Content creators on Twitter will finally get a cut of the money that the social media platform makes from their work, but there’s a catch (or so it seems). The platform’s ‘Chief Twit’, Elon Musk, says creators can cash in on content ranging “from long-form text to hours-long video”. Naturally, Musk made the announcement on Thursday in a tweet.
Twitter is trying to be supportive
For the next 12 months, Twitter will keep none of the money.
You will receive whatever money we receive, so that’s 70% for subscriptions on iOS & Android (they charge 30%) and ~92% on web (could be better, depending on payment processor).
After first year, iOS & Android fees…
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 13, 2023
If the info in Musk’s tweets is accurate (and doesn’t quietly change later), the first year of revenue generated from subscriber subscriptions will go (almost) entirely to the creator. Twitter will only start cashing on from the 13th month.
Following that, Musk says the platform will drop iOS & Android fees to 15% and “add a small amount on top of that, depending on volume.”
Musk says Twitter will also help to promote the content on the platform. “At any point, you can leave our platform and take your work with you. Easy in, easy out,” he added.
It all sounds great, doesn’t it? But by now, you should know that nothing is really free, especially if it’s coming from Twitter following Musk’s acquisition. Generally, if you aren’t paying with money, you’re paying with something else.
Creators who want to earn anything will need to apply to enable subscriptions for their followers. In the settings menu, interested creators can tap on “Monetization” and apply. On Friday morning, the feature revealed a ‘coming soon’ note.
The bird company has been on a drive to boost subscriptions for Twitter Blue, a mission that seems to have flopped so far as most users seem content using the platform without the extra perks.
The move to get creators to use the platform’s additional tools to make some cash could benefit both Twitter’s thirst for subscribers and creators’ need to feed themselves.
Read More: Tweeps are not paying for Twitter Blue
On Friday, the platform announced additional ‘perks’ for those that pay $8/m for Twitter Blue. Those include cutting-edge features like an increased character limit of up to 10,000 and bold and italic formatting.
Putting aside the fact that users have to pay for basic formatting options, who really wants to read an entire essay on Twitter? Wasn’t the whole point of the micro-blogging platform to be short and informative so we can quickly get the facts as we go about our day? Then again, the original Twitter Inc is gone, it’s just the name that remains.