How often do I need to stream?

It depends on the requirements (if any) for each platform – but no matter which streaming platform you’re on – the answer is: Regularly!  You won’t find success or steady income if you’re not showing up and treating this like any other job.  The more hours you work, the more successful you’ll be!  Part-time streamers can still be successful as long as you’re sticking to a routine, and an ongoing set schedule that you actually commit to.  To earn fans, you need to establish trust with them – and to do that, you need to let them know when you’re going to show up, and then actually show up!

For official hosts on BIGO Live, you must meet the following monthly minimums of broadcasting time and gifts received: Every month you must broadcast for a minimum of 30 hours, across a minimum of 15 days. The simplest way to accomplish this is to stream every day of the month for 1 hour, or every other day for 2 hours. However, you can break it up however you want, and it’s generally a good idea to go a little bit over your minimum required hours anyway. The more you’re streaming, the easier it’s going to be to hit your bean goals!

In order for time to count towards your monthly minimum, you must stay on for at least 30 minutes each time you go live. You are free to stay on for as long as you want, but only up to 2 hours per day will be counted towards your monthly minimum.

If you are under TikTok’s Partner Program the montly requirements are as follows: Broadcast a minimum of 10 days and 20 hours per month.  Similar to BIGO, the maximum number of hours per day to count towards requirements are 2 hours.  However, to note an important difference: The minimum time for livestreams to count towards the requirements is a full 60 minutes / 1 hour.

If you sign up with us for platforms other than TikTok or BIGO, you’ll have different streaming requirements. Please check out our Platforms page to learn more about each.

What should I do on stream?

Whatever you want! There are all kinds of people doing all kinds of content on each of the apps we work with. People sing, play instruments, DJ, draw, paint, and create other kinds of art as well. Some people model or cosplay and do fashion shows; some do makeup tutorials or even exaggerated/costume makeup. Others cook; some do tarot readings; others teach fitness/yoga classes or give self-care advice. If you’re a performer or instructor of any kind, there’s space for you to carve out a fanbase.

However, even if you’re not a performer, and even if you don’t have any special talents, you can still be successful! The one thing that all successful streamers have in common is that they are friendly, upbeat, and welcoming. Even if you don’t think of yourself as an “entertainer”, go online and tell people about your favorite hobbies and why you enjoy them! Lots of people simply log on and chat with their guests, and if you’ve got a good personality, that’s often enough.

What’s the deal with “gifts”?

“Gifts” are little emoji-style visuals that viewers can send you during your streams if they like what you’re doing – it’s like getting a tip. When you receive a gift from a viewer, it gets converted into virtual in-app currency that you can cash out for real money.

Do I need to receive a minimum number of gifts every month?

On BIGO, yes. On BIGO you must receive a minimum of 10,000 “beans” worth of gifts in order to earn your salary (during your first two months however, you have access to a lower minimum tier of 5,000). These numbers might sound like a lot at first, but as long as you put the time and effort in and take the job seriously, we will help you hit your goals if you’re struggling, until you can build up enough of a fanbase and support network to do it on your own.

After passing my audition, when do I officially start?

Immediately! Most of the time, you will find out the good news within 24 hours of your audition. The moment you pass, you are accepted as an official host and can begin logging time towards your 30-hour minimum. As such, we recommend that you go or stay live for at least half an hour after we deliver the good news, so you can share it with everyone!

What if I get approved late in the month? It sounds hard to meet these minimums if I don’t have a full month to do it.

If you get approved as an official host at a point in the month where there isn’t enough time for you to stream at least 30 hours & 15 days, you do not have ANY minimums to meet. It’s a freebie of sorts – think of it as a “month zero” that you can use to simply get your bearings and figure things out. On the first day of the following month, that’s when your minimum requirements kick in. If you’re brand new to streaming and are unsure of the hours, we often recommend waiting until closer to the end of the month to do your audition.

That being said, you will still get paid half of the regular amount if you meet your minimum gift goals in this situation, despite the lack of hourly requirements – so even if you start more than halfway through the month, start hustling!

How do I get paid?

The app pays out your monthly base pay in beans, which can be cashed out for real money. You can set up direct deposit information and then cash out the amount of virtual currency they send you equivalent to your base pay. It usually takes about a week for your base pay to be deposited into your in-app wallet, and then roughly another week after cashing out before the direct deposit clears and goes into your bank account.