X expands creator video push with Live Studio, new editing tools and $1m fund

X has launched Live Studio, a new livestreaming tool for creators, and set aside $1 million to reward those who go live on the platform, as it moves to compete more directly with Twitch and YouTube for creator attention.

The tool, announced by X head of product Nikita Bier last week, replaces the platform's existing Media Studio Producer and gives creators a single place to schedule and manage livestreams.

Creators can set a title and thumbnail, schedule streams in advance, broadcast using external software and hardware, and control who can watch. Streams can be limited to verified accounts, followers or subscribers, or opened to everyone.

The tool is available to creators with an X Premium subscription and is currently rolling out in select US states, including Virginia, Oregon and California, as well as cities including Sydney, Seoul, Mumbai, Singapore, Paris, São Paulo, Frankfurt, Dublin and Tokyo.

Bier said X would allocate $1 million to reward creators who go live during the upcoming cycle, though he did not detail how the fund would be distributed. He also pushed back on suggestions the updates amounted to a "TikTok-ification" of the platform, arguing the video editor existed so that "some videos on X can finally be original content that doesn't exist on other platforms."

The launch is the latest in a series of creator-focused updates from X, which overhauled its subscription tools with Creator Subscriptions 2.0 in March.

Earlier this week, it went further, announcing a new video editor for iOS with multi-language captions and green screen tools. Bier said the update was designed to encourage creators to post original content, noting that many posts from top accounts on the platform contain stolen material.

The platform has been stepping up efforts to position itself as a destination for creator-led content. As previously reported by The Daily Influence, owner Elon Musk signalled at the start of the year that the platform would significantly increase creator payouts, with Bier tasked with developing measures to tackle engagement fraud that has previously distorted earnings.