X has announced that only premium subscribers will be allowed to livestream on the platform. The official (at)Live profile confirmed the news on X. The date for implementation of this change is not yet confirmed, but the post states that live streaming will not be available for free users on X. Live streaming, through an encoder platform integrated with X, will also not be allowed for non-premium subscribers.
“Starting soon, only Premium subscribers will be able to livestream (create live video streams) on X. This includes going live from an encoder with X integration. Upgrade to Premium to continue going live.” says the tweet from @Live.
Twitter Blue subscription for web costs Rs 650 per month whereas it costs Rs 900 on iPhones and Android smartphones per month. With purchase of X Premium, users also get access to blue checkmark, creator subscriptions, larger posts and have to see less ads in the timeline.
Elon Musk’s X has been trying to come up with ways to increase their revenue and this is one more step in that direction. Elon Musk had also suggested earlier that a small fee should be charged to let new accounts post on X in order to avoid spam and bots. This move arrives days after Likes were made private on the platform.
X started making likes on posts private in a bid to drive user engagement on the platform. Limited to premium subscribers before, the feature is now being rolled out widely and it will arrive to everyone with an account on the platform. Touted by the platform as a measure to boost users' privacy, private likes will hide the identity of the users that have liked a post. Users can follow accounts of others and read posts without paying.
Live streaming is free on rivalling social media platforms, including Instagram and YouTube.