Ultimate Guide on How to Become a Twitch Affiliate (2024)
Do you like video games? Did you know that you can make money by streaming your gameplay? Twitch offers gamers the opportunity to enjoy their favorite games while potentially earning a living by sharing their gaming experiences with a global audience.
In this review, you will learn about what it takes to become a Twitch affiliate and how much you can expect to earn. Additionally, you will discover the process of becoming a Twitch partner.
Table of contents
Twitch Affiliate Program vs. Twitch Partner ProgramÂ
Once you become a Twitch affiliate, you unlock options to monetize your content through ads, subscriptions, and bits.
Twitch partners have the same options but also receive additional exclusive rewards, which I will mention later. Essentially, partners earn more income and can customize their channels to a greater extent.
You cannot become a Twitch partner without first becoming a Twitch affiliate.
Becoming a Twitch affiliate is relatively easy, but becoming a partner is more challenging.
To give you some perspective, there are around 8 million active streamers on Twitch, out of which 1.2 million are affiliates, and only 60,000 are Twitch partners.
This gives you an idea of how challenging it is to become a Twitch partner, but it also highlights that most Twitch streamers are not making any money.
How to Become a Twitch Affiliate?
To become a Twitch Affiliate, you need to meet specific eligibility requirements and wait for an invitation from Twitch.
The eligibility requirements are:
- Broadcast at least 500 total minutes in the last 30 days
- Have a minimum of 7 unique broadcast days in the last 30 days
- Maintain an average of 3 concurrent viewers or more over the last 30 days
- Gain at least 50 Followers
Twitch mentions that the requirements can change, so I recommend checking them on Twitch here.Â
Fulfilling the requirements does not mean that you can imminently become a Twitch affiliate. You will have to wait for an invitation from Twitch.
You'll receive notifications both through email and on Twitch. According to Twitch, you should receive the invite within a few weeks after meeting the requirements.Â
You can check your progress towards meeting these requirements anytime by going to Insights / Achievements / Path to Affiliate.Â
At first glance, the eligibility requirements look easy, but most Twitch streamers don’t achieve them. As mentioned earlier, most Twitch streamers don’t earn any money, so most streamers don’t fulfill the requirements or are unaware of the Twitch affiliate program.
Some streamers do it purely for the love of video gaming, but most will want to monetize their time.
This means that becoming a Twitch affiliate might not be as easy as it appears.Â
How Much Can Twitch Affiliates Earn with Ads?
After achieving Twitch affiliate status, you have various ways to monetize your streams, and one of these options involves incorporating ads into your content.
Within your Twitch account, you can configure ad display settings using Ads Manager.
By choosing to broadcast 3 minutes (or more) of ad content per hour during your streams, you'll earn 55% of the net revenue share from the ads.
You can also decide whether there will be ad breaks in your content and if ads will appear before your live stream (pre-rolls).
If you're a Twitch partner and not just an affiliate, you gain a significant advantage. You'll also have access to the "Ads Incentive Program," which provides insight into potential ad earnings based on specific criteria.
How much can you earn with Twitch ads?
Ad earnings vary considerably depending on your content and the time of year. For instance, you might earn more from ads during the summer or around Christmas compared to other months.
On average, you can anticipate earning around $1 for every 1,000 views.
If you are a small streamer, your earning from ads will be insignificant.Â
How Much Can Twitch Affiliates Earn with Subscriptions?
Are people enjoying your streams and subscribing to your channel?Â
Great! You'll receive a 50% share of each subscription.
Currently, Twitch offers three subscription tiers:
Tier 1 at $$4.99 per month (you earn $2.50)
Tier 2 at $9.99 per month (you earn $5.50)
Tier 3 at $24.99 per month (you earn $12.50)
If you had 1000 subscribers paying for the cheapest tier 1, you would earn $2,500 each month.Â
In general, Twitch subscriptions can earn you significantly more than ads.
It's important to invest time in creating appealing benefits for each tier on your channel. Showing appreciation to your subscribers for their support is essential.
Dedicating time to craft unique channel emotes is crucial, as custom emotes are often a primary incentive for subscribing.
How Much Can Twitch Affiliates Earn with Bits?
Bits function as virtual currency on Twitch, offering viewers an additional way to financially support streamers. They also unlock emoticons that can be used in the chat.
100 Bits can be purchased for $1.4, making the cost of one Bit $0.014.
However, streamers receive $0.01 for each Bit, while the remaining amount goes to Twitch.
If a viewer watching your streams sends you 100 Bits, you'll receive $1.
While this might not appear substantial, it can quickly accumulate if you have many subscribers.
Streamers also have the option to set a minimum amount of Bits for their channel, which helps prevent smaller contributions.
Small Twitch Streamer Earnings
After reading this review of the Twitch affiliate program, you might wonder how much you could earn when starting on Twitch.
I reached out to a streamer who recently became a Twitch affiliate for their insights.
He earned around $50 in his first month, averaging about 4 viewers per stream. During this period, he managed to get 15 subscribers for his channel.
Most of his earnings, about $45, came from his 15 subscribers. A small portion, approximately $0.50, came from ads, and an additional $4.50 was from people donating Bits.
Remember, before you can start making money on Twitch, you need to become a Twitch affiliate by meeting the eligibility requirements.
It took this streamer 4 months to achieve Twitch affiliate status.
As for how long it might take you, that varies based on your skills and how often you stream.
If you stream frequently and offer entertaining content, you could become a Twitch affiliate more quickly.
Twitch Partner Program
The ultimate goal of every Twitch affiliate is to become a Twitch partner, as that's when you unlock even more benefits, opportunities, and higher earning potential.
To become a Twitch partner, you need to fulfill the following requirements:
- Broadcast at least 25 hours in the last 30 days
- Have a minimum of 12 unique broadcast days in the last 30 days
- Maintain an average of 75 concurrent viewers or more over the last 30 days
- Gain at least 1000 followers
You can track your progress toward meeting these requirements anytime by navigating to Insights > Achievements > Path to Partner.
Once you fulfill all the requirements, you can apply to become a Twitch partner.
It's important to note that meeting the requirements does not guarantee you will become a Twitch partner.
Twitch individually evaluates each application. After applying, you should receive notification of acceptance or rejection within 7 days.
If you become a Twitch partner, you'll have the opportunity to earn higher revenue from ads. Additionally, you will unlock various features, including a verified user badge, access to over 50 emote slots, custom chat badges, and more.
Moreover, Twitch partners are more likely to collaborate with brands and generate extra income through sponsorship deals.
ConclusionÂ
Becoming a Twitch affiliate might seem like a dream – you get to stream your favorite video games and earn money at the same time.
However, the path to achieving this dream is far from easy. The vast majority of Twitch streamers don’t even make a single dollar. Only about 15% of all Twitch streamers become affiliates and gain the ability to monetize their content.
Streaming itself might be straightforward, but creating videos that genuinely engage and attract a dedicated audience is the true challenge. It demands consistent effort, the creation of high-quality content, and the skill to connect with viewers on a personal level.
It's important to realize that success on Twitch goes beyond simply playing games; it involves building a brand, nurturing a community, and adapting to changes in the platform and trends. Many new streamers underestimate the time and dedication required to stand out amidst a sea of content creators.
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