Which Social Media Platform Pays the Most in 2023?
Which social media platform pays the most in 2023? Whether you’re a rookie content creator or a seasoned veteran, here’s what you need to know.
Social media isn’t just fun and games. For content creators, it can be a high-stakes world where careers are made and broken. That sounds dramatic, but it’s true. Let’s find out which social media platform pays the most in 2023.
We'll cover:
- Which social media platform generates the most money?
- Which social media platform pays creators best?
- Who pays more, TikTok or Instagram?
- Which social media platform pays the most for views?
- Which social media platform pays the most in 2023, full stop?
Which social media platform generates the most money?
On paper, the social media platform with the most cash should pay the best, right? Facebook and Instagram are comfortably the two biggest social media platforms in terms of revenue, the former especially leading the charge between 2010 and 2022. That makes sense, given both have been around since the initial social media boom, and are now the two core pillars of Meta’s offering.
YouTube follows in third place, with LinkedIn, TikTok, and Snapchat trailing behind. But just because Facebook and Instagram make the most money, it doesn’t mean they make you the most money.
Just think of all the wild experiments and investments Facebook and Instagram pull off. That’s not a bad thing – social media platforms need to change to survive! – but it means that there’s a smaller slice of the pie for creators to nibble on.
Which social media platform pays creators best?
So, which social media platform pays the most money? It’s all on a case-by-case basis, meaning we have to break this down into smaller chunks. But, according to Epidemic Sound’s own research of 1,500 monetizing creators, TikTok is the top platform for generating income. In fact, 30% of respondents said that!
YouTube wasn’t far behind at 25.8%, with Facebook at 16.5%, Twitter at 13.1%, and Instagram all the way down at 7.1%. So, despite Facebook and Instagram bringing in the most money, users are making more over on TikTok and YouTube.
Regarding the big bucks, YouTube is the primary source of income for creators earning more than $200,000 per year. However, the main source of income for creators earning under that amount might surprise you – it’s TikTok! Despite coming late to the monetization party, the Chinese app has more than made up for it.
Who pays more, TikTok or Instagram?
Because of its relatively new position in the market, TikTok is often viewed as a ‘lesser’ way of making money on social media. In 2023, though, that’s just not the case. Our research shows that monetizing creators rely on TikTok much more heavily than Instagram. Even for content creators making less than $10,000 per year, 28.6% cite TikTok as their primary income source, compared to just 7.3% for Instagram.
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Which social media platform pays the most for views?
The amount of viewers has often been used to gauge how much bank you’re making on social media. But as more payment options become available – gifts, sponsorships, subscription models, and more – the focus on views has slackened. In fact, there’s no concrete way to determine which social media platform pays the most for views.
With that in mind, let’s look at how well the four core social media platforms pay creators, and if they pay per view:
- TikTok: TikTok payments aren’t set in stone. Rather, they come from the TikTok Creator Fund, which will soon merge into the TikTok Creativity Program. At the moment, it’s estimated that you can pull in between 2 and 4 cents for every 1,000 TikTok views once signed up to the Creator Fund. The payments on TikTok are significantly lower than on other platforms, as it’s a much more bite-sized, viral beast.
- YouTube: Once a video is monetized, established YouTubers can expect to receive around $0.018 per ad view. That means you’ll bank about $18 for every 1,000 ad views on your video, which averages around $3 to $5 for 1,000 video views on YouTube.
- Instagram: You don’t get paid per view on Instagram, but can make money by enabling ads on your videos. If you choose to do this, you’ll net 55% of all ad revenue, which is paid out monthly.
- Facebook: Facebook’s payments per 1,000 views aren’t cut-and-dry, either. Some folks have reported receiving as little as $1 for 1,000 views, and as much as $10 on the other end of the spectrum.
Which social media platform pays the most in 2023, full stop?
Knowing which social media platforms pay per view and which don’t is a good start. But which social media platform pays the most, full-stop, in 2023? Unfortunately, there’s no definitive answer. Sure, TikTok makes up the largest portion of creators’ income, but that isn’t the case for everyone – TikTok might not be the right home for your content.
Each platform’s finances are structured differently, offering various paths to monetization. Making money on social media shouldn’t be the sole reason you’re creating content, but it’s naturally a benefit. If you’re interested in a specific social media platform and want to start earning, why not check out our monetization hub below?
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Royalty-free music is music that you can use in content without having to pay royalties to artists or rights holders every time it’s played. But royalty-free music companies aren’t always alone in owning the rights to the music in their catalogs. This means you might still get copyright claims from other rights holders and lose the right to monetize your content when you publish it on digital platforms. Confusing, right? Let us take care of it.
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