Live Streaming Rules

Last updated: 2026-05-14 · These terms are reviewed by Astra periodically and effective on the Last updated date above.

Live streaming on Astra is governed by the Terms of Service, Community Guidelines, Acceptable Use Policy, and these additional rules. By going live you accept all of them.

1. Who can stream

Age: 18+ to host. 16+ for co-host participation with verifiable parental consent on file.
Account standing: no active community-guidelines suspensions; no zero-tolerance history.
Onboarding: new accounts must complete email verification and one additional factor (phone or government ID).
Identity verification: required before monetised streams (gifts, tipping, subscriptions). Stripe Identity government-ID + selfie review, typically completes in 24 hours.
Tax form: US-based broadcasters submit IRS Form W-9; non-US-based submit Form W-8BEN or W-8BEN-E. We collect this in Settings → Payouts before the first payout above the IRS threshold and we file Form 1099-K where required.

2. Camera, audio, and identity rules

The face on camera must be the broadcaster. No "anonymous" streams of someone else's face.
Voice-only streams are allowed and labelled clearly.
No deepfaked or face-swapped video presenting someone else.
AI voice / persona use must be disclosed in the title and tags.
You must be in the country listed in your account profile during the stream — VPN-faking your jurisdiction is grounds for payout-hold and suspension.

3. Allowed content

Readings (tarot, astrology, BaZi, Zi Wei, I Ching, etc.) framed as entertainment and self-reflection.
Educational content on tradition, history, technique.
Meditation, breathwork, gentle conversation.
Co-host calls (1:1, small group), interviews, Q&A.
Music, art-making, journaling sessions (with proper licensing — see § 5).
Astra-themed cosplay and aesthetic content.

4. Prohibited content

In addition to the Community Guidelines § 2 (zero-tolerance) and § 3 (graduated):

Nudity, sexual content, or sexual suggestion — zero tolerance.
Promoting violence, self-harm, suicide, or disordered eating.
Predictive medical, legal, financial, or psychiatric advice.
Selling outcomes ("for $X I'll make them come back").
Hate speech, including pseudoscientific identity targeting framed as astrology.
Recording or screen-sharing other users without explicit consent.
Alcohol or drug use on Live where minors may be in the audience. (No drug use on Astra Live at all.)
Off-platform payment links. All money flows through Astra.

5. Copyright and music

Stream only music you have rights to (your own recording, royalty-free, properly licensed library tracks, Astra's pre-cleared catalogue, or content under a licence that permits live streaming).
Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and similar consumer apps are not licensed for live broadcast.
Repeated copyright strikes follow the DMCA repeat-infringer policy (see DMCA / Copyright Policy) and result in stream removal + monetisation pause.
Voiceover of copyrighted text (poetry, books) without rights is treated the same.

6. Streamer obligations

Disclose compensated promotions in the stream title and on-screen.
Honour your scheduled times when subscribers are notified.
Wear and behave appropriately — assume a public audience that includes the press.
Have a quiet, safe location with a clean background.
Have a back-up plan for technical failure (re-start, refund scheduling).

7. Recording and VOD

Streams are recorded as VOD by default and retained for 30 days.
The broadcaster may opt out per-stream before going live in Studio → Privacy.
The recording-status indicator is shown in the room header so viewers know.
Co-hosts and guests must consent to recording. Joining a recording-active room counts as consent (display the indicator prominently).
Two-party-consent jurisdiction rules (California, Florida, Pennsylvania, others) apply.

8. Monetisation: gifts, tips, subscriptions

Gifts use the coin (Stars) system. The platform takes a 30% fee; the broadcaster receives 70%, net of payment- processing pass-through where applicable.
Tips and recurring fan subscriptions follow the same 70/30 split.
Payouts: monthly via Stripe Connect, on the 1st of each month, after a $50 minimum balance. Payouts below $50 roll forward.
Taxes are the broadcaster's responsibility. Astra files IRS Form 1099-K for US-resident broadcasters whose payouts exceed the IRS reporting threshold for the year. Non-US broadcasters file their own local equivalents.
Chargebacks reduce the broadcaster's balance until resolved.

9. Moderation

Live streams are moderated by, in priority order:

Broadcaster + co-host in-stream tools (slow mode, follower- only, mute, kick).
Real-time text classifier on the chat (hate, threats, spam, self-harm, CSAM hints).
AI safety triggers on the broadcaster's audio (crisis keyword, sexual content, slurs) → prompt + Trust & Safety alert.
Audio / video spot checks by Trust & Safety.
Viewer reports with priority review for live-safety.

We may end a stream mid-broadcast for serious violations including zero-tolerance content, persistent harassment, or imminent-harm signals.