X (formerly Twitter) has increased its Premium subscription price by nearly 40%, raising the monthly cost from $16 to $22 in the United States. The annual subscription has also jumped from $168 to $229, effective December 21.

Similar price increases have been implemented across European countries, with rates rising from €16 to €21 in France, Germany, and Spain. Existing subscribers will maintain their current pricing until January 20, while new subscribers will pay the increased rates immediately.

The price hike aims to:

• Support increased creator payouts
• Provide an ad-free experience
• Fund priority support services
• Enable higher usage limits on Grok AI models
• Address ongoing copyright issues

The basic subscription tier remains unaffected by these changes. This marks the largest price increase since Elon Musk's $44 billion acquisition of the platform in 2022.

The timing coincides with X's legal challenges, including a significant copyright infringement lawsuit filed by 17 music publishers seeking $250 million in damages for approximately 1,700 unauthorized song uses. The National Music Publishers' Association reports alerting X to nearly 300,000 infringing tweets since December 2021, with limited response from the platform.

Previously initiated licensing negotiations with major music labels Universal, Sony, and Warner have stalled since Musk's acquisition of the platform.

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