X is replacing its existing Revenue Sharing program with a new creator payment system called Original Content Rewards. The platform will stop accepting new applicants to Revenue Sharing, while current participants can continue earning through September 7 before applications for the replacement program open on September 8.
Under the new system, creators will still need to subscribe to an X Premium tier and meet minimum eligibility requirements. These include at least 500 verified followers and 500,000 Home Timeline impressions from verified users over a 90-day period.
The main change is how X defines content that qualifies for payment. In its official announcement, the company said Original Content Rewards will place greater emphasis on material created directly by the account posting it.
X Sets New Rules for Original Content
Qualifying posts can include original reporting and analysis, photos and videos created by the poster, and self-made memes or graphics. Commentary can also qualify when it adds meaningful original value to material created by someone else.
Posts that simply copy another account, download and re-upload existing material, or repost content without meaningful changes will not qualify. X said the program is designed to reduce incentives for accounts that rely heavily on aggregation rather than producing new material.
X executive Allegra Jacchia said the previous system had reached a point where its incentives were no longer aligned with the company’s goals. She said creators should focus on bringing new content to X rather than maximizing payouts under the existing formula.
Previous Revenue Sharing Changes Drew Backlash
X has already made several changes to creator payments this year. In April, the company reduced payouts to aggregator and clickbait accounts as part of an effort to reward content it considered more valuable to users.
Earlier changes also generated complaints from prominent creators. Elon Musk later reversed one adjustment that would have placed more weight on a creator’s local audience when calculating payments after users pushed back against the proposal.
Jacchia said X could have continued adding rules and exceptions to the existing program but instead decided to build a new system around originality from the start. She added that the company plans to continue adjusting its models and qualification standards after the program launches.
Featured image credits: Wikimedia Commons
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