Question: are there different types of xbox live memberships

Answer: Yes, Xbox Live Gold is a paid subscription service for the Xbox community. Signing up to Xbox Live is free, but, with the exception of the Windows 10 version, in order to play online and access some core services, a periodic fee is required. Features that require a Gold subscription include online gaming, matchmaking/smartmatch, private chat, party chat and in-game voice communication. Other features, such as game recording and media sharing also necessitate Gold membership. Similarly, ordinary Xbox Live members can download and access the Twitch live streaming application, but in order to broadcast gameplay of one's own, a Gold subscription is necessary. Free-to-play titles also remain behind a paywall. Subscribers are benefited with space ``in the cloud'' for storing files, and granted early or exclusive access to betas, special offers, Games with Gold, and Video Kinect.