you’ve learned how to make money on TikTok. But just how far does this thing go? Let’s look at TikTok’s top earners in 2024.

@charlidamelio 4/30 🤍😇☁️ @borndreamerbycd ♬ original sound - charli d’amelio

Who earns the most money on TikTok in 2024?

  • Charli D’Amelio earns an estimated $17.5 million per year, thanks to her massive following, binge-worthy dance clips, and sponsorship deals with everyone from Hollister to Dunkin’ Donuts. 
  • Dixie D’Amelio, Charli’s older sister, pulls in an estimated $10 million every year. Part of this comes from cross-pollination with her sister’s account, but her burgeoning music career doesn’t hurt, either.
  • Khaby Lame enjoys an estimated annual $5 million on TikTok, which sounds pretty sweet to us. In summer 2022, he became the most-followed account on the platform, crushing it with Netflix, Hugo Boss, and Amazon Prime sponsorship deals.

While the amount isn’t set in stone, there’s money to be made on TikTok. According to Epidemic Sound’s own research of monetizing creators, TikTok is the top social platform for generating income. 

You probably won’t be making $17.5 million like Charli D’Amelio, but with the addition of Creator Next, the Creativity Program, and more opportunities popping up every day, it’s now more promising than ever for content creators to make a living from the platform. We’re sure Arnie is saddling up as we speak.

And if you need music for your content, don’t sweat it. We’ve got you covered.

Our catalog is high-quality, affordable, and safe. An Epidemic Sound subscription goes beyond royalty-free music, removing the headache of licensing and freeing you up to do what you do best. You can enjoy the safety of our license hand-in-hand with our massive catalog of 50,000 tracks, covering just about every genre you can think of. You’ll also gain unlimited access to our advanced search functions — finding the right sound’s never been easier. 

It’s better than royalty-free. It’s worry-free. Get started with Epidemic Sound below.

Want to level up your TikTok game? Whether you're an advertiser looking for music for TikTok campaigns or a creator getting to know the platform, we’ve got you covered. Become a TikTok master with Epidemic Sound.

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