Udemy takes a cut of every course sale, and the percentage it keeps depends on how the sale was made; if Udemy discounts your course through its own promotions, your earnings are calculated on the lower discounted price.
This analysis describes what Udemy's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology
The provision creates a unilateral modification mechanism whereby Udemy can alter instructor compensation structures without separate notice or affirmative consent, while also establishing that promotional pricing strategies directly affect the revenue base on which instructor compensation is calculated. This structure decouples instructor earnings from gross sales proceeds and ties compensation to Udemy's net revenue and promotional decisions.
Interpretive note: The specific revenue share percentages and the precise mechanism for promotional pricing are described in separate instructor-facing policy documents referenced but not reproduced in this terms document; exact financial impact depends on those supplementary terms.
Instructors on Udemy may see their earnings reduced when Udemy runs promotions without instructor approval, and the revenue share rate itself can be changed unilaterally by Udemy, with continued platform use treated as acceptance of new rates.
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All fees are exclusive of any applicable taxes, which You are solely responsible to pay. We reserve the right to adjust our pricing from time to time and at our sole discretion.
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"Instructors will receive, as their revenue share for sales of their content, a percentage of the revenue that Udemy receives from sales of their courses. Udemy reserves the right to change its revenue share at any time, and your continued use of the platform constitutes acceptance of any such changes. Udemy may run promotions and discounts on instructor content, and when Udemy-generated coupons are used, the revenue share calculation is based on the discounted price.— Excerpt from Udemy's Udemy Terms of Use
(1) REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: This provision engages general contract law principles around unilateral modification and consent, as well as FTC Act considerations regarding fair dealing with platform-dependent creators. In some jurisdictions, courts have scrutinized platform-imposed unilateral change mechanisms as potentially unconscionable, particularly where power imbalances are significant. (2) GOVERNANCE EXPOSURE: Medium. The combination of Udemy's right to set and modify pricing for instructor content and the implied-consent amendment mechanism creates ongoing financial uncertainty for instructors. The deemed-acceptance model for revenue share changes may face challenge in EU jurisdictions requiring affirmative consent for material contractual changes. (3) JURISDICTION FLAGS: EU and UK instructors may have stronger protections under consumer and small business contract regulations that limit unilateral material changes. California law on unconscionable contract terms may also be relevant for California-based instructors. (4) CONTRACT AND VENDOR IMPLICATIONS: Instructors who have built significant revenue streams on the platform face operational risk from unannounced revenue share changes. Businesses using Udemy to monetize training content should assess whether the platform's pricing control is compatible with their revenue projections and financial planning obligations. (5) COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS: Institutional users and professional instructors should monitor Udemy communications carefully for revenue share change notices, as the agreement treats continued use as acceptance. Maintaining records of applicable revenue share rates at time of content publication may be useful for financial auditing purposes.
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The provision creates a unilateral modification mechanism whereby Udemy can alter instructor compensation structures without separate notice or affirmative consent, while also establishing that promotional pricing strategies directly affect the revenue base on which instructor compensation is calculated. This structure decouples instructor earnings from gross sales proceeds and ties compensation to Udemy's net revenue and promotional decisions.
Instructors on Udemy may see their earnings reduced when Udemy runs promotions without instructor approval, and the revenue share rate itself can be changed unilaterally by Udemy, with continued platform use treated as acceptance of new rates.
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