YouTube Starts Gifted Subs Feature

YouTube Japan’s Twitter has announced that a new membership gifting feature for live streamers would be launched soon. This project is currently in the alpha phases and is being tested on a small number of streamers before being rolled out to the rest of the platform.

This new feature allows existing channel subscribers to gift membership access to other viewers who are also viewing the stream. Memberships typically grant users access to badges, emotes, and other premium content that would otherwise be unavailable to them. Channel memberships are $4.99 per month, however it’s unclear whether gifted memberships would be the same price or if users will be able to gift multiple memberships.

This prospective new tool is most similar to Twitch’s sub gifting option, which has been available for several years on the platform. Individuals can present subs in a variety of quantities ranging from one to 100, which are distributed randomly to users in the chat.

Twitch has been the global leader in live streaming content for many years, and has pioneered numerous features in streaming. The addition of gifting tools to YouTube’s booming live streaming segment is the latest example of the video hosting service aiming to meet this expected standard. 

YouTube, which is a lot younger than its gigantic streaming competition, has been putting more money into its streaming side and content creators. While the website still trails Twitch in overall viewership, it has managed to attract and keep well-known creators like Valkyrae, Ludwig, TimTheTatman, and others. 

With this new gifted feature, it’s evident that YouTube isn’t just trying to find fresh talent; it’s also trying to make its streaming video more approachable and familiar to users.