How do you disclose a sponsorship on your stream?
If a brand pays you, or gives you anything of value, to feature them, your viewers need to know, and disclosing it clearly is not optional. The short version: say it plainly, and where people will actually see it, on the stream itself and in your description, in language a regular viewer understands. This is general guidance, not legal advice; for your own situation, check the FTC's own disclosure guidance (its "Disclosures 101 for Social Media Influencers" and its Endorsement Guides), and if you are unsure, talk to a professional.
Why you disclose, and what counts
The basic principle is simple: if you have a material connection to a brand you are promoting, your audience should know about it. That connection is not just cash. It includes free product, an affiliate cut, a discount code you benefit from, or anything else of value. The point of disclosure is that a viewer can factor the relationship into how they take your recommendation, and beyond being called for by regulators like the FTC, it is what keeps the trust that makes your endorsement worth anything in the first place.
Clear and conspicuous is the whole test
The standard people generally point to is that a disclosure be clear and conspicuous: a regular viewer should actually notice and understand it. That rules out the usual dodges, a disclosure buried at the end of a wall of hashtags, set in tiny text, flashed for a second, or written in language only an insider would parse. If someone would have to hunt for it, it is not doing its job. Put it where the audience is looking, in words they already know.
Say it plainly
Plain beats clever. Simple, unambiguous phrasing like "this stream is sponsored by" a brand, "paid partnership," or a clear "#ad" leaves no room for misreading. Vague thank-yous like "shout out to my friends at" a company do not clearly say money changed hands, so they are exactly the kind of thing that gets flagged. When in doubt, be more direct, not less.
On a live stream specifically
Live has a wrinkle a YouTube description does not: viewers arrive throughout the stream, so a single disclosure at the start misses everyone who shows up later. The safer approach is both channels at once. Say it out loud when the sponsored segment runs, and keep a visible on-screen note up while the placement is live, so someone who joined ten minutes ago still sees it. If a sponsor is on your screen for a long window, a persistent on-screen disclosure is the cleanest way to cover the whole audience.
In the VOD, the clip, and the description
Your stream does not end when you go offline, so your disclosure should travel with it. Put it in the video title or description where the platform allows, and remember that anything burned into your broadcast carries into the VOD and any clip cut from it. Because a Publsh sponsor placement is rendered into your stream, an on-screen disclosure you show alongside it travels the same way, to the VOD and to a clip on another platform. The overlay persists; the disclosure wording is still yours to include. Many platforms also give you a built-in paid-promotion setting, such as Twitch's branded-content toggle for a stream that contains a paid promotion, or a paid-promotion checkbox on an uploaded video; switching those on is part of disclosing well, on top of saying it yourself.
Publsh keeps the deal on record, but disclosure is yours
Running a sponsorship through Publsh makes it a booked, on-record placement rather than a handshake, which keeps the relationship transparent on the platform side and gives you a clear record of what ran and when. What it does not do is disclose to your viewers for you. Telling your audience, clearly and in the moment, is your responsibility, and you control exactly how you say it. Treat the platform as the paper trail and yourself as the one who makes the call on air.
When a brand pays, tell your viewers plainly. It keeps you honest and keeps their trust.
Frequently asked
Do you have to disclose a sponsorship on stream?
As a rule, yes: if you have a material connection to a brand you promote (payment, free product, an affiliate cut, or anything of value), viewers should be told, clearly and conspicuously. This is general guidance, not legal advice; check the FTC's own guidance for your situation.
Do you need to say #ad?
#ad is one clear, widely understood way to disclose, but the requirement is that a regular viewer notices and understands the disclosure, not a specific tag. Plain phrasing like "sponsored by" or "paid partnership" works too; what matters is that it is obvious and not buried.
How do you disclose a sponsorship on a live stream?
Do it in the moment and keep it visible, because viewers join throughout. Say it out loud when the sponsored segment runs and keep an on-screen note up while the placement is live, so people who arrive later still see it, then include it in the title or description for the VOD.
Does Publsh disclose the sponsorship for me?
No. Publsh makes the sponsorship a booked, on-record placement, which keeps the relationship transparent and gives you a record of what ran, but disclosing to your viewers is your responsibility and you control the wording.