Ryan Wyatt, the managing director of gaming and commerce at YouTube, shared on Twitter that, following requests from the community, YouTube is testing a so-called “subcribers-only mode,” which will enable creators to host exclusive chats their subscribers.
The aim of the feature is to streamline chats to more dedicated fan groups.
Per a YouTube support post, the test is only available to “a small number of creators,” though the platform said it hopes to roll it out more fully in the future. To access the subscribers-only chat feature, creators can go to their ‘Live Control Rooms’, click ‘Edit’, click ‘Live Chat’, and then select ‘Subscribers’ under ‘Who Can Send A Message’.
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Creators can also limit chats to anyone, to channel members (who pay a monthly fee), or to specific individuals (pictured above).
On Twitter, Wyatt noted that creators can specify how long viewers need to be subscribed in order to participate in chats, with settings that can be changed before or during live streams or video Premieres.
SUBS-ONLY MODE LAUNCHED:
Great news, we’ve kicked-off “Subs Only Chat” for Live Streamers!
This has been a big creator request for live streaming, and we’re excited to debut it. More to come!
Learn more: https://t.co/kqJpZOLxUQ pic.twitter.com/2gsMTqk8tX
— Ryan Wyatt (@Fwiz) May 6, 2021