YouTube is expanding its Super Thanks tipping feature, giving more creators another way to monetize their videos on the social media platform.
YouTube Expands Super Thanks
YouTube's Super Thanks allows fans to send their favorite creators some tips directly on videos, which was previously in beta since being announced in 2021, according to Engadget.
Tip amounts vary between $2 and $50, and fans can include a customer-made comment when they send creators tips. The tipping program is now open to all eligible YouTube Partner creators in 68 countries, YouTube announced in a blog post.
YouTube has introduced several ways that creators can monetize interactions with fans and viewers. In addition to Super Thanks, a feature called Super Chat allows livestream audience members to pay to have their comments pinned in the accompanying chat.
With another livestream tipping feature, Super Stickers, creators can make money when fans buy cartoon character stickers.
Creators make money from their videos on the platform through ad revenue split with the company, but some creators say that income is unreliable, especially if advertisers pull out during bad press or controversies.
The ability to monetize a fanbase directly could provide a steady income stream for creators who worry about being too dependent on ad revenues, according to The Verge.
Podcast Homepage YouTube
Aside from the Super Thanks feature, there were also hints that YouTube planned to tap into podcasts. This came after reports indicated the company hired a podcast executive, Kai Chuk, to lead its efforts in the space and had even started offering cash to popular podcasters to film their shows.
Now, a document has unveiled more about the company's plans in this area, pointing to a future podcasts homepage on the social media platform and other monetization features, according to TechCrunch.
The details were published by Podnews, which recently got its hands on an 84-page presentation where YouTube described its podcasts roadmap.
The company says it will improve podcast ingestion by piloting the ability to pull in podcast RSS feeds. It also noted its plans to centralize podcasts on a new homepage on YouTube.
The URL does not yet work, but it also does not automatically redirect to the platform's homepage, which is what it does if you put other random words after the slash.
Google sees podcasts as a way to expand its advertising business on the platform. The document suggests YouTube will feature audio ads sold by Google as well as other partners.
The document mentions the support of new metrics designed for audio-first creators and the ability to integrate YouTube data into industry-standard podcast measurement platforms. Some of YouTube's partners are Nielsen, Podtrac, and Chartable.
Adding new podcasts vertical to the platform would be a logical next step for the social media company.
Over the years, YouTube has highlighted the service's larger content categories by giving them their own homepages, as it did with YouTube Gaming back in 2015 and with YouTube's Fashion & Beauty in 2019.
Also, YouTube content helps to power Google's streaming service, YouTube Music, which competes with other streaming services like Apple Music and Spotify, where podcasts are a competitive advantage.
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Written by Sophie Webster
