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Best Apps for Getting Paid to Live Stream 2022: Expert Review
We tested popular live-streaming apps to help you start making more money online. Why wait to get started? Check out our top 5!

Table of Contents
Great for small business owners and creatives
Instagram is great for creatives and entrepreneurs looking to build their audience.
Why we chose Instagram:
- Great opportunities for business owners and creatives alike
- Can be used to create a sales funnel, and find customers to buy products you sell outside of Instagram
- Instagram is a popular app for brands to use to advertise, so you can work with brands to become an affiliate.
- Great app for making money over time regardless of if you have 1k followers or 100k followers
Instagram allows you to essentially create a job, and there is infinite potential to earnings over time.
Read Instagram's Full ReviewAd generated Income
Youtube has been used as a means to create secondary income by users for years. Some use Youtube as their primary income source, so this is a great space for content creators of practically any kind.
Why we chose YouTube:
- By offering something unique and building an audience, there are practically limitless ways to build income.
- Youtube is a content creator’s paradise since it is a popular platform that people from every background and interest use.
- Income can be generated through ad revenue for ads viewed before and during your videos.
- Users can become a member of Youtube Premium to earn more for their ad views.
In order to create income, you must have something to offer.
The App for Gamers
Twitch is a community-focused app centered around the gaming community. So if you are a gamer, this is the app for you.
Why we chose Twitch:
- After meeting criteria such as 50 followers and an average of 3 reviews per stream, you can join the affiliate program and start getting paid
- This app is made for gamers, so it’s a great place to form a community for gamers.
- Viewers can donate Twitch Bits, which they pay for, as a way to pay gamers
- Users can make more money, the more people view their streams.
Twitch is a great app for gamers to create income and connect with other gamers.
Read Twitch's Full ReviewThe Power of New
While TikTok has gained a ton of traction, it is still much newer than apps like Instagram and Facebook. Therefore there are less users. Less users means better chances of going viral and creating revenue overnight.
Why we chose TikTok:
- TikTok users can go live and receive coin donations from viewers similar to other apps covered in this article.
- Users convert their coins into diamonds, which convert into PayPal money or cash.
- Viewers can donate coins to users when they go live, which convert to cash
- TikTok's newness factor makes it easier to go viral, get discovered, and create income overnight.
- Creators and business owners can flaunt their skills and build a customer base.
TikTok has the freshness factor, and you can use that to your advantage.
Read TikTok's Full ReviewTried and True
Facebook is a tried and true way of building a customer base for your business or creative endeavors, and its live features align perfectly with these goals.
Why we chose Facebook:
- Facebook Live gives you an accessible way to interact with your community
- Users can make money through ads that play during their video content similarly to Youtube
- Paid subscription options allow users to make money from viewers who subscribe to their page.
- Affiliations with other brands also help users create income.
Facebook is recognizable to so many people from different backgrounds, which makes it a great place to find a broad and diverse audience.
Read Facebook's Full ReviewEverything We Recommend
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Our PickInstagram (from Facebook) allows you to create and share your photos, stories, and videos with the friends and followers you care about. Connect with friends, share what you're up to, or see what's new from others all over the world. Explore our community where you can feel free to be yourself and share everything from your daily moments to life's highlights.
INSTA Reels bring you a new way to create and discover entertaining short videos. You can watch, like, comment, and share Reels videos in a dedicated space in Explore.
*Watch & create short clips up to 15 seconds long with INSTA Reels.
Add special effects, background music, face filters, emojis, and stickers to bring your ideas to life
Upload your creative video clips and expand your audience with Explore
Enjoy millions of entertaining, funny, and informative videos
Watch & share any Instagram Reels video with your friends
*Add photos and videos to your INSTA Story that disappear after 24 hours, and bring them to life with fun creative tools.
Stories allow you to easily share moments or posts from your day with text, music, stickers, and GIFs to bring your Stories to life
Share memes privately with your friends and have conversations
Boomerangs loop any moment you capture for a fun mini-video while Superzoom lets you add special effects as the camera automatically zooms in
Add polls to your Stories to get more interaction with friends and followers
Choose specific Close Friends who can watch your video clips or make them public
Pin your favorite memories to your profile to keep your Stories alive as Highlights
* Message your friends in Direct
Start fun conversations with one or more friends about what you see on Feed, Stories, and INSTA Reels.
Video chat to connect no matter where you are
Learn about what's trending from your favorite accounts and send them to friends
Send messages to your friends, share posts privately, and receive chat notifications
* Post photos and videos to your INSTA Feed
Upload photos and videos directly from your phone library
Share content with your followers instantly
Post photos and videos to your feed that you want to show on your profile
Post short videos or photo updates from moments in your life
Receive notifications when someone likes or comments on your post
*Search & Explore to Learn More About Your Interests
* Follow your favorite bands, celebrities, actors, athletes, and singers for live updates
* Watch skits, movie scenes, news updates, music performances, sports highlights, and more from your favorite pages
* Check out IGTV for longer videos from your favorite INSTA creators.
* Discover brands and connect with local small businesses
* Shop for products that compliment your personal style.CostFreeFreeIn-App Purchases$0.05 - $99.99 per item$0.99 - $4.99 per item -
Runner UpGet the official YouTube app on Android phones and tablets. See what the world is watching -- from the hottest music videos to what’s popular in gaming, fashion, beauty, news, learning and more. Subscribe to channels you love, create content of your own, share with friends, and watch on any device.
Watch and subscribe
● Browse personal recommendations on Home
● See the latest from your favorite channels in Subscriptions
● Look up videos you’ve watched, liked, and saved for later in Library
Explore different topics, what’s popular, and on the rise (available in select countries)
● Stay up to date on what’s popular in music, gaming, beauty, news, learning and more
● See what’s trending on YouTube and around the world on Explore
● Learn about the coolest Creators, Gamers, and Artists on the Rise (available in select countries)
Connect with the YouTube community
● Keep up with your favorites creators with Posts, Stories, Premieres, and Live streams
● Join the conversation with comments and interact with creators and other community members
Create content from your mobile device
● Create or upload your own videos directly in the app
● Engage with your audience in real time with live streaming right from the app
Find the experience that fits you and your family (available in select countries)
● Every family has their own approach to online video. Learn about your options: the YouTube Kids app or a new parent supervised experience on YouTube at youtube.com/myfamily
Support creators you love with channel memberships (available in select countries)
● Join channels that offer paid monthly memberships and support their work
● Get access to exclusive perks from the channel & become part of their members community
● Stand out in comments and live chats with a loyalty badge next to your username
Upgrade to YouTube Premium (available in select countries)
● Watch videos uninterrupted by ads, while using other apps, or when the screen is locked
● Save videos for when you really need them – like when you’re on a plane or commuting
● Get access to YouTube Music Premium as part of your benefitsCostFreeFreeIn-App PurchasesNo$1.99 - $22.99 per item -
Also Groovy
Twitch: Live Game Streaming
4.5 Ratings 7M+ Reviews 100M+ DownloadsWatch livestream gaming videos, Esports and any IRL broadcast on your Android device! Stream your favorite MMO RPG, strategy and FPS games for PS4, PS5, PC, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. Twitch gives you live streaming and gamer chat in the palm of your hand.
Sports are here. Tune into your favorites: basketball, baseball, soccer, football, swimming, wrestling, hockey, pool, and much more through talk shows, league channels, Fantasy, and ESports.
Live chat as you watch gamers play everything from Valorant to League of Legends. Watch Fortnite Battle Royale, Minecraft Sessions, 2k Blacktop, Overwatch killstreaks, and FIFA showdowns. Multiplayer games not your thing? Livestream any IRL content you can think of, from art demos to animal videos!
Twitch Game Live Streaming and Chat: TOP 3 FEATURES
1. Watch gamers play any single or multiplayer game; with Minecraft, Fortnite, CS:GO, PUBG, FIFA, League of Legends, Call of Duty, Valorant, Grand Theft Auto, Overwatch, World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade, Apex, WildRift, Garena Free Fire and much more. You can really let your gaming flag fly! Stream content from the biggest MMO RPG, MOBA, strategy and FPS games out there, or settle in for nail-biting Esports tournaments.
2. Live chat during any gaming, Esports and IRL broadcast. Connect with your favorite streamers and fellow gamers to talk strategy and gameplan.
3. Broadcast your very own gaming content! Livestream GTA on Xbox One, build Minecraft monoliths on Nintendo Switch, take down your Fortnite enemies on PS5, dive into WildRift on your mobile device, or show off in Valorant on PC!
Looking for something other than gaming? Join live discussions around your favorite sports, listen to podcasts, check out music concerts, or just chat within the community.
+ Stream interactive live news videos with exclusive content for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC.
+ Watch unique programming: livestream anything from art demos, to music festivals, to just chatting with others!
+ Discover new multiplayer games and IRL videos with ease thanks to simple and intuitive navigation.
+ Switch to Dark Mode for those late night viewing and gamer chat sessions.
Join the millions of hardcore and casual gamers who have found a place to connect over the MOBA or FPS games they love. Take your passion to the next level with Twitch!
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For feedback and assistance, please visit our Support Center: https://help.twitch.tv
Please note: This app features Nielsen’s proprietary measurement software which contributes to market research, like Nielsen’s TV Ratings. Please see http://priv-policy.imrworldwide.com/priv/mobile/us/en/optout.html for more informationCostFreeFreeIn-App Purchases$0.99 - $299.50 per item$1.99 - $59.99 per itemTikTok
4.6 Ratings 62M+ Reviews 1B+ DownloadsTikTok is THE destination for mobile videos. On TikTok, short-form videos are exciting, spontaneous, and genuine. Whether you’re a sports fanatic, a pet enthusiast, or just looking for a laugh, there’s something for everyone on TikTok. All you have to do is watch, engage with what you like, skip what you don’t, and you’ll find an endless stream of short videos that feel personalized just for you. From your morning coffee to your afternoon errands, TikTok has the videos that are guaranteed to make your day.
We make it easy for you to discover and create your own original videos by providing easy-to-use tools to view and capture your daily moments. Take your videos to the next level with special effects, filters, music, and more.
■ Watch endless amount of videos customized specifically for you
A personalized video feed based on what you watch, like, and share. TikTok offers you real, interesting, and fun videos that will make your day.
■ Explore videos, just one scroll away
Watch all types of videos, from Comedy, Gaming, DIY, Food, Sports, Memes, and Pets, to Oddly Satisfying, ASMR, and everything in between.
■ Pause recording multiple times in one video
Pause and resume your video with just a tap. Shoot as many times as you need.
■ Be entertained and inspired by a global community of creators
Millions of creators are on TikTok showcasing their incredible skills and everyday life. Let yourself be inspired.
■ Add your favorite music or sound to your videos for free
Easily edit your videos with millions of free music clips and sounds. We curate music and sound playlists for you with the hottest tracks in every genre, including Hip Hop, Edm, Pop, Rock, Rap, and Country, and the most viral original sounds.
■ Express yourself with creative effects
Unlock tons of filters, effects, and AR objects to take your videos to the next level.
■ Edit your own videos
Our integrated editing tools allow you to easily trim, cut, merge and duplicate video clips without leaving the app.
* Any feedback? Contact us at https://www.tiktok.com/legal/report/feedback or tweet us @tiktok_usCostFreeFreeIn-App Purchases$0.99 - $249.99 per item$0.99 - $249.99 per itemKeeping up with friends is faster and easier than ever. Share updates and photos, engage with friends and Pages, and stay connected to communities important to you.
Features on the Facebook app include:
* Connect with friends and family and meet new people on your social media network
* Set status updates & use Facebook emoji to help relay what’s going on in your world
* Share photos, videos, and your favorite memories.
* Get notifications when friends like and comment on your posts
* Find local social events, and make plans to meet up with friends
* Play games with any of your Facebook friends
* Backup photos by saving them in albums
* Follow your favorite artists, websites, and companies to get their latest news
* Look up local businesses to see reviews, operation hours, and pictures
* Buy and sell locally on Facebook Marketplace
* Watch live videos on the go
The Facebook app does more than help you stay connected with your friends and interests. It's also your personal organizer for storing, saving and sharing photos. It's easy to share photos straight from your Android camera, and you have full control over your photos and privacy settings. You can choose when to keep individual photos private or even set up a secret photo album to control who sees it.
Facebook also helps you keep up with the latest news and current events around the world. Subscribe to your favorite celebrities, brands, news sources, artists, or sports teams to follow their newsfeeds, watch live streaming videos and be caught up on the latest happenings no matter where you are!
The most important desktop features of Facebook are also available on the app, such as writing on timelines, liking photos, browsing for people, and editing your profile and groups.
Now you can get early access to the next version of Facebook for Android by becoming a beta tester. Learn how to sign up, give feedback and leave the program in our Help Center: http://on.fb.me/133NwuP
Sign up directly here:
http://play.google.com/apps/testing/com.facebook.katana
Problems downloading or installing the app? See http://bit.ly/GPDownload1
Still need help? Please tell us more about the issue. http://bit.ly/invalidpackage
Facebook is only available for users age 13 and over.
Terms of Service: http://m.facebook.com/terms.php.CostFreeFreeIn-App Purchases$0.05 - $399.99 per item$0.99 - $19.99 per item
The 411 from our Appventurer
How we tested?
For each of these apps, I tested them by looking through the guidelines and rules on each app to see how streaming worked and what kinds of topics were the focus of streams for that particular app. I also researched these apps by reading user reviews and articles about how to make money on the apps.
Many of these apps work best by getting lucky and going viral or by building an audience and curated page over time. I focused on which apps could result in the most benefits by using them to their fullest potential.
I also looked at which apps had membership fees and which ones were free to help determine where each app ranked. Since my focus is on which apps can help you make the most money, it didn’t make sense to focus on ones that weren’t guaranteed to make you money but required a fee to try.
I myself am a writer and focus on using social media as a way to create an audience and make more sales over time. Making money on apps requires practice and learning some basic business skills like any form of money-making. Many people are quite natural at using social media and find that it makes a difference in their business and personal finances very quickly.
For creatives and business owners, it’s silly not to try using some kind of social media or streaming app to further their business.
Why get the app?
Because these apps can make such a crucial difference in building a personal brand or business, it is in any creative or entrepreneur's best interest to get one. It’s important to focus on the platform that feels most natural for you and that you enjoy the most.
This will make it easier for you to become more and more skilled at it, which will lead to more followers and better brand deals over time.
Most of these platforms only have an app version, or often the app version is more user-friendly than the desktop version. Many viewers access these apps on their phones, so getting accustomed to how the app looks on your phone will help you curate better content for your viewers.
All of these apps offer the potential for users to make money, and there are plenty of articles and books out there to help you use them to their fullest potential.
More About Instagram: Our Pick
Instagram is great for creatives who are building their career and for small business owners. Both can use Instagram to build their audience over time, and create a sales funnel for future products. For writers and other creatives, it is a great space to secure future readers and viewers for your art. In this way, you are building customers who will help you generate income down the line.
Because the app is so popular, it is also a great place to work as an affiliate for larger companies. Some companies pay as much as 300-400 dollars for a sponsored post. The best way to do this is by creating a curated professional page and building an audience who engages with what you post. This will make you more marketable to brands who pay for advertising through Instagram.
Marketing advice for Instagram suggests that users pick three topics to stick to on their page. For example, a ceramic potter might post photos about their own pottery whether it’s process photos or photos of items on sale, then they might post about other creators they like, and finally, they might post personal posts related to finding inspiration and living as a creative.
However, they wouldn’t post something about their friend’s dog because it doesn’t make sense with everything else. It’s helpful to see Instagram as a grid rather than individual photos and to think about how they all work together on a grid. Maintaining a cohesive brand aesthetic on Instagram will make it easier to secure brand deals.
Going live on Instagram is easy to do. So much so that celebrities and influencers are going live regularly to connect with their audience about controversies and successes in real time. You just go to where you would to post a story and scroll to the live option.
Snags but not drags:
The snag with Instagram, like any social media platform, is that it is constantly changing. What is relevant today, might be irrelevant years or even months from now. In order to make the most of a career online, it’s important to keep up to date on changes and new developments happening on the social media platforms you use.
Instagram gives you the ability to see the times your followers are online most often, and this can help you plan when to post in order to receive the most traction. This can help you secure more followers, which will help you sell your products and secure brand deals.
More About YouTube: Runner Up
Youtube is still one of the most used video streaming apps. Therefore, it is used by people of so many different communities and backgrounds. This is beneficial for anyone trying to use Youtube to make income because there are so many more chances for your video to be seen.
Youtube live is a great way to connect with your audience in real time. Audience members can tip you during your live and comment. It gives you a chance to talk to your audience directly and learn more about what they want to see on your channel. You need 1,000 subscribers to go live on the YouTube app, but do not on the desktop version.
Because Youtube is used by so many people, it is popular with bring brands. The more viewers you have, the better brand deals you can secure. Like Instagram, it’s important focus your video content on a specific niche. This will make it easier for your audience to find you and help them want to stick with you.
More About Twitch: Also Groovy
Twitch is a gaming community where professional gamers can earn money from streaming themselves playing games.
Gamers make money on Twitch through their affiliate program. In order to qualify, gamers must meet certain criteria like growing their audience to 50 followers and receiving an average of three reviewers per stream.
From there, you’ll be invited to join the affiliate program. Like any streaming app, the more attention you have on your profile, the more you make. Those with high and consistent viewership can become members of the Twitch Affiliate Program, and make money through affiliate codes.
Because Twitch is one of the most popular gamer streaming apps, there is more potential to get noticed in the gaming community at large and join competitions. Going live is easy. You just click your profile icon and then click Go Live. Like many streaming platforms, users can also earn cash through donations by viewers.
More About TikTok: Also Groovy
Because TikTok is so new, there is a lot of opportunity to get noticed and build traction on your page. Creatives often use TikTok to show themselves creating art in the process.
Views can result in customers wanting to buy products. It is much easier to go viral on TikTok than it is on other apps since the market is less saturated. Users can also make money through donations that they get on live streams. In order to go live, users must have at least 1,000 followers. This is one barrier to TikTok that Instagram doesn't have. However, many people gain followers must faster on TikTok than Instagram.
More About Facebook: Also Groovy
Facebook has been around for a long time. Because of that, Facebook has continued to shift and grow with the times. There are multiple ways to make money on Facebook and is a great resource for companies and small business owners.
Users can make money through ads that are played during their video content similar to Youtube. They can also make money through paid subscriptions similar to Patreon.
Facebook is also a great place for creating a sales funnel, and building a client base over time. Paid advertising on Facebook is available to help you find more customers and make more sales. Users also have the ability to have ads play before their content, and can make a cut from those ad views.
Going live on Instagram is easy. You do so by going to where you post a status and selecting Live Video.
Facebook can also be a great place to collect leads that can turn into paying clients. Like other social media platforms, users secure brand deals to post on Facebook to make money from.
Other Apps Considered
This app was not chosen because of its functionality. The app did not allow a sign-in without creating an account on a desktop. The desktop site required a Twitter account. Creators can be tipped by users with virtual hearts that creators can cash out.
This app was not chosen because the majority of reviews we read about people’s experience on the app were poor. The app was fast, and there aren't noticeable glitches. However, the display was very noisy, and it was hard to keep track of what was going on.
Crowdcast is a great app for professionals to demonstrate their knowledge through webinars. Users can charge for their webinars and make income that way. This app was not chosen because there is a membership fee, and we focused on money-making apps that did not require fees.
We did not choose Livestream, because compared to the other apps on our list, there was much less information out there on Livestream. It has a wide variety of topics to choose from to watch streams of. This can make the app a great place to get inspiration.
Tango had a very similar to BIGO Live. The research showed that women are the most successful on this app. Similar to BIGO Live, users make their money by getting tipped on videos. This app was not chosen because the other apps on our list were stronger.
Lou Barrett
Lou Barrett is a queer writer who fears they're too Midwest for the big city. When they're not writing about queer culture, they're writing about books, work, and apps. They love reading, and relish any day they can camp out on their couch with a good book for eight hours. Sweet potatoes are their favorite food, any style. They love the way apps help simplify life, and make it so that we don't have to rely on our memory to get us through life and the workday.
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Looking for extra sources of income? Creating an online brand is a great way to create passive income over time. We reviewed 10 of the best streaming apps to see which ones are the best for making money and building a following. [*Feel free to change this but something like:*] In the end, Instagram reigned supreme as our favorite, but make sure to check out our other picks to help you decide on the best one for you.