If you want to learn how to make money on Twitch and make gaming a full time career, then you're in the right place. In this article, you will learn about the basics of Twitch streaming as a gamer, and the income sources on the platform that will be available to you as your career progresses.
But before we begin, you have to understand that everything takes time. Your streaming career isn't going to take off overnight, and you won't be making "quit your job" type money in so short a time. So be patient, stick with it, and keep the content coming as regularly as you can.
Now, onto the guide!
Basic Income Sources For All Twitch Streamers
There are two main types of streamers on Twitch. The ones that get the most views and big bucks (aka Twitch partners) and everybody else. But the thing that keeps the two groups similar are specific income sources that the platform offers anybody who make content on it. Aside from big-budget sponsorships, the top streamers on Twitch have the same ways of making money as smaller scale creators.
Here are the numerous ways of earning income that are technically available to any Twitch user, according to Influencer Marketing Hub:
Affiliate Links
These are different from being a Twitch Affiliate (this will be explained later), but is one income avenue open to all. Affiliate links involve you marketing another person or company's product/s online by sharing a customized link to the product. If people click on the custom link you shared, you will get a percentage of the money they spent if they decide to buy it.
Amazon currently offers the best affiliate program. And considering that Amazon owns Twitch, that's even better. Hubspot shared a step-by-step guide to signing up as an affiliate that's easy to follow.
However, making the most of an affiliate program means you can't just spam links anywhere on your content - even if the products you're promoting aren't things you use yourself. People don't like that. So be sure to only market items that you yourself recommend, so things are a bit more realistic and believable for users that they'd want to click on your link.
Donations
Perhaps the easiest (and best) way for Twitch streamers to earn money is to ask followers/viewers for donations, as these go directly to them without Twitch having a cut out of it. That's because these donations go straight to Twitch streamers' PayPal, Venmo, Patreon, or even bank accounts.
This might be better suited for streamers with a considerable following, but donations are still key to how the biggest streamers earn a bulk of their cash. They directly request donations while on stream, or at times even set a donation goal. But the big problem here is that scammers can sometimes send fake donations. They send the money then file a chargeback, causing you to lose the money you got. Just be careful of things like that - and don't be greedy.
Tournament Prizes
One of the most important things to people following gamers on Twitch is the simplest: skill. If they think you're good, then you're entertaining. And if you're good enough, maybe you could enter some gaming tournaments and earn a good chunk of money that way. ESports tournaments happen all the time, across all manner of competitive games. Just pick the game you're great at, practice, and compete.
Participants sit at a computer monitor to play a video game at the 2019 DreamHack video gaming festival on February 15, 2019 in Leipzig, Germany. The three-day event brings together gaming enthusiasts, mainly from German-speaking countries, for events including eSports tournaments, cosplay contests and a LAN party with 1,500 participants.
If you're not an eSports pro, however, it might be tough to find a tournament altogether. Just be sure to shore up your contacts for local tourneys, and you can get started that way. Of course, you'll need to stream your battles on Twitch where your income can get augmented by the other two sources we just talked about.
Read Also: The 10 Best Games to Stream on Twitch Right Now
How To Make Money On Twitch As An Affiliate Or Partner
Now, we move on to the big leagues. Learning how to make money on Twitch as an Affiliate or Partner is different, because these folks have to meet specific requirements first before things open up to them. Here are the requirements, separated for Affiliate and Partner tiers:
Affiliate
To become a Twitch Affiliate, a streamer must have as follows:
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At least 500 total minutes broadcast within the last 30 days
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At least 7 unique broadcast days within the last 30 days
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An average of 3 concurrent viewers or more within the last 30 days
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At least 50 followers
Partner
Here's what you have to do to become a Twitch Partner and join the "elite," so to speak, according to StreamScheme:
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Become a Twitch Affiliate
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A concurrent viewership of 75 people within the last 30 days
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Stream at least 12 different times within the last 30 days
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Stream at least 25 hours within the last 30 days
Once you've met the requirements, numerous new income streams open up for you. But Partners will still have exclusive income options than Affiliates, considering how they have a much bigger following.
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Twitch Bits: Twitch's own donation system is called Twitch Bits. These are available in multiple denominations which can be bought with real money. The more bits people buy, the more money you get. The platform will take a 30% cut from the initial Bits purchase, but it won't take a cut of the Bits that fans send you. So if, say, a fan gives you 100 Bits, you get all of it, writes Streamers Playbook. Streamers get one cent for every Bit.
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Subscriptions: If fans love your content enough, they will want more. Subscriptions will ensure that they never miss another stream of yours. This is the only type of recurring income available to streamers, which starts from $4.99 a month all the way up to $24.99 a month. You get a 50/50 split from the platform, but you can perhaps negotiate a higher percentage if you have enough pull.
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Ads (Partner Only): Twitch Partners can opt to run ads on their stream if they want, which they can do via the so-called "ad button." Press the button and an ad runs whenever you want - as it plays and people watch it, you earn a flat rate from Twitch. The typical amount is around $1 to $2 per 1,000 views.
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Selling In-Game Items And Games (Partner Only): If you play a game that Twitch either sells on its own or has in-game items that Twitch sells, you will get a 5% cut of the revenue the game (or in-game items) earn.
What About Sponsorships?
You might notice that we obviously left out sponsorships from most of the article. The reason is that sponsorships, while technically open for streamers of all levels, are still more or less exclusive to big-time creators.
When was the last time you heard of somebody who has less than 10 followers get a sponsorship? It barely happens, if it ever happens at all. But if you do get a considerable following, then brands could come knocking and offer you a rate.
And that's it! That's how to make money on Twitch. Now go out there and work!
Related Article: Most Successful Female Streamers on Twitch [2022]
This article is posted on GameNGuide
Written by RJ Pierce
