Instagram Badges monetization Ezee — Young Ezee goes live on Instagram.
Instagram

Livestreaming is one way influencers can earn money creating content.
The format has taken off in the past year, with platforms like Twitch growing substantially.
Creators can earn money through tips, sponsored streams, selling products, and more.
See more stories on Insider's business page.

Over the past two years, livestreaming has seen a surge across major social-media platforms due to the pandemic and a growing appetite for video content. That's meant a boost of revenue for creators, who are making hundreds — and in some cases, more than $1,000 — of dollars per week going live.

Live shopping on platforms like Instagram or shopping-focused apps like PopShop Live, which influencers are helping popularize, is estimated to become a $6 billion market in the US this year. And marketers are betting on it becoming a top priority in the influencer industry for 2022.

Twitch, a platform designed for and around livestreaming, grew from 1.6 million average concurrent viewers in March 2020 to 2.5 million viewers last month, according to TwitchTracker which tracks analytics on the Amazon-owned site.

Whether they're going live on Twitch, Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube, influencers of all types are using the format to connect with fans and earn money.

Influencers can use livestreaming to make money by getting tips from viewers, landing paid partnerships with brands, selling products, or having viewers pay a fee to become a subscriber or channel member.

Lucy Davis, a 40-year-old ASMR content creator, built an audience of more than 500,000 followers by going live on TikTok. During each TikTok livestream, she can earn up to $300 from "gifts" — TikTok's virtual tipping feature — viewers send her.

James Curtis started streaming in April 2018 and gained a following by combining ASMR content with "Apex Legends" gameplay. He plays under the username "Darker4Serenity" and has over 27,000 followers. He earns around $2,600 per month from subscriptions, sponsorships, and donations on Twitch.

Insider has spoken with a handful of creators, startups, and industry insiders about the rise of livestreaming and how creators are making money by going live.