Snapchat lenses allow users to augment their selfies and videos with fun effects, filters, and animations. Lenses have become extremely popular on Snapchat, with users spending an average of 3-4 minutes playing with lenses every day. Brands have also started using sponsored lenses as a way to reach Snapchat’s young demographic.
With the huge popularity of lenses, many Snapchat users wonder – is it free to make your own custom Snapchat lenses? Or do you need to pay Snapchat to create and distribute your own lenses? Let’s take a closer look at how Snapchat lenses work and the options available for creating your own lenses.
What are Snapchat Lenses?
Snapchat lenses are augmented reality effects and filters that users can apply to their snaps. Lenses overlay digital imagery and effects onto a user’s selfies or videos. Some examples of lenses include:
– Fun filters like dog or cat faces
– Animated masks and effects like rainbow vomiting
– Interactive lenses with facial tracking like the famous dogface filter
– Location or event-specific lenses like a lens for a concert or sports game
– Sponsored branded lenses for marketing campaigns
Lenses first launched on Snapchat in September 2015, and the feature has grown exponentially since then. There are now over 15,000 different lenses available on Snapchat, with over 1 billion Lens plays per day.
How do Snapchat Lenses Work?
Snapchat lenses work using advanced image recognition technology and facial tracking capabilities. Here’s a quick overview of how lenses work:
– When you select a lens, Snapchat activates your phone’s camera.
– Advanced facial recognition technology scans and detects key points on your face.
– The lens file contains data on how the effects should map to your facial features and movements.
– As you move your face, the effects move and adjust in real-time based on the mapping done by Snapchat’s technology.
– This allows the lenses to track your facial gestures and animate the effects accordingly.
– Some lenses also utilize environmental or location-based tracking to apply effects based on your surroundings.
The technology powering lenses is quite advanced. Snapchat even acquired an Israeli augmented reality startup called Cimagine in 2016 to enhance its capabilities in AR lenses.
Types of Snapchat Lenses
There are a few different varieties of Snapchat lenses available:
Official Snapchat Lenses
These are lenses designed and created directly by Snapchat. They include the most popular and viral lenses like the basic photo filters and the dancing hot dog. Snapchat produces new creative and seasonal lenses on an ongoing basis.
Community Lenses
Snapchat allows any user to create their own lenses through the Lens Studio desktop app. Lenses created by ordinary users that get approved by Snapchat appear in the Lens Carousel for all users to try. These are known as Community Lenses.
Sponsored Lenses
Brands can pay Snapchat to create custom branded lenses as a form of advertising. Sponsored lenses appear in the carousel and typically generate tens of millions of plays. Major brands like Gatorade, Taco Bell and Starbucks have all created sponsored lens campaigns.
Geofilters
Geofilters are a location-based variety of lenses that can be accessed in specific geographic locations. Users can create and submit Geofilters for their own communities which can then be accessed by other Snapchatters in that area.
Is it Free to Make a Snapchat Lens?
Now that we’ve looked at the different varieties of Snapchat lenses, the main question is – how much does it cost to make your own Snapchat lens?
The answer depends on the type of lens you want to make:
Official Snapchat Lenses
Regular users cannot create official Snapchat lenses. Only Snapchat has access to the backend tools and distribution required to make lenses that appear directly within the Snapchat app.
So regular users cannot make their own official Snapchat lenses. The only way to get a branded Official lens is to partner with Snapchat as an advertiser. This involves extensive conversations, legal paperwork, and a large advertising buy – likely costing over $100k+ for a single day Official branded lens.
Community Lenses
Using Snapchat’s free Lens Studio desktop app, any user can create augmented reality Community Lenses. Lens Studio provides templates and tools to design the visual effects. After creating the lens, you submit it for review. If approved, the Community Lens becomes accessible to all Snapchat users globally.
There is no cost to use Lens Studio and create Community Lenses. However, creating the intricate 3D objects, facial tracking abilities, and interactive effects requires strong digital design skills. There is also no guarantee your lens will get approved, as Snapchat has high standards for quality.
So in summary – any user can create Community Lenses for free. But the process requires AR and 3D modeling expertise.
Sponsored Lenses
For brands who want their own Sponsored Lens that appears prominently within Snapchat for a limited time, prices start at $450,000 per day in North America. The cost varies by region and length of campaign, but expect to pay at minimum $450k for a single day branded sponsored Lens in North America.
Geofilters
Users can create their own Geofilters through Snapchat’s web tools or mobile app. Submitting a Geofilter is free, but getting your design approved and activated can cost money. Here are Snapchat’s current Geofilter pricing tiers:
| Coverage Area | Pricing |
|---|---|
| Under 20,000 square feet (hyperlocal) | Free |
| 20,000 to 75,000 square feet | $5.99 for 3 hours |
| 75,000 to 300,000 square feet | $24.99 for 3 hours |
| Over 300,000 square feet (citywide) | $124.99 for 3 hours |
So in summary, personal Geofilters can be free for hyperlocal areas under 20,000 square feet. But expanding availability incurs fees starting at $6 for a 3 hour minimum.
Tools for Making Lenses
If you want to try creating your own personal Community Lenses and Geofilters, Snapchat provides two official tools:
Lens Studio (Desktop)
This free desktop application lets you build augmented reality lenses for Snapchat. It provides templates and pre-made objects, effects, and interactions that can be customized. No coding experience is required, but you need strong digital design and 3D modeling skills. Finished lenses can be submitted to Snapchat for review.
Snapchat App
Users can also submit Geofilter designs directly within the iOS and Android Snapchat apps. You can create your own artwork or use Snapchat’s templates. Submitted Geofilters first go through review before they can be activated for your desired locations.
There are also various third-party apps that allow creating and submitting Snapchat Geofilter designs. For example:
– Geofilter Studio (iOS)
– Filter Snap (iOS)
– Geofilters for Snapchat (Android)
So in summary, Lens Studio and the Snapchat apps are the two official tools for free Community Lens and Geofilter creation.
How Much Do Snapchat Lenses Cost for Brands?
For advertisers and brands who want to reach Snapchat’s audience with sponsored lenses, here is a breakdown of typical costs:
– Sponsored Lens for 1 Day: $450,000 to $700,000+
– Sponsored World Lens (AR) for 1 Day: $500,000 to $750,000
– Sponsored Lens for Multiple Days: Can be over $1 million+ for a multi-day national lens
– Holiday/Event Specific Lens: Added premiums around major holidays or events
– Snap Ad Overlay on Lens: $50 CPM (cost per 1000 impressions)
In general, expect to invest at minimum $500k for a one day sponsored lens in a small local area. For wider distribution over multiple days or a holiday period, costs easily exceed $1 million. Ongoing sponsorship packages are also available starting in the millions.
Compared to other digital ad formats, Snapchat sponsored lenses deliver stronger engagement, but at a much higher minimum cost. The immersive nature and “play time” drives high attention, but limits scalability for smaller advertisers. For major brands, however, sponsored lenses can be an extremely eye-catching way to creatively engage millions of Snapchat users.
Other Cost Considerations
Here are some other potential costs to factor in for Snapchat lenses:
– Design and Concept Development: For branded lenses, most advertisers work with digital creative agencies to conceptualize ideas and design the visual assets. Expect to invest at least $50,000+ for the necessary creative development.
– Lens Production: The technical development and programming required to fully code and implement the complex lens can cost over $100,000 depending on the complexity. Snapchat’s internal team can handle production.
– Media Buying: For Sponsored Lenses, you often need to work with Snapchat’s sales team or an agency to strategically buy media. There are minimum spends and other requirements.
– Performance Tracking: Robust analytics to measure awareness lift and foot traffic requires integrating third-party SDKs into the lens. Additional development costs apply for tracking.
– Legal Compliance: Sponsored lenses require closer scrutiny around proper disclosures, data usage, and intellectual property. Legal consulting fees can tally up.
So factoring in concepting, technical development, media activation, analytics, and compliance, the all-in investment for a custom branded Snapchat lens experience often totals over $1 million.
Alternatives to Snapchat Lenses
For advertisers seeking augmented reality marketing campaigns, Snapchat lenses deliver great results but require a large budget. Some alternative options with lower minimum spends include:
Facebook/Instagram AR Effects
Facebook and Instagram also offer AR development platforms for creating camera effects. Requirements are high, but minimum spends are substantially lower than Snapchat lenses. Instagram and Facebook AR effects start around $50k for limited distribution.
YouTube AR Beauty Try-On
YouTube now provides AR try-on capabilities for virtual beauty product sampling. Costs start around $50k – $100k to develop the 3D assets. YouTube then displays the AR ads across beauty-related videos.
Google ARCore/ARCore for Commerce
Google’s ARCore platform lets developers build AR experiences for Android/iOS apps. Google also offers ARCore for Commerce, tailor-made for shoppable AR. Costs vary based on app development needs but provide another AR advertising avenue.
Third-Party AR SDKs
Multiple mobile SDKs like 8th Wall and Zappar allow developing AR experiences for a brand’s own app. Integrating these SDKs starts around $10k – $50k. You avoid platform minimums but need an existing mobile app presence.
So while Snapchat Sponsored Lenses deliver great results, the high cost of entry limits adoption. But alternative AR platforms are emerging with lower minimums to provide additional options.
Conclusion
In summary:
– Snapchat lenses enable fun augmented reality effects but developing official Snapchat lenses requires a paid partnership.
– Ordinary users can create Community Lenses with Lens Studio for free, but technical skills are required with no guarantee of approval.
– Personal Geofilters can be free for hyperlocal ranges under 20,000 square feet. But citywide Geofilters cost up to $125 for short 3 hour campaigns.
– For brands, Sponsored Snapchat Lenses cost a minimum $450k+ for limited 1-day activations. Most sponsored lenses cost well over $1 million when factoring in development, media buying, analytics, and legal compliance.
– Alternate AR ad platforms like Facebook AR Effects, Instagram AR filters, Google ARCore, and third-party SDKs offer lower minimum spends than Snapchat.
So ultimately, while individuals can sometimes access free Community Lenses or Geofilters, most custom branded lenses require extensive paid partnerships. Snapchat commands premium pricing given their reach and engagement, but lower-cost AR alternatives are emerging. For the greatest impact, brands should consider both Snapchat lenses and newer AR platforms as part of their marketing strategy.