Periscope’s new remuneration platform lets viewers send tips to their favourite content producers. They’re calling it ‘Super Hearts’.

Adding Super to Hearts

Periscope’s basic Heart feature is a free and familiar way for viewers to show their love for a video stream, similar to a ‘like’ or a ‘thumbs-up’. Super Hearts add money to the mix, representing an actual gift that viewers can give to whichever Periscope producer tickles their fancy.

How and why to send Super Hearts

Periscope viewers make an in-app purchase to get Super Hearts, which Periscope describes as ‘larger, animated and more fun to give’. They then give them out to their favourite stream stars.

The Super Hearts icon appears right on the broadcast interface, so finding it is easy—or unavoidable. It’s gamified too: the most generous Hearters will appear on a leader board.

But it’s not all hollow aesthetics: a Super Heart represents a gratuity for the content producer. It’s a new way video makers can make money from their efforts.

Early issues

Already, some have bemoaned the proportion of the Heart value that producers actually receive, noting that the App store takes a cut, then Periscope takes another slice of what’s left.

There’s also been issues about producers losing money if they delete a video archive.

Do you like this new direction for video stream monetisation?

Copy Transmission is a Melbourne-based agency :: Better Brands. Loud & Clear.