YouTube is looking to increase its gaming content output, according to a post released on their blog.
The blog post mostly details what it’s been doing to grow the streaming site’s gaming content. But the most important detail is the introduction of gifted memberships and live redirects.
Memberships work similarly to subscriptions on Twitch. The viewer pays $4.99, and gets access to exclusive posts, loyalty badges, and emoji. Twitch has a feature where you can gift a subscription to another viewer. Gift memberships will essentially be the same thing.
Live redirects seem to be the same as raiding on Twitch, where you bring your audience to another livestream. It’s clear YouTube understands they need to be more like Twitch in order to act as competition. The blog post highlights how DrLupo and TimTheTatMan, both previous Twitch streamers, have done incredibly well on YouTube since joining.
The post also placed a big emphasis on Shorts. Shorts are essentially YouTube’s response to TikTok and Instagram’s Reels. Shorts can act similarly to clips on Twitch, where you can highlight certain parts of your VOD. But Shorts can also be any kind of short form content you like, meaning it’s quite versatile in its uses.
As well as this, YouTube highlighted 10 different ways you can monetise on the platform. It’s clear YouTube wants to push its gaming content, and for potential streamers to know how they can make money.
Interestingly, creators get a bigger cut of memberships compared to Twitch subscriptions. The Amazon owned company offers a 50/50 split on all subs, whereas YouTube memberships offer creators a 70/30 split, the 70 going to the creator. This is a big point of criticism regarding Twitch, as 50% is a huge cut of what viewers pay.
Twitch has also received criticism in recent months due to its poor handling of the numerous hate raids on the platform. It took them too long to respond to the events at all, and they still haven’t done enough to solve the problem. If YouTube can better handle moderation than their main competitor, they’ll be much more appealing to many bigger streamers. YouTube is out to grow it’s gaming content, and if they keep up the pace they might soon overtake Twitch.
Featured Image Credit: YouTube