New York: Elon Musk’s X, formerly known as Twitter, continues to evolve with new features, but some, like post editing and long-form content sharing, are now exclusive to paying subscribers. The company announced on Friday that live streaming will soon join this list of Premium-only features, a move that sets X apart as the first social media platform to charge for live streaming privileges.
While the exact implementation date was not specified, X’s decision means users will need a Premium subscription to host live streams, including those broadcasted from an integrated encoder. This contrasts with other platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and Twitch, where live streaming remains free for all users.
In a recent update from X’s ‘Live’ account, the platform stated, “Starting soon, only Premium subscribers will be able to live stream. This includes going live from an encoder with X integration.” While some basic features will remain accessible to all users, there are indications that more functionalities could shift to the subscription model in the future.
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Earlier this year, Elon Musk confirmed plans to introduce a $1 annual fee for new X users to access fundamental features such as bookmarking, replying, and liking posts. Non-paying users can still follow accounts, read posts, and share content after a three-month grace period.
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To summarize, X’s subscription tiers include Basic, Premium, and Premium+ options priced at $3/month or $32/year, $8/month or $84/year, and $16/month or $168/year.
