YouTube is assisting creators with a new feature to boost merchandise sales, and a new report for measuring revenue.
Now, when people buy a creator’s merchandise during a live stream, the sale will be highlighted in the chat.
YouTube channels can access monthly insights about revenue in a new report in YouTube Studio.
Here’s more information about each of these updates.
New Monthly Performance Report
YouTube creators now have access to a performance report that combines multiple sets of data.
The new report, available in YouTube Studio, merges two existing monthly reports about subscribers and revenue. There’s also an all new analysis of video views.
The report includes a new visualization with a monthly bar chart showing 13 months of data.
YouTube creators can use this report to quickly gauge monthly performance and identify potential seasonal trends.
You can find this report in YouTube Studio analytics in the Channel Overview section. It will be updated at the beginning of each month.
Live Alerts for Merchandise Purchases
YouTube is putting a greater emphasis on merchandise sales with a new alert that appears during live videos.
When a creator’s merchandise is purchased during a live stream, an alert will be displayed to the whole chat room. This is similar to when someone becomes a member during a live stream, or sends a super chat.
This feature is available to creators who are utilizing Teespring to sell products on YouTube.
The alerts give creators a new way to promote merchandise during a stream, and give fans a way to show off their support for the channel.
Live alerts for merchandise have the potential to increase awareness about the creator’s merchandise, and boost sales as a result.
Related: YouTube Launches 4 New Features For Video Creators
Non-Advertising Revenue on the Rise
YouTube notes that non-advertising revenue for creators is on the rise.
More channels are earning money from YouTube’s other monetization programs such as Super Chats, Super Stickers, channel memberships, and physical merchandise sales.
Over the last 28 days alone over 80,000 YouTube channels earned money from one of those programs.
That represents an increase of 20% since March, and an increase of over 40% since January.
Since the beginning of March, over 2 million viewers have bought their first Super Chat, Super Sticker, or channel membership.
Super Chats and Super Stickers are a way to thank the creator monetarily during a live stream.
In return, purchasers either get to highlight a message in the chat, or post a large sticker, but they’re donation tools for the most part.
Channel memberships offer a bit more, though that all depends on the individual creator.
Paying a monthly membership fee to a channel can grant exclusive rewards such as members-only videos, members-only chats, and things of that nature.
Rewards will vary, however, as creators have full discretion over what they offer to members.
Channel memberships are still a relatively new feature, having only been introduced less than a year ago.
For more information, see: YouTube Introduces New Ways for Channels to Make Money.
To learn more about any of these new features, see YouTube’s announcement video below:
Related: YouTube to Show Creators What Time of Day Their Audience is Online
