Instagram on Thursday (July 14) announced the ability for creators with paid subscriptions to publish their feed post only to their subscribers, among other new features, less than six months after debuting creator subscriptions, according to a company press release.
In a video post announcing the new feature, Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri said the platform is on a quest to be “the best place online for creators to make a living” and the new additions come from feedback from creators who’ve been part of the subscription phase this year.
Creators could previously publish stories only to their subscribers, but now they can do the same with feed posts as well, allowing their paying supporters to have exclusive content, said Mosseri, noting this was the top request the company has received since launching the creator system.
Instagram will also roll out a new Subscriber Home tab on creator profiles, allowing subscribers to filter photos and reels only they can see. Creator subscriptions range from $0.99 to $99.99 ,and subscriber profiles gain a purple badge to indicate their support of a creator or influencer.
Creators can also go live exclusively with their subscribers and chat through a group direct message with up to 30 subscribers simultaneously.
“This is just one step on a much longer path to provide creators everywhere with a whole range of tools to be able to make a living online,” said Mosseri in the video. “But we’re really excited about this one.” The company is currently working on major changes to the Instagram app, including a full-screen feed.
Related: Meta Launches Designer Fashion Store for Avatars
Last month, Meta Platforms debuted a digital clothing store to let users buy designer outfits for avatars, according to CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who said items from Balenciaga, Prada and Thom Browne would be available. Meta said these things would cost between $2.99 and $8.99, which are less than the real-world outfits cost.
The avatars refer to a way for Meta to link user identity across its platforms like Facebook and Instagram and other services. Meta has reportedly been looking to tie together platforms, steering more toward a metaverse with interconnected digital worlds to let users gather.