Instagram is testing paid subscriptions with a small group of creators

U.S. Instagram users will soon be able to subscribe to a small number of creators and influencers for exclusive content and features. The company noted in a blog post that it launched a subscription test today, with more creators joining in the coming weeks. Fans will get access to subscriber-specific content for creators they follow by paying a monthly fee.

Subscribers will also be able to get a purple badge next to their username, indicating their status to the creator. Package prices will range from $0.99 to $99.99 per month, and creators can choose a price point for their subscriptions. Ashley Yuki, co-head of products, told TechCrunch that "until at least 2023," Instagram won't take a cut from creators' subscription revenue.

The early test was attended by ten creators, including basketball player Sedona Prince, Olympian Jordan Chiles and astrologer Aliza Kelly.

Mark Zuckerberg, the Instagram-owning CEO of Meta, wrote in a Facebook post: "I'm excited to continue to build tools for creators to make a living doing creative work and quickly put those tools in the hands of more creators." Facebook also has its own version of the Creator Subscription Program.

Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, said in a video today that subscriptions are one of the best ways for influencers and creators to have predictable revenue. Some creators have monetized Instagram features by charging fans extra-platform fees to get Stories, such as Close Friends. Still, Instagram and Facebook aren't the only companies that have launched subscription models that compete with platforms like TikTok. In 2021, Twitter launched Super Follows, with some creators offering additional subscriptions outside of the Patreon or Substack platforms.