TikTok on Tuesday launched “Series,” a way for content creators to monetize longer videos on the hugely popular app.
Series enables eligible creators to post collections of content behind a paywall that viewers must make a purchase to access. One Series can include up to 80 videos, each up to 20 minutes long.
That’s twice the length of the maximum regular post of 10 minutes. It reflects an increase in video length that parallels TikTok’s expansive growth. When the app launched in 2016, videos were limited to 15-second clips. As it grew to its now billion-plus users, it expanded the length of videos to 60 seconds, then three minutes.
TikTok said the new 20-minute videos will give viewers “a new, longer format to watch their favorite creators and content.”
Creators can choose how much their Series should cost. The purchases may be made via direct in-video links or through a creator’s profile page.
“Through Series, creators can build even stronger relationships with their viewers while also giving viewers another way to support creators,” the company said. For a limited time, creators will receive 100% of the revenue their Series brings in, Variety reported. It’s not yet clear how the company will split revenue with creators in the future.
The Series feature is currently available only to select users and will start accepting applications for more to join in the coming months, the Chinese company said in a statement. “As we’re in the early stages of Series, we’ll continue to listen closely to our community for feedback,” TikTok said.
The company said that all Series content must follow its community guidelines for safety.
TikTok already offers multiple ways for creators to bring in cash from their content, including partnering with brands, tips and its Creator Fund that rewards creators for making popular videos. Last month, it also launched “Creativity Program Beta,” an invitation-only program that pays creators with a minimum follower and video view requirements a share of ad revenue to create “high-quality, original content” longer than one minute. That program is expected to be available to all U.S. creators in the coming months.
More than 210 million people in the U.S. have downloaded the TikTok app, with 62% of U.S. users age 29 or younger, according to ComScore.
The new programs come as TikTok is getting more scrutiny from the federal government, which last week set a 30-day deadline for removing the app from federal phones and computers. Canada also ordered its workers to purge the app from government devices amid heightened concerns that it could be used to secretly collect information and influence politics.