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Heroes of Might and Magic 3Gifts and Jewels
On YouTube live streams, viewers buy Jewels and spend them on animated gifts; the creator earns Rubies, worth one cent each at launch. Gifts started on vertical live streams in the US in November 2024 and now work on vertical and horizontal streams in many countries, for channels in the fan funding tier of the YouTube Partner Program.
YouTube gifts are animations a viewer sends during a live stream, paid for with Jewels, a currency bought in the YouTube app; each gift earns the streamer Rubies (Gifts on live streams), which YouTube said were worth 1 cent each, so 100 Rubies make $1, when the feature launched in November 2024. It began on vertical live streams in the US and now works on eligible vertical and horizontal live streams in many countries. Creators turn it on in YouTube Studio > Earn > Supers & gifts by accepting the Virtual Items Module; it belongs to the fan funding tier of the YouTube Partner Program.
Quick facts
| Viewer buys | Jewels |
| Creator earns | Rubies (1 cent each at launch) |
| Streams | Vertical and horizontal live streams |
| Creator needs | Fan funding tier of YPP, the Virtual Items Module, ID check in AdSense, age 18+ |
| Turn on | YouTube Studio > Earn > Supers & gifts |
| Not on | Age-restricted, unlisted, private, made for kids or YouTube Giving streams, or with chat off |
| Launched | Nov 14, 2024 (US, vertical streams) |
Sources: Gifts on live streams, Turn on gifts and Verify your identity for gifts, YouTube Help, and TechCrunch, as of Nov 6, 2026.
How do Jewels and gifts work?
A viewer buys a bundle of Jewels, then opens the gift picker during an eligible live stream and sends a gift, which plays on screen. The streamer earns Rubies for it, and Rubies are paid out as money through AdSense for YouTube. At launch YouTube told TechCrunch there was no fixed revenue share for gifts, because Jewel prices change with promotions, so the Rubies a purchase produces can vary (TechCrunch). Help today publishes no Jewel prices and no Ruby rate.
Jewels count toward the viewer spending limit YouTube applies to its paid live features: by Help's Super Chat page, $2,000 USD a day and $8,000 a week across Jewels, Super Chats, Super Stickers and Super Thanks combined (Super Chat and Super Stickers).
What kinds of gifts are there?
Help names four kinds (YouTube Help):
- Standard gifts and interactive effects: the basic gifts, some with short animations that follow the streamer's movements, marked by a purple sparkle in the picker.
- Gift effects: on-screen elements that interact with the streamer's surroundings, rolling out from Aug 28, 2025 with a target of every eligible US channel by Sep 22, 2025.
- Limited time gifts: seasonal designs for holidays and events.
- Gift combos: a sequence the sender can keep repeating, with a counter everyone in the stream sees.
How do I turn on gifts on YouTube?
On a computer (YouTube Help):
- Sign in to YouTube Studio and click Earn.
- Open the Supers & gifts tab and scroll to Turn on gifts in live streams.
- Click Get Started and accept the Virtual Items Module.
In the YouTube Studio app: Earn > Gifts > Turn on, then accept the module. Gifts then switch on by themselves for every eligible live stream.
The first time, creators who have not verified their identity in AdSense are asked to: a driver's license, passport, state ID or green card, with name and address, submitted on AdSense's Payment info page. Creators must be 18 or older; a younger creator monetizes through a parent's or guardian's AdSense account (YouTube Help).
Where gifts are not available
Not on age-restricted, unlisted, private or made for kids streams, on streams running a YouTube Giving fundraiser, or when live chat or comments are off (YouTube Help; Live Streaming, Made for Kids). Creators in many countries can turn gifts on, the US, UK, Canada, India, Japan, Brazil and Australia among them; Help keeps the full list.
How gifts started
YouTube announced Jewels and gifts on Nov 14, 2024, rolling out to eligible US creators streaming vertically, with gifts sent only from the mobile app. For three months eligible creators got a 50% bonus on gift earnings, up to $1,000 a month, and a creator who turned gifts on lost Super Stickers on vertical streams, which gifts replaced there. Horizontal streams and other countries came later.
Frequently asked questions
What are Jewels on YouTube? Jewels are a YouTube currency viewers buy to send animated gifts to creators during live streams. The creator earns Rubies for each gift.
How much is a Ruby worth on YouTube? At launch in November 2024, YouTube said creators got 1 cent per Ruby, so 100 Rubies equal $1. Help does not currently publish the rate.
Do YouTube gifts only work on vertical live streams? Not anymore. YouTube gifts started on vertical live streams in 2024; Help now lists eligible vertical and horizontal live streams.
Who can receive gifts on YouTube? Channels eligible for YouTube's fan funding features whose owners are 18 or older, accept the Virtual Items Module and verify their identity in AdSense, in a supported country.
Can I send YouTube gifts from a computer? At launch, YouTube gifts could be sent only from the mobile app. Help does not say whether that has changed.
Sources
- Gifts on live streams, YouTube Help, read Nov 6, 2026
- Turn on gifts, YouTube Help, read Nov 6, 2026
- Gift types, YouTube Help, read Nov 6, 2026
- Verify your identity for gifts, powered by Jewels, YouTube Help, read Nov 6, 2026
- Overview of the expanded YouTube Partner Program, YouTube Help, read Nov 6, 2026
- Buy a Super Chat or Super Sticker, YouTube Help, read Nov 6, 2026
- YouTube chases TikTok with new gifting feature for vertical livestreams, TechCrunch, Nov 14, 2024
Related
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Channel MembershipsYouTube channel memberships let viewers pay a creator monthly through the Join button for perks like badges, emoji and members-only videos. Creators need the fan funding tier of the YouTube Partner Program (500 subscribers), can offer up to 6 levels priced from $0.99 to $499.99 in the US, and keep 70% of net revenue.
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Creator PartnershipsYouTube Creator Partnerships, called BrandConnect until March 2026, is YouTube's marketplace where brands find creators for paid deals. Creators 18 or older in the YouTube Partner Program set a suggested price in YouTube Studio; the brand pays the creator directly, and the video must be marked as a paid promotion.
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Inauthentic and Reused ContentYouTube does not pay for mass-produced, templated or repetitive videos (inauthentic content, called repetitious content before Jul 15, 2025) or for other people's material reposted without meaningful changes (reused content). Both are judged across the whole channel, even with the owner's permission.
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Partner Program Changes in 2027From Feb 1, 2027, new YouTube Partner Program applicants need 1,000 subscribers plus 8,000 watch hours in a year or 20 million Shorts views in 90 days, Shorts revenue needs 10 million Shorts views every 90 days, and every partner must accept new terms in YouTube Studio by Jan 31, 2027.
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Reaction Videos and CompilationsYouTube monetizes reaction videos when you comment on the original, and compilations when you add a storyline and commentary. Mostly silent reactions, unnarrated clip compilations, social media clip roundups and mixes of different artists' songs are not eligible, even with permission.
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Super ThanksSuper Thanks lets YouTube viewers tip a creator on an ordinary video or Short; the buyer sees a one-time animation and posts a highlighted comment. Creators need the fan funding tier of the YouTube Partner Program and keep 70% of net revenue.
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US Tax WithholdingEvery YouTube Partner Program creator must give Google US tax info in AdSense for YouTube. Creators outside the US who do are taxed 0 to 30% on earnings from US viewers only, depending on their country's tax treaty; individuals who do not can lose 24% of all their YouTube earnings worldwide.
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YouTube ShoppingYouTube Shopping lets creators show products in their videos, Shorts, live streams and channel store. Partners can sell their own merch, and in 18 countries join the Shopping affiliate program (500 subscribers since Mar 25, 2026) to tag other brands' products and earn a commission set by the brand.
See also
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YouTube Partner ProgramThe YouTube Partner Program (YPP) is how creators earn from YouTube. Ads need 1,000 subscribers plus 4,000 public watch hours in 12 months or 10 million Shorts views in 90 days; fan funding and Shopping open earlier, at 500 subscribers. New applicants need 8,000 hours or 20 million Shorts views from Feb 1, 2027.
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AdSense for YouTubeAdSense for YouTube is the Google account that pays YouTube creators. Earnings are credited between the 7th and 12th of each month and paid between the 21st and 26th once the balance reaches the $100 payment threshold, after the address is verified with a mailed PIN at $10.
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Super Chat and Super StickersSuper Chat lets YouTube viewers pay to highlight a message in a live stream or Premiere chat, and Super Stickers to post an animated sticker there. Creators need the fan funding tier of the YouTube Partner Program (500 subscribers) and get 70% of net revenue.
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Live StreamingTo live stream on YouTube a channel must be verified, have no live streaming restrictions in the past 90 days and belong to someone at least 16; streaming from a phone also needs 50 subscribers. The first time can take up to 24 hours to switch on; then go live from a webcam, a phone or an encoder like OBS.
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Made for KidsEvery YouTube creator must say whether each video is made for kids, children under 13 in the US, in YouTube Studio under Settings > Channel > Advanced settings or per video. Made for kids videos lose comments, personalized ads, the notification bell, end screens and more, a rule that came from YouTube's $170 million COPPA settlement with the FTC in 2019.
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Advertiser-Friendly GuidelinesYouTube's advertiser-friendly guidelines decide whether a monetized video can earn full ads (green dollar icon), limited ads (yellow) or none. They cover 14 topics, from language and violence to controversial issues, and partners rate their own videos through self-certification and can ask for a human review.