Creators on YouTube Are Getting More Monetization Options

YouTube used last week’s VidCon 2019 event in Anaheim, Calif., to introduce new ways for its creators to monetize their content. Chief product officer Neal Mohan said in a blog post that the Google-owned video site expanded on its existing Super Chat feature with Super Stickers. Super Chat enables fans of creators to pay for messages that are highlighted in live chats during livestreams and YouTube Premieres, and Mohan said over 90,000 channels have used the feature, with some streams pulling in more than $400 per minute. He added that Super Chat is the top revenue stream on YouTube for almost 20,000 channels, up over 65% from last year. Building on that, Super Stickers will enable fans to buy animated stickers during livestreams and Premieres. Those stickers will be available in a variety of designs, languages and categories, with the latter including gaming, fashion/beauty, sports, music and food. [kickout id="1"] YouTube is also adding what Mohan called one of creators’ most-requested features: membership levels for its Channel Memberships. The Channel Memberships feature enables fans to pay $4.99 per month to access unique badges, new emojis and special perks including exclusive livestreams, extra videos or shoutouts. Membership levels give creators the option of adding five different price points for Channel Memberships, with each providing different perks. Mohan said YouTube has been testing this feature with creators including Fine Brothers Entertainment on its React channel, and memberships revenue on that channel shot up by six times after two higher-priced tiers were introduced. YouTube revealed at VidCon 2018 that it teamed up with Teespring on a merchandising option, enabling creators to choose from more than 20 items, such as T-shirts and phone cases, and sell them via their channels. At this year’s VidCon, five new partners joined this initiative: Crowdmade, DFTBA, Fanjoy, Represent and Rooster Teeth. Mohan wrote, “Early last year, creator revenue on YouTube from Super Chat, Channel Memberships and merch was nearly zero. Today, these products are generating meaningful results to creators across the globe. In fact, thousands of channels have more than doubled their total YouTube revenue by using these new tools in addition to advertising.” YouTube also introduced Learning Playlists, which it called “a dedicated learning environment” for users seeking educational videos on specific topics. Learning Playlists will organize those videos to provide more structure, dividing them into key concepts from beginner to advanced, and recommendations will not appear on the watch page, enabling people to focus. Mohan said Learning Playlists are rolling out with “a handful of our most trusted partners,” including Khan Academy, Ted-Ed and Crash Course. [kickout id="2"] Finally, YouTube Giving, which the video site began beta-testing last August, is out of beta and will be made available to thousands of creators in the U.S. in the coming months. YouTube Giving enables creators to choose a nonprofit and add a Donate button next to their videos and livestreams to raise funds for that nonprofit. Mohan wrote, “YouTube creators are living proof that an open and responsible internet can change the world for the better. We’re going to continue working to give them the tools they need to do that.”