X Launches 'Original Content Rewards' on Sept 8, Tying Creator Pay to Premium Subscriber Views

X is replacing its existing creator revenue-sharing program with a new initiative called Original Content Rewards, launching on September 8th. The move marks the latest overhaul of how the Elon Musk-owned platform compensates the people who produce content on it, a system that has gone through multiple revisions since Musk took over in late 2022. The old revenue-sharing model drew consistent criticism for its opaque payout structure and unpredictable earnings, leaving many creators frustrated with what they actually received versus what was implied.

To qualify for the new program, creators must have at least 500 verified followers and rack up a minimum of 500,000 Home Timeline impressions from verified users within the previous 90 days. Both thresholds must be met alongside other undisclosed requirements before a creator becomes eligible to earn anything. The bar is not trivial — half a million impressions from verified accounts represents a significant amount of reach that many mid-tier creators may struggle to consistently hit.

Once eligible, creators earn based on what X is calling 'qualified impressions' — defined as unique impressions from Premium subscribers specifically on the Home Timeline feed, with the condition that at least 50% of the post is visible on screen. This definition is notably narrow. It filters out impressions from non-paying users entirely, meaning free-tier audiences contribute nothing to a creator's earnings regardless of how large that audience might be.

The shift effectively ties creator compensation to X's Premium subscription base, which gives Musk's platform a financial incentive to grow paid memberships while simultaneously incentivizing creators to produce content that attracts Premium users. How much creators will actually earn per qualified impression has not been clearly outlined in public-facing materials, which has already raised questions among the creator community about whether the new program will be more or less lucrative than what it replaces.

X has not provided a detailed breakdown of the payout formula or whether there are earning caps or bonuses at higher impression thresholds. Creators who currently rely on the existing revenue-sharing arrangement will need to assess whether they meet the new eligibility criteria before September 8th and prepare for what could be a meaningful change to their income from the platform.