Substack is ramping up its efforts to attract creators by enhancing its video offerings as TikTok’s future in the U.S. remains uncertain.
The company announced on Wednesday that creators can now monetize their videos and publish video posts directly from the Substack app.
Previously, creators could share videos in Notes, Substack’s Twitter-like feed, but that feature lacks paywall support and does not notify subscribers of new posts. The new video post functionality allows creators to directly reach their audience and generate revenue.
Substack positions itself as an alternative for video creators concerned about TikTok’s instability, offering a subscription-based model free from algorithmic interference. Once videos are published, creators can track post views, new subscribers, and estimated revenue growth from paid subscriptions. The platform also enables monitoring of performance trends over time.
At present, entire video posts can be paywalled, but Substack plans to introduce a teaser feature that allows free subscribers to view select portions of videos. Additionally, the company is developing tools for video trimming and editing, as well as enhanced analytics to track engagement.
Substack introduced video in 2022, and adoption has been growing steadily. The company reports that creators incorporating video and audio content have seen revenue grow 2.5 times faster than those who haven’t.
In April 2024, over half of the top 250 highest-earning creators used video and audio, a figure that surged to 82% by February 2025. Subscriber engagement has also increased, with paid conversions from video and audio-driven audiences nearly tripling over six months.
The latest updates reflect Substack’s broader strategy to lure TikTok creators. Last month, the company launched a $20 million Creator Accelerator Fund to assure content creators they won’t lose revenue by transitioning to Substack. It also recently made live streaming available to all publishers, further expanding its appeal to digital content creators.
