YouTube Trials Targeted Gifting Mechanism to Enhance Live Stream Fundraising

YouTube is testing a new feature called Gift Goals, aiming to strengthen creator monetization during livestreams. This innovative tool transforms live streams into interactive events, building community energy and rewarding high-engagement viewers with recognition.

The feature extends the functionality of goals to gifts, embedding gamification into vertical live formats on mobile. Fans can contribute gifts to unlock milestones or rewards in Gift Goals, going beyond passive viewing and making the livestream experience more engaging.

YouTube's monetization structure behind Gift Goals is aligned with its pivot towards vertical video monetization. Gifts are purchased as Jewels, converted into Rubies, and redeemed by creators, creating a currency-based ecosystem.

For creators, the development adds another revenue stream at a time when diversification of income sources is increasingly critical. For YouTube, the development strengthens the platform's live commerce ambitions while directly addressing competitive pressure from TikTok's gifting model.

The move reflects YouTube's broader strategy to catch up with rivals like TikTok, where gifting has become a cultural norm for live monetization. The success of TikTok's virtual gifts demonstrated that fans respond positively to interactive and competitive donation formats, and YouTube is mirroring this playbook with Gift Goals.

YouTube is offering select creators a 50% bonus on gift earnings for the first three months as an incentive. The Gift Goals feature is currently being trialed with a small number of U.S. creators on mobile vertical live streams.

If successful, the success of Gift Goals could lead to a wider rollout across various geographies and formats. YouTube is building out a more robust ecosystem for fan-driven revenue with Gift Goals, engagement leaderboards, and its Jewels donation system.

However, as of now, the search results do not provide information on which YouTube channels are currently involved in the Gift Goals test phase by the YouTube company. Keep an eye on your favourite creators' channels to see if they're participating in this exciting new feature!