How do you know it’s time to seriously think about it? Well, you spend half of your time playing computer games instead of doing college writing assignments and your friends keep saying you’re really good. Moreover, you have a channel on YouTube where you update videos of you playing like a master and you already have some subscribers.
If the description above matches your current situation, then it’s clearly the right time to try Twitch.
The fact that you’re reading this article now is a clear sign that you have already heard about it, but you’re not sure if making money from streaming is real or just a myth. Also, you don’t know how hard it is to start doing it.
To begin with, you must know that what you heard about Twitch players that now are millionaires is true. For example, IMAQTPIE won 3 million dollars as a LoL streamer and former pro player.
But until you get there, it’s a long way to go, because making money on Twitch is not that simple.
First of all, you must know that there are more ways to make money streaming on Twitch. Below, you have a short description of two of them (these are the most recommended for beginners) with some comments about how difficult it is to gain money by using each of them.
- Twitch Subscriptions
Probably the most popular form of earning money on Twitch is by the mean of subscriptions. How does it work?
To begin with, you need to be a Twitch Affiliate (this is valid for all existent ways of winning money on Twitch). To get this statute, you must have at least 50 followers. Until you reach that number of followers, your channel won’t have a Subscribe button available.
As there are a lot of people who also want to get some money from streaming, it may be more difficult than you imagine to attract those 50 people. A small tip would be to promote your channel on all your social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and so on). Also, promote yourself on YouTube if you also have a YT channel.
Soon after your channel is upgraded to the Partner or Affiliate status, you’ll have to convince your followers that you deserve to be subscribed. Twitch requires a monthly donation of either $4.99, $9.99, or $24.99 for subscriptions, with the chosen amount being divided half for Twitch and half for the streamer.
The best part is that this way, you can increase your income endlessly, as it depends only on the number of subscribers. The bad part is that you’ll have to work continually to keep their attention and interest, otherwise you will not get new subscribers and worse, you will lose the old ones.
By the way, the videos per se don’t represent the only methods to impress your viewers and make them subscribe to your channel.
Twitch also gives you the opportunity to communicate with your viewers on chat. They might enter your chat room to ask questions about various strategies or just to know you better as a real person. Responding to them in a kind, helpful tone can really help your channel to grow.
So, you need to be always friendly, willing to help others and last but not least, be a good player, have original movements and demonstrate your talent at eSports competitions.
2. Bits
Whenever a viewer likes your video, he/she can support you by sending animated gifts as a message on the stream’s chat. These gifts have to be bought via Amazon Payments. You should also know that Twitch affiliates and partners acquire one cent for every bit that has been used in their channel’s chat.
Here we have a kind of win-win situation, as the ones who support you this way will receive special chat badges depending on the number of bits they have invested in their favorite streamers.
However, if you want to receive this kind of support, again, you have to be a good player and a good speaker.
You should know how to comment on your own game, have some sense of humor and distributive attention, as you should always have an eye on what your viewers write on the channel’s chat. Also, thanking all the people who supported you is a must, especially for beginners.
Initially, it may seem just a child’s game to make money on Twitch, but the reality is pretty different. You have to invest time (the more you play, the more chances you have to be remarked by Twitch viewers) and patience and you must be willing to communicate with your fans.
Remember that game streaming can become a full-time job for many successful people in the field. So yes, it’s not easy to make money on Twitch, but if you are really passionate about gaming, you can go for it!