Instagram Expands Live Stream Badges to All Eligible Profiles and Creators in the US

After rolling them out to selected creators over the past few months, Instagram is now making its badges in Instagram Live stream broadcasts available to all eligible profiles in the US.

Instagram’s live stream badges appear alongside comments when the commenter has paid to add ‘extra flair’ to their contribution.

The badges can be purchased from Instagram – ranging from $0.99 for one heart, to $4.99 for three – with the revenue generated going back to the creator (after any fees). That provides a means to both offer direct financial support to your favorite streamers in the app, while also giving viewers a way to highlight their comments, which could then give the streamer more reason to acknowledge them and interact.

The first image above shows the new ‘Apply for Monetization’ option in your IG dashboard, which will enable more creators to get access to badges.

As explained by Instagram:

 “Creators who meet the eligibility criteria will be able to apply by going to “Profile” and tapping “Professional Dashboard”. If they’re eligible, but not yet approved for monetization, they can apply in-app by tapping “Apply for monetization” and check their Professional Dashboard for status updates.”

So what are the requirements exactly?

In order to get access to live stream badges, creators must be aged over 18, and have a Creator or Business account in the app. They also need to have over 10k followers, and they need to be compliant with the platform’s various partner monetization policies and community guidelines.

Also, to clarify, badges are only available to creators in the US for now.

It’s the latest in Instagram’s growing slate of creator monetization tools, which it continues to expand upon as the battle for top creative talent heats up between the big social apps. Virtually every app now has a creator monetization pathway in place to encourage them to keep posting – even LinkedIn has recently launched a new $25 million Creator Accelerator program to retain its top talent.

Instagram, specifically, also has its Reels bonuses program, based on various content performance drivers, which is part of Meta’s larger, billion-dollar funding initiative for creators. Instagram’s also added a digital storefront option for creators that are taking part in its affiliate program, a new ‘Partnership’ messaging folder to better facilitate brand collaborations, and it’s working on various other monetization tools, including gated content, user subscriptions and more.

Live stream badges are another element, and if you’re regularly streaming in the app, and looking to build an audience, it could be a good way to enhance community connection, while it could also entice more creators from other platforms across to IG Live stream instead, as a means to either expand their audience reach or diversify their revenue.

Either way, it’s good news for creators, with more options to consider for building your presence and making money by streaming in the app