There are many ways to make money when it comes to playing games. You can find sponsors, run ads, or even do product placement. But what about those who ensure they maximize their earnings through a stable platform?
Twitch is a platform that allows gamers to live stream their gameplay and chat with viewers in real-time. It’s a place where you can build a following, interact with your fans, and potentially make some serious cash.
In this guide, I'll dive deep into how to make money on Twitch. We'll discuss the various ways to generate an income, ranging from ad revenue, becoming a Twitch affiliate, and finding sponsors.
Ready to learn how to make money on Twitch? Let's get started.
Is It Even Possible To Make Money On Twitch?
First, let's dispel the myth that there's no money in online gaming. This is simply not true. While Twitch is a platform where you can build a following and interact with your fans, it's also a place where you can generate some serious cash.
One of the most notable occurrences happened a few years ago when 'Ninja' made $1 million in profits by advertising EA's Apex Legends debut.
Twitch is still a significant player in online entertainment and allows both ‘big’ and ‘small’ Twitch streamers to make money while playing their favorite games.
Ways To Earn Money As A Non-Affiliate
As with any other means of making money online, there are many ways for many Twitch streamers to get their piece of the Twitch pie.
Let's get into such methods that you can use if you aren’t able to become a Twitch affiliate (yet). I’ll also get into how to become one later in this article.
Affiliate Marketing
Twitch affiliate marketing is a type of performance-based marketing in which a business rewards a particular streamer for each visitor or customer brought to the site by their marketing efforts.
This is perfect for those already familiar with various (gaming or otherwise) products and services and who want to use this knowledge to make some extra cash.
Like you would make money as a Facebook affiliate marketer, you can use Twitch to promote these products and services on your Twitch channel and earn a commission on any sales you generate.
To get started with affiliate marketing, you'll need to find a company or product that you want to promote. Once you've found a product or service you're interested in advertising, you'll need to sign up for their affiliate program.
Most companies will have an affiliate program that you can sign up for directly on their website. Once you've signed up for the program, you'll be given a unique affiliate link that you can use to promote the product or service on your Twitch channel.
When someone clicks on your affiliate link and makes a purchase, you'll earn a commission on the sale. The amount of commission you earn will vary depending on the product or service you're promoting and the company you're promoting it for.
One can join most affiliate marketing programs by filling out a simple form on the company's website. In addition, many companies have affiliate managers that you can contact if you have any questions or need help getting started.
Some of the more popular affiliate marketing programs include Amazon Associates, CJ Affiliate, and ClickBank.
Affiliate marketing is a great way to generate revenue from your Twitch channel, as you'll be promoting products and services that you're already familiar with and passionate about.
Upload Your Content On YouTube
While Twitch is a great platform to build a following and interact with your fans, it's not the only place where you can upload your content. YouTube is another excellent platform that you can use to generate revenue from your gaming content.
Image credit: http://gamerant.com/
Unlike Twitch, which allows live streaming, YouTube also allows you to upload pre-recorded gameplay videos. This means that you can continue to generate revenue from your content even when you're not actively streaming.
To get started, all you need to do is create a YouTube channel and start uploading your videos. Once your channel has been completed and you start uploading YouTube videos, you'll need to enable monetization to start earning money from your views.
YouTube will then place ads on your videos and share the revenue made with you. The amount of money you earn from each view will vary depending on the ad and the advertiser.
Win In Tournaments
If you can improve your skills so you win in tournaments, you can start earning some serious cash. Tournaments usually have a prize pool that is split among the winners.
The amount of money you can win will vary depending on the tournament and your game. For example, the Fortnite World Cup had a prize pool of $30 million, which was split among the winners.
To start winning in tournaments, you'll need to find ones that you're eligible for and then practice your skills to come out on top.
Tournaments offer a chance to win serious money, but it's important to remember that the field is usually stacked with some of the best players in the world. As a result, it's not always easy to win such tournaments.
If you're looking to make quick and easy money, then tournaments are probably not the best option. However, if you're looking to win big prizes over the long term, then tournaments are the way to go.
Getting Donations
Donations are another great way to generate revenue from your Twitch channel. While donations are typically smaller amounts of money, they can add up over time if you have a large enough following.
Image credit: https://www.youtube.com/
There are a few different ways to advertise and incentivize donating money to your Twitch channel. One way is to ask for donations during your stream. This can be done either verbally or through on-screen text.
Another way to incentivize donations is to offer rewards for donors. For example, you could offer exclusive access to your Discord server or give away free merchandise.
You can also use donation platforms like Streamlabs or Muxy to set up donation buttons and pages on your Twitch channel. These platforms make it easy for viewers to donate and provide features like donation goals and leaderboards.
Donation platforms typically take a small cut of the donations, but they can be a great way to increase revenue from your channel.
Apply For A Sponsorship
Another way to generate revenue on Twitch is through sponsorships. This is where brands will pay you to promote their products or services on your channel in an official capacity.
You typically need to have a large following and produce high-quality content to get sponsored. You also need to be active on social media and have a good reputation.
The great news is that if you're able to get sponsored, you can earn a lot of money. The amount that you make will depend on your popularity and your following size.
In addition, if you can find a sponsorship that fits well with your channel, it can also be a great way to provide value to your viewers.
For example, if you're a gamer that streams first-person shooters, you could find a sponsorship with a peripheral gaming company. This would be a great way to generate revenue, but it would also provide value to your viewers by exposing them to new products they might be interested in.
Becoming A Twitch Affiliate
The Twitch affiliate program is a great way to generate advertising revenue from your channel. Twitch affiliates need to meet the following requirements:
If you meet these requirements, you can apply to be a Twitch affiliate. Once you're accepted, you'll be able to start earning revenue from your channel.
Image Credit: http://medium.com
The great news is that becoming a Twitch affiliate means you can access three other forms of making money.
These are as follows:
Let's look at each method.
Twitch Subscriptions
There are three subscription tiers available on Twitch:
All of these are on a per month basis.
When people pay for your subscription, you will earn a revenue share from Twitch. This is currently set at 50/50. So, for example, for every $4.99 subscription, you would earn $2.50.
Twitch Bits
Twitch Bits are a virtual currency that viewers can use to show their support for broadcasters. When viewers send Bits, the host receives a share of the generated revenue.
The great thing about Bits is that they are very affordable for viewers. A single Bit costs just $0.01, which means viewers can show their support without spending much money.
Image Credit: http://help.twitch.tv
While this might not sound like much if you're looking to get into Twitch gaming to make money (from the streamer’s point of view), it does add up, especially if you have a large following.
Game Sales
The final way to generate revenue as a Twitch affiliate is through game sales. When viewers buy games from your channel page, you'll earn 5% of the generated revenue.
This is a great way to generate revenue, especially if you're playing popular games that people are interested in buying.
To sum up, becoming a Twitch affiliate is a great way to generate revenue from your channel.
The Twitch Partner Program is for those who want to take their Twitch monetization strategy to the next level.
Partnering With Twitch
If you're serious about making money on Twitch, partnering with Twitch is the best option.
For those with a long-term commitment to Twitch and looking to build a sustainable business, the Twitch Partnership program is the way to go.
In your application, you'll have to tell Twitch about your community, channel, achievements, and other relevant information that can help the platform make a decision.
For those who become Twitch partners, additional unlocked features can help you generate more revenue.
These features are as follows:
It's important to note that gaming is not the only type of content popular on Twitch. There are also several other categories, such as games, music, talk shows, and art. If you're not gaming, you can still find success on Twitch, especially as a partner.
You can also run Twitch ads on your channel as a Twitch partner. Depending on various factors, these are worth between $0.002 and $0.01 per view.
How To Build An Audience On Twitch
Now that I've talked about how to generate revenue on Twitch, let's talk about how to build an audience to advertise to.
Find Your Niche
To find success on Twitch, you need first to find your niche. This is the type of content that you'll be streaming. There are several different categories on Twitch, so it's essential to find one you're passionate about and that you think you can excel in.
This is a valuable exercise to do in any online marketing channel you start. Whether you want to find a niche for your blog, YouTube channel, or Twitch channel, finding your niche should always be a priority.Build A Following On Other Social Media Accounts
As you start streaming on Twitch, building up a following on other social media platforms is essential. This will help increase the visibility of your channel and attract new viewers.
The best way to do this is to be active on other platforms and share your content regularly. You should also interact with other Twitch users and try to build relationships.
Network With Other Streamers
Another great way to build an audience on Twitch is to network with other top Twitch streamers. You can join communities, attend events, or even just chat with people in chat rooms.
By networking with other streamers, you can attract new viewers to your channel, but you can also learn from others and collaborate.
Engage Viewers
Finally, it's essential to engage with your viewers if you want to build a successful channel on Twitch. This means talking to them in chat, responding to their comments, and playing games they want to see.
By engaging with your viewers this way, you'll create a strong connection with them, keeping them coming back for more.
Offering value, finding your niche, networking, and engaging with viewers are great ways to build an audience on Twitch. You'll do well to become a successful streamer if you can do these things.
Conclusion
Building an audience on Twitch can be a challenge, considering how many people are on this platform, but if you follow the tips I've provided, you'll be well on your way to success.
Remember that it's essential to engage with your viewers in various ways, as this is how you get people to keep coming back to your channel. If you can do this successfully over the long term, you'll create a strong connection with your viewers, which will keep them hooked to the content you produce.
This ensures your channel becomes more well-known and successful over time, ensuring that you are able to make money on Twitch.
Finally, check out this post on more ways to make money without a job if you’d like to learn more about making an extra income without a traditional 9 to 5.