Guide for live creators · 7 min read
How to earn from your live streams
When to go live, how to keep people watching, the ways fans can support you while you’re on, and what to do the moment you end.
The short version
- Go live at the same time every week, so fans can plan around you.
- The first minute decides who stays. Say hello by name and tell people what’s coming.
- Give fans a reason to support you: a goal to fill, or a gift that gets them something.
- The live isn’t over when you end it. Thank people, post the replay, and set the next one.
Before you go live
Most good lives are decided before you press the button.
- 1
Pick a regular time
Same day, same time, every week. A regular slot turns “I hope I catch it” into a habit. Start with one live a week you know you can keep.
- 2
Announce it ahead
Tell people a few days before, and again an hour before. On ByUs, schedule the live from your dashboard so it shows on your page as “Upcoming live”, and fans can tap Notify me for a reminder.
- 3
Put your live link where your fans already are
Your bio, your video captions, your newsletter. On ByUs, your live link (byusapp.com/live/your-page-name) takes people straight to your live when you’re on, and lets them follow you for free when you’re not.
- 4
Plan three parts, not a script
A hello and a hook, the main thing (a Q&A, a build, a game, a tasting, a jam), and a wrap-up. Three loose parts keep you moving without sounding rehearsed.
- 5
Set one goal for the night
Something fans can help you reach together, like “$50 tonight and we unlock a bonus song.” On ByUs, set a gift goal before you go live and everyone watches the bar fill.
While you’re live
Six habits that keep people watching, and coming back.
- 1
Open strong
Skip the “is this working?” minute. Start with a hello, one sentence about what’s happening tonight, and something worth staying for.
- 2
Say names
Greet people as they arrive and thank every tip or gift by name, right away. It’s the single biggest reason people come back.
- 3
Repeat the plan
New people join all the time. Every 10 minutes or so, say what you’re doing and what the goal is.
- 4
Make support part of the fun
Not a sales pitch: a goal to hit together, a gift that gets a shoutout, a song request. Then do what you promised, every time.
- 5
Bring someone on
A guest or a friendly head-to-head with another creator brings their fans to you, and yours to them.
- 6
End with what’s next
Before you go, say when the next live is. On ByUs you can also raid: send everyone watching to another creator who’s live right now, and they may return the favor.
Ways fans can support you during a live
Give fans more than one way to join in, from free to big. Here’s how each one works on ByUs.
Cheers
Free hearts anyone watching can send. They cost fans nothing and make the live feel busy and warm.
Tips
Any amount, sent without leaving the live. Tips show in chat with the fan’s name, or “Someone” if they prefer.
Gifts
Thirty animated gifts, from a 1¢ Glow stick to $500. Fans open a gift tab once, then every gift is one tap, and they’re charged only for what they sent when the live ends.
A gift goal
A bar everyone can see fill, like “$50 tonight”. It turns gold when you hit it.
A gift menu
A short list of what each gift gets, like “Sunflower = shoutout”. Only promise what you’ll actually do.
Things you already sell
Pin a download, a membership or your video calls to the live, and fans buy without leaving. Give a download a short flash price with a countdown.
A call auction
Auction one of your video calls for a minute or two. Fans bid for free; the winner’s card is only charged after the call.
Members-only lives
Make some lives a perk just for members, and keep others open so new fans can find you.
On ByUs, you keep 70% of every live gift and tip, card processing included.
Live showdowns
Go head-to-head with another creator
Two creators, side by side, live. Fans pick a side and fill their creator’s power rod with free cheers, tips and gifts across 5-minute rounds. Both audiences meet each other, and each creator keeps their own tips, win or lose.
Pick a partner your size
Creators with similar audiences make the closest, most fun rounds.
Agree on a time
Both of you tell your fans in advance. Two audiences arriving at once is the whole point.
Keep it friendly
Cheer each other on. Fans enjoy a rivalry when it’s clearly all in good fun.
Share the link
Anyone signed in can watch at the showdown link, so post it everywhere. It’s how their fans find you.
After you end
Ten minutes after a live is worth an hour of planning the next one.
- 1
Thank your top supporters
Name them on your page or in your next post. People love being seen.
- 2
Post the replay
For members who missed it. On ByUs, your live shows up under Live streaming once it passes the safety check: post it as a replay, members only or public, with captions added automatically.
- 3
Read how it went
When a ByUs live ends, you see how long fans watched, the most people watching at once, gifts and tips, new members, and one tip for next time.
- 4
Schedule the next one
While it’s fresh. The best time to announce your next live is right after a good one.
Questions live creators ask
How much do I keep from live gifts and tips?
On ByUs, you keep 70% of every live gift and tip, with card processing included. Memberships, downloads and other sales keep their usual rate of 87–91%.
Do I need an app or special equipment?
No. You can go live on ByUs from your phone’s browser or a computer, with nothing to install. Your phone’s camera is enough to start. If you already use streaming software, you can stream to ByUs from that instead.
How long can I be live?
Each ByUs live can run up to 8 hours. Live time comes from your live credit: $40 free every month, plus 15¢ for every $1 your fans send in live gifts and tips.
Who can watch?
You choose each time: everyone with a free ByUs account, or members only. Open lives are better for growing; members-only lives make a good perk.
Can someone help keep the chat friendly?
Yes. On ByUs you can add up to 10 chat moderators who can remove messages and mute people. Links aren’t allowed in live chat.
I already stream somewhere else. Can my ByUs tips show there?
Yes. Add your ByUs on-screen alerts link to your streaming software, and ByUs tips, gifts and new members pop up on your stream wherever you go live.
Ready for your first live?
Go live on ByUs from your phone, with gifts, goals, showdowns and memberships on one page. Free to start, and Evan, the founder, will help you set it up for free.