YouTube is introducing “Gifts, Powered by Jewels,” which lets people support creators during vertical livestreams.
This signals YouTube’s push into the virtual gifting space that TikTok has capitalized on for years.
Key Features
“Gifts, Powered by Jewels,” is available for members of the YouTube Partner Program in the United States and offers new ways to earn money from live content.
The new gifting system introduces two virtual currencies: Jewels for viewers and Rubies for creators.
Viewers can purchase Jewels in bundles to send animated gifts that appear as overlays during vertical livestreams.
This feature is similar to TikTok’s popular gift animations that occur during live sessions.
Earnings
Creators earn Rubies from these gifts, with each Ruby worth one cent in real currency.
For example, if a creator receives 100 Rubies, they earn $1.
To incentivize adoption, YouTube offers a 50% bonus on gift earnings (up to $1,000 per month) to qualified creators for the first three months.
This bonus structure appears designed to attract creators who might currently be prioritizing TikTok livestreams for their virtual gifting revenue.
Technical Requirements
The feature is currently restricted to: