According to Mashable, TikTok announced at its 2025 U.S. Creator Summit that creators can now earn up to 90 percent of subscription revenue, a significant increase from previous models. The platform’s global head of creator marketing and community, Marisa Hammonds, emphasized that “the more consistent you are, the more you earn” while outlining specific requirements for the bonus tier. To qualify for the additional 20 percentage points beyond the base 70 percent revenue share, creators must maintain at least 10,000 followers, generate 100,000 monthly views, and post three or more subscription-only videos monthly. Currently limited to U.S. and Canadian creators, the enhanced payout structure will expand globally in coming months, while creators elsewhere currently earn 50 percent with potential bonuses reaching 70 percent. This strategic shift signals TikTok’s intensified focus on creator monetization as the platform evolves beyond viral content.
Table of Contents
The Subscription Arms Race Intensifies
TikTok’s move to 90% revenue sharing represents a direct challenge to competing platforms that have traditionally offered more generous creator splits. YouTube’s Partner Program typically shares 55% of ad revenue, while subscription models like Patreon take between 5-12% of creator earnings. The timing is strategic – as platforms increasingly compete for top talent, TikTok is positioning itself as the most financially rewarding option for serious creators. This comes as platforms recognize that retaining popular creators is essential for maintaining user engagement and advertising revenue. The higher payout percentage essentially functions as a retention bonus, making it financially difficult for successful creators to consider migrating their audience elsewhere.
The Hidden Costs of Maximum Earnings
While the 90% figure appears generous, the requirements reveal a sophisticated marketing strategy that benefits TikTok as much as creators. The mandatory three subscription-only posts monthly creates pressure for consistent content production, essentially turning creators into content factories. This requirement could lead to burnout and quality dilution as creators prioritize meeting quantity thresholds over crafting genuinely valuable exclusive content. The 100,000 monthly view requirement also creates a “rich get richer” dynamic where established creators with viral momentum can easily qualify, while emerging talent struggles to reach the bonus tier. This structure effectively uses the promise of higher earnings to drive the platform’s most valuable metric: consistent, engaging content that keeps users returning.
TikTok’s Long-Game Strategy
This revised revenue sharing model represents TikTok’s maturation from a viral video app to a serious content ecosystem. By incentivizing subscription content, TikTok is building deeper creator-audience relationships that are harder to replicate on competing platforms. The exclusive badges, subscriber-only posts, and chat features create a gated community experience that mirrors successful social platform strategies from Discord and Twitter’s Super Follows. More importantly, this move helps TikTok combat the common creator practice of using the platform for discovery while monetizing elsewhere. If creators can achieve premium earnings directly on TikTok, they’re less likely to drive their most engaged followers to Patreon, OnlyFans, or other monetization platforms.
Shifting Creator Economy Dynamics
The implications extend beyond TikTok itself. This aggressive revenue share could force competing platforms to reconsider their own creator payout structures. We’re likely to see response moves from YouTube, Instagram, and emerging platforms as the battle for top talent intensifies. However, the sustainability of such high payouts remains questionable – while TikTok can afford to operate subscriptions at minimal profit initially, the long-term viability depends on scaling this model across millions of creators. There’s also the risk of creator saturation, where too many creators offering subscription content could dilute the value proposition for subscribers. As noted in TikTok’s own creator resources, success requires balancing exclusive content with maintaining broader audience engagement.
The Road Ahead for Creator Monetization
Looking forward, this move signals a broader industry shift toward platform-owned subscription ecosystems. The initial U.S. and Canada focus suggests TikTok is testing the model in mature markets before global rollout, allowing for adjustments based on creator adoption and subscriber response. The 90% figure may prove to be a temporary market capture strategy that could normalize to lower percentages once creator loyalty is secured. What’s clear is that the era of platforms treating creators as content providers rather than business partners is ending. As subscription models become more sophisticated, we can expect to see more tiered structures, performance-based bonuses, and integrated merchandising opportunities that transform content creation from a side hustle into a sustainable profession.
