What is the TikTok Creator Program? Should you Join?
What is the TikTok Creator Program?
What does it offer? Should I join it? These questions and more will be answered in this article.
TikTok is huge in the teen app market and growing stronger all the time. Despite numerous controversies, the app keeps going from strength to strength and is gaining users by the thousand. The ability to become a TikTok star is obviously too much for some to ignore.
The TikTok Creator Program is actually called the TikTok Next Level program now. It looks to be the same thing, an elevated experience for the most influential creators but has a cool new name.
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What is the TikTok Creator Program?
The TikTok Next Level program is a higher level membership of the platform that offers more support for creators. While ‘standard’ users have all the tools they need to create their 15 second videos in the app, more prolific users, businesses and those who want to make a career out of TikTok videos may want more support. That’s where the Next Level program comes in.
It offers tech support, analytics, early access and the ability to connect with other creators. All things absent from the normal app.
Tech support
Normally, TikTok isn’t supported and you have to rely on websites like ours to solve problems. There is a knowledgebase and some FAQs but no live tech support. The Next Level program offers ticketed support with a response time of 72 hours. Not amazing by any stretch of the imagination but better than what you’re used to on the app.
Analytics
If you’re trying to make a living from TikTok or are promoting brands or businesses, analytics plays a key role in that. The Next Level program offers a weekly insights package that provides audience data that can help you refine your efforts. You will likely already use something else to track this but this could add extra insight.
Early access
TikTok isn’t exactly resplendent with features but if the app does come up with something new, it will hit early access first. If you’re in the Next Level program you’ll get to see and use these features before anyone else.
Creator Connections
TikTok offers to host regular events for creators in the Next Level program to meet, share methodologies and copy each other’s ideas.
These four features are the main offer from the Next Level program. Not much else is actually known about this program. There is no news, no announcement, no explainer from TikTok, nothing.
Should you join the TikTok Next Level program?
Joining the TikTok Next Level program depends entirely on how you use TikTok and how serious about it you are. There doesn’t seem to be anything here to help the video creation process or any tools to help increase engagement. It’s mainly back end support, tech support and analytics.
Early access and Creator Connections don’t really offer much unless you like going to events or beta testing features before they are released into live.
If you’re promoting a business or brand and have problems with the app then perhaps it might be worth joining. Depending on what analytics tools you already use, the analytics included in the program may also be of value. Marketing campaigns run on data and the more data you have, the better you can refine your campaign.
Getting into the TikTok Next Level program
Aside from a signup feature on the page, there is nothing else mentioning this program anywhere. Presumably there is a barrier to entry, like minimum number of followers, number of published videos, influence levels or something else otherwise everyone would join. There is no information published that I can find that lists the criteria but you can bet there is a qualification to join.
All you need to sign up is your TikTok username, name and email. There is no mention of rules, costs, qualification criteria or anything. This could be part of the elitism of the program or that nothing really came of it, we just don’t know.
The TikTok Next Level program is something of a mystery. Nothing has been published about it, there is no news around it and TikTok themselves don’t mention it anywhere. That’s either a good sign or the opposite and at the moment there isn’t enough data to decide either way.
Creator Program Terms of Service
This TikTok Creator Program Terms (“Terms”) forms a binding legal agreement between ByteDance UK Ltd., WeWork Aviation House, 125 Kingsway, London WC2B 6NH (referred to as “TikTok”, “we” or “us”) and you (“Creator”), and sets forth the terms and conditions for Creator’s participation in the TikTok Creator Program (“Program”) available on the application owned or controlled by TikTok, including, without limitation, the TikTok mobile application (“Platform”), our related websites, services, applications, products and content owned or controlled by us (collectively, the “Services”). These Terms are subject to, and shall also include, the Terms of Use of the Platform, the Privacy Policy of the Platform and the Privacy Policy of the Program, as such terms may be amended from time to time in accordance with the terms therein. In the case of any inconsistency between these Terms and the Terms of Use of the Platform, insofar as they relate to the Creator Program, these Terms will prevail.
PLEASE READ THESE TERMS CAREFULLY BEFORE PARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAM. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO THESE TERMS, YOU MAY NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM.
By participating in the Program, you agree to be bound by these Terms as a legal agreement. You represent that you are over 18 years old or older, and you have the authority to enter into this agreement personally or on behalf of the legal entity you represent and to bind that legal entity to this agreement.The parties agree in good faith to the following obligations and duties:
1. The Program. Creators are selected to participate in the Program, which provides access to certain Program Benefits (defined below). The Program will be provided to you at no costs, but you must have an account to become part of it.
2. Program Benefits. Creator will be given the opportunity to use the Program Benefits, but in no way is Creator required to take advantage of any of the Program Benefits. Program Benefits may change from time to time as TikTok elects and in accordance with section 3 of these Terms, but may include the following:
a. Dedicated Community Manager – A TikTok Community Manager will be assigned to Creator to assist with non-technical account issues. The TikTok Community manager will not be Creator’s agent, nor represent them in any way.
b. In-app activities – Creator may receive early information regarding hashtag challenges, campaigns or other in-app activations by TikTok or TikTok partners.
c. Insights – Creator may receive feedback from the TikTok Community Manager about Creator’s Posted Content, e.g., if their content is performing well and/or how to improve it. Particularly, the Community Manager may provide the Creator analytics pertaining to their account performance. Any feedback provided by TikTok is meant to be used for Creator’s sole personal benefit.
d. Invitation to Exclusive Events – Creator might be invited to attend exclusive events hosted or sponsored by TikTok, or TikTok partners.
e. Merchandise – From time to time, TikTok may provide Creator with promotional merchandise.
f. Early Access to Features – You may receive early access to upcoming product features and releases for beta testing.
3. Program Availability. TikTok reserves the right in its sole discretion to modify, terminate, establish, control, and limit any aspect of the Program from time to time. We may notify you about any changes to these Terms within 14 days, through a message by e-mail.
4. TikTok Intellectual Property. The Program, Services, and Platform (including all TikTok content included or accessible within) are the sole property of TikTok, and are protected by intellectual property rights.
5. Your IP and License Grant. You will retain all ownership and intellectual property rights in any content that you upload, post, transmit or have uploaded, posted, or transmitted to or through the Platform or Service (“Posted Content”) you create in connection with the Program and the Services. But in consideration for TikTok allowing your participation in the Program, you hereby grant TikTok a royalty-free, non-exclusive, worldwide, unrestricted and sub-licensable license to reproduce, distribute, publicly display, communicate to the public, publicly perform, make available, create derivative works from, broadcast, and retransmit (in certain contexts) Posted Content by any means and through any media and formats for the purposes of: (a) displaying and sharing your content to other users of the Service and (b) providing the Service as authorized by this Terms. The grant of the license is limited for the Term of your participation in the Program (defined below). No financial or other compensation will be made for the license. TikTok will have no obligation to use any of your Posted Content for any purpose, and any decision to use or not use your Posted Content for the before mentioned purposes will be in TikTok’s sole discretion. TikTok has no obligation to notify you if it elects to use your Posted Content in any manner pursuant to the license granted to TikTok herein.
6. Parties’ Relationship. Your participation in the Program does not imply any agency, representation, sponsorship, or endorsement between TikTok and you.
7. Communications. Subject to the Privacy Policy, you may receive promotional email communications regarding the Program from TikTok from time to time. If you would like to unsubscribe from these promotional emails, find and click the unsubscribe button at the bottom of the promotional emails.You may object to receive further emails without incurring any costs other than the costs of transmission in accordance with the basic tariffs.
8. Confidentiality. Any information about TikTok, its affiliates, or its products, including the Platform and the Services, that is made available to you under this Program, including but not limited to this Agreement, that is not otherwise publicly available is TikTok’s confidential information (“Confidential Information”). You agree not to disclose TikTok’s Confidential Information to any third party under any circumstance, unless approved in writing by TikTok.
9. Representations and Warranties. You are solely responsible for your Posted Content and the consequences of posting it. By posting your Posted Content, you represent, and warrant that:a. your Posted Content does not and will not (i) infringe, violate, or misappropriate any third-party’s and/or intellectual property, privacy or proprietary right, (ii) defame, harass, bully or impersonate any other person, or (iii) violate any other law, rule, or regulation; b.your Posted Content does not violate these Terms, the Community Policy, or the TikTok’s Terms of Use, including those additional terms and policies incorporated by reference; c.unless you have received prior written authorization, your Posted Content specifically does not contain any pre-release or non-public beta feature or content or any confidential information of TikTok or third parties.
10. Disclaimer.
a. The liability of the TikTok is unlimited for damages arising out of injury to body or health or death based on any acts conducted by a legal representative or designated agent of TikTok, as well as for fraudulent misrepresentation. The liability of TikTok is unlimited pursuant to claims of data subjects in accordance with Art. 82 GDPR.
b. The Creator Program is provided for personal non-business use only and TikTok shall not be liable for any business losses.
c. In all other cases TikTok shall only be liable to the amount of the typically foreseeable damage and up to a maximum aggregate liability of [£250]. Contractual core duties abstractly are such duties whose accomplishment enables proper fulfilment of the contract in the first place and whose fulfilment a contractual party regularly may rely on.
11. Assignment. Creator will not assign, sell, transfer, delegate or otherwise dispose of, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, by operation of law or otherwise, this Agreement or any or its rights or obligations under this Agreement without TikTok’s prior written consent. TikTok may freely assign this Agreement or any of its rights or obligations under this Agreement without the consent of Creator.
12. Applicable Law: Any and all disputes and causes of action arising out of or connected with the Program and the enforceability of these Terms, shall be governed by laws of England and Wales, and shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the English courts. For consumers within the European Union, the law and court jurisdiction of their habitual residence may also be applicable, provided that the provisions of consumer law are mandatory.
