Instagram is starting to test its subscription service. Very limited test, only 10 authors, in the United States only.
We learned last year that Instagram wanted to launch a subscription service that would allow creators to lock some of their content behind a subscription, so followers would have to pay per view. Today, according to a report from TechCrunch, Instagram has begun testing this new feature in the US.
Instagram begins testing its subscription service
At the same time, only 10 authors are currently selected to participate in this test. In other words, this is a very small fraction of Instagram users who can access it. The company views all of this as an alpha test. So it’s understandable that they don’t want to give access to all users right now. Now the goal will be to get the maximum feedback from fans and followers at the same time.
Very limited test, only 10 authors, USA only.
In any case, this is a very interesting direction for Instagram, a direction that we already know well today. Indeed, on YouTube, the platform also allows creators to set up a subscription service for channel subscribers. We have also seen how creators have built their own subscription service using other platforms such as Patreon, where they offer additional content such as behind-the-scenes videos or provide early access to such content or features.
Instagram’s subscription feature will allow creators to offer different prices. The minimum is $0.99 per month and it goes up to $99.99 per month. And we suspect that the platform will refund the fees on these transactions. At this time, no one knows when this feature will be available to the general public, but since this is only an alpha version for now, it may have to wait before everyone can take advantage of it.