Meta-owned social media app Instagram has been testing a subscription feature that seems heavily inspired by OnlyFans. It will let creators earn extra money by letting fans pay a fee to unlock exclusive content like stories and live videos.
A new “Instagram Subscriptions” category under the “In-App Purchases” section for the Instagram App Store listing has popped up. These subscriptions cost between $0.99 and $4.99 in the US. The same has made an appearance on the Indian App Store as well, showing a subscription fee of ₹89 per month.
The new subscription option is visible along with Instagram Badges that users can buy to gift creators during live sessions. It is expected to work in a similar way to Twitter Blue, where users can gain access to exclusive tweets and other content.
This isn’t the first time a subscription-based feature has come to attention as Instagram head Adam Mosseri had announced earlier this year that the company is exploring the same (via Business Insider).
Alessandro Paluzzi, a reverse engineer working on Instagram’s subscription-based fan has been posting updates related to its development.
#Instagram continues to work on Fan Club subscriptions by adding the ability to start a Live video for your subscribers 👀 pic.twitter.com/DJieV1lmWE
— Alessandro Paluzzi (@alex193a) October 13, 2021
Instagram is experimenting with a subscribe button on a creator’s profile. Subscribers will have access to special content such as stories and live videos. When you DM (direct message) the creator or comment on their posts, a special member badge will appear next to your username. This badge will make interactions prioritized with the creator.
And on the creators’ end, there will be options to view approximate earnings, active members, and expired memberships. Instagram will also allow them to customize their subscription name and plans.
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