Mobile live streaming is such a ubiquitous feature on major platforms that it comes as no surprise YouTube is adding it to its service. At the moment though, it is open to creators with over 10,000 subscribers. The feature is baked into YouTube’s mobile app and just like what you’d see on Facebook or Instagram, you just need to hit the capture button and then you go live. Mobile live streams get the same features as usual YouTube videos. These can be searched for, found through recommendations and playlists, and protected from unauthorized us. When it was debuted back at VidCon 2016 in beta, one of the first users who got to try it out was Canadian creator UnboxTherapy. Now, it’s open to more users and YouTube promises it’ll be available to more creators soon.
Launching alongside mobile live streaming is a new way for creators to earn revenue from the feature. Called Super Chat, it’s a monetization tool that’ll allow fans watching live streams to stand out from all the commenters and grab the creator’s attention by purchasing chat messages. These will be highlighted in bright colors and will be pinned to the top of the chat window for up to five hours. It also helps creators earn a bit of extra money from their supporters.