Technical / Instagram testing ₹89 monthly subscriptions for exclusive content

Technical Desk: Facebook-owned social media app Instagram has been testing a subscription feature through which creators can earn money. It looks like the company is now readying the launch of this feature according to Instagram’s App Store listings on iOS.

There’s a new “Instagram Subscriptions” category under the “In-App Purchases” section for the Instagram App Store listing. First spotted by TechCrunch, Instagram Subscriptions are priced between $0.99 and $4.99 in the US. The same is live on the App Store in India as well. Here, Instagram Subscriptions are priced at ₹89 per month. The new subscription option is visible along with Instagram Badges that users can buy to gift creators during live sessions.

Instagram head Adam Mosseri had also said that the company is exploring subscriptions on the platform earlier this year. Instagram Subscriptions are expected to be similar to Twitter Blue where fans can get access to exclusive tweets and other content. Similarly, Instagram is expected to make certain content available only for subscribers. And Instagram has been testing a similar feature for some months now.

Reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi has been sharing developments on Instagram working on subscription-based fan clubs. Instagram is testing a subscribe button that will appear on a creator’s profile. Fans can subscribe and get access to exclusive content like stories and live videos. A special member badge will also appear next to your username whenever you DM (direct message) the creator or comment on their posts. This badge will supposedly make interactions prioritised with the creator.

Creators will also get to keep a tab on their approximate earnings, active members, and expired membership. Instagram will also let creators customise their subscription name and price. And fans can always cancel anytime they want.

Instagram is one of the biggest hubs for influencers and creators, and there are already different revenue earning ways like brand collaborations and advertisements. But subscriptions would directly involve fans, and Instagram could introduce more options for fan-creator interactions in the future. The developments show an almost ready feature, and seeing how the subscription prices are live on the App Store, Instagram could launch this soon.