X to replace revenue sharing program with new Original Content Rewards system
Elon Musk's X is phasing out its current creator revenue sharing program and launching a new Original Content Rewards system on September 8 that emphasizes originality. X will stop accepting new participants in the old program, while current members keep earning through September 7.
X, the social media platform owned by Elon Musk's SpaceX, has announced major changes to how it compensates influencers and content creators. The company is winding down its existing Revenue Sharing program and replacing it with a new initiative called Original Content Rewards.
X will no longer accept new participants into the current program. Existing participants will continue earning under the old system through September 7, and starting September 8 they will be able to apply for the new program.
New requirements
Participants will still need to subscribe to one of X's Premium tiers. Qualifying thresholds include at least 500 verified followers and 500,000 Home Timeline impressions from verified users within a 90-day period. The central shift, however, is a stronger focus on content originality.
According to X, original content includes self-produced reporting and analysis, photos and videos the poster created themselves, and self-designed memes or graphics. Original commentary also qualifies, but users who frequently rely on material created by others will need to add meaningful original value for their posts to count. Content simply copied from another account, re-uploaded without changes, or reposted without meaningful transformation will not qualify.
The announcement follows several earlier attempts to reform the Revenue Sharing program, including an April change that reduced payouts to aggregator and "clickbait" accounts. Those earlier adjustments drew complaints from popular accounts benefiting from the existing system, prompting Musk to reverse some of the changes after backlash.
X's Allegra Jacchia said the previous program's incentives had become misaligned, and that creators should focus on bringing new content to the platform rather than maximizing payouts. She said the company decided to start fresh rather than keep adding rules and exceptions to the existing system, adding that the new program will continue to be refined over time.
