X, the social media platform owned by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, is overhauling its creator monetization strategy by replacing its existing Revenue Sharing program with a new initiative called Original Content Rewards. This change aims to better align incentives by prioritizing original content creation over content aggregation.
Under the current Revenue Sharing program, creators earn income based on engagement metrics, which has led to concerns about the proliferation of reposted or aggregated content designed to maximize payouts. To address these issues, X will cease accepting new participants into the Revenue Sharing program, with existing participants continuing to earn through September 7. Starting September 8, creators can apply for the Original Content Rewards program.
The new program maintains certain eligibility criteria: creators must subscribe to one of X’s Premium tiers, have at least 500 verified followers, and achieve 500,000 Home Timeline impressions from verified users over a 90-day period. However, the key shift lies in the emphasis on originality. Qualifying content includes original reporting and analysis, self-created photos and videos, and personally designed memes and graphics. While commentary is also eligible, it must add meaningful original value if it incorporates material created by others.
Conversely, content that is merely copied from other accounts, downloaded and re-uploaded without significant transformation, or reposted without meaningful contribution will not qualify under the new guidelines.
This initiative follows previous attempts by X to refine its monetization strategies. In April, the platform reduced payments to aggregators and clickbait accounts, a move that faced backlash from popular accounts benefiting from the existing system. In response, some changes were reversed, such as adjusting payout calculations to give more weight to a creator’s local audience.
Allegra Jacchia, representing X, stated that the existing program had reached a point where its incentives were misaligned. She emphasized that creators should focus on bringing new content to the platform rather than maximizing payouts. Jacchia noted that while additional rules could have been implemented, the decision was made to start fresh with a program designed from the outset to reward originality. She also mentioned that X will continue refining the program, improving models, and raising the bar over time.
This strategic shift underscores X’s commitment to fostering a platform rich in original content. By incentivizing creators to produce unique material, X aims to enhance user engagement and differentiate itself in the competitive social media landscape. Observers will be keen to see how this change influences content quality and creator behavior on the platform.
