YouTube has announced an exciting new feature that allows content creators to earn money during their live video streams, specifically those filmed in a vertical format, which is the tall, phone-friendly style. This new system lets viewers purchase a special kind of digital currency called “Jewels” so they can send animated “gifts” to their favorite creators while they’re live streaming.
If you’ve heard about a similar feature on TikTok, that’s because this concept is quite comparable. On TikTok, viewers can buy “coins” that they use to send gifts of various values to support live creators during their streams.
Here’s how it works on YouTube: when viewers buy Jewels and send gifts, the creators receive something called “Rubies.” For creators, this is quite straightforward – they earn one cent for every Ruby they receive. So, for example, if a creator gets 100 Rubies, they will earn $1. However, the price of Jewels can change based on how they are purchased in bundles, so there may be some variations in how much money creators ultimately make.
To make this new feature even more appealing, for the next three months, eligible creators will receive a 50% bonus on their earnings from gifts, meaning they could earn up to an additional $1,000 each month, on top of what they already earn from Rubies.
It’s important to note that creators can only receive these gifts when they are streaming live in a vertical format directly on YouTube or through certain streaming software. Also, viewers can only send gifts using the YouTube mobile app.
This new gift feature represents a shift from YouTube’s previous option, which allowed viewers to support creators through “Super Stickers” in the chat section of live streams. YouTube has introduced this feature largely in response to TikTok’s success with live gifting, where creators often earn substantial amounts. For instance, some teenage creators have reportedly made as much as $7,000 a month by engaging in live discussions or debates.
YouTube believes that this gifting system is a more visually engaging way for viewers to show support for creators during their live streams. However, once a creator activates this gift feature, they will no longer be able to use Super Stickers.
For the upcoming weeks, YouTube will be rolling out this new way for creators to earn money to eligible users in the U.S.
