Short-form video creators are losing access to a steady source of income after Meta announced that it is pausing its Reels Play bonus.
The invite-only program, which awarded payments to users based on the video views they generate, was available for US creators on Instagram and global creators on Facebook. A spokesperson for Meta told Insider that the company’s plan is to shift to “investing in a suite of monetization solutions.”
“Creators can still monetize directly from Meta, and from the support of fans and brand partnerships, all of which have seen significant progress over the past year,” they added. Instagram head Adam Mosseri said the company paused the program to focus on making it “ROI positive.” Tom Alison, the head of Facebook, told Insider that the platform would focus on scaling ad revenue options for reels.
Though Meta says its goal is to help creators monetize their content, the news of the Reels Play bonus ending came as a shock to many creators with small- or medium-sized followings, who knew they could regularly generate video views, but not brand deals. For some, the money they make every month has helped them invest in the products needed to launch a full-time career as a creator — a dream come true for many. Others use the extra cash, usually between $100 and $1,000 per month, to pay bills.
“that was my car payment money every month 😩” Christen Nino De Guzman, a career coach for creators, commented on an Instagram post. “Honestly feels like it’s getting harder for creators everywhere,” wrote Shawn Bhatia, a food and travel content creator.
BuzzFeed News spoke with eight creators who have made steady income from the Reels Play bonus program over the past year. Their responses have been edited for length and clarity.
