X scraps Revenue Sharing, ties creator payouts to originality

X is scrapping its long-running Revenue Sharing programme, replacing it with a system that pays creators based on how many people view their original posts, rather than splitting ad income with them directly.

The company said the new programme is designed to "reward creators who bring original ideas, expertise, reporting, creativity, and commentary to X."

The change is X's latest push to reward original posts over reposts and copied content, as it tries to improve what people see on the platform and cut down on accounts gaming the system for views.

Creators currently signed up to Revenue Sharing will continue earning under the old system until 7 September, after which they can apply to join the new programme. X has stopped accepting new Revenue Sharing sign-ups with immediate effect.

The new system sees creators paid based on "qualified impressions" – unique views from verified Premium subscribers on the Home Timeline, where at least half the post is visible. Paid, duplicated and fake views do not count.

X has also set out clear rules on what counts as "original" content. Posts that are copied, reposted without credit, created using automated tools, or only lightly edited with a caption or watermark won't qualify for payment. Creators can still earn from sharing someone else's content, but only if they add their own substantive commentary. 

To qualify, creators must be at least 18, live in an eligible country, have an account in good standing, pay for an X Premium subscription, and have at least 500 verified followers and 500,000 Home Timeline views from verified users over the past 90 days. 

The move is the latest step in a strategy X first announced last December. Elon Musk said the platform would significantly increase creator payouts, arguing that rewarding creators would become even more important as AI-generated content becomes more common online. He put then head of product Nikita Bier in charge of tackling the fraud and bot activity that had been distorting creator earnings.

That strategy has taken shape throughout the year. In April, X cut payouts to accounts that mainly repost other people's content after saying they had been unfairly benefiting from the old system. 

In July, the platform launched Live Studio alongside a $1 million fund to encourage more creators to livestream. 

Bier stepped down as head of product last week after just over a year in the role. He said it was "time to pass the torch and demote myself to my natural state: a poster," adding that he would continue advising the company. During his tenure, he said he oversaw the launch of 30 new products.