ByteDance explores content paywall on Douyin, TikTok's sister app

In a bid to diversify revenue streams, ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, is currently testing a paywall feature on its short video platform Douyin in China, according to an insider source quoted by Reuters. This move comes as ByteDance aims to capitalise on the immense popularity of its app and provide content creators with an additional monetisation avenue.

The Chinese internet giant has initiated testing by permitting select content creators with over 100,000 followers to place a paywall on certain videos within Douyin. The source, requesting anonymity, revealed that users would need to make payments to access the entirety of these videos.

This paywall feature is the latest addition to ByteDance's efforts to monetise Douyin, which boasts an impressive user base exceeding 800 million. Many features introduced on Douyin eventually find their way to TikTok, the international counterpart of the Chinese app.

Initial reports on this new feature emerged from Chinese media, with screenshots from Douyin displaying notifications to content creators, indicating that ByteDance would claim a 30% commission on their earnings. According to Sina, another Chinese media outlet, content creators have the autonomy to set their own video prices without interference from ByteDance. Some reports from Jiupai News suggest that content creators have started charging 12 yuan ($1.6) for a 44-minute video on the platform, though Reuters could not independently verify this information.

Douyin already includes a feature that charges users for viewing professionally created shows on the platform. ByteDance's exploration of a content paywall aligns with broader industry trends as platforms seek innovative ways to generate revenue while providing creators with enhanced monetisation opportunities.

(With Reuters inputs.)