YouTube Partner Program, Twitch Partner Plus, Broadcast Channels, Facebook Reels

New Eligibility Requirements for the YouTube Partner Program

YouTube recently announced the new lowered eligibility requirements for smaller creators interested in joining the YouTube Partner Program. Previously, creators needed 10,000 subscribers and either 4,000 watch hours in the last year or 10M Shorts views in the last 90 days in order to be applicable for the YouTube Partner Program. Under the new update, smaller creators with 500 subscribers, three public uploads in the last 90 days, and either 3,000 watch hours in the last year or 3M Shorts views in the last 90 days are considered qualified for the monetization program.

Creators participating in the YouTube Partner Program have access to several fan funding and tipping features to extend their monetization beyond ad revenue sharing. These features include channel memberships, Super Chat, Super Stickers, and Super Thanks. Partners may also promote their own products with YouTube Shopping, another feature that has been extended to more US creators.

The new updates to the YouTube Partner Program eligibility criteria serve as a win-win for YouTube and content creators. We expect more creators looking for better monetization opportunities or those newer to content creation with smaller followings to be joining YouTube in response to the new eligibility requirements. As one of the OG social media platforms, YouTube is taking a stand to support smaller creators for greater content diversity and user satisfaction.

Twitch Partner Plus Program

Twitch recently announced its new Partner Plus Program, a monetization program coming October 1st this year. In order to qualify for the Partner Plus Program, streamers must maintain 350 paid subscriptions for three consecutive months. Qualified streamers will be automatically enrolled in the program by Twitch and maintain enrollment for 12 months regardless if they dip below the 350 subscription mark.

The star feature of the Partner Plus Program at Twitch is the 70/30 revenue split for streamers. Twitch noted that members of the program will receive 70% of revenue generated from monthly subscriptions and gift subscriptions for their 12-month enrollment period up to $100K USD. Twitch did not discuss revenue sharing past the $100K mark in their official announcement.

Twitch’s newest rival Kick is offering a competitive 95% share of revenue to their streamers and recently offered to cover the $25 contract termination fee for Twitch streamers who wanted to switch over. Will the Partner Plus Program be a promising monetization stream for creators at Twitch, or will they look to other platforms such as Kick for a greater share of revenue from their hard-earned subscriptions?

Instagram Broadcast Channels Go Global

Meta has rolled out Instagram Broadcast Channels globally! Meta first released Instagram Channels, a direct broadcast messaging platform from creators to followers, back in February. Instagram originally tested Broadcast Channels with a select group of US influencers and recently introduced Collaborators. Now Meta is introducing new broadcasting features for Instagram creators to test and explore.?

Among the new features in testing for Instagram Broadcast Channels are several new tools for users and creators. Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri shared that questions in channels are being tested for more user interaction and a Channels tab in users’ inboxes is being tested for better accessibility. Users and creators may also see new sharing features for Channels which will allow them to share Channels to their Stories. For creators, Instagram is testing a moderators feature and expiring channels, which may be useful for special events hosted by celebrities and content creators.

Users may have received Instagram notifications from their favorite creators asking them to join their Broadcast Channels. Although several features are still in testing, users and creators across the globe are embracing this new way to connect with one another. Will you be joining or starting your own Broadcast Channel?

New Features for Meta Reels

Facebook recently released several new in-app Reel editing features for creators. As Facebook tests the ability for creators to cross-post Reels on Instagram to Facebook, it is also looking to streamline the editing process for creators to spend more time in-app and away from third-party editing apps such as CapCut.?

Creators looking to edit Reels on Facebook may now access audio music, and text components on a unified screen. This way, creators can layer and time all the creative elements of their videos as they please, similar to the in-app editing studio available on TikTok. Creators also now have access to Reel clipping from long-form video uploads and Facebook Lives.?

In addition to new editing features, Facebook is also equipping creators with more access to insights on their Reels content. Reel insights that were previously exclusively available via the Meta Business Suite will soon be available on the Professional Dashboard alongside newly added metrics.?

The race for the best short-form content platform continues as Meta ushers full force into developing and innovating Reels across Facebook and Instagram. We look forward to seeing new content edited in-app using these new features and how they compare to past Reels.