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Views and interactions are the key to grow and monetize your channel on YouTube. Live Streaming is no longer a trend among young people but a way creators have to generate real-time connections with their communities.
In 2010, YouTube launched its live streaming feature providing YouTubers a new way to interact with viewers for special occasions or events. Since then streamers began their lives and now the platform holds over 2,530,154 channels that have broadcasted live content.
This type of videos provides new functionalities for creators to make money out of their content while they keep finding creative ways to entertain their audience.
Lives on YouTube are a way to stream in real time and share a moment with your subscribers or whoever is there to watch.
What makes it different from the regular published videos is that the real-time variable has an effect on how viewers react to you and your content. Interactions are way more significant and that leads to high levels of engagement and support.
In order to be a part of the YouTube Monetization System and start making money out of your videos you must join the YouTube Partner Program (YPP) and make sure to follow every policy and guideline.
How to join? You can apply by going to YouTube Studio and clicking on the Earn option and follow the instructions. To qualify for YouTube's monetization features, your channel must meet the following milestones:
Once your channel meets these requirements it is going to be reviewed and if everything checks out, you’ll be accepted into the program to start earning!
With live streaming creators have the chance to bring viewers together to learn, discuss or share different topics in real-time.
In order to go Live for the first time you need to meet the following principles:
Sign into your account. Select the verify option on YouTube Studio and the method to do what you want to receive your verification code. Once you have the code, put it into the designated field and submit it. To get verified your channel needs to be authentic so make sure you have a complete profile by adding a photo and description.
Your channel must follow YouTube’s policies and guidelines and be free of any Live Streaming restriction in the past 90-days.
After you submit your verification code, YouTube is going to take some time to review your channel. It usually takes 24 hrs before you can start streaming.
These involve the basic gadgets or infrastructure you must have to be able to go live.
A good connection is a must. If your live glitches or takes too long to load your viewers are gonna go somewhere else. User experience is key to get them to stay on your channel. A 3-5 Mbps upload speed is recommended.
Whether it is a desktop, laptop or smartphone, make sure your camera and microphone are working properly. You don’t need big equipment to get started, just make sure you have a clear sound so as not to disturb your viewers with any interference.
There are 3 different devices you can use to go live:
You can use your computer camera to stream. You don´t need a minimum of subscribers to do it.
You can use your cellphone to go live but you are going to need a minimum of 50 subscribers. There are also some limitations regarding discovery and recommendations while searching if you don´t gather 1,000 subscribers.
You are going to need an encoder system such as OBS Studio or Streamlabs. YouTube then provides a stream key and URL that you’ll need to connect with your encoder.
This type of streaming is usually used for high quality productions and settings like gaming or hosting events. In this case, you don´t need a minimum of subscribers to stream.
YouTube offers creators an incredible potential to earn money on the platform. On average, youtubers can expect to earn $18 per 1,000 ad views they get and this translates to $0.018 per view on their videos. However Youtube keeps a revenue share of 45% of that money, meaning that creators get on average around $9.90 per 1,000 ad views.
The platform is not going to directly pay you for your lives. YouTube monetization system is based on ad views. That's the first thing you need to understand if you are looking to start streaming for money. However, the platform does provide you with different tools to monetize the content you create.
That’s why you as a creator need to explore different ways to get revenue out of your channel.
Secret tip: there are two exclusive functionalities only available for live content! Super Chats and Super Stickers are the perfect way to make extra money and build deep connections with your viewers.
Quick note: Each creator and channel are different. This is just an overview of the different ways to make profit out of live streaming.
Ads displayed during the live. As it does with regular videos, YouTube uses AdSense, a Google advertisement program, to connect advertisers with your content. On average, creators earn approximately $0.018 per ad view meaning that every 1,000 ad views they earn $18.
A content creator with approximately 20,000 daily views can earn up to $1,154 per week, translating to around $4,616 per month in advertising revenue.
The brand or advertiser buys ad placements through AdSense auctions using Cost Per Mille (CPM) or Cost-Per-Click (CPC) bidding strategies. CPM ads charge advertisers and pay creators based on impressions, while CPC ads are based on the number of clicks a video ad receives.
For instance, let’s say an advertiser is going to pay $15 CPM and $0,50 CPC and the video ad gets 200,000 views and 5,000 clicks. Your earning in this case would be:
A Live-specific revenue stream that gives your viewers a fun way to show support during your live session. These two are exclusive for live streamers. Basically any user can purchase a colorful chat or animated sticker to stand out from the chat. It creates closeness and leads to better engagement and support.
The price is set by the amount the user is willing to give. The higher the value the longer their comment or sticker gets pinned at the top of the comment section. This is a great way to make the audience feel part of your content and in touch with you.
Lia is a famous vlogger who once shared during a live stream her desire of having a new kitchen with a particular set of products. Then people started to send her SuperChats and Stickers to support her new kitchen.
As a thank you, she then made a live session unboxing those new kitchen gadgets.
The YouTuber offers exclusive material to those who purchase a membership to their channel. Typically memberships start at $4,99 and can go up to $49,99 per month. Besides the VIP content, members get access to extra functionalities that will make them stand out from the rest of the chat.
Viewers can purchase memberships directly on YouTube or through Patreon and then, depending on the amount selected, get extra access to different content: behind the scenes, unboxings, vlogs, etc.
These 3 brothers make content about games, movies and comics. They offer different membership options on Patreon with lots of special content from backstage to a shared space for ideas or input for new videos. Memberships start at $2 per month and go up to $250, with many options in between to choose from.
Content creators can offer their own line of products during their live sessions for their viewers to purchase. Products like T-shirts, hoodies, mugs, phone cases and toys are popular choices.
Influencers design merch, list it on an e-commerce platform (like Shopify), and promote it to their audience.
A channel with crazy gaming videos and insane animations launched its own website where viewers can get plushies, toys, clothes and accessories.
Brands pay a YouTube streamer and in exchange they do a live session advertising their products or services.
Brands and creators get in touch in order to promote specific products. YouTubers then get paid and the payment can vary between flat fee, free products, or performance-based pay.
The famous YouTuber partnered with Adidas and made a series of sessions where he introduced new products during live gaming sessions or reviewed a famous commercial.
So, we have already established that YouTube is not gonna pay you for your lives but it's gonna provide different ways for you to take advantage of the platform and start earning. Your revenue is going to be determined by the content you create, the ways you choose to operate and a series of factors that you need to take into account in order to get the best outcome possible.
The bigger the audience you have the more views your videos are probably going to make. Given that YouTube pays for ad views, the more the better.
Views are not the only option. The way your subscribers react to your content is going to be determinative as well. If they follow your recommendations and purchase your merch, stay until the end of the video and support you with comments and during your lives grant you with stickers or Super chats.
Being active in your community will fulfill the sense of closeness and community, helping to drive your earnings further and further.
The niche you are working with is going to determine the brands that are willing to work with you and also the ads that fit your content. The rates for both sponsorships and video ads may vary depending if you are working with fashion, technology or beauty.
The content you create is the most important thing. Explore the different possibilities, look out for the competition and understand what works best for you and your audience. If your content is well received and viewers can’t get tired of it, your earnings will grow and grow.
Explore which streamings work best and apply those strategies to your lives to keep people interested.
Use relevant keywords in your titles and descriptions. Optimizing your streams for search engines can increase visibility and attract more viewers to your live. Create a nice stream overlay or thumbnail and promote your streams on other social media platforms.
If you are looking to start monetizing your videos, you should check out our Tips To Maximize Your Youtube Revenue!
If going live on YouTube is something interesting to you, here are 5 useful tips for the beginning of your live content!
YouTube has millions of people creating and consuming content every single day. You have to find a way to highlight your content. Use the scheduling tool to prepare in advance your material while you are letting your viewers know what’s coming next and also giving them the chance to prepare for that time and date so they can be there with you.
Choose your title, thumbnail and description. Select the date and time of the live, you can explore different hours and find what works best for your channel with time. Your viewers are going to see the alert of your upcoming video and have the possibility to click on it and wait for you there.
Draw attention to your content. Give people a reason to join your live and support you. Research shows that 54% of users rather watch creator commentary on events than the events themselves. Find your topic, your niche and start from there. Get people ready and excited about what´s coming up next.
Interact with them during your lives and take their ideas and recommendations for next sessions. This will make them feel like part of the community, and they’ll likely return for more.
Before going live, make sure everything works alright. Check your upload speed so you won’t have any connection issues interfering with the viewers experience. Test your camera, microphone and any other gear you might use beforehand to avoid trouble during the live.
Set a script or checkpoints to cover during the live to ensure you stay on track and follow the direction you set at the beginning.
Experience different video formats on YoTube. Most of the time people come across your live because they saw you before on a regular video or a YouTube Short. The more videos you make, the more people that watch you and most likely the ones that are going to recommend your live.
Check what others are doing in your niche and try to find your way to do something similar so you can take advantage of everything YouTube has to offer for you as the creator.
Follow a Live Session Plan. Communicate this agenda with your subscribers and stick to it. Consistency helps viewers know when to tune in, increasing attendance over time. Show them that you are committed to a certain time and date to get together and discuss things.
If your plan isn’t working, don´t be afraid to change. Listen to your audience, they are probably going to tell you what they want and if you deliver, they stick with you. Keep trying until you find the best way for you and your community.
As you mentioned before, YouTube offers quite a few ways to monetize your content. Here are 5 other effective ways to monetize your content that you include into your marketing strategy to increase your earnings!
A YouTube feature that allows you to connect with your audience while getting money. Similar to SuperChats during the live sessions, Super Thanks allows viewers to purchase a colorful comment to stand out on your long videos or shorts.
To set up the Super Thanks feature, go to YouTube Studio, click on Monetization and then on the Supers tab. Turn the option on and a “Thanks” button is going to automatically appear on all your videos.
You can join different affiliate programs and promote a series of products by sharing a unique discount code with a tracking link. Then you would get a percentage out of every sale made through your unique link.
As youtuber you can also create your own personalized storefronts on platforms like Creator Hero to showcase recommended products. Storefronts are online platforms or designated sections of e-commerce websites where creators can showcase and recommend products to their viewers. When they purchase through the storefront, you earn a commission on each sale.
Find ways to partner up with brands you like or are related to your content so you can work together making videos or different types of material. The brand gains awareness and you can make good money out of your creativity.
Youtubers can partner with brands to attend exclusive events or special occasions, capturing the behind the scenes of the experience and making vlogs or videos to share with their communities.
You can set a licensing fee upon specific content so different brands can pay you to reuse it for their own purpose. Licensing content allows brands to legally use an influencer's content, such as photos, videos, or reviews.
YouTube is not going to pay you for your lives. Nevertheless the platform offers several tools and functions for you to start earning money while streaming.
The key on YouTube is consistency, patience and finding the audience that resonates with you and your content. YouTube Live Streaming is a marvelous way to get that special connection with your viewers because it provides a real-time interaction space.
Take advantage of the exclusive live streaming space and its tools, the Super Chat and Super Stickers, and combine them with other YouTube formats to get your creative ideas into the next level.
As long as you manage to entertain your viewers and have them waiting for your next video, live or short you wont have problems making revenue out of YouTube.
