Hank Green explains how TikTok Creator Fund benefits future influencers

Alice Hearing
Hank Green YouTube Vlogbrothers

Vlogbrothers’ Hank Green has lambasted YouTube for its method of paying content creators, praising TikTok instead for its new – and very generous – creator fund.

Hank is one-half of YouTube duo Vlogbrothers with John Green, the author of the Fault in Our Stars. Hank and John have been on the platform since 2007, and led their huge community of “Nerdfighters.”

Hank and John both invest heavily in events and projects that champion YouTube content. They also host the annual event ‘Project for Awesome,’ where YouTubers come together to raise as much money for various charities as they possibly can.

With more than 3 million subscribers, the brothers still use their platform to educate and inform the internet about important topics, including politics, science, and history, and often offer their commentary on news affecting the online world.

Hank Green John Green Vlogbrothers
Hank and John Green have been on YouTube since 2007

On Thursday, Hank lamented the rise of TikTok, saying that the platform is “different in a way that matters.” He compared it to Instagram, claiming that “Instagram’s just over there being like, ‘Figure it out your own godd**n selves.’”

He explained that TikTok budgets $200 million per year to compensate their creators based on engagement, rather than the amount of money they make for the platform. YouTube, on the other hand, pays creators per view and depending on the quality of the view.

“I haven’t even considered that there might be a different way. Well, TikTok has found a different way,” Hank said, explaining how this means “that people with wealthy audiences don’t automatically and immediately make more than people with poorer audiences.”

“It’s a shift that YouTube could never make now, but it might end up actually being a better system for platforms that, at this point, I think care more about rewarding content that rewards viewers rather than content that makes money,” he added.

Hank offered his own advice for how similar platforms could go about paying creators in the future, maintaining that “the quality and quantity of content on your platform will only go up as the creator fund budget increases.

“I promise you you will not feel bad about the kind of magic you inspire people to create,” he concluded.

About The Author

Alice is a former writer at Dexerto based in London, covering online entertainment. Alice specialized in influencer culture on TikTok and YouTube as well as news and trends across prolific online platforms.