Discord introduces subscription service for content creators to massively monetise their servers
Ever since it first graced the internet in 2015, Discord has garnered a reputation for being the slightly more chaotic and confusing cousin of Reddit. While it’s championed by many gen Zers for its easy to use voice and text chats, some find the platform to resemble murky waters—if you wade too deep, you might get bitten. Either way, you can’t deny the popularity and community aspect of the site. And it’s only the beginning it seems, as Discord is introducing a brand new subscription feature aiming to put Twitch to shame by offering creators the deal of a lifetime.
According to The Verge, Discord is expanding its server subscription programme, allowing more creators to start charging subscription fees for premium access and perks. Better yet, it is offering a 90/10 revenue split, meaning that those behind popular servers will be able to take home a whopping majority of any money earnt.
In comparison, video streaming service Twitch offers a highly-disputed 50/50 deal—prompting netizens to criticise the platform for moving away from the ‘creator first’ approach it had once been championed for.
In terms of requirements, Discord has laid out a clear path to start raking it in on the platform. According to its recently published guidelines, in order to begin monetisation and enable subscriptions, community servers in the US simply have to meet the minimum criteria: they must be 18 years or older, their account must be in good standing, they must have both their email and phone number verified, and finally, they must have two-factor authentication enabled.
The platform has also launched a brand new ‘Creator Portal’, designed to help new money-seekers navigate subscription policies and also choose which paid subscription tier best suits their server.
Of course, within the subscription policy there are a number of types of content that will be barred from monetisation. Any material which is sexually explicit or alludes to drug use or dangerous weapons will not be eligible—seems fair enough.
Nevertheless, this move marks significant progress for those wanting to make the most out of their online content. We know that there is an extensive range of different content and subcultures floating about on the platform—anyone remember uwu girls?—and so these new features should incentivise users to join in and become a part of an ever-expanding online community.
