YouTube Tipping: Viewers Can Now Support Creators

YouTube Launches Super Thanks: A New Way to Support Creators

On Tuesday, YouTube unveiled its newest feature, Super Thanks. This represents the platform’s fourth Paid Digital Good, a category encompassing products that enable fans to financially support creators directly.

Existing tools include Super Chat, Super Stickers, and channel subscriptions. However, Super Thanks distinguishes itself as the first offering allowing viewers to tip creators for individual video uploads, rather than during live streams.

How Super Thanks Works

Viewers demonstrating exceptional appreciation for a video can now provide financial support to creators through one of four pre-defined amounts. These range from $2 to $50, converted to the viewer’s local currency.

Upon purchasing Super Thanks, viewers have the option to leave a message. This message will be prominently highlighted within the comments section of the video.

Differentiating from Competitors

While previous YouTube payment tools appeared to emulate features found on Twitch, Super Thanks marks a clear divergence. Platforms like Instagram offer tipping options during live broadcasts, such as Badges.

However, Instagram currently lacks a comparable method for creators to receive one-time payments for standard posts or reels. Instagram’s focus has shifted towards e-commerce, which may not foster the same direct creator-fan connection as Super Thanks.

Growth of Paid Digital Goods on YouTube

The year 2020 proved to be YouTube’s most successful yet for Paid Digital Goods. Over 10 million users made their first purchase of a Super Chat, Super Sticker, or channel subscription on the platform.

The number of channels deriving the majority of their income from these products more than tripled between 2019 and 2020.

Creator Involvement in Development

“I also create content for YouTube in my free time,” stated Barbara Macdonald, YouTube’s Product Manager for Paid Digital Goods. “My experiences as a creator have been invaluable in helping my team and me develop improved products for our YouTube community.”

Since 2019, Macdonald’s team has collaborated with a select group of YouTube creators to pilot the feature, initially known as “applause,” as part of a beta testing program.

These creators provided crucial feedback, influencing decisions such as renaming the feature, adding higher price tiers to maximize potential earnings, and ensuring Super Thanks messages stood out from regular comments.

YouTube’s revenue share from Super Thanks payments is 30%, a more favorable rate for creators compared to Twitch’s 50% share of streamer subscription revenue.

Rollout and Availability

The Super Thanks feature is now being extended to thousands of creators across 68 countries who are part of the YouTube Partner Program.

The rollout is being implemented in a randomized fashion, according to Macdonald, but will be available to all eligible creators within the YouTube Partner Program by the end of the current year.

Consequently, creators may soon begin concluding their videos with a call to action that includes “like, comment, subscribe, and Super Thanks.”