Instagram has launched Badges in the United States, a feature that allows creators who use the Live feature to accept tips from their followers. Instagram Live allows users to broadcast live to their followers, making it a popular platform for musicians, comedians, podcasters, and other creatives. Indeed, as the world was shut down by the COVID-19 pandemic last year, many celebrities and artists turned to the platform to stay in touch with their fans.
Though live streams have long provided a platform for creatives to express themselves, it hasn’t always been easy for viewers to express their gratitude directly. Creators who wanted to accept money from their fans had to rely on third-party websites for a long time. While such services have filled a void, they do not always assist with spontaneous acts of generosity. Twitch introduced paid emotes and premium subscriptions as one of the first mainstream platforms to address the issue of fan-supported content. YouTube also offers channel subscriptions and Superchat, a feature that allows users to pay to have their comments featured prominently during a Livestream.
With Dubbed Badges, Instagram is catching up to other platforms by allowing users to directly support their favorite live-streamers. Fans can buy hearts to go alongside their username and elevate their comments during a live broadcast with the tool. The hearts come in three different packs: one for $0.99, two for $1.99, and three for $4.99. Followers who buy hearts are added to a supporter list, which the creator can see for 90 days.
Activating Badges for Instagram Live allows creators to keep 100% of the proceeds — minus any taxes and fees — until 2023. (It’s unclear what kind of levy Instagram will enact.) However, Instagram makes it clear that Badges purchased through its mobile apps are subject to Apple and Google’s 30% in-app payments fees. It’s worth noting that Facebook’s sibling company recently introduced a way to avoid such fees.
While Badges is now available to all Instagram Live creators in the United States, those interested must first have a business account. They can look at their Professional Dashboard to see if their profile is already monetizable. If it isn’t, users can request the status from within the app. While Badges is currently only available in the United States, some creators in other countries have been given early access.