How to set up donations for a YouTube stream

To connect donations for a YouTube stream, you need to sign up for a donation service such as Donation Alerts or DonatePay, and then set up an integration with OBS Studio to display donations on screen.

Steps to connect donations:

1. Sign up for a donation service:

• Go to Dontaion AlertsDonation Alerts and register.
• Click on “Start Using” and select your streaming platform (in this case, YouTube).
• Allow all requests and provide the name of the account you will be streaming from.
• In the “My Payouts” section, set up convenient withdrawal methods.

2. Set up notifications about donations:

• Go to “Widgets” → “Alerts” on the Donation Alerts website.
• Customize visual donation alerts so viewers see real-time donation messages.

3. Integrate with OBS Studio:

• Open OBS Studio and go to the “Sources” tab.
• Click “Browser” and paste the embed link from your Donation Alerts account (this can be found under “Alerts” → “Show Embed Link”).
• Make sure the source for donations is first in the list so that the donation box displays on top of the main content (e.g. game).

4. Start the stream and set up donations:

• After setting up donations in OBS Studio, launch the stream on YouTube.
• Donations from viewers will be displayed in real time, encouraging other viewers to make their donations.

5. Additional services:

If you chose DonatePay, the setup follows a similar pattern: register on the site, set up withdrawals, and connect alerts via OBS.

Tips:

• Crowd Effect: To get viewers to start donating, ask your friends to join the broadcast and make small donations.
• Responses to Donations: Pay attention to each donation and respond to viewers' messages. This increases engagement and encourages new donations. Creating an effective donation system can significantly increase stream revenue, especially if viewers see that others are actively supporting the channel.