Among TikTok's various emerging growth challenges is creator monetization, and enabling the app's top stars to make money from their TikTok clips.

Because short-form video is harder to monetize than longer types of content, in which platforms can insert ads for revenue share.

As such, TikTok has had to develop more creative opportunities to help users make money. And with live stream shopping also failing to take hold, which has been a big winner for the app in its Chinese homeland, it's now branching out into new monetization avenues, to facilitate more opportunities.
TikTok's new Series option enables creators to paywall certain content, in order to boost revenue potential in the app.

According to TikTok:

"Developed with our community's love of sharing authentic stories, expertise and experiences in mind, Series enables eligible creators to post Collections of premium content behind a paywall which viewers can purchase for access. One Series can include up to 80 videos, each up to 20 minutes long, giving people a new, longer format to watch their favorite creators and content."

So it's a long-form monetization play, within the short-form app, but monetized through direct payments, as opposed to ads (like YouTube's Partner Program).

This is going to dramatically expand the reach of what TikTok celebrities are allowed to produce and share exclusive, pay-per-view-only material for the most dedicated fan who'll go to another platform to try to buy it. Even some YouTube cross-post their long form content as a way of diversifying income streams-and could lead, at least at the margins, to spending more time to build one's audience there.

That is the big question. YouTube will allow creators to focus on their content with just monetizing their videos, and little more work than signing up for the program and ticking a box. Series is a step in the same direction, but it'll still require some additional work to package and promote these exclusive clips.

Which might be worthwhile, depending on how much your audience is willing to pay and how steadily they convert, and at what cost that is going to take.

Which in principle is probably going to be available as an option, but likely only for the smallest proportion of top content creators, who have built a strong audience willing to pay extra.
Or adult performers. With that in mind, TikTok says all Series content has to follow its Community Guidelines which includes bans on nudity or sexual activity. But that seems to be a way by which popular TikTok influencers could utilize this as somewhat of a light version of OnlyFans by bending some of the rules within the app.

TikTok states that creators will be allowed to choose how much their Series should cost 'that best reflects the value of their exclusive content', from $1 to $190. Users will then buy access directly, either in-video links or from a creator's profile.

It might be an interesting new option for creators to test, and it will be equally interesting to see what users will pay and what they'll pay for in terms of this exclusive content.

TikTok says that Series is currently only available to select creators, with applications to join the program opening up 'in the coming months'.