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Facebook announces paid-for livestreams, more tips

Artists and event organisers will be able to create online-only events, as well as charge a fee, says Facebook, whose stars tipping tool is also being overhauled

By IQ on 28 Apr 2020

Facebook Events

A mocked-up paid Facebook event


image © Facebook

Facebook is to allow artists to charge for access to online performances, the social media giant announced over the weekend amid a flurry of other new video-related features.

Recognising the growing “demand for real-time video” while much of the world is shut indoors due to coronavirus, an announcement from Facebook says says it will, for the first time, allow organisers to mark events as online only, as well as charge guests for access, enabling artists to monetise livestreamed performances.

“To support creators and small businesses, we plan to add the ability for pages to charge for access to events with live videos on Facebook – anything from online performances to classes to professional conferences,” reads a blog post from the company.

“We plan to add the ability for pages to charge for access to events with live videos on Facebook”

The update will also enable event creators to raise money for charitable and other causes, with the ability to add a ‘donate’ button to live videos. It is not yet known what commission Facebook will take from either donations or paid live streams.

Elsewhere, the company is also expanding its ‘stars’ feature – a virtual currency used to tip streamers, akin to cheers on Twitch or bars on YouNow – to a wider range of content creators in more countries.

The expansion of stars, which earn video streamers one US cent per star given, comes as other media platforms, including Spotify and SoundCloud, look towards tipping as a means of helping artists and other creators make more money during the global Covid-19 shutdown.

 


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