A new creator “Subscriptions” program, the latest change to Twitter’s business model, is live. U.S.-based content creators can apply to participate in the program, through which followers pay a flat monthly fee in exchange for access to exclusive content and/or direct creator-subscriber interactions, like subscriber-only Spaces.

Creators in the program can choose from one of three subscription fees: $2.99/month, $4.99/month, or $9.99/month, and will start getting payouts via Stripe once they earn over $50 in revenue.

According to Twitter’s website, creators in the program will keep up to 97% of their first $50,000 in revenue, and up to 80% thereafter. However, Musk said in a tweet that for the next 12 months, Twitter will keep none of the revenue creators earn, and that creators will keep all of the money Twitter receives after payment processing fees. On its website, Twitter gives a sample revenue breakdown:

Creators are eligible to apply for the Subscriptions program if they’re at least 18 years old, have at least 10,000 followers, and have tweeted at least 25 times in the last thirty days. If their application is approved, a subscriber badge will appear next to their username. They’ll get access to a feedback community exclusive to creators and a subscriber-only tab that shows activity only from paid subscribers.

While creators will be expected to deliver some content exclusively to subscribers, exactly what, and how much, is up to them.

Musk has said that Twitter “will also help promote your work,” adding that “our goal is to maximize creator prosperity.” He further stated that “at any point, you can leave our platform and take your work with you. Easy in, easy out.”

Shibetoshi Nakomoto, one of the creators of DogeCoin, is among the first creators to sign up for Subscriptions. Elon Musk himself is now a paying subscriber of Nakomoto’s; as of the time of this writing he had 200 in all. Nakomoto said “sweet, now that I am making money from Twitter, I can pretend my hopeless deranged addiction is actually a job.” 

While the official eligibility requirements specify a 10,000 follower minimum for Subscription creators, some users with lower follower counts have claimed they’ve been invited to apply for the program.

-Nick Russo