Microsoft's Soapbox on MSN Video, the company's answer to YouTube, may offer incentives to its users who generate content.

The video-sharing service, which is set to launch early next year, has plans to reward the most active community members, and compensate popular video creators, AdWeek has learned. While YouTube remains the most popular video-sharing site on the internet, rival Revver has gained some ground on the site by paying users a share of the ad revenue generated from their videos. Microsoft could go with a similar model, possibly offering songs via its Zune digital music service or points with its Microsoft Rewards program.

Soapbox won't feature advertising at launch, but Microsoft is considering ways to implement advertisements in a format that will relieve some advertisers' fears of being associated with offensive content.