How many followers you need to make money depends on the platform and on how you want to earn. At the time of writing, you can receive gifts or Stars on Instagram and Facebook from 500 followers and offer memberships on YouTube from 500 subscribers, but the bar for ad revenue is much higher. Brands sometimes pay from around 10,000 followers, and smaller accounts often get products instead of money.
The requirements at a glance
These are the requirements for earning through the platform itself at the time of writing (September 2026). Not every programme is open in every country, so where you live matters too. Where to check it in the app is listed per platform below.
| Platform | What you need |
|---|---|
| YouTube | Memberships and Super Thanks: 500 subscribers. Ads: 1,000 subscribers plus 4,000 watch hours in 12 months or 10 million Shorts views in 90 days. |
| TikTok | Going LIVE and receiving gifts: usually 1,000 followers. Creator Rewards: 10,000 followers and 100,000 views in 30 days, only in eight countries (including the UK, not the Netherlands or Belgium). |
| Gifts on Reels: 500 followers. Subscriptions: 10,000 followers. No pay per view. | |
| Stars: 500 followers, for 30 days. Subscriptions: 5,000 followers. Ad revenue by invitation only. | |
| X | A Premium subscription, 500 verified followers and 500,000 views from verified users in 90 days. |
| Twitch | Affiliate: 25 followers, 4 hours live on 4 days, an average of 3 viewers. Partner: an average of 75 viewers. |
| Snapchat | 50,000 followers and 15,000 hours of view time in 28 days, by invitation only. |
On TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X and Snapchat you also have to be 18 or older.
The requirements per platform
YouTube: from 500 subscribers
The lower tier of the YouTube Partner Program is available in many countries at the time of writing, including the UK, the Netherlands and Belgium: 500 subscribers, 3 public uploads in 90 days and 3,000 watch hours in 12 months (or 3 million Shorts views in 90 days). That lets you switch on channel memberships, Super Chat and Super Thanks, but not ads yet. From 1 February 2027, new channels will need 8,000 watch hours or 20 million Shorts views for ad revenue, YouTube has announced; channels that are already in keep their place.
You can follow your progress in YouTube Studio under Earn. What a channel actually makes per 1,000 views is explained in how to make money with YouTube.
TikTok: Creator Rewards only in eight countries
The Creator Rewards Program, which pays for views, asks for 10,000 followers and 100,000 views in 30 days, and you have to be 18 or older and post original videos longer than a minute. At the time of writing it is only open in the United States, the UK, Germany, France, Japan, South Korea, Mexico and Brazil, so not in the Netherlands or Belgium, for example. Other ways to earn on TikTok:
- Gifts during a LIVE: you can go live from age 18 and 1,000 followers (TikTok says this may vary by region). In Europe, including the UK, TikTok pays you a reward for the gifts you receive instead of exchanging your Diamonds for cash.
- TikTok Shop: approved creators earn commission on products they promote. TikTok’s creator pages ask for 500 followers and a minimum age of 18. TikTok Shop has been open in the UK since 2021, and in the Netherlands and Belgium since 15 June 2026.
What’s open to you is shown via your profile, the menu and TikTok Studio. See also how to get free TikTok followers and the best time to post on TikTok.
Instagram: gifts from 500 followers
At the time of writing, Instagram has no standard programme that pays creators per view, and bonuses are invitation-only. With a professional account and from age 18, you can receive gifts on your Reels from 500 followers and offer subscriptions from 10,000 followers, in the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium and many other countries. Check your status under Settings, Creator tools and controls, Monetisation status.
Facebook: Stars from 500 followers
At the time of writing you can receive Stars once you have had at least 500 followers for 30 days in a row, and offer subscriptions from 5,000 followers. Both are for over-18s and available in the UK, the Netherlands and Belgium, among other countries. Ad revenue through Facebook Content Monetization is invitation-only; you can register your interest through a form. Your options are shown in your professional dashboard.
In the UK, the US, Canada and Australia, Meta’s Creator Fast Track also pays creators with 20,000 followers elsewhere (Instagram, TikTok or YouTube) a fixed amount for three months, from $100 a month, if they post 15 reels a month, among other conditions.
X: Premium and 500 verified followers
In September 2026, X replaced its old ad revenue programme with Original Content Rewards. At the time of writing you need a Premium, Premium+ or Premium Business subscription, 500 verified followers and 500,000 views from verified users in 90 days, and you have to post your own content. You apply through Creator Studio; the UK, the Netherlands and Belgium are among the eligible countries. X admits creators from the old programme first and reviews every application. Still building an audience? Read how to get free Twitter followers.
Twitch: Affiliate from 25 followers
You only get paid out as an Affiliate or Partner. For Affiliate, Twitch asks at the time of writing for 25 followers, 4 hours of streaming on 4 different days and an average of 3 viewers, all within 30 days. Partner takes at least 6 streams with an average of 75 viewers in each of two consecutive 30-day periods, plus an approved application. Your progress is shown in your Creator Dashboard under Achievements.
Snapchat and Spotify
Snapchat’s monetisation programme is by invitation. At the time of writing you need, among other things, 50,000 followers and 15,000 hours of view time in 28 days, and you have to live in a payout country such as the UK, the Netherlands or Belgium. On Spotify, followers don’t count: a track only starts earning royalties once it has 1,000 streams in 12 months.
How many followers before brands pay you for a post?
There is no fixed threshold and no official rate. Most examples below come from creators and agencies in the Netherlands and Belgium (largely from 2023), plus what UK sources say. Roughly:
- A few thousand followers: often products only. A Dutch creator got her first collaborations at 7,000 followers, all in exchange for products worth up to €75, and a Belgian agency says most influencers get products rather than money. Research for HMRC (2025) found the same among UK creators: brands usually started with free gifts, at 1,000 to 10,000 Instagram followers. Dutch and Belgian agencies quote roughly €25 to €250 per post.
- Around 10,000 followers: often the first paid jobs. The same Dutch creator started asking for money at 10,000 followers and charged €350 to €500 for a post with three stories at 12,500 followers. For 10,000 to 50,000 followers, agencies quote roughly €100 to €750 per post.
- Around 100,000 followers: a Dutch creator with just over 98,000 followers named €2,000 to €4,000 excluding VAT for a photo post with stories.
A rule of thumb you’ll often come across is €100 (or $100) per 10,000 followers per post. Creators who share their rates often charge more, but they usually deliver a post with stories or a video. Your topic, your engagement and whether the brand may also use your video in its ads make a big difference. And these are gross amounts: tax and costs still come off.
Rules when you’re paid or get free products
- Make ads recognisable, even with a small account. In the UK, the ASA and the CMA expect a clear label such as “Ad” or “#ad” at the start of the post, whatever your follower count. That includes gifts you weren’t obliged to post about, discount codes and affiliate links, and “gifted”, “sponsored”, “spon” or “collab” are not enough. In the Netherlands, the advertising code asks for “Reclame” or “Advertentie” as the first word, on every Story too.
- Free products count as income. HMRC gives this example: £700 from brands, £300 worth of products you got to keep and £200 from ads make £1,200 of income, which is above the £1,000 trading allowance, so you have to tell HMRC. The Dutch tax office also counts products as income.
- Registration for large accounts. The Netherlands requires video creators with 100,000 followers or more to register with its media regulator under certain conditions. The UK has no follower-based register for creators.
What counts for more than your follower count
- Engagement. Brands often ask for your statistics. A small account with lots of comments is often more interesting to them than a big account where nobody reacts.
- Your topic and your audience. An account about running suits brands that want exactly that audience, even with fewer followers, and a brand that only sells in the UK mainly wants followers from the UK.
- Views and watch time. The platforms pay for views, watch hours, viewers and gifts, not per follower.
What about buying followers to get past the threshold faster?
Bought followers don’t earn you money themselves, and we’d rather be honest about that:
- Our standard followers, for example for Instagram or TikTok, come from real-looking, high-quality profiles. They count towards your total, but they are not active people: they don’t watch, send gifts or bring in views. And brands look closely at the ratio between followers and reactions.
- Buying is not illegal for your own account, but the platforms don’t allow it in their terms and can remove part of it.
- Since 28 May 2022 it has been forbidden in the EU to mislead consumers with bought followers, likes or endorsements. That applies to businesses and influencers, so also when you promote products or brands with your account. UK law bans misleading consumers too, and has explicitly banned fake reviews since 6 April 2025. Read whether buying likes is legal.
Frequently asked questions about followers and making money
How many followers do you need to get paid on TikTok?
For the Creator Rewards Program, which pays per view, you need 10,000 followers and 100,000 views in 30 days at the time of writing. It is only open in eight countries, including the UK, Germany and France but not the Netherlands or Belgium. Elsewhere you can often go live and receive gifts from 1,000 followers, or earn commission through TikTok Shop. TikTok Studio shows what is open to you.
How many followers do you need to make money on Instagram?
Instagram doesn’t pay per follower, and at the time of writing it has no standard programme that pays per view. You can receive gifts on your Reels from 500 followers and offer subscriptions from 10,000 followers, if they are available in your country. You’ll find your status under Creator tools and controls. Brands sometimes pay earlier, if your followers are a good match for their product.
How many subscribers do you need to make money on YouTube?
At the time of writing, 500 for memberships and Super Thanks and 1,000 for ad revenue, each with requirements for watch hours or Shorts views. For new channels, the threshold for ads goes up on 1 February 2027. You can follow your progress in YouTube Studio.
Need help with your order?
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