Earlier this month, Twitter made headlines by rebranding as X and initiating an ad revenue sharing program with verified creators. The move was aimed at retaining top talent on its platform. Today, X has announced that its “Ads Revenue Sharing” program is now available to eligible creators worldwide. According to X owner Elon Musk, the program is set to distribute $5 million in the first round of creator payments, starting from February onwards.
Creators have already started reaping the benefits of this revenue-sharing initiative, with some reporting substantial payouts ranging from five to six figures. To be eligible for the program, X users must subscribe to Blue (formerly Twitter Blue) or Verified Organizations and have amassed “at least 15M impressions on your cumulative posts within the last 3 months,” as specified on the creator program website. Additionally, users must have a minimum of 500 followers.
The ad revenue payouts are determined based on the ads served in the replies to creators’ posts, not on the ads in the main X timeline. This approach encourages creators to generate content that fosters extensive conversations. However, X has implemented certain restrictions to maintain a safe and responsible environment. Content of a sexual nature, violence, criminal behavior, gambling, drugs, alcohol, and “get-rich schemes” are not permitted. Creators are also prohibited from attempting to monetize copyrighted content they do not own.
With the latest announcement, the program is now accessible to creators who meet the eligibility criteria from all around the world. X aims to establish itself as the premier platform on the internet for creators to earn a living, and this revenue-sharing initiative marks its first step in rewarding creators for their contributions.
X CEO Linda Yaccarino emphasized that this move is an “absolute game-changer for our creators,” highlighting the significant impact the program will have on content creators globally.
Elon Musk also took to Twitter to share a chart indicating X’s monthly users reached a new high in 2023, even after accounting for the removal of bots. The chart shows that X, at one point, had 541.5 million monthly users, although the specific months are not labeled. The determination of “monthly usage” by Musk is not entirely clear, and it differs from the industry standard of monthly active users (MAU).
Despite some discrepancies in data interpretation, X’s expansion of the ad revenue sharing program and the impressive growth in monthly users signal a new era for the platform as it continues to evolve under the leadership of Elon Musk.
