Twitter will let any US video creator make money now
Twitter is widening the pool of users who can stick ads in front of clips they tweet, and it will let them share in the revenue.
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Twitter is widening who can run advertising with video they tweet.
Twitter may not have much in the way of spoils, but it's going to start sharing them with more people who tweet video on its social network.
Twitter said Tuesday it is widening its Amplify ad program to let approved creators in the US make money off their videos. The company said the process is as simple as "checking a box" prior to tweeting. Ads will run in front of clips and Twitter will share a portion of the ad revenue with the creator.
Video has been an obsession for internet and telecommunications companies this year, including Twitter's bigger rival, Facebook. For all companies, video offers alluring ad rates compared with the rest of digital options, and it scores better engagement from users. For Twitter, emphasizing live video is a tactic in its fight for mainstream appeal.
This year, Twitter paid $10 million for the rights to broadcast Thursday night NFL football games in the coming season. It has been nailing down digital streaming rights from big names like the NBA, Bloomberg and CBS. (Editors' note: CNET is owned by CBS.) In June, the company said tweets with video have climbed by more than half since the start of the year, at roughly the same time the number of people who use Twitter once a month grew only about 3 percent.
Twitter didn't specify the requirements for a user to get access to the new Amplify Publisher Program, but it said it would be accessible to "creators of all sizes." The program doesn't have any exclusivity clauses, so people can choose to monetize the same video on sites like YouTube if they like.
The company also announced new tools for posting video. With desktop Media Studio software or on mobile through the Twitter Engage app, creators can now upload, manage and publish media more easily. Twitter upgraded the programs with a new unified media library, tweet scheduling and planning capabilities, team management and multi-account support.
With the ad program change, Twitter is stepping up to the plate against YouTube. Google's massive video site has been the primary breeding ground for digital-native stars, primarily because it has been offering uploaders the chance to make money off their work for years longer than other sites of its scale. Last month, Facebook said it will begin sharing ad revenue with video publishers on its social network, but only professional media brands like the NBA, Funny or Die or Tastemade qualify initially.