X cuts aggregator payouts, boosts original creator rewards
X is modifying its creator revenue share program to reward original content creators more effectively and reduce payouts to aggregator accounts. Head of Product Nikita Bier stated that changes are being implemented to identify original authors and allocate a larger portion of revenue to them, with aggregator payouts already reduced by 40% in the current cycle and an additional 20% reduction planned. This initiative aims to incentivize original content creation over reposts and clickbait, similar to efforts by Instagram and Meta to prioritize original content.
Key Takeaways
- Nikita Bier said X is experimenting with tools to identify original authors of content for the current payout cycle.
- Aggregator accounts had their payouts reduced to 60% this cycle, with another 20% reduction planned next cycle.
- X says creator payouts are based on cumulative impressions from verified users, including engagement from X Premium subscribers.
- Bier said reposts and commentary remain a core part of X engagement, but the revenue share program should fund original creators instead of aggregators.
- X’s move follows similar efforts by Instagram in 2024 to reduce repost visibility, and Meta said in March that time spent watching original Reels approximately doubled in the second half of 2025 versus the same period in 2024.
Why It Matters
X is changing the economics of its creator program, not just its ranking system. By paying less to aggregator accounts and more to original authors, the company is trying to reduce repost-driven earnings that can outpace thoughtful posts under its current impression-based model. The broader pattern matches moves by Instagram and Meta to favor original content, but X’s version is more directly tied to payouts than feed distribution. What to watch next: the size of the additional aggregator payout cut in the next cycle and whether X discloses a concrete method for identifying original authors.
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