# Which social media platforms pay creators?

URL: https://howinfluencersmakemoney.com/social-media-platforms-that-pay-creators/
Facts checked: 2026-10-21
Independent and unsponsored: no company paid for, reviewed, or approved this page.

YouTube publishes the clearest pay: 55% of long-form ad revenue and 70% of memberships. Twitch pays 50% of subscriptions, up to 70%, and Kick pays 95%. TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat and X pay from view or impression pools with no published rate. Instagram pays only fan tools and invite-only bonuses. Pinterest, LinkedIn and Threads have no open direct-pay program.

Eight of the eleven big social platforms run a program that pays creators directly. Few of them publish what you get. YouTube, Twitch and Kick publish fixed shares. TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat and X pay from view or impression pools at their own discretion, and Instagram pays only small fan tools.

The table compares the program, the bar to get in, what the creator receives and the payout threshold on each platform, as published on October 21, 2026. A short section on each platform follows. For every program, including each fan tool, see the [Creator Pay Index](https://howinfluencersmakemoney.com/payouts/).

## The numbers

- YouTube pays 55% of long-form ad revenue and 70% of memberships, the clearest published shares of any platform.
- Kick keeps 5% of subscriptions. Twitch keeps 50% by default and 30% at the top Plus Program level.
- TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat and X publish no rate per view or impression.
- Instagram pays $0.01 per Gift Star and takes 0% of Subscriptions, while Apple and Google take 30%.
- X replaced Creator Revenue Sharing with Original Content Rewards in September 2026.

## Which social media platforms pay creators the most?

No platform publishes a rate per view, so the fair comparison is the share each one passes on. Kick passes on the biggest share of fan money at 95% of subscriptions. YouTube and Twitch pass on the biggest published share of ad money at 55%, YouTube on long-form videos and Twitch for streamers who run 3 minutes of ads an hour. They are the only two with fixed published shares on both ads and fan payments.

Third-party estimates point the same way. AIR Media-Tech's study of 300 channels from May 2025 to May 2026 puts the median YouTube long-form RPM at about $2.30 per 1,000 views. Uppbeat's 2026 roundup of creator-reported payouts puts TikTok Creator Rewards at $0.36 to $1.04 per 1,000 qualified views. Both are estimates, not platform rates.

If you want income you can forecast, build on YouTube or a streaming platform with a published split. Treat pool-based programs on TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat and X as a bonus on top.

Creator pay programs on 11 social platforms, US terms, October 21, 2026

| Platform | Main program | Eligibility bar | What the creator gets | Payout threshold |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| YouTube | YouTube Partner Program | 500 subscribers for fan funding. Ads need 1,000 subscribers plus 4,000 watch hours in 12 months or 10 million Shorts views in 90 days | 55% of long-form ad revenue, 45% of your Shorts pool share, 70% of memberships and Super Chat | $100 in the US, through AdSense |
| TikTok | Creator Rewards Program | 18 or older, 10,000 followers, 100,000 views in 30 days | Pay per qualified view on videos at least 1 minute long, at TikTok's discretion | $50, paid on the 15th |
| Instagram | Gifts, Subscriptions, Badges, Bonuses | 500 followers for Gifts, 10,000 for Subscriptions, invite only for Bonuses | $0.01 per Gift Star. Instagram takes 0% of Subscriptions and Badges, app stores take 30% | $5 in the US |
| Facebook | Facebook Content Monetization | Invite only | Performance pay based on qualified views and watch time, no published rate | $5 in the US |
| Snapchat | Snapchat Monetization Program | Invite only. 50,000 followers and 15,000 hours of view time in 28 days, 3,000 of them from Spotlight | A share of ads placed between Snaps, no published rate | $100 to cash out |
| X | Original Content Rewards | X Premium or a paid X Subscription plan, 500 verified followers, 500,000 impressions from verified users in 90 days | Pay based on Premium users' impressions, no published rate | $30, paid every two weeks |
| Twitch | Affiliate and Partner programs | 25 followers, 4 hours streamed on 4 days, 3 average viewers, all within 30 days | 50% of subs, up to 70% through the Plus Program. 55% of ads with 3 mid-roll minutes per hour | $50, or $100 by wire |
| Kick | Subscriptions and KICK Partner Program | 5 hours streamed to turn on subs | 95% of subs and KICKs tips. Partner Program rates not published | No minimum stated by Kick |
| Pinterest | No direct pay program | Not applicable | Amazon affiliate commissions through a linked Amazon Storefront | Set by Amazon |
| LinkedIn | BrandLink, in beta | Not published | Pre-roll ads on selected creators' videos, no published share | Not published |
| Threads | No pay program found | Not applicable | Nothing published on Meta's help pages | Not applicable |

## How does YouTube pay creators?

YouTube pays Partner Program creators 55% of net long-form ad revenue, 45% of the Shorts ad revenue allocated to them, and 70% of memberships, Super Chat, Super Stickers and Super Thanks. Fan funding and Shopping open at 500 subscribers. Ad revenue needs 1,000 subscribers plus 4,000 watch hours in 12 months or 10 million Shorts views in 90 days.

The bar rises on February 1, 2027. New applicants will need 8,000 watch hours in 365 days or 20 million Shorts views in 90 days, and Shorts pool pay will need 10 million qualified Shorts views every 90 days. YouTube suits creators who make long videos. Skip it as a main income if you only make Shorts. Full details are in [how much YouTube pays](https://howinfluencersmakemoney.com/how-much-does-youtube-pay/).

## How does TikTok pay creators?

TikTok pays for views through its Creator Rewards Program, open to US creators 18 or older with 10,000 followers and 100,000 views in the last 30 days. Only videos at least 1 minute long earn, and TikTok sets the amount at its discretion. It pays on the 15th of each month once you reach $50.

Subscriptions pay 70% after fees, or up to 90% with a monthly bonus, and TikTok Shop affiliate access starts at 1,000 followers. Since January 2026, US programs run under TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC, the majority American-owned company set up to keep the app legal in the US. TikTok suits product reviewers and creators who post long, watchable videos. See [how much TikTok pays](https://howinfluencersmakemoney.com/how-much-does-tiktok-pay/).

## How do Instagram and Threads pay creators?

Instagram pays creators only through Gifts, Subscriptions, live Badges and invite-only Bonuses, and it has no ad revenue share. Gifts pay $0.01 per Star and open at 500 followers. Instagram takes 0% of Subscriptions and Badges, but Apple and Google take 30% of in-app purchases. US creators are paid around the 21st once they reach $5.

Threads has no creator pay program on Meta's help pages as of October 21, 2026. For both apps, the real money comes from brand deals and affiliate links that brands pay for. Read [how much Instagram pays](https://howinfluencersmakemoney.com/how-much-does-instagram-pay/) and [how to get brand deals](https://howinfluencersmakemoney.com/how-to-get-brand-deals/).

## How does Facebook pay creators?

Facebook pays for views through Facebook Content Monetization, an invite-only program that pays on public reels, photos, Stories and text posts based on qualified views and watch time. It replaced In-stream Ads, Ads on Reels and the Performance Bonus, which ended on August 31, 2025. Meta says Facebook paid creators nearly $3 billion in 2025.

Creator Fast Track, announced March 18, 2026, is the fastest way in for creators with an audience elsewhere. It guarantees $1,000 a month for three months to creators with 100,000 followers on Instagram, TikTok or YouTube, or $3,000 a month above 1 million, for posting eligible Reels on Facebook.

Fan tools are open to smaller pages. Facebook Stars pay $0.01 per Star once you have held 500 followers for 30 days. Fan subscriptions leave the creator at least 70%, because Meta keeps up to 30% and pays app store fees out of its own share. If you already make Reels for Instagram, cross-post them to Facebook.

## How do Snapchat and X pay creators?

Snapchat shares ad revenue with creators it invites into its Monetization Program. The bar is 50,000 followers and 15,000 hours of view time in the last 28 days, 3,000 of them from Spotlight, plus Snap Star status and age 18 or older. Since May 7, 2026, maximum rewards also need 100 hours of Spotlight view time in 28 days. Spotlight videos must run at least 30 seconds, and you can cash out in the app once you have $100.

X now pays through Original Content Rewards, which replaced Creator Revenue Sharing. X stopped new Revenue Sharing sign-ups on August 7, 2026, paid members through September 7, and opened Original Content Rewards applications on September 8. You need a Premium subscription, 500 verified followers and 500,000 Home Timeline impressions from verified users in 90 days. Pay is based on impressions from Premium users, reuploads do not qualify, and X pays every two weeks once you reach $30.

X also runs paid Subscriptions. X's Help Center says creators can earn up to about 97% of gross Subscriptions revenue, because X takes no share and only payment processing and app store fees come out. Neither the Help Center nor X's creator terms list a lower share above any earnings level, though the terms let X limit the share it pays based on volume or time frame. The terms set a $50 minimum payment. Both apps reward accounts that are already big, so skip them as a starting platform.

## How do Twitch and Kick pay streamers?

Twitch pays Affiliates and Partners 50% of subscription revenue, 60% or 70% through the Plus Program, and 55% of net ad revenue to streamers who run 3 minutes of mid-roll ads per hour. Partners get 1 cent per Bit. A US Tier 1 sub costs $5.99 on the web, and payouts start at $50 on a Net-15 schedule.

Kick lets streamers keep 95% of subscriptions and KICKs tips, so a flat $5 sub pays $4.75. Kick does not pay creators directly for ads, and its KICK Partner Program pays per stream at rates it does not publish. Kick wins on split and Twitch wins on audience. The numbers are in [how much Twitch streamers make](https://howinfluencersmakemoney.com/how-much-do-twitch-streamers-make/).

## Do Pinterest and LinkedIn pay creators?

Pinterest does not run a direct creator pay program today. A Pinterest community manager wrote in February 2026 that the company discontinued its Creator Rewards program to focus on other creator programs. Its Creator Fund page says applications are closed, and its paid partnership tool only labels deals that creators and brands agree off Pinterest. Creators can connect an Amazon Storefront so Pinterest applies Amazon affiliate links automatically, with Amazon paying the commission through its Influencer Program.

LinkedIn is testing BrandLink, which places advertisers' pre-roll video ads before videos from what LinkedIn calls trusted publishers and creators. Advertisers buy it through LinkedIn's sales team, and LinkedIn publishes no creator share, eligibility rules or payout terms. Use both platforms to send people to something you sell, and see [how to sell to your fans](https://howinfluencersmakemoney.com/how-to-sell-to-your-fans/) and [affiliate marketing for influencers](https://howinfluencersmakemoney.com/affiliate-marketing-for-influencers/).

## Questions people ask

### Which social media platform pays creators the most?

On published shares, Kick passes on the most fan money at 95% of subscriptions, and YouTube and Twitch pass on the most ad money at 55% of net ad revenue. No platform publishes a rate per view. AIR Media-Tech's 2025 to 2026 estimate puts YouTube's median long-form RPM at about $2.30, well above third-party estimates for TikTok.

### Which platforms pay you for views?

YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat and X all pay based on views, watch time or impressions. Only YouTube publishes its share, 55% on long-form and 45% on Shorts. Facebook and Snapchat are invite-only, and X requires X Premium or a paid plan on The X Subscription.

### Does Instagram pay creators for views?

No. Instagram has no ad revenue share or public pay-per-view program. It pays through Gifts, Subscriptions, Badges and invite-only Bonuses. Meta's Creator Fast Track pays some Instagram creators to post Reels on Facebook instead.

### Does Pinterest pay creators?

Not directly. Pinterest has no open creator pay program, and its Creator Fund page says applications are closed. Creators earn on Pinterest through brand deals and affiliate links, including Amazon Storefront links that Amazon pays commission on.

### How many followers do you need to get paid on social media?

It ranges from 25 followers for Twitch Affiliate to 50,000 for Snapchat's Monetization Program. YouTube fan funding starts at 500 subscribers, Instagram Gifts at 500 followers, and TikTok Creator Rewards at 10,000. Our guide on [how many followers you need to make money](https://howinfluencersmakemoney.com/how-many-followers-to-make-money/) covers each threshold.

### Does X still pay creators for impressions?

Yes, through Original Content Rewards, which replaced Creator Revenue Sharing in September 2026. You need X Premium or a paid plan on The X Subscription, 500 verified followers and 500,000 Home Timeline impressions from verified users in 90 days. X pays based on impressions from Premium users on original posts and publishes no rate.

## Sources

- YouTube Help: YouTube Partner Program overview and eligibility: https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/72851 (accessed 2026-10-21)
- YouTube Help: Overview of the expanded YouTube Partner Program: https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/13429240 (accessed 2026-10-21)
- YouTube Help: Changes to the YouTube Partner Program: https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/12843009 (accessed 2026-10-21)
- YouTube Help: YouTube partner earnings overview: https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/72902 (accessed 2026-10-21)
- Google AdSense Help: Payment thresholds: https://support.google.com/adsense/answer/1709871 (accessed 2026-10-21)
- AIR Media-Tech: YouTube RPM in 2026, real data from 300 channels: https://air.io/en/air-data-findings/how-much-does-youtube-really-pay-in-2026-real-rpm-data-from-300-channels (accessed 2026-10-21)
- TikTok Creator Rewards Program Terms, US: https://www.tiktok.com/legal/page/global/creator-rewards-program-us/en (accessed 2026-10-21)
- TikTok Newsroom: Subscription revenue share update, October 28, 2025: https://newsroom.tiktok.com/new-ai-powered-tools-to-make-it-easier-to-create-and-share-on-tiktok?lang=en (accessed 2026-10-21)
- TikTok Shop Academy: Creator Eligibility Policy, US: https://seller-us.tiktok.com/university/essay?knowledge_id=6939143037667118&lang=en (accessed 2026-10-21)
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- Instagram Help: About Threads: https://help.instagram.com/788669719351544 (accessed 2026-10-21)
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