Snapchat has introduced a new rewards program specifically for Snap AR creators in India. Known as the ‘Lens Creator Rewards’, this initiative aims to reward Indian creators who use the Snap AR platform to develop filters and other Augmented Reality (AR) experiences that are made available to Snapchat users worldwide. In recent times, Snapchat has been actively launching new features and engagement strategies as it strives to generate revenue of approximately $1.13 billion (roughly Rs. 9,264 crore) in the third quarter of 2023.
Through this program, Indian Lens creators have the opportunity to earn rewards up to $7,200 (roughly Rs. 6 lakh) per month if their lens emerges as the top performer in India, Mexico, and the US. The rewards program is open to both new and existing Lens Studio community members from nearly 40 countries, including India.
As Snapchat announced this initiative in India, it recognized the significant rise of AR creators from various parts of the country. Joseph Darko, the Global Head of AR Developer Relations at Snap Inc, stated in an official press release that Snapchat users love lenses created by the global AR community, which comprises of over 300,000 AR creators, developers, and teams worldwide. The Lens Creator Rewards Program is a way to acknowledge and reward the value that AR creators bring to the platform.
Snapchat was launched in September 2011 with the initial purpose of enabling users to share images and text content that would vanish after 24 hours. Later on, the platform expanded to include features such as voice and video calling. In January 2015, Snapchat introduced its Lenses feature, which brought filters for users to experiment with. With the launch of this rewards program, Snapchat aims to incentivize creators of viral filters.
It comes as no surprise that Snapchat has decided to release this rewards program in India, given the country’s growing community of AR creators. In March, Joseph Darko revealed in an interview with Gadgets 360 that Snap’s Indian AR creator community had experienced a notable growth rate of 60 percent in 2022. This community consists of individuals who actively use Lens Studio, Snap’s free desktop application designed to assist artists, designers, and developers in building AR experiences.
In the second quarter, Snapchat’s revenue reached $1.07 billion (roughly Rs. 8,769 crore), surpassing analyst expectations of $1.05 billion (roughly Rs. 8,608 crore). Additionally, the platform witnessed a 14 percent year-on-year increase in daily active users, reaching 397 million.
