Elon Musk is testing a new feature on X (previously Twitter) that allows creators to retain and directly communicate with their subscribers, promoting platform flexibility and addressing concerns of content creators feeling "trapped."
Elon Musk appears to be actively working to fulfill his promise of giving creators the freedom to retain their audience even if they choose to leave X, formerly known as Twitter.
What Happened: Almost two months after Musk first announced that X would provide subscribers’ email addresses (who opt-in) to content creators, reports surfaced that the feature is in actual testing.
Apart from its highlighted purpose of eliminating concerns about being trapped on one platform, the feature also aims to facilitate direct communication between creators and their subscribers.
See Also: Elon Musk Flexes’ Truth In Advertising’ On X Versus Instagram’s Unchecked Sponsored Posts
The tech billionaire has also publicly endorsed this move, highlighting the importance of creators having the flexibility to take their subscribers with them when they leave the platform.
Why It’s Important: While Musk appears to be making X a creator-friendly place, many users continue complaining about their Subscription application still “pending.”
According to an account on the platform, the reason behind this hold is that creator subscriptions need to be approved by Apple Inc. AAPL and Alphabet Inc. GOOGL GOOGL app stores. In contrast, ad revenue payouts are much easier because they only go through Stripe.
While the reasoning made sense to some users, others questioned that X could fast-track web-only Subscribe buttons.
Oh, makes sense now. Tons of creators are waiting on Subscriptions, but I never realized Apple and Google have to sign off because of in-app purchases.
— Josh Long (the JoshMeister) (@theJoshMeister) September 1, 2023
But X could (& should) fast-track Web-only Subscribe buttons; those could be available immediately (and no 30% cut for Apple).
For the unversed, Musk rebranded the "Super Follows" feature on Twitter as the "Subscriptions" model. The rebranded version essentially allows content creators and influencers to use the platform and monetize their presence by offering unique content to their subscribers.
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