One of the coolest elements of TikTok Live sessions is being able to interact with content creators. You can comment on their streams in real-time, participate in question-and-answer sessions — or show your appreciation for their work by sending them gifts.
The gifts are symbolic, of course. You buy virtual gifts with TikTok coins that you purchase for real money, and the gifts can be converted into monetary donations by the user receiving them. Gifts can only be given to users who are 18 or older during their Live sessions.
What Kinds of Gifts Can You Give on TikTok?
There are dozens of virtual gifts available for purchase and donation in TikTok Live streams.
The most common is a rose, which costs only one TikTok coin (worth about 1.4 US cents). While watching a creator’s TikTok Live stream you’ll see a rose icon displayed on the screen; tapping it costs you one coin, you’ll see the rose and your username appear in the chat, and the creator will receive its monetary value.
For all other TikTok gifts, you’ll need to click the “Gift” button in the Live window and choose the donation you want to make.
For example, it costs five coins (about seven cents) to send a heart or a panda, 999 coins (about $10) to send virtual fireworks — and if you want to send the most expensive TikTok gift available, giving a content creator a TikTok Universe will trigger the display of a gorgeous glowing sphere in the Live stream. That thoughtful gift costs 44,999 coins, or about $562.
If you want to be generous — but not that generous — you can gift the creator with a TikTok lion instead.
How Much Does a TikTok Lion Cost?
Purchasing a lion to give to your favorite content creator will set you back 29,999 TikTok coins, which cost just under $400 to purchase. That may sound like an extravagant gift, but you get a reward as well: you can watch an animated lion stroll to the front of the Live screen and deliver an impressive roar audible to everyone who’s in the Live session.
Quite a few TikTok users really do donate that type of money to creators whose work they love, and many of the app’s most popular personalities depend on TikTok gifts for a large portion of their income.
How do you buy TikTok coins to give gifts to content creators? If you’re watching a Live stream, just tap Comments > Gifts > Recharge, choose your coin package, and follow the instructions to make payment. You can also buy coins from your TikTok profile; click Settings and privacy > Balance > Recharge, and make your purchase.
About the Author
Peter Hasselworth is a contributor at iDigic, sharing valuable insights about Instagram growth and social media marketing strategies.