X expands monetisation programme to include video clippers

X is allowing users to earn money from sharing clips of other creators' videos, months after tightening its monetisation rules to discourage accounts built on reposting content.

The platform has introduced a native clipping feature that allows both the person sharing a clip and the original video creator to earn from its performance, provided they are enrolled in Original Content Rewards.

The move marks a shift in how X treats redistributed content, having previously prioritised original work over reposts.

In April, the platform cut payouts to accounts built around reposting and aggregating content, arguing that its payment system should reward the effort involved in producing original material rather than simply distributing it.

X went further in August, replacing its Revenue Sharing programme with Original Content Rewards. Under the new rules, copied posts and lightly edited content became ineligible for payment unless creators added substantive commentary.

The new feature works by allowing users to select clips lasting between five and 60 seconds from prerecorded videos of at least two minutes, add their own commentary and share them as new posts. Clips cannot exceed 30% of the original video's length.

Each clip carries a “Clip from” label linking back to the original video, allowing viewers to find the creator's work and continue watching from where the clip begins.

Engagement on the clip contributes to the clipper's earnings, while the original creator is compensated using the same calculation applied to embedded reposts.

Creators cannot currently prevent others from clipping their videos, although X says it is working on an opt-out option. Clips are also excluded from the platform's separate Video Kickstart Bonus, which rewards creators for publishing original videos.

The feature is now available on X's iOS and Android apps, with web access expected to follow.