Instagram revealed on Wednesday that it is testing a new subscriptions function that allows creators to deliver exclusive content to paying subscribers, a feature popularized by OnlyFans and Patreon.
Subscriber-only content from creators they follow, such as exclusive Lives and Stories, will cost a monthly subscription. Creators can pick their own price point for access to their exclusive content with the Subscriptions offers.
There are eight price tiers to choose from, ranging from $0.99 to $99.99 per month, depending on how much a creator believes their content is worth. Most developers will likely begin at the low end of that range, with prices such as $0.99, $1.99, $2.99, $4.99, or even $9.99 a month, before experimenting with higher prices such as $19.99, $49.99, or $99.99 per month.
Creators will be allowed to put select livestreams and content behind a paywall at first. According to Instagram head Adam Mosseri, those stories, which can be saved to subscribers-only highlights, have a purple ring to make them stand out.
Followers will receive a purple badge next to their usernames, similar to what Twitch and YouTube do. The badge can be seen in comments, messages, and other places where creators are present. As a result, if they want, they'll be able to give subscribers more of their time and attention.
In the future, there may be more subscription options available. Mosseri also said his team is working on ways for creators to "bring them off of Instagram to other apps and websites built by other companies."
In the next months, Instagram plans to expand the test to other creators, and Meta, the company that owns Instagram, has previously stated that it will not take a portion of creators' earnings until at least 2023.
In 2019, Facebook added subscriptions. Given the platform's popularity and vast number of influencers, it seemed only natural that the option would be available on Instagram as well. Subscriptions, according to Mosseri, will be one of Instagram's primary areas of focus this year, with creators being one of them. It is similar to Instagram's monetization capabilities, which pay creators for meeting certain livestreaming goals.
Mark Zuckerberg announced plans to invest $1 billion in creators by the end of 2022 last summer. With so many influencers finding large audiences on other platforms (many of which are substantially investing in creators), the company has little choice but to try to entice them to Facebook and Instagram with the promise of payouts.
