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YouTube Gaming has recently introduced a feature that allows streamers and viewers to gift memberships on the platform.
The new capability, announced by Rachell ‘Valkyrae’ Hofstetter in May 2022, has been a notable absence from the video-sharing platform.
Now, streamers and viewers can reward their followers with channel memberships, giving them access to exclusive content, and helping grow their subscriber base.
Here’s a comprehensive look at this exciting development, including a detailed guide on how to send and receive gifted memberships.
What Does Membership Gifting Entail?
The membership gifting feature allows YouTubers to offer channel memberships to their viewers. In order to be eligible for these gifts, users must first opt-in.
Gifted memberships can be distributed during a live stream or premiere, and existing channel members also have the option to purchase memberships as gifts, or provide month-long memberships to the channel.
Once given, YouTube distributes these membership gifts to other viewers of the channel. To be eligible, viewers must opt-in and will then receive access to the membership perks for a month.
The introduction of this feature offers viewers another way to support their favorite YouTubers while simultaneously enhancing the channel’s membership base.
How to Gift Memberships on YouTube Gaming
Gifting memberships on YouTube Gaming is a straightforward process. To start, users need to click on the dollar icon button located next to the live chat of the channel.
This action will present the option to purchase gift memberships for live streams and distribute them to other viewers.
After clicking the dollar sign, users need to select ‘Membership gifting’ from the options provided.
YouTube will then offer several choices regarding the number of gifts users can buy.
Following the completion of the transaction, live chat viewers will see the number of gifts purchased, and the lucky recipients will receive notifications of their new membership.
However, it’s important to note that, currently, membership gifting is only available on desktop live streams.
Receiving Gifted Memberships on YouTube Gaming
For viewers eager to become eligible for a gifted membership without being an existing member of the channel, there are a few simple steps to follow.
Initially, viewers will need to opt-in, which can be done in two ways – either through the live chat or from the membership offer screen.
To opt-in via live chat, users need to click on the gift icon and select ‘Allow Gifts’ when an announcement appears following the streamer’s purchase of membership gifting.
Alternatively, to opt-in through the membership offer screen, users need to click on ‘Join’ and then navigate to the three-dot menu.
From this menu, selecting ‘gift settings’ will enable the reception of gifts. At present, this feature is only available on desktop, though YouTube plans to introduce it on mobile soon.
However, note that currently, membership gifting is only available for viewers watching streams on their computers.
YouTube is in the process of bringing this feature to their mobile app, but no firm date has been announced yet.
A Future-Forward Approach for YouTube Gaming
YouTube first hinted at the membership gifting feature back in February 2022, and it has now become a reality.
However, the platform is not stopping at this milestone. YouTube has also introduced a Live Redirect raid feature, although reports suggest that this addition still requires some fine-tuning.
As the video-sharing giant continues to enhance its gaming platform, users can expect more innovative features aimed at improving their streaming and viewing experiences.
