X ends creator revenue sharing, requires all creators to apply for 'Original' rewards

Why it matters

X can supply live programming without paying production costs upfront, but creators will stay only if Live Studio delivers stable broadcasts and predictable payouts.

X is ending its existing creator Revenue Sharing program, cutting off new applicants and requiring every creator who wants to keep earning to apply for a replacement focused on original content.

In an August 7th announcement, the platform said current Revenue Sharing members will continue earning only through September 7th, 2026. They are scheduled to receive standard payouts on August 14th and August 28th, followed by a final payment around September 11th for earnings accrued through the cutoff.

There is no automatic transfer to the replacement. Starting September 8th, existing members must apply for the Original Content Rewards Program and meet its eligibility rules. Accounts whose monetization is paused over a previous policy violation cannot enroll.

X limits payouts to a subset of Premium-user views

The new program pays for unique impressions from Premium users on the Home Timeline when at least 50% of a post is visible. Repeat impressions from the same account on a post, paid or promoted impressions, artificially generated traffic and fraudulent impressions do not qualify.

X did not disclose a fixed rate per qualified impression. Payouts are scheduled every two weeks while an account and its content remain eligible, leaving the value of any creator's audience under the platform's control.

Applicants must be at least 18, live in an eligible country, maintain an account in good standing and subscribe to X Premium, Premium+ or Premium Business. They also need at least 500 verified followers and 500,000 Home Timeline impressions from verified users over the previous 90 days. Impressions on replies are excluded from that threshold.

X said it will review applications within three business days. Rejected applicants get one appeal and, if that fails, can reapply after 90 days if they still meet the requirements.

Every creator must clear X's originality review

X defines original content broadly enough to include reporting, analysis, videos, photos, memes, graphics and commentary. Posts that incorporate someone else's work can qualify when the creator adds meaningful context, expertise, humor, narration or other creative transformation.

Simple reposting does not qualify. X also says cropping, filters, borders, watermarks, speed changes and basic text overlays generally are not enough to make third-party material original.

Other exclusions extend beyond copied work. Content is ineligible if it was created or posted using automated means, focuses exclusively on monetization coaching or maximizing payouts, contains disinformation or misleading material, or has a helpful Community Note. Sexually explicit, potentially harmful and policy-violating content is also excluded.

Participants must continue subscribing to an eligible Premium plan and avoid soliciting engagement, manipulating recommendation systems or using bots and automated tools to manufacture activity. X says the listed requirements are not exhaustive and reserves the right to enforce against conduct it believes undermines the program.

That discretion is central to the replacement's economics. Creators lose access to the existing revenue-sharing system, must win approval for the new program and will be paid only for a subset of views from paying users. X retains authority over whether their content is sufficiently original and whether their accounts remain eligible.

X says the first payout under the new program will be issued August 28th. Existing Revenue Sharing members who become eligible and enroll on or after September 8th are expected to receive their first payment on September 25th.