Discord's newest feature allows creators and community leaders to start charging subscription fees inside of their servers. Across the US, this new feature will let server owners charge members for specific perks and premium access through different tiers ranging from $2.99 to $199.99.
The big boast is that server owners will take 90 percent of earned revenue from subscriptions, albeit 30 days after the end of a calendar month, according to the policy. To get paid, owners also have to earn at least $100 for their initial payout, and $25 for all subsequent ones.
Even with that in mind, creators taking most of their revenue is a more than enticing offer. As Twitch is about to change its revenue split from 70/30 to 50/50 for larger streamers beginning in June 2023, Discord appears to be positioning itself as a good way to earn some extra income.
As far as monetizable content is concerned, Discord expressly outlined that drugs and dangerous weapons aren't allowed, nor is sexual content—either on Discord or linked to another site. Similarly, endorsing political candidates or promoting unsafe drug or health practices is against the rules.
For a community server to be eligible for subscriptions, its server owner must be 18 or older and have their account in good standing, and comply with Discord's terms and conditions. Additionally, they'll need two-factor authentication and a verified email and phone number.
Beyond that, there are no requirements in regards to community size or active members.
Server subscriptions are another part of Discord's recent feature growth, such as forum channels in September. In October, it announced a return of in-app activities and an expansion to its Nitro subscription service.
While being a chat platform is still its primary function, it looks like Discord has larger ambitions beyond that.
For interested parties, Discord has released a Creator Portal showing how to best take advantage of the new server subscription program.