Instagram has launched an initial test of its new Subscriptions option for Instagram creators, which will provide another monetization avenue for platform stars. With Instagram Subscriptions, creators can develop deeper connections with their most engaged followers and grow their recurring monthly income by giving subscribers access to exclusive content and benefits, all within the same platform where they interact with them already.

The test will begin with a handful of creators who will be able to set a monthly price of their choice, unlock a "subscribe" button on their profile and offer the following benefits to their subscribers:

• Subscriber Lives: Creators can broadcast exclusive Lives to their subscribers, allowing them to engage more deeply.
• Subscriber Stories: Creators can create stories just for their subscribers, allowing them to share exclusive content and to use interactive story stickers with their most engaged followers only.
• Subscriber Badges: Creators will see a subscriber badge next to comments and messages so they can easily identify their subscribers.

While the feature will only be available to a limited number of U.S. creators during this initial test, with plans to expand access to more creators over the next few months.

Parent company Meta says that it won’t be taking in any cut of the fees from fan subscriptions till at least 2023, in line with Facebook’s fan subscription products, though any funds transferred will be subject to relevant app store fees and charges, as normal.