Snapchat just announced a new Monetization Program for creators that aims to streamline how they can earn from their content. The big change is that ads are now being placed in both Stories and longer Spotlight videos. If you"re not familiar with Snapchat, Stories are the short, disappearing posts that users share. At the same time, Spotlight is a platform within Snapchat for user-generated content, especially videos, that get featured for a wider audience.
The announcement made it clear that with Spotlight"s viewership up 25% year over year, creators now have an even bigger chance to cash in on the platform. Starting February 1, 2025, creators who post Spotlight videos longer than one minute will be able to include ads, which is a pretty solid expansion of the monetization options available.
So, what do creators need to do to qualify for this? Here’s the rundown:
- Have at least 50,000 followers
- Post 25 times per month to Saved Stories or Spotlight
- Post to either Spotlight or Public Stories on 10 of the last 28 days
- Reach one of these milestones in the past 28 days: 10 million Snap views, 1 million Spotlight views, or 12,000 hours of view time.
If a creator meets these criteria, they could be eligible for an invite to join the program. This is a huge deal for creators who’ve been putting out content, as it offers a clear path to monetization if they’re consistent and hit the numbers.
In the past year, the platform has really doubled down on growing the creator community. The number of creators posting publicly has tripled, and 500 million people are watching Spotlight videos regularly.
Snapchat has rolled out several updates this year to make things easier for creators to connect with their audience. For instance, there"s a simplified profile design that lets users toggle between personal and public accounts, plus new tools for interacting with fans. The Snap Star Collab Studio also helps creators partner with brands, giving them more ways to earn while being themselves.