Twitter Discontinues Newsletter Service Revue

Twitter is discontinuing its Revue newsletter product next year. This news comes days after owner Elon Musk said he was open to buying rival online publishing platform Substack. This also comes after previous CEO and founder Jack had just posted using Revue 17 hours earlier.

Twitter acquired Revue in 2021, the social media platform hoped that the integration of Revue would encourage users to create newsletters as a way to generate revenue from their followers. However, Twitter has largely neglected Revue. Since it was acquired by Twitter, the software hasn’t had any major updates or evolved in any meaningful ways. Meanwhile, the newsletter industry developed rapidly during the pandemic, and Revue has fallen behind–especially when compared to fast-growing newsletter companies like beehiiv.

Twitter's Revue: What was it?

Revue is a long-form content newsletter service that Twitter acquired and integrated into its platform. It allowed writers to easily create and send newsletters, monetize their followers, and track analytics..

Twitter told users that Revue's premium features would be free and that it would lower the paid newsletter fee to help content creators monetize their audience. However, the platform hasn’t been updated in the last few years.

Users weren’t given much notice

Current Revue newsletter users received a rather abrupt email Wednesday morning on the 14th of December informing them that Twitter will discontinue the service on Jan. 18, 2023. Paid subscriptions will be set for their final cycle as of December 20, which doesn’t give content creators–many of whom depend on income from their newsletters–much time to switch to a new platform.

Here's the text of that email:

Important: We’ve made the difficult decision to shut down Revue.

We’ll cut to the chase: from January 18, 2023, it will no longer be possible to access your Revue account. On that date, Revue will shut down and all data will be deleted. This has been a hard decision because we know Revue has a passionate user base, made up of people like you.

In the meantime, you will be able to download your subscriber list, past newsletter issues, and analytics by following the instructions here.

If you run a paid newsletter, on December 20, 2022, we will set all paid subscriptions to cancel at the end of their billing cycle. This is to prevent your subscribers from being charged for Revue content after the point where it is no longer possible to send newsletters from Revue.

We want to remind you that it is your responsibility to adhere to any applicable laws, rules, and regulations in connection with your subscriber list and other data we share with you, and Twitter, Inc. has not obtained permission for you to use subscriber information for any purpose.

We’re grateful to everyone who has used our service over the years and hope we can continue to help you build a community with your readers on Twitter.

Users are frustrated

Users are not pleased with the newsletter platform being shut down so abruptly. Here are some of the responses that were spotted on Twitter the day of the announcement:

Scott Hanselman (@shanselman) noted that the API was down and users weren’t able to start downloading their data.

Aidan Moher (Not Parody) (@adribbleofink) pointed out that being integrated with a social media giant should have given Revue a built-in advantage…

Users like Jojje Olsson (@jojjeols), who have put in countless hours building their livelihood on the platform, are extremely agitated. They will lose a valuable income stream in the next month if they don’t take swift action.

Not all users were taken by surprise though. Some, like Manaia Rising (@manaiarising), saw the writing on the wall when Musk started slashing staff and services at Twitter and have already changed platforms.

Why is Twitter discontinuing the platform?

Twitter management has not publicly given a reason for its decision to end Revue, so those outside its boardroom can only guess. Some have speculated that the end of Revue could be attributed to Twitter's rumored purchase of Substack, but it could also be due to a simple lack of usage.

It’s also possible that Twitter itself is planning to evolve into a more long-form platform. Musk recently replied to a tweet in a way that indicated that he would be extending the length of tweets from 280 characters to 4,000 characters.

Whatever the reasoning behind this decision, it's clear that Twitter is no longer interested in providing long-form content services. This has left writers and newsletter publishers scrambling for other platforms to host and monetize their content.

What do you need to do if you were a Revue newsletter publisher?

If you are currently an existing Revue newsletter user, it’s essential to take action before January 18, 2023. Before then, you need to download your subscriber list, past newsletter issues, and analytics following the instructions provided in the email sent by Twitter.

You also need to inform your subscribers that their paid subscriptions will end after the December 20, 2022 billing cycle.

You should have a new platform before you send that message, so they understand you're not vanishing as a publisher.

Finally, you should adhere to applicable laws and regulations in connection with your subscriber list and other data shared by Twitter. For example, make sure you don't use your subscriber's data in any way they haven't authorized or shared it without their permission.

You'll also need to find a new platform quickly to avoid disrupting your newsletter schedule.

Why beehiiv should be your new platform

Choosing a new newsletter platform to replace Revue can be a daunting task. You'll want to consider features like analytics, monetization options, and pricing.

If your goal is to scale and monetize your audience, beehiiv might be your best bet. Here's why:

• beehiiv offers the most flexible editor in the industry.

• You'll have a full suite of growth tools, including a referral program and recommendation network.

• beehiiv offers in-depth audience analytics and state-of-the-art list segmenting.

• Monetization options, like premium subscriptions and ad sales, are built into the platform.

• Your content doesn't vanish after you hit send but is stored as an archive on a public website.

• It's easy to import your existing content and subscriber data to beehiiv — you can make the switch without missing a beat.

beehiiv was created by the same team that scaled Morning Brew to millions of subscribers. It was built to be a creator-friendly platform for newsletters that aim for growth, and (unlike many competitors) beehiiv remains laser-focused on that mission.

While Revue offered a simple interface and easy startup, beehiiv offers a powerful all-in-one solution that includes data analytics, growth tools, and a website alongside its ability to publish content-focused newsletters. And beehiiv’s affordable flat-rate pricing favors creators and companies who are focused on scaling their businesses.

As one former Revue user, Jasper put it

Check out this side-by-side comparison of beehiiv’s extensive features vs. Revue’s former list.

Moving into the future

Twitter's decision to discontinue its Revue platform is a disappointment for those who used it to share their work and make money from subscriptions.

While there are other platforms available, choosing the right one can be a challenge.

If you’re looking for an easy-to-use newsletter platform that will help you monetize and grow your audience, beehiiv might be just what you need. Get started here.