In a recent announcement, X revealed that it would soon require a premium subscription for users to access live-streaming features. This shift will make X the first central social media platform to charge for live streaming, a free feature on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitch, and TikTok.
“Starting soon, only Premium subscribers will be able to live stream (create live video streams) on X,” the company stated. This also includes live streaming via an encoder with X integration, referring to its game-streaming capabilities.
A new direction for X
With this new direction, X is making a significant change to its user experience. While the company has not provided a specific reason for this shift, it has previously used additional features like post editing, longform writing, and ad-free feeds to entice users to its paid subscriptions. The decision to move live streaming behind a paywall is a departure from the norm, as these features were not typically restricted in the past. X Premium subscriptions start at US$3 per month for the basic tier, with prices rising to US$8 per month for Premium and US$16 per month for Premium+.
The future of simple features
This move is not an isolated event. It’s part of a broader trend on the Elon Musk-owned platform to charge for previously free features. For instance, X recently introduced a US$1 annual fee for new accounts to have posting privileges in New Zealand and the Philippines. While X describes this as a test, Musk has hinted at plans to extend these charges to all new users, indicating a potential shift in the platform’s business model.
In conclusion, moving live streaming behind a premium paywall indicates X’s strategy to monetize more aspects of its platform. Users wishing to continue live streaming on X must subscribe to one of the premium tiers, starting at US$3 per month.
