YouTube is expanding membership giving to more creators, allowing fans to purchase memberships for other users.
With membership giving, a tool similar to Twitch’s awarded subscriptions, YouTube producers can earn cash directly from their audience.
Viewers will be able to purchase channel memberships for other viewers.
For viewers, it’s a way to show their appreciation for their favorite creators while also contributing to their community.
Channel Memberships Gifting is now under beta testing with a select set of creators and will be expanded to other channels in the coming months.
If you want early access to the functionality, you may show your interest by filling out the form at the bottom of this page.
Gifting a YouTube Channel Membership
Monetized YouTube channels can generate cash by selling memberships to users.
A channel membership entitles you to benefits such as special icons in a creator’s comment box, members-only live streams, and more. Subscriptions, or “subs,” on the streaming network Twitch are analogous.
Before the introduction of membership giving, people could only purchase memberships for themselves. This meant that consumers could only purchase one membership each month.
Channel members can acquire a specified number of memberships [5, 10, 20] in a single purchase with membership gifting. Those memberships will be “gifted” to other viewers by YouTube.
If someone receives a gift membership, they’ll have access to your channel’s membership benefits for one month.
What Is the Process of Membership Gifting?
During a creator’s Livestream, gifted channel memberships can be purchased on a desktop. To purchase gift memberships on live streams, click the $ button next to the live chat.
To be eligible for rewards on a channel, viewers must opt-in. Users can participate in the Beta by clicking ‘Allow Gifts’ when prompted.
Viewers receive gift subscriptions from YouTube based on how much they interact with your channel. Loyal viewers are more likely than first-time viewers to receive gift memberships.
If a viewer receives a gift membership, they will be notified through personal live chat message and email. A gifted membership is non-recurring, and the recipient pays no fees.
Are Gifted Memberships Beneficial to YouTube Creators?
Given the success of Twitch’s awarded subs, membership gifting has the potential to significantly increase profits for YouTube streamers.
If you check at the subscription split for notable Twitch streams, you’ll notice that gifted subs account for about 5% to 10% of their total active subscriptions.
Here’s Jarboe’s take:
Channel Memberships are only one of several new choices available to YouTube Partners. Other examples include:
- Revenue sharing for advertisements.
- Selling branded products.
- Super Stickers and Super Chat.
- Premium revenue distribution.
As a result, Memberships For the small number of content creators who presently make money from channel subscribers, gifting will be an intriguing possibility. Who exactly are they? As an example, consider:
- Prince Ohakam, often known as Prince Charming, is a game creator who makes use of channel memberships. He allows members to participate in live video games with him. He also provides live streaming, videos, posts, and personalised emoticons.
- Anna Yakimenko, a Russian fashion consultant based in Milan, uses channel memberships to provide her audience with retail discounts, unique live streaming, and personalised design advice.
Channel memberships aren’t for everyone, thus gifting them will appeal to a small number of content creators. However, if they assist to maintain the creator economy robust and diverse, they should be regarded as a valuable tool in the toolbox.
Channels that want early access to this feature can fill out a request form.
