How Creators THE FREE CREATOR MONEY MAP · UPDATED OCT 2026
Stop guessing.
Learn how platforms pay creators.
Every platform's requirements, revenue streams and payout thresholds, checked against official sources. No fluff, no hype.
One money move, one deal breakdown, one free template. Every Tuesday.
Each issue: one money tactic, one creator deal broken down, what's working on a platform, and a free template. Under 5 minutes to read. Free; unsubscribe anytime.
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Courses, cohorts and coaching
Pick your platform
YouTube
Join the YouTube Partner Program with 1,000 subscribers plus either 4,000 public watch hours (12 months) or 10 million Shorts views (90 days).
TikTok
TikTok Creator Rewards requires 18+, a Personal account, 10,000 authentic followers and 100,000 authentic views in the last 30 days.
Instagram pays through tools like Subscriptions and Gifts inside the Professional Dashboard.
Facebook Content Monetization is reported as invite-only in Oct 2026.
Snapchat
Snapchat's Monetization Program is invite-only.
X (Twitter)
X replaced Creator Revenue Sharing with Original Content Rewards in Sept 2026.
Twitch
Twitch Affiliate requires 25 followers, 4 hours streamed, 4 different stream days, and an average of 3 concurrent viewers on 4 days, all within 30 days.
Kick
Kick lets you enable paid subscriptions after 5 cumulative streaming hours, with a 95/5 split (you keep 95%).
Patreon
Patreon has no follower minimum.
Substack
Substack is free to start.
OnlyFans
OnlyFans' Terms of Service set its fee at 20% of each fan payment, so creators keep 80%.
Fansly
Fansly creators receive 80% of revenue from subscriptions, sold media, messages and tips.
Fanfix
Fanfix calls itself a strictly safe-for-work (SFW) platform.
Ko-fi
Ko-fi is free to join.
Buy Me a Coffee
Buy Me a Coffee has no monthly fee and takes 5% per transaction, so creators keep 95%.
Pinterest says creators can earn through brand partnerships and affiliate links on their original content, plus product tagging.
LinkedIn has no broad creator payout program.
Spotify (Podcasts)
To apply for the Spotify Partner Program, you host on Spotify for Creators, live in an eligible market, have 3+ episodes, and hit 2,000 consumption hours and 1,000 audience count on Spotify in the last 30 days.
Kajabi
Kajabi takes no revenue share.
Gumroad
Gumroad charges 10% + $0.50 per direct sale plus card processing (2.9% + $0.30).
Etsy (digital downloads)
Etsy charges a $0.20 listing fee per listing (sold or not) and a 6.5% transaction fee on the total order, plus payment processing fees that vary by country (reported as 3% + $0.25 in the US)..
Amazon Associates
Amazon Associates pays fixed commissions by product category.
TikTok Shop Affiliate
US TikTok Shop affiliate creators need 1,000 followers, must be 18+ and US-based, and must pass identity verification.
Discord Server Subscriptions
Discord server owners keep 90% of Server Subscription and Server Shop sales, and Discord keeps 10%.
Medium Partner Program
To enroll in the Medium Partner Program you must be a paying Medium member, 18+, with at least 1 published story, a complete profile, and a bank in an eligible country.
Roblox (DevEx)
Roblox creators can exchange Earned Robux for cash through DevEx once they have 30,000 Earned Robux.
YouTube Shopping Affiliate
The YouTube Shopping affiliate program is invite-based.
Udemy (instructors)
Udemy instructors reportedly receive 97% of net revenue on sales through their own coupon or referral link, and 37% on other sales (organic or ad-driven).
Teachable
Teachable's Starter plan costs $39/month billed monthly and charges a 7.5% transaction fee.
DistroKid
DistroKid takes no percentage of streaming and store earnings: it sends 100% of earnings allocated to you to your DistroKid account.
Apple Podcasts Subscriptions
To sell subscriptions on Apple Podcasts you join the Apple Podcasters Program, which has an annual fee.
Adobe Stock Contributor
Adobe Stock pays contributors 33% of the net price for photos, vectors and illustrations, and 35% for video, on standard licenses.
Shutterstock Contributor
Shutterstock contributors earn 15% to 40% of the price Shutterstock receives for each license.
Bandcamp
Bandcamp takes 15% of digital sales, dropping to 10% once you reach $5,000 in sales (as long as you keep $5,000+ over the past 12 months), and 10% on physical goods.
Fortnite Creators
Fortnite's Engagement Payout program puts 40% of eligible net revenue into a pool, which is split among island creators by player engagement.
Ghost
Ghost charges 0% transaction fees on paid memberships.
beehiiv
beehiiv says it takes 0% of paid newsletter subscription revenue, so you pay only Stripe fees.
Skool
Skool hosts paid communities and courses.
Payhip
Payhip reportedly has three plans: Free (5% transaction fee), Plus ($29/mo, 2%), and Pro ($99/mo, 0%).
Stan Store
Stan Store's Creator plan is reported at $29/month ($300/year) with 0% Stan transaction fees.
SoundCloud
SoundCloud Artist and Artist Pro subscribers can monetize eligible tracks and take part in Fan-Powered Royalties.
Rumble
The Rumble Creator Program pays from a shared pool based on watch time, signups and Premium subscriptions.
Vimeo OTT
Vimeo OTT lets you run your own SVOD/TVOD channel with no upfront Starter fee.
Dailymotion
Dailymotion Creators unlock in-stream ad monetization after 1,000 cumulative profile views.
Nebula
Nebula is an invite/apply creator streaming platform.
GitHub Sponsors
GitHub Sponsors pays open-source contributors with no GitHub fee on sponsorships from personal accounts (you keep 100%).
Memberful
Memberful is a membership platform for creators: $49/month plus a 4.9% transaction fee once you go live.
Lemon Squeezy
Lemon Squeezy is a merchant-of-record storefront for digital products.
Quick answers
How many subscribers do you need to get paid on YouTube?
YouTube Partner Program eligibility starts at 1,000 subscribers plus 4,000 public watch hours in 12 months or 10 million Shorts views in 90 days (YouTube Help, checked Oct 2026).
How many followers do you need for Twitch Affiliate?
25 followers, plus 4 hours on 4 different days and an average of 3 viewers on 4 days within 30 days (Twitch Help, checked Oct 2026).
Which platforms have no follower minimum?
Patreon and Substack have no follower minimum; they take a percentage of what you earn.
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