Thursday, March 28

Super Thanks: the new YouTube feature to reward creators

Like Super Chat and Super Stickers, but for everything

YouTube has announces the deployment of a new feature that allows users to donate to content creators.

YouTube continues to add options to allow its users to reward content creators directly. After paid channel subscriptions, Super Chat and Super Stickers, the video platform announces the introduction of Super Thanks. This “fourth paid digital asset” was previously known as Viewer Applause and allows viewers to “express their gratitude and show their support” by tipping.

YouTube Super Thanks

The feature lets users applaud a creator by choosing from one of four price points between $2 and $50 (or the regional currency equivalent). When a user purchases one of these four options, they’ll see a celebratory animation on-screen and a colorful comment with their name appear below the video in the comments section. Creators themselves will be able to respond to these messages in the same way they can on regular comments.

Over the last year, YouTube has been testing the technology under the name Viewer Applause. It’s now known as Super Thanks, and it’s in beta in 68 countries on desktop, Android, and iOS.

Super Thanks is YouTube’s fourth method for directly paying producers. The platform also allows creators to provide monthly subscriptions through channel memberships. Then there’s Super Stickers and Super Chat, which allow livestream viewers to leave tips in the chat box. Super Thanks, on the other hand, can be used across all qualifying uploads, unlike Super Stickers and Chat, which only operate on live broadcasts.

While the functionality is beginning with four preset payment amounts to pick from, Barbara Macdonald, a product manager for paid digital goods at YouTube, told The Verge that the ability to manually input other dollar amounts is “definitely something that we would be interested in looking to add in.” During its earlier testing phase, there had originally only been one price point, but creators told the company that viewers wanted more choice when showing their support for a channel they enjoy.

YouTube gives eligible creators a share of the ad revenue generated by their videos. However, that revenue stream isn’t always consistent, and it has reduced significantly when advertisers have backed away from YouTube due to scandals. Giving producers the option of receiving payment directly from viewers provides a potential revenue source that isn’t wholly based on advertising.

Super Thanks is only available to creators who are members of the YouTube Partner Program. According to Macdonald, the beta launch will be a “randomized rollout” before being made available to all Partner Program members later this year.

Turn on and manage Super Thanks

Allow an eligible channel in your network to turn on Super Thanks

  1. On a computer, sign in to YouTube Studio.
  2. Go to Settings.
  3. Click Agreements and accept the “Commerce Product Addendum”.

Once accepted, eligible channels in your network can turn on Super Thanks.

https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/10878910?hl=en#zippy=%2Cturn-on-super-thanks-on-for-your-network

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