Referral and affiliate programs are one of the top ways streamers can generate income from their content. Whether you’re a casual streamer earning some extra cash or looking to make a living off your live content, you should know the ins and outs of referral and affiliate programs.
In this guide, we’ll cover:
- The differences between referral and affiliate programs
- Partner programs
- Examples of referral and affiliate programs for streamers
- Cool perks for Restream affiliates
How do affiliate and referral links work?
Let’s start by covering the difference between affiliate and referral links. An affiliate link is a URL that contains an ID or username specific to you and leads to a company's website. If someone clicks on your link and ends up purchasing something from the company, you get a small commission of the sale.
All you do is place the link somewhere on your website or live streaming channel and let users know you’re an affiliate partner. You basically become an ambassador or champion for the brand.
A referral link, on the other hand, is a URL you share personally with your friends, colleagues, acquaintances, or viewers. It’s more of an invitation to try out a product or service you personally vouch for.
If someone you refer to a company makes a purchase, you get a perk, discount, or credits to use on a product or service. With Restream’s referral program, any registered Restream user can send out referral links right after signing up.
What are two-tiered affiliate programs?
Two-tiered affiliate programs combine the referral and affiliate models described above. You earn money both by using affiliate links to send people to the brand’s products and by referring other content creators to sign up for the program. Many streamers use two-tiered programs because they provide two avenues for earning income.
Referral vs. affiliate vs. partner programs
As a streamer, you’ve probably come across partnership programs as well. How do partner programs differ from referral and affiliate programs? Referral and affiliate programs only pay you when an action is completed using your custom link, whether it’s a purchase or signing up for a program. You don’t see any money until someone else pays.
A partner, on the other hand, gets paid for the content they create to promote a brand, regardless of whether a purchase is made or not. Joining a partner program can be more lucrative than a referral or affiliate program, but they tend to be harder to get into for this reason.
Are streamers allowed to join more than one referral or affiliate program at a time?
Absolutely! Most programs don’t place limits on streamers joining more than one referral or affiliate program. In fact, the most effective way to earn income from affiliate marketing as a streamer is to join more than one program. Just be sure that the programs you join are related to your content.
Referral and affiliate programs for streamers
Launching a referral program can greatly increase sales and signups in a very short period. For this reason, nearly every top company runs a referral program (or sometimes multiple, like Uber’s referral programs for both drivers and users). Some businesses offer free money, whereas others offer discounts, free subscriptions, or some other features.
Here’s a list of 15 referral, affiliate, and partner programs that live video content creators should check out.
Gaming
- World of Warcraft. Blizzard offers tons of in-game rewards for inviting up to ten people to the game, including free game time, with their Recruit A Friend referral program.
- Square Enix. Square Enix is behind the popular Final Fantasy RPG series. The Square Enix Partner Program comes with a variety of benefits, including pre-launch game codes and invitations to pre-launch events.
- League of Legends. By joining the League of Legends Partner Program, content creators can receive perks from Riot Games, including access to game developers, official promotion opportunities, audience giveaways, and exclusive access to content.
- Epic Games. The Support-A-Creator program from Epic Games is an affiliate program that allows creators to earn 5% of the value of in-game purchases for Fortnite and Rocket League when buyers use the creator’s unique code.
Productivity & e-commerce
- Dropbox. You can get up to 16 GB (500 MB per friend) of free storage space for inviting people if you are using a free account. The Dropbox referral program has been simple yet incredibly efficient, as it has allowed the company to grow 3900% over 15 months!
- Amazon Influencer Program. The biggest e-commerce store in the world launched an affiliate program, allowing you to get rewards for recommending products for sale. With the Amazon Influencer Program, you can earn money when customers shop through your Amazon page (storefront). You should have a Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), or YouTube account with enough influence to get your own Amazon page with a custom URL.
- Google Apps. For referring a friend, you can get anything from $8 to $2,300 directly in your bank account. The G Suite Referral Program basically gives you free money if your friend is a paying G Suite customer for at least 90 days.
- Fiverr. It is possible to receive up to $100 for inviting a friend on Fiverr. Overall, the Fiverr referral program allows you to earn even more in shopping credits if you ask politely.
Video creation & live streaming
- XSplit. Broadcasting software XSplit allows affiliates to earn 10% commissions on every referral sale made through their unique referral links. There are no requirements to start referring; all you need is an XSplit account.
- Logitech. One of the most popular webcam brands in streaming, Logitech, has an affiliate program allowing members to earn between 4% and 10% commission on purchases.
- Razer. Streaming and gaming tech manufacturer Razer allows affiliates to earn up to 10% on the sales of Razer products.
- HyperX. Gaming and streaming equipment company HyperX has a four-level affiliate program, with commissions ranging from 4% to 10%, as well as other perks.
Streaming platforms
- Twitch. Twitch has an affiliate and partner program. Both have requirements to join, but the standards are higher for the partner program. Read our guide to becoming a Twitch affiliate to learn more about the program.
- YouTube. Joining the YouTube Partner program gives you access to the platform’s monetization tools, such as ad revenue, channel memberships, the Merch Shelf, Super Chat, and premium revenue.
- Facebook Gaming. Facebook has two programs for gaming streamers: Level Up and the Partner Program. Both have benefits, but the Partner Program has more, such as subs gifting, branded content, and early access to features.
Affiliate programs and influencer marketing
Influencers who live stream use referral, affiliate, and partner programs to earn revenue and unlock special perks from brands and platforms that allows them to keep making exclusive content. Live streaming lets influencers expand their audiences and reach new levels of engagement, potentially letting them earn even more. If you’re an influencer who wants to start live streaming and boost your revenue, we’ve got a guide to help get you started.
Restream referral program
Like many brands, Restream wants to see content creators succeed, so we offer a referral program for Restream users. You can get up to $49 for each friend who upgrades to a paid subscription plan. Your friend receives a $10 credit after signing up via your referral link—A win-win situation, don’t you think?
Our referral program offers some amazing additional features that set Restream apart from other services too. You can track your stats and see how many friends have already signed up and upgraded, for example. The more friends you invite, the more free credits you receive. So grab your unique referral link and send it all over the place.
Find your referral link by logging into your Restream account and clicking on the gift icon in the bottom left corner.
Path to partnership with Restream
At Restream, we also have partnership opportunities. We carefully monitor top performers in regards to the referral program and offer them some exclusive partnership privileges to show our gratitude for all the new users they’ve helped sign up.
You do something good for us, we do something even better for you in return! As you invite more and more friends to Restream, you can earn extra perks; This may include Exclusive Restream merchandise, closed beta tests, one-on-one webinars, or official Restream partnership.
Let’s wrap up
Live streamers can benefit immensely from participating in referral and affiliate programs. These programs have different terms and conditions depending on each company, so the rewards can vary. Some companies grant free subscriptions, whereas others send free money directly to a bank account. When you sign up for referral and affiliate programs, always read the fine print to understand the requirements, limitations, and perks. If you make strategic decisions when choosing your programs, you can be on your way to raking in some serious cash!
