Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Discord is expanding its server subscription program, allowing more creators to start charging subscription fees for premium access and perks.
“Starting today, we’re expanding the availability of Server Subscriptions, allowing creators on Discord to earn money directly within their server,” wrote Discord creator product lead Derek Lang.
Community servers in the US have the capability to enable subscriptions provided they meet the minimum criteria.
You must be 18 years or older.
Your account must be in good standing.
You must have both your email and phone number verified.
You must have two-factor authentication enabled.
There also appear to be additional criteria similar to the stipulations required to become a Discord partner, including a minimum community size of 500 members and at least 50 active unique users in the server per week. The Verge has reached out to Discord asking for clarification on the subscription eligibility requirements.
Creators will be able to initiate one or multiple tiers of subscriptions and set their own prices. In contrast to Twitch’s much-maligned 50 / 50 revenue share, Discord is offering a much more attractive 90 / 10 revenue split, but it’ll take some time to get your money. According to Discord’s monetization terms, users will be paid out 30 days after the end of the calendar month, meaning creators won’t see the money they’ve earned for January until March 1st. They also must accumulate at least $100 dollars to get their first payout and have at least $25 dollars earned for each subsequent monthly payout.
Discord
A glimpse of the new subscription program offer.
Within the subscription policy, there’s a lengthy list of the kinds of material not eligible for monetization. The list includes the bog-standard illegal drugs and dangerous weapons, as well as sexually explicit content hosted on Discord or linked from elsewhere (sorry OnlyFans creators) or anything promoting gambling. Check out the full list here.
To help creators get started making money with their servers, Discord has set up a creator portal that breaks down this new monetization scheme and gives tips on how folks can take advantage of the new program.