girl streamer smelling her money that she earned from streaming on Twitch

How Do You Make Money On Twitch?

It’s no secret that a lot of people are making a living out of Twitch, and it’s every gamers dream to do the same. But do you know what your favorite streamers are doing for that? If a streamer wants to make more than a few extra bucks at the end of the week, it’ll take more than activating a “donations” button on your channel.

Regardless of what you want to do, it is possible to monetize your channel and evolve as a streamer. Still, there are a few significant factors you must be familiar with before you can consider making a good profit.

Do you love playing games? Do you want to get paid while playing your favorite game? Do you want to get paid to come online? Do you like social media presence and attention? Do you want to be a Rockstar of the online world?

Of course, yes!

 Although it is neither quick nor easy, it is simple enough to make loads of money streaming online on channels like Twitch.

All you need is dedication and a high-speed and stable internet connection. And soon enough, you will be able to make an approximate six-figure income!

Who knows, you might choose to quit your regular boring conventional job and be an awesome full-time Twitch streamer.

In this article, we will talk about how Twitch streamers make money.

What are streamers doing to make money on Twitch?

Twitch Bits

For starters, let us explain what Twitch Bits are.

The virtual currency that Twitch viewers can buy is known as Bits. Bit donations are the most common earning sources when you are a beginner on the Twitch platform.

Twitch bits are the emojis or emoticons viewers use on your platform in the real-time chat room. Anyone can send them, and the streamer will earn one cent each time someone sends one. It’s possible to convert Twitch bits to USD. Now what you have to do is acquire bits to “cheer” emojis in your beloved streamer’s channel or chatroom. Use these cheer emojis as Bit Gems.

So, every time that your subscribers use these bit gems in your chatroom, Twitch will pay you ($0.01/bit).

There is an additional feature but only for Twitch wherein you can customize the emojis known as “Cheernotes.” And you can replace these custom emojis with the original ones to use as Bit Gems.

This part only is the starting point. Streamers on this platform are earning money via donations, ads, subscriptions, but most importantly, most streamers are part of the Twitch Affiliate program and often work with advertising companies.

Twitch bits can make you earn a few extra dollars, although relying solely on this factor won’t allow you to advance in your journey. Therefore, you must become a Twitch Affiliate as soon as you meet all the requirements.

twitch streamer counting his cash money

Paid From Twitch Subscribers

Subscribers – the dominate income source for any Twitch streamer, be it a beginner or veteran.

There are three types of Twitch subscriptions that the viewers can choose from:

  • $4.99
  • $9.99
  • $24.99

In the beginning, the streamer will have to split the revenue with the subscriber (with Twitch) in half, i.e., 50-50%. As you grow and become a more popular or bigger streamer, the more percentage you earn. The process continues, and you get the chance to earn 100% when you become a superstar streamer.

Since it is a recurring income, you will get to earn a profit every month. Also, it is one of the most stable methods to generate income regularly.

There is a catch, though. To earn subscribers, Twitch’s Partner Program should invite you. Now, this may not seem easy (owing to the millions of active streamers) but remember, patience is a virtue.

Make Money From Twitch’s Affiliate Program

This program is available for those streamers who have demonstrated dedication to their channel. Therefore, these people have a stable number of viewers and have already earned a good place within the streaming community.

It’s important to note that Twitch will offer the affiliation directly. According to Twitch, these are the requirements to become an affiliate:

  1. You must have a minimum of 50 followers.
  2. You should have streamed for a minimum of 500 minutes in the past week – or seven days.
  3. Last but not least, you are required to have at least three concurrent viewers.

During your first weeks, you should work hard to meet the platform’s criteria and become part of the affiliate program as soon as possible. It may be challenging to acquire organic followers, but it’s not impossible.

Once you’ve met the criteria, you will receive a notification on your Twitch account and an invitation via email. Being part of Twitch’s affiliate program is an excellent opportunity to make money whenever people watch your streams or subscribe to your channel.

Affiliate marketing, in most simpler terms, means earning through commissions.

So, what you need to do is speak to the company or partner with them. Then share a coupon code, a promo code, or a link to the source website. Now, your subscribers will go through your means to that product’s website and by using your referral.

It, in turn, will boost the company’s sales. And for every successful purchase, you will get to earn your commission.

Donations

You have probably noticed that most Twitch streamers have a donations button available on their channels and streams. You can play around with donations to make more profit. For instance, if your channel is about cooking, you can make available a tip menu so people can see how much they’ll have to “tip” you for you to perform something in particular, such as making a recipe they request.

Advertisements 

Ads are everywhere, and Twitch is not the exception. Similar to YouTube, some companies pay streamers for advertising their websites, products, or services while they’re streaming.

However, please consider that ads are not as profitable as you may think in most cases, especially with so many people using ad block (we all know how annoying they can get). An occasional ad won’t hurt your stream – for instance, when you’re starting or finishing the stream. Make sure it isn’t affecting what you’re streaming.

Twitch requires you to become part of the partnership program before you can start earning money via ads.

Your channel must meet particular criteria to become a partner, similar to the Affiliate program:

  • Your channel should have at least five-hundred concurrent viewers whenever you’re streaming. 
  • You must comply with Twitch’s Terms of Service and DCMA normative.
  • Additionally, you are required to stream in a consistent schedule, at least three times weekly.

 Twitch makes an exception to these requirements sometimes but does not rely on it. Some streamers may become part of the partnership program even if they do not comply with every prerequisite, although others are denied the request if they go beyond what’s listed.

According to an estimated, an intermediate-level streamer can make up to $250/100 subscribers through good advertising campaigns. However, this too is reserved for Twitch’s Partner Program.

The basic rule is that a streamer gets paid per 1000 views of their ad.

Earning through advertising is a bit towards the lower side these days due to various Ad-Block extensions. So, if you have earned your reputation, simply ask your subscribers to disable the Ad Block, and problem solved!

Selling merch

Selling merch has become the standard among most streamers nowadays. Once you’ve established your place in the platform, you should not be the exception. Due to the number of streamers selling merch, Twitch has made some tools available for them. While you can display it on your channel, you should also advertise your social media products.

You can sell numerous products on Twitch, but that will also depend on what your audience want. For starters, please consider having the following aspects:

Designs for your merch – If you have designed a logo, it could work for t-shirts or hoodies. Although some people prefer something more original, it isn’t weird for some people to request custom designs. It doesn’t matter if you have no idea how to make designs. You can hire artists for that purpose via Fiverr, for example.

Widgets and Extensions – Twitch allows you to implement these tools so you can integrate a “store” in your channel where people can explore everything you have available. Every time someone buys something, you’ll receive an alert in your stream, and other people will see it.

Sponsorships

Sponsorships work similarly to what you’re used to seeing on other platforms, like YouTube. You match with a third-party company, and they will ask you to advertise something to your audience. 

Once you attain a certain number of subscribers or followers, companies will start noticing you.

Now, these companies will approach you to advertise their product, in short, be their brand ambassador or company’s face. In return, they will pay you heavily.

You can promote these company labels in your Livestream or commentary. Some companies may even ask you for a photoshoot.

Either way, you will earn a hefty amount.

Many indie games have become hugely popular due to sponsorships. Game devs pay streamers with a large fan base to play their game during their streams. However, other companies may ask you to advertise a product or maybe show their logo.

If you’re interested, you can start matching with sponsors through platforms like PowerSpike.

Signing to ESports Organizations

Show off your skills, indulge with the audience, and make an impact. This will make you noticeable, and within time, ESports teams can sign you up.

This method requires a sheer amount of time and dedication and has a luck factor attached to it. So, please do not depend on it blindly.

Conclusion

What we listed here are some of the many ways you can use to earn money via Twitch. This platform makes it easy to reach a broad amount of viewers. You can see excellent examples of successful streamers that use some of the methods we mentioned here, like Sweet Anita or DisguisedToast. 

The inception of streaming platforms like Twitch has now made it highly convenient for gamers to earn a significant amount of money.

People from all over the world demonstrate their gaming and entertaining skills on this platform. Over time they build up tonnes of fan-following, which paves a path to their success. Combine this hard work with paid subscription, influencer marketing, affiliate sales, and sponsorships, and voila – your money will be flowing in!

Do not forget that composure, consistency, and commitment together form the key to your fame and success.