How to do a subathon: a full streamer guide

A subathon is a long stream whose timer grows with every new subscription or donation. As long as viewers keep supporting, the stream keeps going.

The format gives viewers direct involvement: their donation tangibly changes how long the stream runs, and that creates real momentum.

Set a clear rule for how many seconds or minutes each donation and subscription adds. A transparent rule reassures viewers that every amount is counted fairly.

Define a starting time and a maximum cap so the stream does not stretch on endlessly and stays possible to plan around.

Add the Donator alert as an OBS Browser Source so every donation appears on stream instantly with the donor's name and message.

Viewers pay with any card, Georgian or foreign, so fans abroad and the diaspora can extend the timer too.

The result is paid to the streamer's Georgian bank, TBC or Bank of Georgia, in GEL. A small platform fee keeps the service running, and the rest is paid out to the streamer.

Plan short breaks, water and food. A long subathon is a marathon, and quality drops without rest.

Prepare backup content, such as games or guests, so the stream stays alive across the whole run.

Many streamers search DonationAlerts or Streamlabs when they want setup or an alternative. For how to do a subathon in Georgia, GEL payout is often the real friction.

On Donator the OBS alert shows right away, viewers pay with any card, and money goes to TBC or Bank of Georgia. You can keep the same alert habit and fix payouts locally.

Many streamers start with DonationAlerts or Streamlabs, because those are the names people type when they search for an OBS donation alert, a donation page, or an alternative to a foreign tool. StreamElements often shows up in the same shortlist.

In Georgia those products are often built for other markets: foreign wallets, awkward withdrawals, or fees that never land cleanly in GEL. Patreon and PayPal still fit some creator formats, but they do not always replace live stream donations with payout to a Georgian bank.

Donator is built so a viewer can pay with any card, Georgian or foreign, the alert can show in OBS right away, and the money settles in GEL to TBC or Bank of Georgia. If you already used DonationAlerts or Streamlabs, you can keep the same alert habit and fix payouts locally.