Twitter Blue perks now include higher ranking replies and 60-minute video uploads
For $8 per month you can upload videos up to 60 minutes and get "prioritized" conversation rankings.
Twitter Blue has enabled new perks for subscribers including "prioritized rankings in conversations" and video uploads up to 60 minutes in length, according to an updated feature list spotted by TechCrunch. Both features were promised by Elon Musk last month when he said Blue subscribers who pay $8 per month would get "priority in replies, mentions & search" and the ability to post long videos.
Reply priority is now in effect, with the support page stating that "this feature prioritizes your replies on Tweets that you interact with." That seems to be the case on several tweets I looked at, with Twitter Blue subscribers (many with few followers) appearing as the top replies. It's not clear if users paying $8 per month will always appear at the top in replies, or whether or factors are also used.
soon, subscribers with the blue checkmark will get priority ranking in search, mentions, and replies to help lower the visibility of scams, spam and bots
— Twitter Blue (@TwitterBlue) December 12, 2022
Twitter support said earlier that priority rankings will "help lower the visibility of scams, spam and bots." However, some users have expressed concern that the new system will lower the experience for non-paying users, or that paid priority might help spammers, trolls and others amplify their messages.
The new video rules will boost length from 10 minutes and 512MB to 60 minutes and 2GB at up to 1080p resolution, though only on the web — the 10-minute rule still applies to Android and iOS users. Twitter also notes that it may "modify or adapt your original video for distribution, syndication, publication or broadcast by us and our partners" or change the bitrate/resolution depending on a viewer's internet speeds.
Musk said that Twitter will eventually pay creators for uploaded videos, noting that it might even exceed the 55 percent cut that YouTube offers. However, it hasn't said whether that will be done with ads or other means. It's also not clear how it may address piracy issues, given that much of its moderation team has been let go or quit.