What does Twitch offer to live streamers?

Twitch is mostly a streaming platform for live video content related to gaming, but recently, Twitch’s non-gaming content offering has been growing.

As a streaming platform, Twitch can offer the following to content creators and advertisers:

  • Access to a specific audience – four-fifths of Twitch’s user base is male, and 55% of them are between 18 and 34 years old.
  • Twitch users are mostly open to brand sponsorships and consider them good for the gaming industry.
  • Monetization options – the Twitch Partner program allows creators to monetize based on new channel subscriptions, the bit-based cheering system, and ad revenue participation.
  • The Twitch Affiliate program allows creators to monetize game sales instead of ad revenue participation.
  • Live streams are easy to repurpose for other video platforms with some ingenuity.
  • Less emphasis on production value (no 4k streaming as of July 2021), more on building a community
  • A live-streaming-first platform, not a social network with live streaming

Twitch has moved beyond gamers to include hobbyists, musicians, talk-show hosts, and even politicians.

🎮 Twitch for Gamers

Besides being a streaming-first platform, Twitch has long been a gaming-only platform. It’s a welcoming place for gaming live streamers, because the audience is already there. But Twitch is also a crowded environment for gamers, so building a community is necessary for success. Once you build up a following, you might be asked to become a Twitch partner or take on brand sponsorships.

🤑 Twitch for Entrepreneurs and Businesses

Entrepreneurs and businesses might have a harder time getting their bearings on Twitch than on other platforms that are not live-content-first. To be successful on the platform, entrepreneurs and businesses need to create content that:

  • Is gaming-related or falls under one of the remaining content categories on Twitch
  • They can publish with some regularity
  • Invites users to interact

Another entry point for entrepreneurs and businesses who don’t want to publish their own content on Twitch is sponsoring content creators who already have a following on the platform.

📰 Twitch for Publishers and Media

Twitch has a total of 11 non-gaming, in-real-life categories of video content, some of which include the “talk shows and podcasts” category. This would be the sweet spot for publishers and media, with content including:

  • Live interviews and AMAs (Ask Me Anything)
  • A behind-the-scenes look at your podcast production
  • Special events broadcast about gaming, tech, or one of Twitch’s popular categories

💥 Twitch for Content Creators

Twitch has dedicated niches for content creators who want to live stream about everything from cooking and crafts to dancing and science. As we see more non-gaming creators join the platform, it’s possible that Twitch will highlight other types of content categories. Some great ideas for content include:

  • Tutorials and classes showing viewers how to prepare a dish, do a craft, or any other hobby you have
  • Contests where you accept crazy challenges from your viewers or give away prizes
  • Live events or fundraisers for a cause you care about