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Recently Launched Club |
If you think that the only platforms for content creators are Meta and Google, you're wrong. Everyone knows about Instagram and YouTube, but do you know about this new app? This app is actually giving users with fewer followers a chance to earn money.
Kick's new club app is making big claims
Making money on social media sounds easy. Create a video, get a million views, and you'll start earning. But the reality isn't so straightforward. Certain requirements must be met to start earning on YouTube. Even with millions of followers on Instagram, not everyone receives direct money from the platform. TikTok and other social media platforms also have their own rules for earning.
Live streaming platform Kick is becoming a favorite among creators these days. The company has launched a new app called Club. The app's biggest highlight is that its revenue model isn't solely based on ads and millions of views. The company is betting that if a content creator has a small but extremely loyal fan base, they can monetize them directly.
How to make money in the club?
The Club model is designed to be quite simple. Content creators can collect money from their fans through monthly memberships. Certain posts or content can be unlocked by paying. Fans can tip their favorite creators, and in some cases, even pay for direct interactions or specific connections. KickApp is available in India, but ClubApp may arrive soon. Content creators whose income is declining on Instagram and YouTube are livestreaming on this platform. Gamers, in particular, are enjoying this app.
You can find your community
This is where Club is trying to differentiate itself from other major social media platforms. The company says it doesn't want to be a platform that simply counts followers. Its focus is on building small but strong fan bases that not only enjoy a content creator's work but are also willing to spend money on it. Club CEO Henrik Pollmann has presented this model as a more human social media experience.
How different is the club from YouTube?
YouTube remains one of the world's largest and most powerful content creator platforms. Revenue isn't just generated through ads. Creators also earn through features like channel memberships, Super Chat and Super Stickers during live streams, Super Thanks, Shopping, and YouTube Premium. In India, YouTube has also introduced the option of allowing fans to send digital gifts during live streams.
But YouTube requires certain requirements to begin earning money on the platform. Some monetization services require a minimum of 500 subscribers, along with video and watch time or Shorts views. Monetization from ads typically requires 1,000 subscribers and high watch time or Shorts views.
Let's say a content creator has only 5,000 extremely loyal followers. Their videos don't garner millions of views, and they can't generate much revenue from ads. But if 500 of those 5,000 followers are willing to pay for their exclusive content each month, a direct-to-fan model might be more beneficial. Simply put, YouTube's main focus is on more viewers and more views, while the club's focus is on fewer, but more loyal fans who spend money.
Will the club bring more money into the hands of the creator?
This is where the story gets a little interesting. YouTube gives creators 70 percent of the net revenue from its fan-funded products. Creators receive 55 percent of ad revenue.
At the same time, the club can take a 20 percent share of the content creator's earnings. While the model of earning directly from fans on the club may seem simple and attractive, the platform's share is also significant. This is why the club's true test will come in the coming months. The question isn't just whether content creators will switch to the app; the bigger question is whether their fans will also be willing to pay monthly by moving to a new platform.
