Facebook will let users charge for access to their live video streams in an effort to help people in the performing arts and other industries affected by the coronavirus pandemic
- Facebook will let users charge a fee before letting people view video streams
- The feature is aimed at helping people make up lost income during COVID-19
- Streamers will also have the option of posting a donate button on their video streams to raise money for a Facebook approved charity instead of themselves
- Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19
Facebook will let users charge viewers for access to live video streams as part of the company’s efforts to help people generate income during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The new feature will be available as an option for any users setting up a live broadcast, which they can make available for free or charge a fee to access.
The feature is intended to help people whose livelihoods depend on live events or performances, including musicians, comedians, personal trainers, speakers, and more.
Facebook will now let users charge a fee to view their live video streams on the social network, something that could help musicians, trainers, and public speakers make up for lost income during the COVID-19 pandemic
For people interested in using their video streams to raise money for other charities instead of themselves, Facebook has added the option of a donate button, according to a report in Engadget.
To qualify for the option, a non-profit in the US will have to be registers as a 501(c)(3) organization with the IRS, and have a valid tax ID number.
Facebook says it will transfer 100 percent of the funds directly to the non-profit and won’t take any percentage of the money.
The moves coincide with an expanded focus on videos and streaming at Facebook in recent years.
In 2018, Facebook implemented a similar set of payment features into its newly launched Facebook Gaming service, a video streaming platform focused on video game players.
Facebook Gaming allowed viewers to donate stars to any streamer, with 100 stars costing $1 to purchase.
Viewers could also pay a monthly subscription fee of $4.99 to follow a streamer’s channel.
The new video features are part of a recent expansion of Facebook’s video offerings, including the recent release of a standalone app for the company’s video game streaming service Facebook Gaming, as well as a new video chat feature that will support up to 50 users
Users will be able to set any price they like for their streams, and they can also ask viewers to donate to a Facebook approved charity instead of raising money for themselves
The service was planned as a competitor to the popular games-centric Twitch streaming service.
According to Timothy Havlock, who streams under the handle ‘Darkness429,’ the Facebook platform helped him reach a larger and less isolated audience.
‘I’m making more money on Facebook than I did on Twitch,’ Havlock told Business Insider.
‘I don’t know if that’s because I’m hitting a different audience, because I’m hitting people who are at work, in their mid-20s to early 30s, and these are people who have somewhat disposable income.’
‘I think people are more generous on Facebook than they were, for me at least personally, on Twitch.’
On April 20, Facebook released an iOS and Android app for Facebook Gaming, which had previously been available through web browsers.
The company also recently announced a range of new video chat options, including public video chat rooms that will support up to 50 users.