TikTok Live Subscription will launch on May 26

TikTok is launching TikTok LIVE subscriptions, a new initiative that will allow creators to earn recurring cash from their most loyal viewers. With the new service, subscribers will access subscriber-only chat, personalized emotes, badges, and more. The service will be available in beta starting May 26, confined to a small number of creators.

TikTok has been teasing the program on the @TikTokLIVE creator channel, dedicated to delivering updates for the creator community, for the past week or two. Creators among the first beta testers featured in videos provide additional information about the program and the exclusive privileges that customers will receive. Subscribers will be able to control the cameras on live streams from creators. Furthermore, the long-term subscribers will also receive a badge to display next to their name, and creators will be able to customize their LIVE rooms. Although no pricing for these streams has been revealed, some creators have stated that it is "similar" to Twitch's pricing and that the income split with TikTok is the same as it is with Twitch.

TikTok isn't the only platform that has recently entered the subscription business. Twitter's Super Follows platform, which recently added the opportunity for creators to host Super Follows-only Spaces for their fans, has also been testing subscriptions. Instagram also began testing creator subscriptions in the United States in January, giving paid access to exclusive Instagram Live videos and Stories, among other benefits to its users.