How to Make Money on Twitch

What Is Twitch?

There are many ways to watch people play video games and have them watch your gaming sessions, but one of the easiest is to fire up is Twitch.

Twitch is an American video live streaming service that focuses on video game live streaming, including broadcasts of esports competitions, in addition to offering music broadcasts, creative content, and “in real life” streams. Twitch is operated by Twitch Interactive, a subsidiary of Amazon.com, Inc.

Available on multiple platforms, including desktop, mobile, browser, and set-top boxes, the Amazon-owned streaming service specializes in broadcasting real-time gaming—though it offers other kinds of creative content, too. Twitch’s ubiquity, ease of use, and high adoption rate make it an excellent service and an Editors’ Choice pick, despite a few issues. It’s one of the best video game live streaming services, not to be confused with services that let you play video games through streaming.

How much money can you make on Twitch?

The amount of money you can make on Twitch depends heavily on how many viewers consistently tune into your livestreams. The larger your audience, the larger your income.

To provide an estimate of how much streamers at various viewership levels can earn each month on Twitch, Streamer Facts recently put together this analysis:

 

• 5-10 average viewers per stream : $50-$200 per month
• 20 average viewers per stream : $200-$400 per month
• 50 average viewers per stream : $500-$750 per month
• 100 average viewers per stream : $1,000-$1,500 per month
• 1,000 average viewers per stream : $5,000 per month
• 5,000 average viewers per stream : $13,000 per month
• 10,000 average viewers per stream : $30,000 per month
• 50,000+ average viewers per stream : $100,000-$200,000+ per month

Popular Twitch streamers can generate hundreds of thousands of dollars in recurring income each month. Making money streaming is possible—you’re just going to have to work at it.

Getting just five to 10 average viewers per stream isn’t going to happen overnight, so keep in mind that Twitch is not the best way to make money fast. However, if your goal is to earn monthly income as a professional gamer, getting started on Twitch should be your first step.

How Do You Make Money on Twitch?

What you need to understand right away when learning how to make money on Twitch is that you need to appeal to your Twitch audience.

The best way to do this is by streaming content that they are interested in. You can also monetize your channel by using paid subscriptions and donations from viewers.

Bits is one of the most popular ways to monetize a Twitch channel. It is a kind of currency used within the platform that users can use to get and send Cheers, Cheermotes or custom Cheermotes in content creator chats, which would be emoticons, animated emoticons and custom emoticons respectively. For each emoticon sent, the creator of the emoticon receives an economic compensation, specifically $0.01.

The bits can also be used inside some extensions, so every time a user uses it inside any of them, its creator will receive 80% of that $0.01 and 20% will be for the extension developer.

The best thing about this monetization method is that it is fully managed by Twitch, so it is very convenient and safe, especially for those channels with millions of subscribers. 

How to Start Making Money on Twitch

For many Twitch users, the dream when first learning how to make money on Twitch is to one day make a full-time income streaming their favorite games.

While it’s not easy to achieve this goal for most Twitch users, there are a few things you can do to increase your chances of success. Here are a few things you’ll need to start making money on Twitch:

1. The right equipment. Before you can start streaming, you will need the right equipment, which includes a quality webcam and microphone, as well as a fast reliable internet connection.
2. A Twitch account. You will need to create a Twitch account and start streaming on the platform. It’s quick and easy to do!
3. Followers. One of the most important steps you can take is gaining followers on Twitch. The more Twitch users you have following you, the better chance you have of making money.
4. Set up monetization options. Once you have followers, you can set up subscriptions and donations on your Twitch channel. You can also look into sponsorships, affiliate marketing, and product sales.
5. Stay consistent. One of the biggest keys to success on Twitch is consistency. Try to stream regularly and provide entertaining content for your viewers.

Put Ads in Your Streamings

Another way to monetize a Twitch channel is through ads. In this case, your income will depend on the number of viewers who see the advertisement.

The idea is to start with one minute of advertising per hour of transmission since this is a very short pause that won’t bother viewers too much. Depending on how users react, this time can be increased to up to three minutes. Of course, the audience must know when or how often there will be a pause, so we recommend letting them know upfront.

The most important thing is to consider advertising as a short pause in the broadcast, so the duration and frequency of your live stream should be carefully considered. We don’t recommend putting on a stream for less than 15 minutes. Additionally, try not to concentrate the ads at the beginning or at the end, since this is when they tend to have less of an audience.

 

Also read : How to get verified on twitch?

 

Twitch monetization

Twitch Affiliate Program: Earn As Your Channel Grows

The Twitch Affiliate Program is an entry-level monetization option.

Its aim is to give streamers who are at the start of their journeys – but committed to growing their twitch channels – the opportunity to start generating some early income from their live streams. 

You receive a share of the revenue that’s generated on (or from) your channel, to help support your work while you take your channel to the next level.

To be eligible for the program you need to meet the minimum criteria. You must have:

• At least 50 followers.
• Broadcast 500 total minutes in the last 30 days.
• Have broadcast on at least 7 different days.
• Averaged 3 or more concurrent viewers per stream.

Twitch Partner Program: Where Established Users Generate Bigger Incomes

The Twitch Partner Program is for Affiliates that have an established viewership and are ready to take their channels to the next level. It comes with more perks to help your channel grow!

Let’s start by talking about monetization features. 

The way you earn money as a Twitch Partner is identical to when you were a Twitch Affiliate. The percentages you earn remain the same.

If you scrolled past the last section to read this one, here’s the breakdown again:

1. Twitch Subscriptions: you’ll get 50% of the revenue from the subscribers to your channel, based on the tier they’ve chosen.
2. Twitch Bits: there’s a payout of $1 for every 100 bits your channel gets.
   Video game sales: you can earn 5% of the revenue from games (or in-game add-ons) where the purchase originates on your Twitch channel.
3. Donations: you receive 100% of any donation made by a Twitch user.
4. Advertising revenue: this is paid out in $100 installments whenever you reach the threshold, which rolls from month to month.

The difference at this stage is the tools you’re given to help grow your Twitch channel. Promotion to the Twitch Partner Program unlocks a number of special perks.

 

Sponsorships on Twitch

At some point in your streaming journey, you may have the opportunity to receive a sponsorship on your channel from a 3rd party. If it’s right for you and your community, you can offer those 3rd parties and brands exposure to your community to boost your earnings.

Online games of chance are straightforward ways to make money

Online gambling is the easiest and most straightforward way to potentially make money by gaming from the comfort of your home. This method requires very little experience and can begin whenever a player wants thanks to the popularity of online casinos. While no money is guaranteed, winners can enjoy massive jackpots and potentially set themselves up for life. Just as a Eurojackpot winner sets new Swedish record from a jackpot, anyone can possibly win money from online gambling.
While the most accessible option on this list, it’s important to understand factors like odds and potential winnings before gunning for big jackpots. Additionally, playing these games can be done passively while working on the other available methods. It’s not what most gamers have in mind for making money by playing games, but video Poker or slots and casino games are theoretically the fastest way to profit from gaming in 2023.