TikTok introduces its first ad revenue sharing program called TikTok Pulse

TikTok creators are getting a new monetization tool that has the potential to help them earn a more stable income from posting videos on the platform. In addition to the Creator Fund and a tipping feature, TikTok announced it is launching an ad revenue sharing program called TikTok Pulse that will be available to more creators later this year.

TikTok noted three main functions of the TikTok Pulse in a blog post, including helping brands place their advertisements on the top 4 percent of videos on the platform. “Creators and publishers with at least 100k followers will be eligible in the initial stage of this program,” the company said in a blog post. “We're focused on developing monetization solutions in available markets so that creators feel valued and rewarded on TikTok.”

There will be 12 content categories where brands can choose where they want their ads to be displayed. TikTok also said it will also provide companies with "additional post campaign measurement tools" so that advertisers have insight into the "suitability and viewability" of their ad campaigns on the platform.

TikTok North America's Sandie Hawkins confirmed to The Verge that TikTok Pulse will share 50 percent of the ad revenue with creators. The program will initially launch in the United States. But the social media firm plans on making it available to more regions in the fall.

It is worth noting that TikTok Pulse was announced just days after Google confirmed it has started testing monetization on its short-form videos called Shorts. Google also reported that Shorts content is already generating 30 billion daily views.

Several creators criticized TikTok earlier this year for the lack of a robust monetization program for creators. Creator Hank Green, who currently has 6.6 million followers on TikTok, released a video in January explaining that one of the main issues with TikTok relying on its Creator Fund is that it has a “static pool” of money that will be distributed among a long list of creators. And the amount on the Creator Fund normally does not change regardless of the immense growth TikTok has seen in the last year alone.

Green’s video prompted other well-known creators to share how much they earned on TikTok. Jimmy Donaldson, more popularly known as MrBeast, shared a screenshot from his account that showed he earned less than $15,000 from the Creator Fund at the time despite, as he claims, garnering “[probably] over a billion views” on the platform.

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