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Introduction
Of all the many things that technology began to conquer, online gaming was the new entrant. Gaming is a spectator sport. Many tech giants realized the potential of gaming as an industry and began creating games for high-level competitions. Above all, Millennials have a knack for experimenting and experiencing. An industry that is known to few or even preferred by few- is now a huge industry worth billions of dollars. Twitch is one of the prominent players in the industry that has an active community of gamers online. This e-sports streaming platform has over 9.24 million active streamers as of December 2020. What contributed to this success? Let’s dive deep to know more.
About Twitch
If you are a gamer and never tried Twitch, there’s a lot that you are missing out on.
Founded in 2011, Twitch is an Amazon-owned live streaming platform for gamers and lifestyle casters with a community of million active broadcasters. Through this platform, streamers can share their game broadcast or activity broadcast and let their audience watch live. Streamers and new users can utilize both free and paid versions. However, with the paid version, users can access the advanced features of Twitch social, streaming, and storage features.
Twitch also hosts diverse content streams ranging from music, sports, travel, food– both live and recorded broadcasts. You can find the stream of your choice by browsing the categories listed on the platform. The stream duration can last anywhere between five minutes to nine hours based on the event or activity the streamer want to host. Twitch also partnered with prominent gaming companies like Overwatch league and Blizzard entertainments- through which they host exclusive esports events and streams.
How Twitch Works?
Twitch policy specifies that the minimum age requirement for signing up on this platform is 13. Users between the age of 13 to 18 can use this platform under the supervision of adults- who understand the terms and conditions. Although Twitch hosts a wide range of streaming categories, the primary focus is on video games.
Watching video games live, broadcasting, and chat feature on Twitch are free. However, this platform is much more than a regular live-streaming platform. This platform offers interactive features and organizes e-sport events for their gamer communities actively. The interactive chat feature on Twitch makes users build a personal connection with their audience, and further experience real-time social interaction virtually. This platform offers easy-integration with multiple devices including game consoles, mobile phones, and personal computers. Also, for better and improved streaming quality, Twitch offers exclusive software development kits and an in-built application programming interface. Using these integration options, multiple viewers can participate in a game stream by utilizing chat commands.
What is a Live Stream?
While watching any live stream, the audience can hear and see the streamer play via a split-screen display. Also, in the interactive chat features, users can comment, ask and receive real-time replies from the other viewers. Twitch offers users an option to buy game links on streams.
This option is one of the best ways to make money on Twitch by earning a sales commission and affiliate commission. Streamers can either endorse or use any merchandise during the live stream and sell products using affiliate links. Some channels also allow viewers to leave suggestions in the chatbox and ask questions. Commenters can receive real-time answers and responses from the gamer community.
Along with all these features, Twitch allows users to save streams. Viewers can watch archives of game broadcasts, live streams, and other shows. Every stream offers a chatroom where viewers can communicate with fellow gamers in real-time virtually.
The chat feature comes with a direct message option or the whisper option. The “whisper” feature is the Twitch version of the direct message where viewers can talk privately with other users. In case users do not want to receive whispers from strangers, they can choose the option- ‘Block whispers from strangers’ in the privacy settings.
Other Features
Subscriptions
Twitch offers subscriptions ranging from $4.99 to $24.99 a month. With Twitch subscriptions, active streamers can get an opportunity to tie up with the Twitch partners and affiliates for making money on this platform. Users can get access to ad-free live stream viewing options and other premium perks. Also, viewers can support their favourite streamer with chat badges or emotes.
Chat badges are exclusive identities that mark your profile with a specific tag (like VIP, broadcaster, etc.) Viewers can support their favourite streamers with exclusive emojis called Emotes, which let you create your custom Emotes.
Along with these, users can get access to the subscriber badge- which is similar to a loyalty badge that allows viewers to share and view streams without ad interruptions. Users can also buy other badges that give you similar features, like that of supporting your favourite streamers or category streamers.
Twitch Prime
Twitch Prime is a premium subscription that has to be renewed manually every month. Users can unlock extra features like
- additional games
- exclusive in-app game content
- bonus channel subscription
- member-only chat
- additional broadcast storage
How To Make Money On Twitch
Twitch has emerged as the go-to platform for game-streaming and broadcasts in recent times. The success of Twitch can be rooted in its easy integration options and money-making possibilities. Even hobbyists can spend consistent time on this platform and make a good fortune eventually. Thanks to their ever-growing subscriptions, even novice gamers are making their way to the top with their unique game strategies and engagement ways.
Consistency, engagement, and creativity are the secret sauces for building an audience on any platform. Twitch is no exception to that. There are gamers who make billions per year through subscriptions, sponsorships, and merchandise advertisements. However, not everybody can make it that huge. Attracting a huge audience base does not happen overnight. Yet, being an active streamer will slowly fetch you a decent audience. The more the audience, the more the chances of making money.
In this article, we mentioned some of the most proven ways to make money on Twitch.
Donations
Twitch audience support their favourite streamers via donations and referrals. Any novice gamer can add the donate button to their bio and earn money via live streaming. The donate button can be integrated with Pay Pal, Streamlabs, Patreon, and allied third-party applications.
Merchandise
Gaming is a visual entertainment channel. With an active follower or subscribers’ engagement, streamers can plan to sell their own merchandise with quirky gamer-specific captions. Either you can collaborate with any brand and print goodies like T-shirts, coffee mugs, mobile cases, etc., or print your own creations. Promoting your shop links on Twitch is a good option to make money while gaming online.
Brand collaborations
Brands trust micro-influencers. Even if you are a novice gamer with active audience engagement, then brand collaboration is one of the best ways to make money on Twitch.
Brands sponsor streamers to publicize or display their products or merchandise in their broadcasts. This way, brands get good visibility on the gamer community, and even streamers can get good deals- either in the form of commission or discounts and deals.
Brands generally approach big-time gamers with more than hundreds of followers. If not direct brand collaborations, you can try brand affiliates.
Twitch Affiliate program
Twitch Affiliate is an invite-only program for active gamers whose channel meets defined criteria. For being eligible for the Twitch Affiliate program, the streamer needs to have a total of 500 minutes of broadcast history on seven different days.
To elaborate, the 500 minutes of streaming should be the aggregate of seven days of live streaming. Here are the set of prerequisites to be eligible for the Affiliate program:
- At least 500 minutes of minimum broadcast time.
- Minimum of 50 followers
- Three or more concurrent viewers on average.
- Seven unique live streaming or broadcast days.
Note that for getting the Affiliate invitation, the above criteria must be met 30 days prior.
Twitch Affiliate program is not like the regular affiliate programs where you sell the products via affiliate links. It is a tailored program for streamers to make money on Twitch. Here are the benefits of the Twitch Affiliate program
Subscriptions
Whenever a viewer subscribes to the channel, affiliates can earn a share of the subscription amount. With subscriptions, viewers can unlock exclusive subscription-only perks like chat-room, emotes, merchandise discounts, and many more.
The monthly subscriptions start at $4.99, $9.99 and $24.99.
Bits
Twitch offers “bits”, which are the virtual cheers that viewers can give to their favourite streamers. With every subscription, subscribers can buy bits of different sizes and colours. They come in the forms of animated gem emotes or emoticons, Cheermotes, animated global emotes. Affiliates receive one global subscriber emote for all the subscriptions the streamer got. For every cheer that a viewer supports, the streamer receives a part of the revenue generated from the bits or cheers.
Game Sales
Ever wondered how streamers earn money just by playing games and streaming them live? Twitch offers a unique opportunity to gamers, where even the viewers can purchase interesting game goodies or merchandise that they see on the screen.
While streaming live, streamers can earn revenue from the sale of the game or in-game goods on Twitch. When they play any game that is open for sale or has an in-game goodies purchase option, viewers can send a purchase request which appears on the video window.
Twitch affiliates can earn a 5% share from each sale made. Also, viewers who make a purchase worth $4.99 or more will be rewarded with a Twitch crate.
Twitch Partner
The Twitch Partner program is the next level to Twitch Affiliate program. Unlike the Twitch Affiliates program, streamers who are already associated with the affiliate program need to apply for the partner program. Just like general users and affiliate users, Partners also can monetize the available features. They receive a share from the ad revenues and get endorsement and sponsorship deals based on the number of subscribers.
Wrapping up
Twitch’s success can be rooted in it’s transparent and interactive interface. Gamers all around the world share and support their community whilst enjoying and exploring the gaming world. This platform made its way to the top by creating tournaments, enabling real-time interactions, creating authentic and enjoyable content, and host conventions.
Passion, when coupled with a money-making stream, works wonders for hobbyists. Twitch gave gamers an opportunity to turn their gaming passion into a side hustle.
Not only can one connect with their fellow gamers, but with conventions like Twitch Con (an annual gaming convention or conclave) – gamers can explore arcades, invitation tournaments- beyond the virtual community. A few years ago, athletic sports were the only go-to for entertainment.
With Twitch’s inception, hobbyist video-gamers added a twist of entertainment to regular gaming. If you are a gamer with loads of passion, it’s never too late to venture on this platform! You might as well earn some good bucks too!
