‘TikTok test paying for custom videos with Shoutouts function’

TikTok is testing a Shoutouts feature in certain markets that allows users to request custom videos from other TikTokkers, according to Buzzfeed News. The feature allows fans to pay for these custom videos from popular influencers.

The Shoutouts button appears according to Buzzfeed News on accounts profile page and within videos. This button allows users to request the custom videos from TikTok users. They can indicate what kind of video they want to request, after which they have to pay the creator. This is done with TikTok’s own currency. It seems that creators themselves can indicate how much users have to pay for Shoutouts. In an example that Buzzfeed provides, a creator asks the equivalent of 37 euros for a Shoutout.

After requesting a Shoutout, the creator is given three days to review the request. If the creator approves the request, he has another week to actually make the video. This video will then appear as a personal message.

It is unclear whether Shoutouts can only be requested from certain, popular accounts or if this can be requested from all accounts. It is also unknown where this feature is currently being tested. The site currently only writes about Turkey and Dubai. TikTok has not yet commented on the feature.

With Shoutouts, users can “get personalized videos from their favorite creators,” can be read when requesting a Shoutout. For example, users can ask for a birthday congratulations or a pep talk.

Celebrity custom videos have been on the rise for years; Buzzfeed News mentions the Cameo service that lets people request personalized celebrity videos. Such a video can cost “hundreds” of dollars.