Imagine that, right now, life is a bit chaotic. You've lost your job, your newborn needs medical attention, and you've just moved to a new place, so you're fresh out of money.

Of all the solutions you could try — looking for a new job, starting a business, creating a side hustle — you're pretty sure that going live on YouTube isn't the answer. No one makes real money doing that, right?

, a gaming creator, faced these same challenges and still monetized his way to a full-time income. Starting with just 10,000 subscribers, CGE used a combination of regular videos and livestreams to make money on YouTube (and livestreams currently pay his rent!). Now he has over 70,000 subs who enjoy his 

So, what's the secret to CGE's success, and how did he turn his circumstances around? We'll explore his story, plus highlight the best strategy for monetizing YouTube livestreams.

First, Build an Audience for Your Streams

Before you can even think about monetizing your content, you need to build a loyal audience. Interestingly, CGE says that live streamers should build a community 

"And that was always my focus, not millions and millions of views," CGE says. "It was always a dedicated, tightly-knit community. If you have a community backing you up, that helps with numerous things on YouTube."

Once you're part of a community, you have a built-in audience for your topic of choice. So before you start steaming, CGE recommends three things:

Build a niche community to grow your influence.

Finding your passion is the best way to kick off a YouTube channel because it helps you connect with the right viewers. So, what's your thing? Is it Zelda gaming? Peanut farming? Ballet dancing? No matter what you're doing, it helps if you're 

Once you've identified your passion, look for communities of people interested in the same thing. You can check spaces like Discord, Twitter, and even different Facebook groups to find your tribe. But once you're there, CGE says to engage with others genuinely and make real connections.

"Don't even think about your channel," he says. "Be involved in the community for the sake of being involved."

Once you're well-known in a community, it's time to build something of your own. Create an online group that aligns with your passion and YouTube channel, preferably somewhere outside of YouTube. That could be Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, or another platform. 

Nurture that audience, and soon enough, you'll begin to stand out for your niche. 

This creates one more place for people to discover your channel.

For example, CGE created "Spyro Community Day" on Twitter to meet new people and expand the topic beyond YouTube.

"We talked about the community and spent all day retweeting stuff, talking to people, and just speaking about the franchise," he says. "If that builds the community [you're streaming for], inevitably, your channel's going to grow."

If you've made it this far, you've found your passion, plus a community of people who share your interests. Now it's time for the fun part!

When you're ready to stream, CGE suggests you

and not daily. After all, you have to let people miss you. This builds anticipation for your content and keeps the spark alive on your channel.

"People then realize, 'Hey, I want to tune into that because it's not like he streams every day. He only streams on Thursdays and Fridays, and I want to catch him live,' " CGE explains.

In each livestream, CGE says you should advertise other communities you've built online. Tell people to follow your Twitch, TikTok, or Twitter, especially if that content aligns with your streams. 

It's a fantastic way to boost engagement.

For example, imagine what would happen if:

People from YouTube come to visit your Twitter.

Those same people engage with your tweets and 

Twitter blasts those tweets to more people, helping new viewers discover your channel.

Most likely, some of those people will find your livestreams, and another portion will decide to watch them. When this cycle repeats a few times, 

Phone showing the YouTube logo and sitting on paper money

If you have a healthy viewership, now's a good time to monetize your streams. Here's how to approach it from a genuine place, according to CGE.

6. Set a Donation Goal for Each Livestream

, you're more likely to achieve them? CGE does this by setting a monetary goal for each stream. He uses a donation progress bar

that everyone can see, which motivates more people to give! This typically happens through 

, which viewers purchase for $1-$500 and display a message of their choice at the top of the live chat.

"I have a donation bar on the bottom that tells everybody what it's for: monthly rent. It's set to $1,800. Nine times out of 10, the bar gets filled every month," CGE says.

 to earn Super Chats, so work on achieving that goal first!

7. Be Transparent About Where the Money Is Going

Once you've set a donation goal, tell viewers how you'll spend the money. Are you buying new camera equipment? Do you need help moving to a new city? Be as transparent as possible, and viewers will respect your request.

"For example, when my son was born, the donation bar said rent, and in brackets, it also said, 'And diapers,' " CGE says. "Because diapers are expensive, right?"

Let's say your viewers are highly engaged, and they reach your donation goal before the original deadline. What happens next? Should you stop accepting donations, or should you set a new goal?

"When the bar is filled, and let's say there's still two streams left, I just call it the Bonus Bar," CGE says. "I've been streaming for five years, and there were only three or four times the bar didn't get filled."

Your Blueprint Summarized: How to Monetize Live Streams

To quickly wrap up, here's the game plan if you want to make decent money as a YouTube live streamer:

Be transparent about where the money is going.

These are simple steps, but they require dedication, patience, and a strong focus on community building. Remember, it's about more than views or making money; you're building a community to support your journey.

If you want to see what that looks like, learn more about CGE's journey as a full-time creator below.

And if you're new to streaming, here's what to do before your first livestream.

Unlock the secret to making real money from YouTube livestreaming, just like gaming creator Canadian Guy Eh.

Going Live on YouTube: 8 Genius Hacks for Monetizing Your Streams

The popularity of live streaming has taken the online media world by storm in the last few years. According to research by Statista, over 

 were consumed in the last quarter of 2022! If you’ve ever felt the desire to stream your content live, now is the time.

When it comes to live streaming, there’s always more than what meets the eye. It’s never as easy as switching on the camera and hoping to strike gold. But, with the right mindset and preparation, you just might! Here are 6 things to remember before hitting the “Go Live” button:

What do talk show hosts and good YouTube live streamers have in common? 

They can pass off their whole show as improvisation. 

They make it look easy, but there’s a lot going on behind the scenes.

One of the most important things to remember when preparing for a live stream is to plan your content in advance. You don't want to find yourself struggling to come up with things to talk about during the stream. Instead, create a rough outline of the topics you'll be covering and prepare some notes to keep you on track. This will ensure that your stream stays focused and engaging.

2. Test Your Equipment and Internet Connection

Having a bad internet connection is probably the most frustrating thing for a streamer, followed closely by poor equipment.

Before going live, test your equipment and internet connection to ensure that everything is working correctly. Make sure your camera, microphone, and lighting are set up correctly and that your 

internet speed is fast enough to handle live streaming at your desired quality.

 Also, make sure your Live Control Room is set up properly. Here’s a video by YouTube Creators telling you how:

This might be controversial for some, but in this day and age, you simply have to promote your content. It could be as 

simple as scheduling your stream for a later time

You may also consider promoting on your social media channels, website, and email lists. Create a promotional video or image to share on your social media channels, and encourage your followers to set a reminder for the live stream. Consider collaborating with other creators to cross-promote your stream and reach a wider audience.

The Top 5 YouTube Collaboration Ideas to Try Right Now

4. Choose Your Title and Thumbnail Wisely

Like all other content on YouTube, your streams need a creative title and eye-catching thumbnail. This can be a make-or-break factor for the success of your streams, as many people notice the thumbnail and title first.

Your content type plays a massive role in building the right thumbnail style. So before you open up Photoshop or Canva, think deeply about the videos you’re creating on YouTube. 

Think about creating winning thumbnails that your audience would love

Also, the quality of your titles may determine whether someone clicks on your live stream or scrolls right past it. Your titles should be the best blend of creativity and SEO, and the 

9 Ways to Write Exciting YouTube Titles for Your Videos

In the live streaming space, having a backup for your backup plan is a smart idea! No matter how well you plan, things can and will go wrong during a live stream.

Technical difficulties, unexpected interruptions, and other issues are extremely hurtful to your practice as a responsible live streamer. Always have a backup plan in place, such as pre-recorded content or a backup internet connection. This will ensure that you can quickly switch to an alternative option if something goes wrong.

OK, so you’ve followed every piece of advice here, but let's say your first stream didn’t get you any views. Believe it or not, every live stream creator has been there!

They say good things take time, so you need to be prepared when the opportunity comes. Committing to a schedule means you’ll do the work regardless of the view count. So, make a plan and execute. If you’re looking to build up a following, try to go live at a regular, consistent time. The views will follow soon.

Live streaming is set to become a $247 billion industry by 2027

. And YouTube being the main competitor to Twitch signifies the potential for growth and opportunity. 

Following these steps will get you started with live streaming on YouTube. If you want to take your game to the next level, 

check out these tools that’ll make your livestreams even better!

If you're ready to start live streaming on YouTube, keep these factors in mind for a better chance at success!

6 Things to Do Before Your First YouTube Live Stream

In the last few years, livestreaming has become increasingly popular for interacting with viewers, nurturing relationships, and

. By showing up week after week to entertain your audience, you bring yourself closer to every creator's dream: rapid channel growth.

Plus, with YouTube making livestream VODs available in real-time, the potential for creating other forms of content from a single livestream is huge! That alone makes it one of the best types of content to have on your channel.

To enable live streaming on YouTube, follow the steps below:


1. Make sure you have a verified YouTube account and are in good standing with YouTube.

2. On a computer, visit YouTube and click on the camera icon in the top right corner.

4. Fill in the details for your stream, including title, description, privacy settings, and monetization options. Also, while you’re on the monetization tab, don't forget to turn on the “Supers.”

5. Set up your encoding software according to YouTube's recommended settings.

6. Preview your stream to make sure everything looks good, and you're set to start your stream!

Note that you may need to wait up to 24 hours after verifying your account before you can go live. If you want to stream from your mobile phone, you must 

fulfill the YouTube Partner Program criteria

You can click on the in-built “webcam” option to stream on YouTube right away. Or, you can set up your own streaming software.

But, in order to give your audience the best viewing experience, you need to use certain livestream tools right now. Here are five that are really beneficial:

Livestreaming requires a stable and high-quality internet connection because the video and audio data is transmitted in real-time. Viewers have a bad experience if the speed of the internet connection is not reliable, irrespective of the content.

Remember, this isn’t just the download speed we’re talking about. Delivering the best streams requires a high upload speed. Make sure your internet delivers at least 30 Mbps of upload speed. 

A wired (ethernet) connection is almost always a better choice than Wi-Fi for streaming

To take the quality of your streams to the next level, you need to use streaming software. This is a program that acts as a video encoder and allows you to broadcast live video and audio over the internet.

If you're just starting out with streaming, 

 is a great choice. It's free, open source, and easy to use. With OBS Studio, you can easily record your screen or webcam, add custom graphics and overlays, and even switch between multiple camera angles.

 which allows you to stream your content to multiple platforms simultaneously, including Twitch, Facebook, and more. You can also add alerts and connect with different people directly on StreamYard.

Now, understandably, adding custom content like graphics, overlays, and tickers can give your stream that edge over ordinary ones. But how do you do it?

To create custom graphics and overlays for your YouTube livestream, you can use software such as 

 or GIMP. Here are some steps to get started:

Determine the size and format you want for your graphics and overlays. This will depend on the dimensions of your livestream window.

Create a new file in your graphics software with the appropriate dimensions and format.

Design your graphics and overlays using the various tools available in the software. You can create text, shapes, and images to add to your design.

Once you have finished your design, export it in a format that is compatible with your livestreaming software. Common formats include PNG and JPEG.

Import your graphics and overlays into your livestreaming software and position them on the screen as desired.

You can always use services like Envato Elements to take this burden off your shoulders. Their high-quality assets, such as graphics, fonts, templates, photos, videos, and audio files, will elevate your live video production value while saving you time and energy.

Remember to keep your design simple and easy to read, as viewers may have little time to process the information on the screen. Also, test your graphics and overlays before going live to ensure they are displaying correctly.

 to take this burden off your shoulders. Their high-quality assets, such as graphics, fonts, templates, photos, videos, and audio files, will elevate your live video production value while saving you time and energy.

This one is totally optional. But if you want to see those cool custom designs you created utilized to their full potential, you need a stream deck.

A stream deck is a personalized device that streamers can use to rapidly and effortlessly accomplish specific activities while streaming. It has physical buttons that can be programmed to perform tasks such as opening programs, controlling audio mixers, and switching scenes.

A stream deck can be a useful tool for streamers who want to streamline their workflow and make it easier to engage with their audience. By using a stream deck, you can focus on your content and interact with viewers more effectively.

Buying a stream deck could be a very costly affair, with decent products priced at a minimum of around $200. A cheap (or free) solution could be using software or apps which could turn any mobile devices you own into a customizable stream deck! You can use tools like Touch Portal, Stream Deck Mobile, Deckboard, etc.

All of the equipment we mentioned above will create an enjoyable stream for your viewers but adding a few accessories can enhance the experience even more. So, if you do have some dollars to spare, this is the time to spend them.

To stream video games, you need to purchase a capture card. A capture card is a device that allows you to record and stream gameplay from video game consoles or a PC. It is typically installed in a PCIe slot on a computer and connects to the gaming console or PC via HDMI. The capture card then captures the video and audio signal, which can then be streamed.

If gaming is not your thing, then your primary investment should be better audio-visual livestreaming equipment. A well-lit stream with good audio affects the overall quality of a stream the most and you want to make sure it’s in the best shape.

Using these tools will make your viewers happy and keep they’ll come back for more of your quality content! 

Male livestreamer celebrating at his desk

Certain tools can take your livestreaming content to the next level if used properly. Here are a few that we recommend you to start using today!

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