When it comes to live streaming, Twitch is where it’s at. While it started as a gaming-exclusive platform, Twitch has since expanded its offer and now appeals to content creators from all walks of life and genres. For instance, in the first quarter of 2022, 6.13 billion hours of content were watched on the platform, highlighting just how popular Twitch has become. 

But to get the most out of Twitch, you need to understand what it is, how to create an account, and how to grow your profile. Fortunately, you’ve come to the right place, as that’s precisely what we cover in this explainer guide to Twitch.

1. What is Twitch? 

Twitch is an interactive live streaming service used by content creators around the world. In the early days of Twitch, the platform was all about gaming, as people broadcasted live content from their forrays into World of Warcraft, Fortnite, and other popular game titles. However, Twitch has grown significantly in recent years, and content creators from a wide range of niches and industries use the platform to share their content. 

For instance, Twitch is popular with entertainment, sports, esports, music, comedy, and several other genres, making it an inclusive content platform for live streaming that appeals to an extremely broad audience. 

2. How Twitch works: What is live streaming? 

While many popular social and multi-media platforms today enable users to upload recorded content and images, Twitch is all about live content. Live streaming is the practice of putting out live content that is broadcast across the internet, and it is a super popular way for content creators to engage with their audiences. The live streaming industry is worth more than $70 billion, with revenue generated by PPV and OTT models. 

When you create an account on Twitch, you have the opportunity to live stream any type of content to your audience. This could be footage of you playing the new FIFA video game, or it could be you performing a comedic sketch, for instance. As is the case with all online platforms, the more followers you have, the easier it is to grow your profile and increase your outreach. 

Once a live stream has ended, it stays on your profile for users to view at their leisure, much like YouTube assembles a library of your videos for your audience to watch as and when they feel like it. Although live streaming might not be as popular as other forms of content creation, it’s undoubtedly on an upward trajectory, partly due to the amount of money involved. But how exactly do you monetize Twitch?

3. How to monetize Twitch 

The good news for content creators is that there are so many ways to monetize your content on Twitch, and you’re certainly not restricted to one strategy over another. Below, we introduce the different ways in which you can monetize your content on Twitch, which will help you diversify your income as a content creator: 

Bits 

One of the easiest ways to monetize your content on Twitch is through the use of Bits. It’s essentially an online currency within the platform that users can send to one another. When you receive an emoticon or cheer note from a user, you will also receive compensation of $0.01. Bits are completely managed by Twitch and are foolproof and safe, making them a great option as you look to monetize your channel from the outset. 

Subscribers 

Subscribers are the biggest source of financial support for your Twitch channel. They let your community support you consistently and are excellent for building long-term financial value into your Twitch account. By subscribing to your account, your fans can also view your content ad-free, which is another big advantage. There are different types of subscriptions on Twitch, including: 

• Subs: Subscribers pay a minimum of $4.99 per month to support their channel, but there are several tiers available. You can raise the rate to $9.99 or $24.99 per month to increase your income from subs. 
• Gifted subscriptions: Subscribers can gift a sub of your channel to other Twitch users for one month. If they like your content, they can choose to sign up for a long-term subscription. 

As a Twitch streamer, you will keep 50% of the cost of the subscription, while the platform will take the other 50%. 

4. Affiliate marketing 

Amazon owns Twitch, opening up a broad range of possibilities for content creators, primarily through affiliate marketing. If you recommend Amazon products via your broadcasts, you can earn money through affiliate purchases, which is another great way to bolster your earnings from the platform.

5. Sponsors 

Lots of brands are keen to work with live streamers to promote their products and services. So, you have a great opportunity to reach out to brands within your industry or niche and offer to collaborate with them in exchange for a fee.

6. What about Twitch affiliates and partners? 

When you meet specific requirements on Twitch, you will be invited to become an affiliate and then a partner. To become an affiliate, you must have streamed a minimum of 8 hours of content on 7 different days in a 30-day period. You also need at least 50 followers and have an average of 3 viewers per broadcast. Becoming an affiliate enables you to earn money through subs and bits. 

To make it as a Twitch partner, you need to have streamed a minimum of 25 hours of content in the last 30 days. Also, these live streams must have been on 12 separate days and have an average of 75 viewers per stream. When you reach this level, your account will be reviewed by the Twitch team, and you may be invited to join the Partner program. As a partner, you can earn revenue through ads, customize your channel, and gain access to exclusive promotions. In other words, your earning potential is enhanced when you make it as a partner. 

As you can see from this article so far, there are so many ways to monetize your account on Twitch, which will help you grow your business and diversify your online income. But central to growth on Twitch, as is the case on every online platform, is the number of followers and subscribers you have. So, how do you increase your numbers on the platform in order to make the big bucks?

7. How to increase your profile on Twitch 

In order to grow your profile on Twitch, you need to produce excellent content that your followers appreciate. The best content creators on Twitch are those that have an impressive profile on the platform and are constantly putting out compelling and engaging live content. You also need to build a rapport with your audience, which you can achieve by regularly interacting with the people who comment on your streams. 

While organic growth is an important part of your success on Twitch, you can also increase your profile on the platform by investing in our Twitch Growth Plan. Our plan helps content creators like you achieve real Twitch engagement growth that includes monthly followers, automatic views, and other engagement to boost your profile. We have a range of plans available to suit all budgets that will help you level up your numbers on Twitch. 

You can also buy Twitch followers or Twitch views if you don’t want to opt for an all-in-one growth plan. Our plans include real engagement by real followers and help you take your presence on Twitch to a new level entirely. Investing in Twitch views and followers will perfectly supplement the organic growth of your channel and ensure that you can make the most of the various monetization options at your disposal. 

So, be sure to check out our comprehensive selection of Twitch services today to boost your online presence as a live streamer.

Recap: Making the most out of Twitch 

You now have all the information you need to get started on Twitch as a live streamer! Whether you’re a gamer or a content creator working in another niche, Twitch is an excellent platform to take advantage of, given the unique monetization opportunities available.  

As explained, unique, original content is key to the growth of your channel, but you can supplement your content with an investment in a Twitch Growth Plan, which will kick-start your upward trajectory on the platform.