Instagram Creators Can Now Lock Posts, Reels Behind Paywall

Instagram rolled out more ways for creators to generate income and interact with their fans on its platform. Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, announced on Thursday that creators who use Instagram Subscriptions will be able to lock posts and reels behind a paywall for subscribers, and these creators can also chat directly with subscribers.

“Subscriptions are a great way for creators to have a predictable income & for fans to get exclusive content from creators that they love,” Mosseri tweeted.

Reels and photos meant for subscribers will have a purple badge and a crown symbol to make these posts recognizable. These posts will also be stored in a separate feed on a creator’s Instagram page called Subscriber Home, which is designated by a crown. 

Creators will also be able to chat directly with subscribers. These chats can support up to 30 people, and they end automatically after 24 hours.

Instagram began testing this model in January with 10 US creators, including basketball player Sedona Prince, model Kelsey Cook, actor-influencer Alan Chikin Chow, Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles and digital creator Lonnie IIV. Thousands of other creators have gained access to Instagram Subscriptions since then.

Creators set the price for subscriptions, which can range from 99 cents to $99 a month.

“With Instagram Subscriptions, creators can develop deeper connections with their most engaged followers and grow their recurring monthly income by giving subscribers access to exclusive content and benefits,” Instagram said in January.

Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Instagram’s parent company Meta, announced in June that the company wouldn’t collect fees from creators who use Facebook or Instagram Subscriptions until at least 2024. Zuckerberg previously said fees wouldn’t be collected until at least 2023.

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