X Reduces Aggregator Payouts to Support Original Creators
X reduces aggregator payouts in a major shift of its creator compensation model. The platform said it will reallocate revenue to reward original creators. Nikita Bier, X’s head of content, announced the change in a post on Friday.
Payout changes and reasoning
The company will set aside part of this cycle’s revenue exclusively for original content. Aggregation accounts that repost material en masse will see lower payouts. Bier said the change aims to improve timeline quality and encourage new work.
X’s revenue-sharing system historically paid accounts based on engagement levels. Bier noted aggregation accounts were crowding out emerging authors. The most recent cycle cut those accounts’ payouts by 40 percent.
An additional 20 percent reduction is planned for the next payout cycle. Bier argued the measures target manipulation of the program, not users’ speech or reach.
How aggregation is defined and enforced
Aggregation accounts typically copy and paste others’ posts without attribution. Under the revised rules, reposts and third-party sourced posts will face deductions. Bier advised creators to post original videos with their own voiceover.
The platform said it wants net new content on the app. The policy will treat reposts differently from content created on the account.
Creator reactions
Responses among creators have been mixed and at times sharp. Some argued that reposting drives discovery and is central to the app’s ecosystem.
Creator Dominick McGee, known as Dom Lucre, criticized the cuts. He said resharing built his career and called some of his content effectively stolen.
McGee warned that steep reductions could block original creators from “blowing up.” The New York Times called him a “master of outrage” and noted he ranked among the platform’s most influential users.
He also told the paper his X earnings were inconsistent. He said the platform lacks tools to show revenue on a per-post basis, unlike rival services.
Questions about edge cases
Individuals asked how occasional reposts will be classified under the new policy. One user wondered whether mixing original work with reposts would make them an aggregator.
People also tested X’s AI chatbot, Grok, asking if it would be labeled an aggregator. Grok replied it was low-risk and said it favors local content and substantive replies over mass reposting.
Pop culture account Daily Loud reacted skeptically. It suggested X might retain reduced payouts while creators stayed for their audiences.
Policy context and Bier’s role
Bier joined X last summer to lead product work. He announced the job in June and thanked Elon Musk for the opportunity.
In November, he helped launch a location-transparency feature. That tool showed the country or region tied to accounts to help verify content authenticity and curb troll farms.
The feature was later disabled temporarily. Bier blamed inaccuracies linked to shifting IP address ranges affecting some older accounts.
What creators should know now
- Expect lower payouts for accounts that primarily repost material.
- Original creators may receive a larger share of revenue this cycle.
- Creators should track their own content and consider producing more native, original posts.
Filmogaz.com will continue monitoring implementation details and creator responses. The platform’s changes will shape how content spreads and earns on X.