X introduces Exclusive Threads and Other Subscriber Features

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X announced updates to its creator subscription options, which will provide more ways for creators to make money through expanded incentives and improved management tools.

Over the last few years, X has been working to improve its value to creators and keep them posting to the app through additions such as long-form posts, revised monetization based on engagement and increased revenue share.    

Now, X has taken the next step.

X’s update creator subscription offerings include:

• Exclusive Threads – Creators on X can now hide certain content behind a paywall in order to drive more subscription sign-ups. Those posts will be displayed in-stream, so creators can, for example, create a thread of several posts, then lock the final comments, which could help entice more subscribers.

• Refreshed Subscriptions benefits display – Creators will also be able to list the benefits of subscribing in-stream, via a pop-up that will appear when a user taps on the “Subscribe” button. X said this will enable creators to highlight the subscriber benefits up front, so potential subscribers instantly understand the value before they subscribe.
• New shareable Subscriptions card – X also added a new shareable link format that will enable people to subscribe from that link display. Users will be able to share this new card format to promote creators’ channels.
• Subscriber-only content highlights in the main profile feed - Instead of being hidden in the Subscriptions tab, subscriber-only content will now also be displayed in the main profile feed, which will provide more opportunity for promotion.

• Revamped onboarding – X said eligible creators will now be able to set up subscriptions in just two simple steps, with faster application review times.
• Updated subscriptions dashboard – The new subscriptions management tool will display earnings and subscriber insights, as well as include additional growth tools, all in one place.

This brings more ways for X users to monetize their content and drive interest in their subscription packages, which could help creators make more money from X.

Creator monetization has been a key focus for X owner Elon Musk, who has repeatedly stated his intention to make X the most financially beneficial platform for creators.

In December, Musk approved a proposal to increase X’s creator payouts as a means to take on the more established players in the space. Then in January, X announced that all Premium subscribers would gain access to X’s long-form articles option, which has previously been limited to Premium+ members. That gave more people more ways to post and make money from their content.

X has also undertaken short-term incentives to increase creator activity, like its $1 million long-form article prize in January.

The company’s hope is that this will get more creators sharing more exclusive content in the app, which will then bring more users to X for the latest news. Thus far, it appears to be working, at least to some degree.

X’s head of product Nikita Bier also said in a post on March 6 that the amount of long-form posts published on X has increased 18x in the last three months, making it one of the fastest-growing products on the platform.

Dangling a $1 million carrot will definitely increase interest, and it’ll be more interesting to see if that level of interest holds over time. But conceptually, X is hoping that upping the incentive, in as many ways as it can, will bring more exclusive content to the app and draw a bigger audience to that material.

Though many creators also remain wary of X and Elon Musk’s own political and ideological incentives.

Musk has repeatedly criticized mainstream media outlets and slandered many publications over what he perceives as biased coverage. Those attacks have prompted many journalists, who were once key contributors to X/Twitter discussion, off the platform. It seems unlikely that many of them would come back, even with these new incentives. In addition, Musk’s amplification of misinformation and his own topical viewpoints, often over factual truths, has also raised concerns among many potential contributors.

According to PBS News, Musk has increasingly used the platform to amplify his political views since purchasing the app. Musk has also pushed to boost his own posts above all other users.

While Musk claims that X is unbiased, and that the platform aims to amplify truth above all else, his actions, along with various studies, suggest that preference will be given to content that aligns with his own opinions. That makes X a less appealing platform for anyone who doesn’t agree with him.

But X also remains a key news and information source for millions of users, and increased payouts could be a strong lure for some creators.

In addition to these creator updates, X also launched its new “Paid partnership” label last week.