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Snapchat is getting ready for TikTok’s impending exit from the US with a unified creator-monetization program for its Stories and Spotlight features.
Why It Hits: TikTok’s ban will leave a hole in the social media and creator economy ecosystem. Prepare for Snapchat, YouTube, and Instagram to wage an all-out war for cultural dominance… and advertiser dollars.
Behind the Curtain: Does Snapchat have what it takes to fill TikTok’s shoes?
- The company is testing a new, unified monetization program with a small group of creators that covers short-form videos posted on Stories and longer ones on its For You-like Spotlight channel. Previously, both were under separate monetization programs.
- The program rolls out widely to users on February 1st, 2025 — just a couple of weeks after TikTok’s expiration date.
- To qualify, creators need 50,000 followers and either 10 million Snap views, 1 million Spotlight views, or 12,000 hours of watch time in the last four weeks. They also need to post consistently. Those are higher metrics than either of the old programs.
The Future: Snapchat reports that its platform has rapidly been transforming from a private chat-and-video platform to a more creator-forward public one. That really kicked off with the million-dollar lottery for Spotlight in 2021. Over the past year, Spotlight viewership has jumped 25% (there’s no more lottery, sadly), and public video posts have tripled. At this pace, Snap could grow to reach the same… well, reach… of YouTube and Instagram.
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