Instagram expands gifts for Reels creators to all US creators

According to the Instagram blog, they’ve stated today that all US-based Reels creators who meet the requirements will now be able to accept virtual gifts from their fans via a button on their clips, following a test period that began in November last year.

As you can see from this overview, Reel viewers will be able to buy virtual gifts in-stream using Stars, Meta’s in-app currency, at various cash prices. They will subsequently be able to donate money to their preferred creators using their virtual stickers as a tool.

Also Read: Proposals that got us falling in love!

How much money? As per IG: “Viewers will purchase stars and use them to send you gifts on Instagram. Instagram will then provide you with a revenue share from your reels that received gifts on a monthly basis equal to $.01 USD for every star received from fans.”

On the basis of the current Stars purchase price, that also translates to a creator split of about 40%.

Creators won’t be able to turn their Stars gifts into cash until they achieve a cashout threshold of $100 (which can include revenues from other monetization programs).

It’s an additional revenue stream for creators, and Reels creators in particular, on the app, which has developed into a crucial battleground for short-form video platforms as they compete to figure out how to best retain top artists.