• by Colin Kirkland , December 2, 2022

Discord has begun expanding its server subscription program, which will allow more creators to charge viewers subscription fees for premium content, unique roles and perks.

“It’s totally up to creators and community leaders on how they utilize it,” writes Discord creator product lead Derek Yang. “From pricing to offerings, server owners can set up their Server Subscriptions how they like while taking home 90% of the money they earn after applicable deductions.”

This isn't a bad deal when compared to Amazon-owned streaming platform Twitch, which has a 50/50 revenue share.

Community servers in the U.S. are able to enable subscriptions if they are at least 18 years old, have an account that is “in good standing,” have a verified email address and phone number, and have two-factor authentication enabled.

Discord says that there is no minimum community size or active user threshold for monetization eligibility.

However, according to its monetization terms, Discord pays users 30 days after the end of the calendar month. Users must also have at least $100 to receive their first payout and have at least $25 earned for each following monthly payout.

Creators on Discord can also initiate one or multiple tiers of subscriptions and set their own prices.

The subscription policy makes it clear which types of content will not be tolerated on the platform, including content related to illegal drugs, dangerous weapons, sexually explicit content, and anything promoting gambling.

In addition, Discord has launched a Creator Portal to assist creators on the platform.

According to Yang, it is an “expansive resource tailor-made for creators or communities on Discord that want to establish a paid subscription tier in their servers.”

As brands experiment outside of traditional social-media channels, building an intimate community and attracting a younger audience are persuasive alternatives available in emerging messaging and streaming platforms like Discord.

As more analysis and creator tools are added, brands may find platforms like Discord useful for long-term brand building.