Instagram tests subscription services so that creators can sell exclusive content

Text/Marisa Dellatto

Summary of the incident

Instagram announced on Wednesday that it launched a test of a new subscription model to allow creators to deliver exclusive content to paid subscribers, a feature that has been welcomed by the promotion of OnlyFans, Substack and Patreon.

Key facts

Meta's CEO, Zuckerberg, said in a Facebook post that popular creators can offer exclusive live streaming sessions, stories and badges to paid subscribers with a purple badge, a move that will "help creators make more money."

The company said the project is being tested with 10 well-known U.S. creators, each with tens of thousands of followers, and more creators will be available to participate in the coming months.

According to The Verge, creators will be able to set their own subscription prices, ranging from $0.99 to $99.99 per month.

When Facebook launched a subscription service last year, the company promised not to deduct fees until at least 2023, which will also apply to Instagram's new projects.

Adam Mosseri, Instagram's CEO, claims that the company is working to get creators to use subscriber lists on platforms other than Instagram.

Important remarks

Adam Moseri said: "The creator's job is to make a living, which is predictable. Subscriptions are one of the best ways to get predictable revenue. ”

Key background

Following the success of content sites such as OnlyFans and Patreon, as well as newsletter platform Substack, Instagram has also begun to imitate its model. Last year, Twitter released its own subscription service, Super Follows, which allows users to receive subscription-only content by paying $2.99, $4.99 or $9.99 per month. Twitter and Facebook also launched newsletter services last year, and YouTube launched channel membership in 2018.