YouTube Gaming introduces new membership gifting systems for livestreamers

YouTube Gaming has taken a huge step forward by enabling membership gifting similar to gifted subscriptions on Twitch. This is a positive step for the platform to connect streamers with their audience.

The YouTube livestreaming platform is slowly catching up to its competitors. Many popular streamers moved on from Twitch or Facebook and started streaming exclusively on YouTube.

This recent update, which allows users to gift memberships, is only in a beta phase, but it could easily shift things in YouTube's favor. Many more creators could make the jump to the platform.

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YouTube Gaming has revealed its Gifted Memberships Beta

YouTube Gaming and Twitch work very similarly in presentation, execution, and how creators can monetize their work. They have different words for things.

On Twitch, a subscriber pays to get some extra features, while a subscriber on YouTube sees the creator's videos on their subscription page. It would be considered a follower on Twitch.

YouTube Gaming's version of a Twitch subscriber is considered a member. It can all be confusing for those who watch content creators and streamers on both platforms.

The similarities aren't stopping there. YouTube has announced its gaming creators can now receive gift memberships just as Twitch creators have been able to receive gifted subscriptions.

Lester Chen is the Global Head of Gaming Creators for YouTube and shared a lot of details regarding the news on Twitter, as seen above. This was coupled with an outpouring of joy from the platform's creators.

It doesn't seem like YouTube is going to stop there. They want to invest in their gaming creators, considering they have delivered huge contracts to move people over from Twitch.

The platform also recently introduced the Live Redirect feature. This is the equivalent of the Twitch Raid feature. It lets streamers send their audience over to another live individual when logging off.

This is just another way for YouTube to compete with Twitch. This is why many notable streamers and content creators upload content on YouTube and live full-time there.

It will only be a matter of time before both platforms are neck and neck. In late July, Microsoft’s Mixer shut down, making YouTube Gaming one of the only viable options. YouTube needs to add better functionality and become a bit more user-friendly. When YT Gaming modifies, it can overthrow Twitch as the livestreaming giant.