Elon Musk has made a significant announcement on his platform X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday. He stated that all “𝕏 accounts” with over 2,500 verified subscriber followers will receive Premium features for free.
Additionally, accounts with more than 5,000 followers will enjoy Premium+ features at no cost. This marks a notable shift in how the platform monetizes and encourages user engagement.
Who Qualifies for Free X Premium Access?
It’s important to clarify that having over 2,500 followers doesn’t automatically grant free X Premium access. Instead, a minimum of 2,500 accounts in your follower list should have purchased Basic, Premium, or Premium+ subscriptions.
Similarly, for a complimentary Premium+ account, over 5,000 followers on your list must be subscribed to these plans.
Some users expressed mixed reactions to the announcement, while others sought clarification. Questions arose regarding whether Musk referred to verified followers or subscribers, a paid feature of X offering exclusive content access from creators.
Open-source intelligence analyst Oliver Alexander noted that only four accounts on the platform have over 5,000 followers, with eight having over 2,500. This means only a handful, including Elon Musk, stand to save on subscription fees.
What’s Included in Premium Access?
Premium and Premium+ subscriptions offer various benefits on X. These include GrokAI access, a blue checkmark, editing posts, longer posts and longer video uploads, and more. Premium reduces ads, while Premium+ provides an ad-free experience.
Previously exclusive to Premium+, GrokAI is now accessible to Premium subscribers as well. Currently, a Premium subscription costs Rs. 650 a month, while Premium+ is priced at Rs. 1,300.
Reasons Behind the Free Subscriptions
Since acquiring X in October 2022, Elon Musk has aimed to increase revenue by encouraging users to subscribe. He discontinued the legacy verified program, replacing it with a paid subscription for the blue tick feature.
Last year, two new subscription tiers were introduced, with the basic plan starting at Rs. 244/month. Despite these efforts, declining advertising revenue and user numbers may have prompted Musk to offer free subscriptions.
While X hasn’t officially stated the reasons for the change, it’s apparent that Musk’s decision aims to revitalize the platform’s subscription model and user engagement.