Clips and sub-only mode now available to everyone on YouTube

Fariha Bhatti • 15/Jul/21 • 05:52

Earlier this year, YouTube introduced new, Twitch-like features exclusively for select streamers to try out. The platform has now opened the door to almost everyone. 

Team YouTube announced that all streamers can now try out polls, clips, and subscribers-only chat mode features. The three tools are out of beta testing and will now be available to all gaming creators. 

Twitch has dominated the video game streaming scene for years now without a single legitimate competitor. YouTube recently dipped its toes into the gaming realm and managed to level the playing field to some degree with its more flexible rules and regulations. Still, YouTube has been playing from behind in part due to a lack of the signature features that streamers coming in from Twitch are accustomed to. 

In January, YouTube introduced the feature to create clips from other creators’ live streams and VODs. This announcement was followed by another Twitch-like feature, sub-only chat mode. These features weren’t available to the majority of creators or fans. 

“Today we’re sharing three highly requested product updates that we know streamers and gaming creators have been waiting for. With these features we’re making interacting with your live audience and sharing memorable moments from your content even easier.” YouTube said. 

Streamers with clips enabled on their channel allow their viewers to select make a brief highlight by clicking the clip icon. From there, a portion the larger video can be sliced out.

Clips will only be accessible on normal channels with more than 1,000 subscribers. YouTube clarified that all gaming creators, regardless of the number of subscribers, will soon be able to access the feature. Streamers will also be able to create polls during live streams, which will help them engage with viewers.

All of these features can be customized on the back-end. With these three products coming to Google’s video platform, former Twitch streamers will feel more at home. 

The Twitch-style features show that YouTube is still committed to growing its presence in the gaming ecosystem. The company has made a number of aggressive moves to make make the platform more accommodating for gaming content in the past.

Star streamer Rachell “Valkyrae” Hofstetter expressed that she misses the Twitch “emote” culture on YouTube. That could be the next area that Google expands in.