Substack offers to help TikTok creators move their content

August 22, 2024

The newsletter platform Substack is attempting to court TikTok creators with the launch of a new program for video stars that will help turn their TikTok channels into Substack shows and communities.

Substack is just the latest app seeking to cleave off some of TikTok’s user base as the app faces a possible ban in the United States if it’s Chinese owner declines to sell it. Instagram announced last week that it would begin boosting creators who post original video content on the platform over pages belonging to those whose primary purpose is to reshare content, such as journalists, meme pages and news organizations.

“Substack is evolving into video and beyond because the people who want to benefit from this model are pushing us forward,” Austin Tedesco, the company’s head of video and podcasting, said in a blog post announcing the program, called Substack Creator Studio.

“Substack will always remain the destination for the internet’s best writing,” he said in the post. “The Substack model — where writers have a direct relationship with subscribers, while maintaining ownership of their work and mailing list — has proven to be a boon for independent writers, who make up the backbone of this platform. But we’ve also seen this model work well for audio … Now, the best video creators are exploring how they can build their homes on Substack too. As instability hits their medium, they’re looking for a reliable platform where they can build a business and have complete ownership over their work.”

Many video creators are seeking more control over the distribution of their content and a direct relationship with their audience. Last month, Watcher Entertainment, a YouTube behemoth that amassed over 400 million views on the platform, announced it would be leaving to launch its own streaming service as a home for its unscripted content. Many YouTubers also release content directly to a base of paid subscribers on apps like Patreon, a Substack competitor.

Under the program, Substack will select 10 fellows across multiple genres and “give them access to world-class strategic support and promotion.” The company is partnering with film producer Adam Faze and his production company, Gymnasium, which recently produced the hit TikTok show Boy Room, to provide consulting and production support for the creators selected.

In addition to production help, the 10 fellows will get “white-glove technical and strategic support during their launch process, a robust marketing commitment, and a program-culminating event to celebrate their work.” TikTok creators interested in applying can do so until May 17.

This is not Substack’s first foray into video. The company has rolled out a suite of video tools in the past year as it morphs from a platform primarily for publishing newsletters to a multi media subscription hub. Some Substack newsletter writers such as Caroline Chambers, who produces cooking videos, and sports commentators Steven Godfrey, Richard Johnson, and Alex Kirshner, who run the Substack Split Zone Duo and produce videos about college football, have already found success in sharing video content to the platform.

Substack claims the launch of this product is not in reaction to a possible TikTok ban, but rather an inevitable evolution for the product. “We’re not introducing this fellowship because of panic over a TikTok bill or ever-changing algorithms. This is about helping creators get ownership, money, and peace of mind,” Tedesco said.

But the turmoil in the short-form video industry clearly is a motive. Other platforms, Tedesco added, “offer rentals with unfriendly leases. At the same time, their business models can’t deliver the stability and predictability that creators need to produce their best work. It is hard enough to get by without having to worry about constant fluctuations in viewership and brand partnership revenue.”

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