Twitter’s membership service is becoming more expensive. Twitter Blue will now cost $8 a month in the United States, with prices in other countries adjusted for the purchasing power of users in those regions, according to Twitter owner and CEO Elon Musk. The $3 increase from Blue’s existing $5 monthly subscription represents a 60% price hike.
At the same time, Twitter intends to enhance the service. As a member, you’ll see fewer advertisements and be able to post lengthier videos and music – something Twitter had been testing previous to Musk’s takeover. It would also give you precedence in responses, mentions, and Twitter’s search tool, all of which Musk argues is critical to decreasing spam on the network. “Twitter’s present lords and peasants structure for who has or does not have a blue checkmark is absurd,” Musk stated, revealing that verification will be related to Twitter Blue subscriptions. Finally, Twitter Blue will have the option to bypass paywalls, albeit this will be added later and will be contingent on Twitter forming the required publisher relationships.
The statement on Tuesday comes after days of speculation about how Twitter would evolve under Musk’s control. According to two different reports on Sunday, Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, is considering raising the price of Twitter Blue to as much as $20 per month and making the membership a prerequisite for verification. Musk appeared to reconsider pricing after a tweet slamming the proposal from novelist Stephen King went viral. “We have to pay the bills in some way,” Musk explained. “Twitter cannot rely only on advertising revenue. What about $8?”
Musk suggested that the modifications to Twitter Blue will also provide a method for the firm to help content producers. On Monday, the proprietor of Nibellion, one of Twitter’s most prolific and popular gaming news accounts, announced his departure, blaming Musk’s control of the company and difficulties monetizing his work.
