Are we going to have to pay for Instagram soon?

As if we aren't already going crazy from all those ads and paid collaborations on Instagram, the head of Instagram, named Adam Mosseri, is now coming up with something commercial again. This is his latest idea: making people take a paid subscription to influencers. Yes, you heard it right: this is seriously happening. There is very little left of the app that once felt like a platform for creatives.

What is the motivation behind this? You would think it's to rake in even more money, but according to Adam, this idea has a very different purpose. He states that he wants to provide influencers, who earn their money through this app, with a stable income through a subscription. An influencer's income can vary enormously from month to month. ‘Subscriptions are one of the best ways to generate predictable income. In a way that is not tied to how much reach you have or how much you post, because this inevitably goes up and down.’ According to TechCrunch, users can determine the amount of their subscription. That amount can vary between one and one hundred dollars; converted, that's 88 cents and 88 euros. It is still unclear how much commission will go to Instagram.

It seems that Instagram is inspired by the British website OnlyFans, where people gain access to personal content from so-called ‘creators’ for a monthly fee. This platform is used by 130 million people, so perhaps Adam saw something in this. OnlyFans shares quite a bit of erotic content where people earn a lot of money. So I'm quite curious if Instagram will also go this way or if it will really be used by, for example, fashion influencers who share special outfit tips with their subscribers.

Okay, when can we expect this idea on Instagram? That will take a while, as a trial will be started that will only be conducted in America among a small number of influencers. So it remains to be seen whether this trial will be successful, and whether the idea will really be implemented. Now I hear you thinking: can followers without a subscription no longer view the profiles of these influencers? No, they can still do that, but when you have a subscription, you get to see more content than non-subscribers. Think of it as a kind of VIP pass for exclusive content. I'm very curious if this idea will really be put into action. In my opinion, a division will then arise on the platform: the users who continue to use the app as it is now and the influencers who will fully focus on subscriptions. But well, we will see it all.