X scraps revenue sharing, unveils new system to reward original creators

X is changing the rules of the creator economy on its platform, shutting down its existing Revenue Sharing programme and replacing it with a new system designed to put greater emphasis on original work.

The social media platform announced the overhaul on Friday through its X Creators account, introducing the Original Content Rewards Programme.

Under the new model, X says creators will earn from content that brings something genuinely new to the platform—from original ideas and expert knowledge to reporting, analysis, creative work and meaningful commentary.

“Today, we’re introducing the Original Content Rewards Program, a new way to reward creators who bring original ideas, expertise, reporting, creativity, and commentary to X,” the company said.

Revenue Sharing registrations closed

X has immediately stopped accepting new applications for its existing Revenue Sharing programme.

Creators already enrolled in the old system will not lose their remaining earnings overnight, however. They will continue to earn under the current arrangement until September 7, 2026.

X said existing participants will receive three final payments, scheduled for August 14 and August 28, followed by a final settlement around September 11 covering earnings accumulated through September 7.

From September 8, eligible creators can begin applying for the new Original Content Rewards Programme.

The first payment under the new system is scheduled for August 28, while creators transitioning from the old programme are expected to receive their first new-programme payment on September 25.

How creators will earn

The new programme will calculate earnings based on qualified impressions generated by creators’ original posts, with payments operating on a two-week cycle.

But not every view will count.

X defines qualified impressions as unique views from Premium users on the Home Timeline, provided at least half of the post is visible.

Repeated views from the same account, paid or promoted traffic, artificially generated engagement and fraudulent impressions will be excluded.

That means creators cannot simply inflate their numbers through artificial engagement and expect those views to translate into revenue.

Who qualifies?

Creators must meet several conditions to participate.

They must:

Be at least 18 years old.

Live in a country where the programme is available.

Maintain an X account in good standing.

Have an active X Premium, Premium+ or Premium Business subscription.

Have at least 500 verified followers.

Generate at least 500,000 Home Timeline impressions from verified users within the previous 90 days.

Continue regularly publishing original material to remain eligible.

The requirements make clear that X is targeting established creators with an active audience rather than simply rewarding accounts that generate occasional viral posts.

Copy-and-paste content won’t count

Originality is at the centre of the new programme—and X says creators cannot turn someone else’s work into “original” content through cosmetic changes.

Eligible material can include original threads, videos, memes, graphics, illustrations, reporting, commentary, analysis and creative responses that add meaningful value to discussions.

Simply reposting another person’s material will not qualify.

Neither will basic modifications such as cropping, adding filters, borders, watermarks or simple text overlays make copied content eligible for rewards.

X will also exclude copied or automated material, misinformation and content published without the necessary rights or permissions.

A tougher test for creators

The shift marks a significant change in what X appears to value financially.

Under the old system, creators could focus heavily on generating impressions and engagement. The new programme puts a much stronger emphasis on whether the material itself is original and valuable.

That could benefit journalists, commentators, analysts, artists and creators who build audiences around their own reporting, ideas and creative output.

It could also make life more difficult for accounts built largely around reposting viral material.

X has warned that creators who violate the programme’s rules could lose access to the rewards system temporarily—or have their participation terminated permanently.

For creators hoping to make money from X, the message from the platform is increasingly straightforward: getting views matters, but what you create to earn those views matters even more.