Snapchat's New Monetization Program: How to Make Money on Spotlight and Stories in 2025

Snapchat has decided that it’s time for all creators to quit TikTok and start publishing videos on Spotlight and Stories – because now you can make money on it. The new monetization program will start in February 2025, but there are no exact figures yet – they vary depending on the type of content. Let’s understand it.

What is promised?

The ability to insert ads in videos longer than a minute and, of course, good earnings. This is for those who have already built up their audience (at least 50K subscribers) and are actively publishing in Public Stories or Spotlight – at least 25 posts per month. It’s definitely not for creatives who post random photos once a quarter.

The difference from the old monetization programs is that Spotlight used to allow you to make money on short videos without any problems with advertising, but that’s it, free access is over. Now the requirements are stricter, but the opportunities are much greater. Snapchat seemed to say: “We’ve gotten serious, and it’s time for you to get serious.”

So, if you are a creative or just think it’s time to quit your office job and become a Snap star, it’s time to figure out if it’s worth it.

What does Snapchat offer?

If Spotlight and Stories used to be separate programs with different conditions, now everything is combined into a single system where content creators can make money on both formats.

Here are the statistics: 422 million daily active users (DAUs) who log in to Snapchat every day. 800 million monthly active users (MAUs) who use Snapchat at least once a month. More than 75% of users aged 13 to 34 from more than 25 countries use Snapchat. More than 300 million users interact with augmented reality on the platform every day. More than 9 million Snapchat+ subscribers.

Participation conditions

To get into the new program and start earning, there are several requirements that must be met. Here’s what you need to do to get Snapchat to officially enable monetization:

Followers and reach: You need at least 50,000 followers and high viewership – 10 million Snap views/12,000 hours of viewing in the last 28 days/1 million Spotlight views. Consistency is important: Your profile should actively post Stories at least 10 days a month. And not just a few posts, but a whole block of 20+ Snaps every day. Age and rules: the program is available only to adult creators who comply with the platform’s rules and live in countries where it is possible.

For example, Spotlight used to be a separate tool, but since 2025 it has been merged with Stories.

As it was before: to participate, you had to have 1,000 subscribers, at least 10,000 views per post, and use Snapchat’s creative tools (filters, sounds, etc.). Advertisers paid attention to dynamic and colorful content. Videos longer than one minute were prioritized for monetization.

Features of new advertising formats

Monetization is simple: Snapchat inserts ads between your Snaps, and you get your share. Doesn’t sound like much, does it?

Here are a few tips to increase your chances of earning money:

• More posts – more chances to earn income.
• The optimal format is 20-40 Snaps per day.
  
• Longer Stories – they hold attention and bring in more money.
• Use Snapchat’s creative tools, the first shots should be engaging and the context should be clear, even through subtitles.

What’s also nice is the payout system:

• The minimum amount for withdrawal is $100, and it can be done daily. Everything is controlled through the app.
  
• The connection to the program is as simple as possible: everything can be done right in the app.

Partnerships with brands

Snapchat is currently actively working on developing tools for sponsored content. Now you have the opportunity to:

Add the “Paid Partnership” tag to any advertising posts. You can collaborate with brands directly or through third-party Snapchat platforms, as well as get access to analytics. For popular Snap users, there is another advantage – the ability to share the results of their posts with brands to improve their rankings and attract more large customers.

Who will benefit from this?

Bloggers

Snapchat is clearly looking to build relationships with large and medium-sized content creators who are willing to do something more complex than just memes. But there are a few things to keep in mind:

1. For those who are already in the game. As we mentioned, there is a condition of 50K subscribers – a filter that weeds out newcomers. It’s not as easy to become popular here as on TikTok, where you can get a lot of views for one video. Snapchat is aimed at those who already have a fan base.
   
2. For the patient 25 posts per month is almost a job. But if you know how to create high-quality content and build long-term relationships with the audience, the program looks very promising.

Brands

For brands, Snapchat offers a platform with a fairly unique audience:

• Youth. This is Gen Z, which has not yet fully switched to TikTok.
• Integration. New advertising formats allow you to creatively fit the product into the content.

Affiliates

Snapchat is an unexpectedly interesting platform for affiliates:

• Offers through Spotlight. Many people have already tried the same mobile subscriptions here. Unlike TikTok, there is less competition here, and Spotlight’s algorithms can be adapted for yourself.
  
• Branded Stories. Easy advertising through Stories and Public Profile allows you to direct traffic with almost no restrictions.

How to register an account on Snapchat

To work with Snapchat, you will need a smartphone or Android emulator.

First, create a Snapchat account (you need to have a Public Profile). Gather subscribers. Bring your audience, you can use different systems with UBT for this. Optimize your content for Spotlight. Short, engaging videos with a local focus work best, and you can also add dynamic elements. Do not forget about the frequency of publications – at least 25 posts per month. Analyze algorithms. Try different content formats to understand what works for your audience.

What about other white pitches?

Built-in integrations. Use Stories or Spotlight to embed a mention of your product in a subtle way. Direct partnerships. Publish sponsored content with the official Paid Partnership mark.

Here’s how to do it:

1. When you’re ready to publish your sponsored content, go to the Send To screen.
2. Choose any format: Public Story, Spotlight, or Snap Map.
   
3. Tap the ellipsis icon.
4. Select “Add Paid Partnership.”
5. If this is your first time, click Continue to get to the “Add Paid Partnership” page.
6. Turn on the “Paid Partnership” toggle.

Life hacks:

Work with local offers. Snapchat is heavily dependent on geolocation, so local products will be prioritized. Connect analytics. Use data from Public Profile to test different approaches. Don’t forget about hashtags to attract a more relevant audience.

If done right, Snapchat can be a great channel for monetization.

What challenges can you face?

The first thing you should pay attention to is not just getting followers. You need to attract people who will actually watch your content and actively interact with it. Understanding how the algorithm works makes this process much easier.

Snapchat has a rather complex algorithm for ranking content. For your snaps to be included in Spotlight or Discover, they need to be not only interesting but also personalized. For example, for golfers, these can be snaps where players with different skill levels perform shots, with jokes that are understandable to this particular audience.

The algorithm takes into account many factors: who you are, what your audience is interested in, how long they watch your content, what they do with it (like, repost, or bury). The more active actions your subscribers take, the higher the chance of getting to the top.

The issue of content quality is also important. Even if you have tens of thousands of subscribers, but the content does not meet Snapchat standards, you will not be able to monetize your photos. For example, it is forbidden to post obscene photos, scenes of violence, dangerous behavior, or fake information.

Don’t forget that your content will not only be automatically checked, but also evaluated by real people. This means that breaking the rules can deprive you of monetization opportunities, even if you have a lot of subscribers.

Conclusions and predictions

In short, it is possible to make money on Snapchat, but it will not be possible if you publish one post once a month. If you do not have at least 50 thousand subscribers and are not ready to post at least 20 posts a day, forget about monetization. Snapchat doesn’t just give you money, you have to work for it. And yes, 25 posts per month is almost like working in an office. Therefore, there is less competition here than on TikTok, and the audience from the CIS is much smaller.

On TikTok, your video can become popular overnight, but on Snapchat, it’s more complicated. The algorithms here are more focused on those who already have a stable audience, not on those who catch one viral wave. If you don’t know how to keep your audience, make people watch your snaps to the end and interact with them, you will have little chance of getting to the top and making money. But it comes with experience.”

It all depends on the content, your activity, and how you integrate advertising. If you have a creative approach, Snapchat can become a real way to make money, not a dead end.