YouTube's Ban on Adblockers: Will Creators Cash In?

In this issue, we will explore the conclusion of TikTok's $1 billion creator fund, YouTube's battle against ad blockers, and the exciting launch of fully branded mobile apps for memberships on Fourthwall.

TikTok Says Goodbye to the $1 Billion Creator Fund

TikTok is bidding adieu to its $1 billion creator fund. Starting from December 16th, 2023, creators in the US, UK, Germany, and France won't be able to cash in on the original fund anymore. Maria Jung, TikTok's spokesperson, dropped the news. Creators in Italy and Spain, though, can relax, as this change doesn't affect them.

The creator fund rolled out in 2020, initially promised to dish out $1 billion over three years to creators who produced viral content on the platform. However, it faced backlash for its skimpy payouts, with some creators raking in just a few dollars for millions of views, making it tough to make a living. TikTok remained tight-lipped about whether the full $1 billion was paid out.

TikTok has revamped its money-making model with the Creativity Program, which offers fatter paychecks to creators who make videos longer than a minute. The new system calculates payments based on views and other engagement metrics, and creators can now earn up to 20 times more than under the original fund.

YouTube's Global Crusade Against Ad Blockers

In a bid to wage war on ad blockers and give a hand to its content creators, YouTube has launched a worldwide campaign. The platform is urging users to either turn off ad blockers or consider YouTube Premium, as YouTube communications manager Christopher Lawton confirmed.

If you're using an ad blocker, you might start seeing notices that say, "Video playback is blocked unless YouTube is allowlisted or the ad blocker is disabled." YouTube is taking a tougher stance on ad blockers, and many users are experiencing video blocks. Lawton reminds us that using ad blockers goes against the platform's rules and underlines the role of ads in supporting creators globally.

This initiative comes after YouTube blocked videos for ad blocker users as part of a global experiment. YouTube aims to entice users toward its ad-free YouTube Premium subscription by introducing features like unskippable 30-second ads on its TV app. However recent price increases and changes in subscription plans might influence users' choices.

YouTube's tough stance against ad-blockers might actually end up hurting the bottom line of the creators. Pushing users to either endure ads or go for YouTube Premium, could drive them to explore other platforms and ad-blocking tools.

The surge in annoying ads has fueled the rise of ad-blocker usage, directly affecting the income of content creators. Concerns about being associated with ad content could lead companies to voluntarily exit stock exchanges, highlighting the potential drawbacks of anti-adblock policies.

Kicking out users with ad-blockers might not be a great move for YouTube's profits. These users provide valuable data and might even ditch the platform if forced to pay.

Fully Branded Mobile Apps for Memberships on Fourthwall

Fourthwall, the platform that empowers creators with membership offerings, has unveiled a game-changing feature - fully branded mobile apps for all creators. This nifty addition gives creators a high level of member engagement and convenience, sparing them from the hassle of building and managing their own apps.

Starting right now, all creators who use Fourthwall for their memberships will have their own mobile apps, tailor-made to reflect their brand's colors, fonts, favicon, and other settings. These apps not only give access to exclusive membership content but also let members explore the creator's website, including their shop. Creators who've adopted this feature are reporting up to a 29% increase in member engagement.

These apps bring a bundle of benefits, including instant access, push notifications, full branding, zero app store fees, easy installation, and seamless member connectivity. These mobile web apps are based on the creator's website, ensuring a personalized mobile experience without the headaches of traditional app stores.

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