Telegram introduced on Wednesday that it’s including new methods for creators to earn money on its platform. Most notably, the platform is launching month-to-month paid subscriptions that customers should purchase utilizing the app’s digital forex, Stars, with a purpose to get entry to a creator’s additional content material.
Content material creators can now make invite hyperlinks that enable customers to hitch a channel in trade for a month-to-month cost in Stars. The thought behind the function is to permit creators to cost for additional or early entry to content material in a approach that’s just like Patreon.
Creators can set the worth for his or her content material and may convert Stars into Toncoin cryptocurrency rewards or backed adverts. Telegram takes a fee from transactions involving Stars, however the firm hasn’t specified how a lot.
Telegram can be launching Star Reactions, permitting customers to straight assist their favourite content material creators. Star Reactions is just like YouTube’s “Super Thanks” function and X’s Ideas function. Creators get 100% of the Stars they obtain through the Reactions function.
The brand new options construct on Telegram’s present efforts to assist creators earn cash by its platform. Final month, the corporate began letting creators share paid content material to their channels, and some months in the past, Telegram launched advert income sharing with creators.
At present’s announcement comes as Telegram reached 950 million energetic customers final month, and goals to cross the 1 billion mark this yr. Earlier this yr, Telegram founder Pavel Durov stated the corporate expects to hit profitability subsequent yr and is contemplating going public.