It would be great if TikTok gave out gifts for various accomplishments on the platform, like creating content that people love or hitting 1,000 followers. Sadly, no social media platform is that generous.
There is a way for TikTok users to earn gifts on the app (as long as they’re 18 or older) once they have 1,000 followers and create great content. It’s not cut-and-dried, though; “earn” is the key word in the last sentence.
The gifts are given as tips by content creators’ appreciative fans, and they can only be given in TikTok Live sessions — live sessions that users are eligible to run at any time once they’ve reached the 1,000 follower mark and meet a couple of other requirements.
Defining TikTok Gifts
Needless to say, it’s impossible to give tangible goods to someone online. TikTok gifts are virtual gifts, purchased with an in-app currency called TikTok coins and redeemable for cash by the creators who receive them.
There’s an enormous assortment of these virtual presents, which were designed to enhance the Live experience when they’re given. Small gifts like pandas, hearts, and roses only get a brief on-screen notification, but big ones like lions and galaxies come complete with elaborate graphic displays (lions walk into the screen and roar, galaxies show stylized light shows).
Many creators run TikTok Lives to generate revenue streams through their tips, and the ones who are popular and successful on the platform can earn good money. They don’t make as people who view their shows might think, though.
The Economics of TikTok Gifts
The value of TikTok gifts ranges from less than a penny to hundreds of dollars. The roses and pandas we’ve mentioned are very inexpensive tokens of appreciation, but followers who want to reward a creator whose work is particularly important to them can gift them a gorilla worth about $400 or a TikTok universe worth more than $550. And yes, people do give such pricey gifts.
As mentioned above, users must use TikTok coins to buy gifts. The coins are available for purchase in the users’ TikTok profiles or in the Live stream they’re attending.
The value of each coin varies because they’re cheaper when bought in large packages, in some countries, or from resellers. Generally speaking, though, a TikTok coin is worth about 1.4¢. Giving a galaxy priced at 1,000 coins costs the user about $14. The universe, the most expensive TikTok gift available, requires 44,999 coins (a value of $562).
As extravagant as that might sound, though, streamers receiving the gifts don’t get anything close to those amounts.
TikTok not only makes money from the sale of coins but also takes a hefty commission on the gifts that viewers give creators. The remaining value builds up for the recipients in what are called diamonds, which they can redeem for cash.
Believe it or not, TikTok’s commission on gifts is approximately 50% — meaning the streamers only get about half of what viewers think they’re giving as tips. Receiving a rose earns a creator a little more than half a cent, and a $562 TikTok universe only puts about $275 into their pocket.
Even so, talented TikTok content creators and influencers can earn thousands of dollars a month just from the gifts they’re given in their Live streams, making it a fun and lucrative way to spend time on the app.
About the Author
Peter Hasselworth is a contributor at iDigic, sharing valuable insights about Instagram growth and social media marketing strategies.