Substack live video manufacturer use co-streaming to win subscribers

It is early, but so far seven creators have said that they are satisfied with the results.

Dan Harris, who operates a meditation-oriented newsletter on Substack with over 185,000 subscribers, said that he had seen both paid and free subscriptions after having discussed livestreams with the creator Sharon McMahon and Van Jones with over 339,000 subscribers and 24,000 subscribers to the US President in January. (Co-streamers on Substack usually have overlapping areas of interest such as politics and life to talk about important news or tentpoles events.)

Although he said it was difficult to quantify the specific number of new subscriptions, which have been obtained by the live streams, Harris has so far received 19,000 new subscribers through the official recommendation tool from Substack, with which the creators direct the users to other Substack creators, although they do not enjoy how many were paid for and how many were paid. He partially attributes the spike to his live streams with other substances.

From 2025, one of three live videos of makers on the substance with another Substack creator, according to a spokesman for the substance, is with the typical live video for the live for 45 minutes. The spokesman has not announced how many users of the platform used overall live video, but 82 percent of the 250 Substack creators used audio and videos that the spokesman said “could theoretically include live video recordings in February 2025”.

In the meantime, Gleisher, who wakes up the political Substanton newsletter, with over 55,000 subscribers and charges, paid the subscribers $ 8 per month that his subscriber after the live with other creators such as Chris Cillizza, with a 20-minute discussion from 20 minut to the 20-minute discussion in which he in September discussion, in which the to September discussion, in the September discussion in September discussions, the September discussions in September-in September-in the September in September-in September in September. The majority of the new subscribers he gained through co-streaming are more free than paid, but Fleisher said that the bump encouraged him to experiment more with live video and co-streaming on substance.

“If you live with other people, it only helps the authors because it is pushed for both audiences and they can subscribe to,” he said. “And in the app you do things to push the video -if you are on the Substacknotizen -Feed -even if you don't follow someone, you may see a live video.”

Fleisher is not the only substance creator who believes that the algorithms of the platform increase video. The creator Carla Lalli Music, for example, said Digiday that she repeatedly seen Live Videoposts from Creator like Jim Acosta – A prominent news and politician seepage with over 276,000 followers – cross your notes feed, although it does not follow the former newslaw on the platform.

“Algorithmic things happen and they push videos,” she said.

A substance spokesman rejected it to confirm or deny whether the algorithm of the platform prioritized video costs.

“In contrast to AD-controlled platforms, the North Star receives subscriptions from Substack. We only earn money if publishers do this, so that our algorithm priorien the right readers with creators who may subscribe to, and appear all kinds of content within the feed, including text, video and photo, ”said the spokesman. “For those who only want to consume and discover video content, you can visit the Media tab in the Substack app.”

Platforms have a story in which certain types of content or functions promote that they want to become more popular in their algorithms. However, live videos had only niche success compared to early videos on Creator platforms, whereby the majority of live streaming activities on special platforms such as Twitch shows how live content can work if there is a strong, committed public culture.

Niche or not, substance creators enjoy the initial bumps in free or paid subscribers who go hand in hand with the live enough to encourage them to experiment with more live videos.

The expansion of the sub-part into live videos reflects its ongoing goal of developing from a newsletter company to a full-service creative platform that is located around the subscription business model.

“Many people thought that Substack started as a newsletter platform – but really what this model was about,” said the writer's subdea man, Hanne Winarsky. “Whether the content of the written content is whether this is audio content and now video content that it really is is this independent distribution line that you have all the way.”

An active audience

Digiday said that the threaders such as Acosta, Harris and Food creator Caroline Chambers were satisfied that a “relatively high proportion” of their subscriber bases on the platform were set to their live streams.

Acosta-a former television journalist at CNN, which terminated his job in January 2024, said paid subscriber base. Harris, who said he had between 8,000 and 9,000 subscribers, is an average of over 600 spectators in his regular livestreams. And Chambers, who refused to share their specific subscriber counting, announced that in July 2024 she reached 20,000 subscribers, said that her live broadcasts usually show an average viewer between 1,500 and 2,000, which she said that she had exceeded her live programs on Instagram.

“On Instagram you only really get 500 [live viewers] Who stays active [followers]“, Said Chambers, who said Digiday that her Substack -Live video has counted in the thousands since her first appearance on the platform. “So it is proof of how much more will be invested in my letter. They follow a bacillion on Instagram, but they only follow a few people on the substance. “

The approaches of the creators for live videos on the substance reflect how many their Substack livestreams still consider as a subscription driver for their core newsletter product. Some, such as Harris, provide part of their live videos only for paid subscribers. Others, such as Alex Kirshner and Richard Johnson, the co-moderator of Duo College Football Podcast Split Zone, only allow their paid subscribers to the recordings of completed live broadcasts. In both cases, live videos are not the main focus of the creators, but an additional add-on that is intended to create more value for newsletter subscribers.

And since Substack prioritizes the subscription model, the company is not afraid to bring its creators to competing platforms if it believes that this activity could help the final result. At the moment, the back end of Sugrack substance has a consistent memory to upload completed shipments on YouTube. According to four creators who have spoken to Digiday for this story – a risky offer because the creators have the opportunity to jump on YouTube when they experience success on the platform. Nevertheless, Live video -Push, who does not consider the Creator to improve the YouTube presences, as a replacement.

“We try to say:” Use these target groups to essentially grasp the superfans on the substantive, “said Winarsky.” Share where you want to share with your widest audience and give people who really want to come, a direct relationship with you – who want everything – a permanent home here. ”