YouTube does take a percentage of the revenue earned from every live stream that the Super Chats feature is used on, which the creator does not receive.
Super Chats is a feature of YouTube’s live stream functionality which allows viewers to donate money to channels.
However, there are some caveats to the funds raised through Super Chats and YouTube can keep a percentage of the donated money from every live stream.
How Super Chats works on YouTube
YouTube Super Chats was first launched in January 2017 and offers a different way for content creators on the platform to engage with their audiences and followers.
Super Chats is a feature of the Live Stream functionality that allows fans of the channel or Live Stream to make donations to the creator.
In exchange for this donation, the viewer’s comment is pinned at the top of the live stream’s chat and is highlighted in a bright colour.
The amount of time for which the comment remains pinned and the colour of the comment is dependent on the amount of money the viewer has donated.
This feature replaced the Fan Funding feature where viewers used to make donations as an additional means of supporting their favourite creators.
How much does YouTube take from Super Chats?
The Super Chats feature is popular amongst content creators and viewers on the YouTube platform, since it allows creators to take note and keep track of their biggest supporters during live streams.
It also allows viewers to be noticed by their favourite creators, which leads to increased engagement between YouTubers and viewers on the platform.
YouTubers often use these donations as a way to collect money for various causes. However, it is important to note that YouTube does take about 30 percent of the earnings that content creators make from the Super Chats feature.
Some of this revenue taken by YouTube covers the processing fees from the transactions with credit card companies.
Who can use Super Chats?
From the creator’s perspective, not all YouTube channels will have access to the Super Chats feature. Some of the requirements that a channel must fulfil to gain access to the feature are as follows:
- The channel must be monetised
- You must be 18 years of age or older
- You must be in one of the available locations
The revenue from the Super Chats feature is paid through the AdSense program, which means that your YouTube channel must be monetised before you can use this feature, so that the AdSense payment and all the mentioned requirements have already been set up and passed for your channel.
This feature is also only available in select regions across the world, and only creators in these regions will have access to it.
How to enable Super Chats on your channel
If you do meet all of these requirements and want to start earning donations through the Super Chats feature on your live streams on YouTube, there are a few steps to follow to enable Super Chats.
These steps are:
- Step 1: Go to your YouTube creator Dashboard
- Step 2: Click on the “Monetisation” tab on the left of the screen
- Step 3: Select the “Supers” tab at the top of the screen
- Step 4: Enable the “Super Chats” option at the top of the screen
- Step 5: Enter the appropriate information in the required fields
- Step 6: Read and accept the terms and conditions of the agreement
Other considerations
There are negative and positive aspects of using the Super Chats feature as a way of fundraising during live streams on your channel. Some of the most notable pros and cons of the Super Chats are listed below.
Pros of using Super Chats |
Cons of using Super Chats |
| Additional revenue generated from your live streams | Revenue generated from live streams can be inconsistent and unpredictable |
| Increased engagement and interaction with your audience | Payments may take up to 30 days to clear |
| Allows YouTubers to get suggestions for videos and added entertainment during live streams | Some viewers may use Super Chats to pin inappropriate or hateful comments |
| Your viewers will feel more invested and included in your content and channel | Super Chats can create an unequal balance between creators and some viewers |
Final thoughts
Super Chats is a feature that allows viewers to support their favourite creators’ channels in generating additional income.
However, YouTube does take a percentage of donations received and there are several requirements to use the Super Chats feature in the first place.
Once you have considered all the aspects of this feature, though, it is fairly simple to enable and start raising funds with.