Twitter shares ad revenue with content creators

Twitter has announced that it will begin sharing ad revenue generated from videos published on the platform with individual content creators. The social media giant claims that the move will enable brands and publishers to “generate revenue at scale,” though it stopped short of detailing how much revenue it will share.

Twitter’s decision to expand ad revenue opportunities for users is based on its Amplify ad programme, which launched to a range of big-name publishers late last year. It enabled corporate partners, including CBS and the National Football League, to earn money from the videos they posted.

Reports suggest that the policy could be more lucrative than YouTube’s, which offers 55 per cent to creators. It is part of Twitter’s desire to become a central video destination for Internet users, something that it has failed to do as effectively as YouTube and Facebook in recent years. Twitter also recently upped the maximum length for video uploads from 30 seconds to 140 seconds.

Twitter has stated that sharing will only be available for those in the United States initially and that approved creators will soon get the chance to opt in by checking a box that gives permission to play commercials when uploading any video content. This means that publishers can decide whether they want ads included for each individual upload, though it can be turned for all content too.

“Today, we’re excited to announce the expansion of our creator revenue programs, which will provide creators of all sizes with the ability to monetize content in multiple ways and generate revenue at scale,” Twitter’s Guy Snir said in an official blog post.

While Twitter has not released any official details about the amount of revenue that it will share, tech news site ReCode has claimed that the platform will give up to 70 per cent of revenues, which puts it ahead of rivals such as YouTube. There won’t be an any exclusivity deals either, so publishers will be free to share their videos on Facebook, Instagram and other channels.

Twitter has also confirmed that a new Media Studio will arrive soon to make it easier for marketers to publish videos and visual content and manage their content marketing campaigns.