Creator or Brand Content Series on TikTok: which AI pilot to render
TikTok's The Next Episode splits into Creator Content Series and Brand Content Series. Two different pilots, with Sume prices: $3.75, $7.74 and a $0.95 avatar.
If a brand wants a place inside someone else's show, render a Creator Content Series pilot: one episode where your product sits in the story. If the brand wants its own show, render a Brand Content Series pilot: one episode with a recurring character that belongs to the brand. Both pilots can be a single 30-second clip, which on Sume is $3.75 on Wan 3.0 at 720p, or $7.74 with an Avatar 1.0 presenter holding a product on the Plus tier.
The two tracks
The program is described in the NewsBreak report of TikTok and the creator agency Amplify launching The Next Episode, which we read on 2026-10-07 and which was truncated in places. Treat it as a summary, not a rulebook, and confirm eligibility and terms with TikTok or Amplify.
| Item | What was reported |
|---|---|
| Organizers | TikTok and the creator agency Amplify |
| Idea | Move brands from one-off short posts to funding creator-led episodic series |
| Formats named | Micro-dramas, interviews, game shows, docuseries and reality shows |
| Creator Content Series | A brand backs a creator's episodic world and appears in it |
| Brand Content Series | A series built around the brand's own IP |
| Support | Eligible brands can get production support through TikTok on top of media spend |
Pilot for a Creator Content Series
Here the creator owns the world, so your pilot shows how the product fits it. Send the product photo as a reference image and describe the scene in the creator's genre. On /v1/videos, Wan 3.0 accepts reference images; 30 seconds at 720p is 30 x $0.125 = $3.75. Make two versions of the same beat, one with the product central and one with it incidental, so the creator has a choice.
Pilot for a Brand Content Series
Here the brand owns the cast, so the pilot has to prove a character that can come back. Create the character once as an Avatar 1.0 avatar from a prompt, a profile or a photo; creation is a one-time $0.95. Then generate a 30-second talking video. Avatar Video bills per second by tier, and a product image adds a small premium.
| Tier | No product, per second | With product, per second | 30 s no product | 30 s with product |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| standard | $0.184 | $0.194 | $5.52 | $5.82 |
| plus (default) | $0.245 | $0.258 | $7.35 | $7.74 |
| max | $0.55 | $0.58 | $16.50 | $17.40 |
What to hand over with a pilot
- The pilot video, plus the reference images and the style text you used, so anyone can reproduce the look.
- A one-paragraph season outline with a hook for each of the first five episodes.
- The vertical file at 9:16, since both tracks are for the TikTok feed.
- A budget line: pilot cost times the number of episodes, so the sponsor sees the order of magnitude before the call.
What these pilots do not prove
A pilot proves the look and the cost. It does not prove audience, and it does not replace the brand and legal review that a sponsored series needs. Use real people's faces only with their consent, and keep any child characters out of it; our guide to the under-18 likeness rule on TikTok covers that.
Sources
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Written by Sume