Still saying Twitter? We won’t judge, but it might be time for a refresher on the social platform now known as X.
From completely changing up the legacy blue checkmark to increasing the length of tweets 35x, the social platform we’ve known for nearly 2 decades has endured a 180-degree transformation over the past 2 years that has left some artists (understandably) confused about how to use it.
While it might feel daunting after all the change, those who learn how to use the new Twitter to their advantage have access to its over 666 million* daily active users. That’s more than 34,000x the number of people you’d play to at Madison Square Garden!
To get you feeling confident and inspired to share your music with the Xverse today, let’s walk through the major changes (and opportunities) together.
Here are the biggest updates, demystified:
X Premium
Maybe most notably in terms of updates, X Premium (formerly Twitter Blue) is a paid subscription add-on service that allows users to access exclusive tools and services, and become verified users. If you’re looking for that iconic blue checkmark, you’ll need Premium+ (Starts at $16/month or $168/year on web, or your local pricing), which also includes premium tools like Media Studio (for editing media) and Pro X (for adding admins and contributors). A less premium tier called Basic (Starts at $3/month or $32/year on web, or your local pricing) is also available and includes perks like post editing, longer posts, longer videos, reply prioritization, text formatting, bookmark folders, custom app icons, and more.
Subscriptions
Did you know you could now monetize your content on X? This feature rolled out over a year ago, but has seen a complete overhaul for 2024. There are now 2 types of content that can be monetized on X: videos and posts. In order to monetize video content on-platform, creators will have to become members of X’s Amplify Publisher Program in certain countries and meets X’s guidelines. Members will have the option to enable pre-roll ads and/or deeper brand partnerships. To monetize posts on X, meet Subscriptions. Subscriptions allow fans in certain locations to pay for access to exclusive posts, subscriber-only Spaces, subscriber-only engagement options, and more. Creators earn up to 97% of the revenue from Subscriptions & can select from multiple price point options.
X Spaces
You might recall X Spaces, the live, public, voice-only chat rooms that X introduced last year. These have since seen some updates. For one, Spaces are no longer centrally located in the X app, and can now most easily be located via direct link shared with fans before beginning the broadcast. Please note that anyone can join, but there can only be 10 speakers and 3 co-hosts who moderate the session.
Communities
Seemingly replacing Spaces within the X app is Communities, X’s response to Facebook Groups. As you might imagine, here, groups of X users who share a common interest discuss and delve deeper than the average fan into their chosen topic. Some groups are more public-facing and can be joined instantly while others are more exclusive and require a moderator’s approval to join or engage. This is the best place to build a personal connection with superfans on X in 2024.
X for Professionals
Not into paying for a blue checkmark, but still want to appear professional and on-brand on X? It’s worth checking out the free and updated X for Professionals, which isn’t new this year, but has been updated with some more creator- and artist-friendly features. Described as an account identity option for businesses and notable public figures to distinguish themselves from the regular X user, this allows businesses and creators to access enhanced profile features and professional branding for their profile. The most noteworthy features for artists are the ability to integrate a shop or link directly to your profile.
Activity Dashboard
One feature that’s still under construction as we begin 2024 is Activity Dashboard, your center for all things analytics. Here, you can track how your posts are performing, understand your audience better, and even export full account reports. However, at the time of this writing, not all features are available and it appears the branding is being updated. Watch this space for a likely overhaul in 2024.
We get it — these are some major changes, and they’ve come seemingly all at once. But all this newness actually opens up some exciting possibilities for content creators. Those that are open to trying the new content, monetization, and verification options might find themselves not only engaging with their audience more deeply, but also opening entirely new income streams powered by superfans. So while all this change sure wasn’t on our BINGO card, we encourage you to embrace the disruption & get posting!
See the full spread of X Best Practices here.
