Twitter-owned live video streaming platform Periscope received an update on Wednesday that introduces a new feature enabling broadcasters to earn revenue for the first time.

Since Periscope's inception, viewers have embraced the "like" or "heart" function as a way to show their appreciation for broadcasts while they're streaming, but until now there's been no means for users to reward broadcasters monetarily.

Periscope Super Hearts Banner
However, as of this week, viewers can now purchase "Super Hearts" and reward live broadcasters, who can then cash out the value of the virtual goods at the end of each month. The hearts are similar to "cheering", the paid reward in rival Amazon broadcast platform Twitch.

Any user of Periscope can buy and send Super Hearts during live streams, but not for replays. Hearts are purchased within the app using newly introduced virtual currency, Periscope Coins, which range in price from 99 cents for 1,050 to 132,650 for $100.

Super Hearts come in three types with increasing price, in order to enable viewers to reward broadcasters with larger amounts in one go and appear higher up in the live chat stream. Broadcasters who gain Super Hearts will see them as stars in their profile, and to cash them out they have to enroll in Periscope's new "Super Broadcasters" program, which requires filling out an application and tax form.

Periscope is a free download for iPad and iPhone available on the App Store. [Direct Link]

Top Rated Comments

Jimbo Asprilla Avatar
102 months ago
I predict a lack of clothing ahead...
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
satchmo Avatar
102 months ago
Fixed that for you...

Periscope Introduces Virtual Currency Allowing Narcissists to Earn Revenue
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macfacts Avatar
102 months ago
In before Apple demands 30%.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
78Bandit Avatar
102 months ago
In before Apple demands 30%.
I think you're too late. This falls right in line with Apple's guidelines about in-app "tipping" a couple of weeks ago. I can see Apple either demanding the "cheering" tool be disabled in the iOS app or for the app developer to pay the fee.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
adamjackson Avatar
102 months ago
I really hope this platform works. Directly paying for content instead of subsidizing through ads is the best way to build a relationship between a consumer and a creator.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
icehockey77 Avatar
102 months ago
I predict a lack of clothing ahead...
Luckily they bought Jian-Yang's "Hot Dog, Not Hot Dog" tech.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Friday April 18, 2025 5:16 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
iphone 17 air dummy unbox therapy

iPhone 17 Air's Extreme Thinness Demoed in New Video

Tuesday April 22, 2025 10:22 am PDT by
Apple plans to release an all-new super thin iPhone this year, debuting it alongside the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. We've seen pictures of dummy models, cases, and renders with the design, but Lewis Hilsenteger of Unbox Therapy today showed off newer dummy models that give us a better idea of just how thin the "iPhone 17 Air" will be. The iPhone 17 Air is expected to be ...
iphone 17 dummies sonny dickson

iPhone 17 Air Almost as Thin as Its Buttons, New Images Show

Thursday April 24, 2025 2:14 am PDT by
If you missed the video showing dummy models of Apple's all-new super thin iPhone 17 Air that's expected later this year, Sonny Dickson this morning shared some further images of the device in close alignment with the other dummy models in the iPhone 17 lineup, indicating just how thin it is likely to be in comparison. The iPhone 17 Air is expected to be around 5.5mm thick – with a thicker ...
ipad air windows 11 arm

M2 iPad Air Runs Windows 11 ARM via Emulation, Thanks to EU Rules

Tuesday April 22, 2025 5:01 am PDT by
A developer has demonstrated Windows 11 ARM running on an M2 iPad Air using emulation, which has become much easier since the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) regulations came into effect. As spotted by Windows Latest, NTDev shared an instance of the emulation on social media and posted a video on YouTube (embedded below) demonstrating it in action. The achievement relies on new EU regulatory...
iphone 16 pro models 1

17 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17

Thursday April 17, 2025 4:12 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you skipped the iPhone...
iOS 18

iOS 18.5 Includes Only a Few Changes So Far

Monday April 21, 2025 11:00 am PDT by
Apple seeded the third beta of iOS 18.5 to developers today, and so far the software update includes only a few minor changes. The changes are in the Mail and Settings apps. In the Mail app, you can now easily turn off contact photos directly within the app, by tapping on the circle with three dots in the top-right corner. In the Settings app, AppleCare+ coverage information is more...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...