If you are moving from Twitch to Youtube streaming or are just starting out streaming on Youtube you may be wondering about Super Chats. Super chats are Youtube’s form of donations on their platform. Similar to Subscriptions or bits on Twitch viewers can send a Super Chat to a streamer while they are live. The streamer will then receive this donation but not without Youtube taking their cut first.
In this article, we are going to take a look at how much Youtube takes from super chats and how you can enable them on your Youtube channel. Let’s jump in.
How Much Does Youtube Take From Superchats?
Youtube takes 30% from every super chat donation on the platform. If you send a streamer $10 they will receive $7. This may seem like a large amount but livestreams are expensive to host so this 30% helps to keep Youtube running smoothly.
Compared to the 50% that Twitch takes from most small streamers on their platform (Some partnered streamers on Twitch get a 70/30 split) the 30% split for all creators is quite good from Youtube.
You still have the option to add a donation link in the description of your video which means you will receive almost all of the money. The problem with this is there is more friction between someone wanting to donate and actually paying.
When using Youtube’s super chat system, viewers may already have their card details added to Youtube and they already trust the platform. This means they are more likely to donate through a super chat link rather than go to your Streamlabs or other donation link in the description.
When they purchase through Super Chat they also get to see their message highlighted in the chat giving them more incentive to use the Super Chat feature.
If you are a creator on Youtube we highly recommend turning on the Super Chat feature.
Why Does Youtube Take A Cut Of Superchats?
Youtube take a cut of Super Chats for multiple reasons. At first, it might seem quite unfair that they take 30% of a donation which was meant to go to the streamer. However, there is more to it.
First off, Youtube is a business. They don’t run their business as a charity and are entitled to make money from their services.
Two, Youtube provide creators with an audience. If a creator tries to stream on his own website they are very unlikely to receive very many viewers. There is a large base of users already on Youtube waiting for your content. Youtube owns that attention.
Three, hosting live stream content is not cheap from a hosting perspective. This 30% cut helps to fund the high server costs Youtube has a pay to host your content.
What Are The Requirements To Enable Super Chats?
Not everyone has the ability to add Super Chats to their channel. You will need to meet some criteria before having the option to accept super chats on your channel.
To activate super chats you will need to:
- Have a monetised Youtube channel
- Be over 18
- Live in an eligible country
If you meet all of these criteria you will be able to activate super chats on your Youtube channel and start collecting donations from your audience.
How To Turn On Superchats On Youtube
Super chats are not turned on by default on your channel. You will need to activate them in your account before viewers can donate. Follow the steps below to enable them on your channel:
- Open your Youtube Studio Dashboard and navigate to the Monetization tab
- Click on “Supers” from the options along the top row
- Click on Get Started
- Read the Terms and Conditions and fill in your information
- Accept the terms and conditions
- When you have filled everything in you will see a toggle to turn super chats on and off
- Turn the toggle on
You have now enabled Super chats on your Youtube channel and users will be able to donate to you.
Wrapping Up
That’s all there is to know about Super Chats on Youtube and how you can enable them on your channel. Hopefully the donations start rolling in for you so you can make some extra money through streaming.
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