Last Updated	Changes
2/13/2025	First Version

Please Note! The Creator Program hasn’t launched yet! If you’re reading this before our expected launch on March 1st at 12 am UTC, feel free to review the details, but be aware that the features described won’t be accessible until launch.

The Creator Program – a History

From the outset, Civitai has been committed to helping creators turn their passion into something more. When we first launched, our goal was to build a platform where creators could earn directly from their contributions, ensuring that the people shaping the Generative AI art space could benefit from their work.

Our first attempt at monetization was through Buzz tips – an early system that allowed users to support creators with our platform currency. This eventually evolved into the first iteration of the Creator Program, a “beta” program where selected creators could exchange Buzz for a real-money payout. While this model allowed us to reward a small group of creators, it quickly became clear that scaling it up to include more contributors wasn’t financially sustainable.

As we continued to refine our business model, introduce paid features, and optimize costs, we explored ways to expand creator earnings without jeopardizing Civitai’s long-term future. Unfortunately, we couldn’t continue the original program at scale without placing the platform at risk.

Rather than abandoning creator compensation, we’ve evolved the program into a more sustainable model – one that ties creator earnings directly to platform growth. This new system allows us to support more creators while ensuring Civitai remains viable for the long run!

How do I Join, and Who’s Eligible to Earn?

There are two requirements which must be met before you’re eligible to participate in the Creator Program;

• Creator Score – Creator Score is a value we calculate based on your participation in the Civitai community, including your activity and how others engage with the content and models you create. You must attain a minimum Creator Score of 40,000 to be eligible for entry.

• Civitai Membership – You must hold a current Civitai Membership; Bronze, Silver, or Gold Tier.

When those requirements are satisfied, you’ll be given the “green light” to join, on the Buzz Dashboard;

The Compensation Pool

The Creator Program Compensation Pool is a shared earnings pool funded by a portion of Civitai’s revenue from the previous month. This means that Civitai directly reinvests in its creators, ensuring that those who contribute valuable content and engagement are rewarded.

• Each month, a portion of Civitai’s revenue is allocated to the Creator Compensation Pool.

• The size of the pool fluctuates based on how much revenue Civitai generated in the previous month. Obviously, the Pool should be growing month-on-month – if it’s not we’re in trouble!

• The more users spend Buzz and subscribe to the platform, the bigger the next month’s Pool will be.

Estimating Earnings

We display an estimated value of your total Buzz based on the assumption that a portion of all Buzz earned by creators will be Banked.

The total amount you will be able to Bank during any one month depends on your Civitai Membership tier, and the amount you may be able to withdraw depends on the total Buzz Banked by all creators at the end of the month.

This initial estimate is intended to be a guide and may not be representative of the actual worth of your Buzz.

How it Works

The Civitai Creator Program is designed to reward creators for their contributions, but the way earnings are distributed depends on two key phases: the Banking Phase and the Extraction Phase.

These phases determine how Buzz is ultimately converted into earnings.

Banking Phase

Timeframe: Begins at the start of the month and lasts until 3 days before the end of the month (UTC).

During this phase:

• Creators can bank any Yellow Buzz they’ve earned, subject to the Banking Cap (see below).

• The more Buzz you bank, the larger your potential share will be of the Creator Compensation Pool.

• As more creators bank their Buzz, the value of banked Buzz gradually decreases because the total amount in the bank is increasing.

• Banking is subject to a cap based on your Civitai Membership Tier.

This phase allows creators to secure a share of the Pool– but its value isn’t finalized until the next phase.

Extraction Phase

Timeframe: Starts 3 days before the end of the month and ends 1 hour before the month ends (UTC).

During this phase:

• Banking Buzz is disabled – you can no longer add new Buzz to the bank.

• You can review your share of the Compensation Pool and decide whether to:

• Keep your Buzz banked (to receive a payout), or Extract it to use on Civitai or withdraw later

As more creators extract their Buzz, the value of the remaining banked Buzz increases – meaning your share could become larger.

Once this phase ends, the final value of banked Buzz is locked in, and payouts are determined based on the total Buzz remaining in the Pool.

Key Takeaways

• You control your earnings. You decide when to Bank and when to Extract Buzz.

• Payouts fluctuate. The value of banked Buzz decreases in the Banking Phase (as more is added) but increases in the Extraction Phase (as others withdraw).

• Timing matters. If you miss a phase, you cannot retroactively bank or extract Buzz, so stay mindful of deadlines!

Extraction Fees (Preventing Pool Manipulation)

To maintain fairness and prevent large-scale creators from dominating the Buzz Pool, we’ve introduced a bracket-based extraction fee system, should you wish to remove Buzz from the Pool during the Extraction Phase.

Fee Structure:

• < 100k Buzz – No Fee
• 100k – 1M Buzz – 5% Fee
• 1M – 5M Buzz – 10% Fee
• 5M+ Buzz – 15% Fee

How It Works:

• The fees apply progressively – meaning you are only charged on the portion of Buzz that falls into each bracket:
  • Your first 100k Buzz is fee-free
  • The next 900k Buzz is charged a 5% fee
  • The next 4M Buzz is charged a 10% fee
  • Any amount above 5M Buzz is charged a 15% fee

Note that Buzz Extraction is all-or-nothing. You can’t extract just a portion of what you have Banked.

Creator Banking Caps (Membership Tier Limits)

To ensure fair distribution of rewards, each creator has a Banking Cap that limits how much Buzz they can bank in a given month. This cap is determined by their Membership Tier:

What is the Peak Earning Month?

• Your Peak Earning Month is the month in which you earned the most Buzz in the past.
• Silver and Gold members have Banking Caps based on a percentage of this peak.

Example Cap Calculation
Let’s say a creator is a Silver Member, and their Peak Earning Month was April 2024, with 222k Buzz earned. Their cap would be:

• 125% of 222k Buzz = 278k Buzz, but capped at 1M Buzz max.

If the same creator upgraded to Gold Membership, their cap would be:

• 150% of 222k Buzz = 333k Buzz, but Gold has no maximum cap.

The Payout Process

Minimum Withdrawal Amount

The minimum withdrawal amount is $50. If your earnings are below this threshold, they will continue to accumulate until you reach the minimum required for withdrawal.

Pending Settlement Period

All earned payouts enter a Pending Settlement status for 15 days. This review period helps ensure accuracy and compliance before funds are made available.

Withdrawal Timing

• Funds become available for withdrawal on the 15th of each month at 12:00 AM UTC.
• Once available, you can initiate a withdrawal at any time, as long as your balance meets the minimum requirement.

Payment Methods

Withdrawals can be made via various payment methods, including:

• PayPal

• ACH (Direct Bank Transfer)

• eCheck

Creator Program Terms of Service

Before joining the Creator Program, all participants must accept the Creator Program Terms of Service. These terms outline important rules regarding fair participation, payout structures, banking and extraction limits, and prohibited activities.

By accepting these terms, you agree to follow the guidelines that ensure a balanced and rewarding system for all creators.

You can review the full Terms of Service below;

Civitai Creator Program – Terms of Service

Effective Date: Feb 28th, 2025

By joining the Civitai Creator Program (“Program”), you agree to the following Terms of Service (“ToS”). These rules ensure fairness, prevent abuse, and maintain the integrity of the Program. Failure to comply may result in penalties, including forfeiture of Buzz, loss of earnings, and removal from the Program.

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1. Eligibility & Fair Participation

1.1. Participation in the Program is conditional, requiring any level of Civitai Membership and a sufficient Creator Score, which is determined by your engagement and activity within the Civitai community.

1.2. Any attempt to manipulate the Creator Score system, such as artificial engagement, bot usage, or fraudulent activities, will result in removal from the Program.

1.3. Civitai reserves the right to deny or revoke access to the Program at its discretion.

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2. Prohibited Actions

2.1. Payout Manipulation & Collusion

2.1.1. Creators must not work together to artificially control payouts by coordinating Buzz banking, extractions, or other actions that manipulate the Compensation Pool.

2.1.2. Any form of collusion, Buzz pooling, or coordinated gaming of the system is strictly prohibited.

2.2. Engagement Farming & System Exploitation

2.2.1. Artificially inflating engagement, such as fake likes, fake interactions, or bot-generated activity, to qualify for or increase earnings in the Program is not allowed.

2.2.2. The use of bots, scripts, or automation to boost visibility, engagement, or rewards is a violation of these terms.

2.3. Off-Platform Buzz Sales & Transactions

2.3.1. Buzz cannot be sold, traded, or exchanged for real-world money, goods, services, or cryptocurrency outside of Civitai.

2.3.2. Any attempt to launder Buzz through third-party platforms or direct transactions will result in immediate removal from the Program.

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3. Monthly Phases & Deadlines

3.1. Banking Phase

3.1.1. Creators can bank their Yellow Buzz at any time during this phase.

3.1.2. This phase ends three (3) days before the end of the month (UTC).

3.1.3. As more Buzz is banked, the value of banked Buzz decreases.

3.2. Extraction Phase

3.2.1. During this phase, banking Buzz is disabled, and creators can decide whether to keep or extract their Buzz.

3.2.2. This phase begins three (3) days before the end of the month and ends one (1) hour before the month ends (UTC).

3.2.3. As creators extract Buzz, the value of remaining Buzz increases.

3.3. Missed Phase Switch Policy

3.3.1. It is the creator’s responsibility to act within the given timeframes.

3.3.2. Civitai is not responsible if a creator fails to bank or extract Buzz before a phase ends.

3.3.3. No exceptions, manual adjustments, or refunds will be made for missed deadlines.

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4. Dispute Resolution

4.1. Submitting a Dispute

4.1.1. If a creator believes their payout was incorrect, they must submit a dispute within seven (7) days of the issue via Civitai’s support system.

4.1.2. Disputes must include:

• A detailed explanation of the issue.
• Relevant screenshots or transaction details (if applicable).
• Any supporting evidence.

4.2. Review & Resolution

4.2.1. Civitai’s moderation team will review disputes within five (5) business days.

4.2.2. Possible outcomes include:

• Approved – Issue is validated, and necessary adjustments are made.
• Denied – Insufficient evidence or invalid claim.
• Further Review – More information is required, or a deeper investigation is needed.

4.3. Appeals

4.3.1. If a creator disagrees with the decision, they may appeal within three (3) days of receiving the resolution.

4.3.2. Appeals will be reviewed by a senior admin, with a final decision issued within five (5) business days.

4.4. Fraudulent or Abusive Disputes

4.4.1. False or bad-faith disputes may result in loss of funds, removal from the Program, or account suspension.

4.4.2. Civitai reserves the right to permanently ban users attempting to exploit the dispute system.

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5. Payments & Withdrawals

5.1. Payment Processing

5.1.1. After the Post-Settlement period and meeting a minimum threshold, creators can request a withdrawal of their earnings.

5.1.2. Withdrawals are handled by a third-party payment processor, and Civitai does not directly process payments.

5.2. Processing Times & Responsibility

5.2.1. Payment times vary depending on the payment provider, banking institutions, and region.

5.2.2. Once a withdrawal request has been successfully submitted, Civitai cannot modify, cancel, or expedite the payment process.

5.2.3. Civitai is not responsible for delays caused by financial institutions, banking policies, or third-party payment processors.

5.3. Failed or Rejected Withdrawals

5.3.1. If a withdrawal fails due to incorrect payment details, funds will be returned to the Creator, less the payment processor’s fee.

5.3.2. Civitai does not reimburse fees or losses incurred due to incorrect user-provided payment information.

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6. Fraud Prevention & Enforcement

6.1. Civitai reserves the right to withhold, suspend, or revoke payouts if fraudulent activity is suspected.

6.2. Users found violating these ToS, engaging in deceptive practices, or exploiting the system may face:

• Forfeiture of funds.
• Permanent removal from the Creator Program.
• Account suspension or termination.

6.3. Civitai may report fraudulent activities to relevant authorities if necessary.

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7. Changes to These Terms

7.1. Civitai may update these Terms of Service at any time.

7.2. Continued participation in the Creator Program after an update constitutes acceptance of the new terms.

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By joining the Creator Program, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to these Terms of Service.

FAQ

Q: What happens if cancel my Civitai Membership?
A: If you deactivate your Subscription you’ll remain in the Program until the end of the month, allowing you to bank your Buzz and withdraw through the end of the period.

Support

If you’re experiencing issues with joining, Banking, Extracting, or any other aspect of the Creator Program, please submit a support ticket at https://civitai.com/support or email us at [email protected]