The Radical Egalitarianism of TikTok's Creator Fund Matters

Here is probably where everything starts: ad-driven platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Youtube) only reward top creators. Mid and small-size creators are left out - no matter how engaged their audience is. Long story short, mid and small-size creators desperately need new tools to engage and monetize their community.

That’s not how it works right now. Spotify pays per stream, whether you’re listening or not. YouTube Premium pays per minute of watch time whether you like it or not. TikTok’s creator fund is distributed based on “engagement” (whatever that is.) And all of this is fine. But why not set aside a portion of this money and give it to the audience for t... See more

But what has emerged from this strategy is a highly skewed distribution of income where a few creators make millions and most of them make barely anything at all. A good deal for platforms and a handful of creators; a bad deal for everyone else.

The prevailing standard is a 30% platform cut, which is accompanied by another 30% Apple Store / Google Play tax if purchases are made in app.  This has led to the new wave of standalone utilities such as Kofi, micro-tipping services offering more favorable revenue sharing terms for creators.  The most recent features from big platforms s... See more