A challenger in the battle for streaming supremacy has taken a huge step forward. TikTok released a beta version of its new desktop streaming software TikTok LIVE Studio today.
The LIVE Studio program is now available for download for any PC users with a TikTok account. Upon installing, players can set up a basic streaming overlay or even import their settings from other programs like OBS.
The social media mobile app has used Coins as a gifting currency for over a year now as a way for people to show support to their creators during TikTok livestreams. Viewers who are over 18 can buy Coins and then convert those into virtual gifts when watching livestreams either on the mobile app or on the website for desktops.
Viewers can purchase Coins either through the mobile app itself or via the Recharge page on the TikTok website, and can acquire roughly 10 Coins per dollar spent. First time buyers on the mobile app can get a one-time-only gift box set with 120 Coins worth of virtual gifts for just $0.99.
Viewers can then scroll through the various purchasable virtual gifts, which include a huge variety of virtual items, emojis, and messages of support. They can range from as little as one Coin for a single rose, up to 35,000 Coins for a “TikTok Universe” icon. The amount of gifts a user earns during a stream determines the amount of Diamonds they acquire; a virtual credit that can be withdrawn for monetary compensation.
Currently, the TikTok LIVE Studio program is still in beta, and users so far only have the option to turn gifting on or off. There’s Coin or Diamond balance that can be seen on the program, but those numbers can be viewed in the mobile app or on the desktop website.
