Discord Is Offering Creators Ways to Make Money Through Subscriptions

Popular gaming chat app Discord announced Thursday it will help creators earn money on the platform through tiered subscription plans.

US-based creators or Discord server operators, who sometimes have hundreds of thousands of members, can now charge users $3 to $200 a month, keeping 90% of money they earn, for premium features and benefits, the company said in a blog post.

“Whether it’s a Discord server dedicated to the work of a certain content creator or a community that gathers around a particular topic, these server owners take their time to facilitate conversation, connection, and creativity in their environments,” said Derek Yang, Discord’s group product manager. “Now, it’s time to support them back.”

Discord Inc.’s 150 million monthly active users flock to millions of servers for topics and interests from Ariana Grande to Fortnite. Once considered a niche gaming voice-chat app, Discord has grown to become a hub for all sorts of conversations via text, audio and video. The company generates revenue through its Nitro premium subscription offering, which gives users perks like custom emojis and HD video streaming. The new Server Subscription will provide another avenue to monetize its large and active user base.

Popular TikTok creator Denarie Taylor, known as Bella Poarch, debuted her Server Subscriptions page on Thursday. Discord used Poarch as an example of subscription offerings, saying she has three tiers of pricing ranging from $2.99, which includes an exclusive monthly video and access to other features, to $9.99 a month, which grants access to behind-the-scenes content and more.

In 2021, Bloomberg reported that Microsoft Corp. was considering acquiring Discord for more than $10 billion, though the talks fizzled shortly thereafter. Analysts have questioned Discord’s potential to become profitable. The San Francisco-based company generated $130 million in revenue in 2020, according to the New York Times.