How to Get Paid to Play Video Games on Twitch

by admin | Aug 12, 2019 | Live Video Streaming

Introduction

Does anyone sit and watch people playing video games all day? Yes, millions of people actually do. Over 15 million viewers daily visit live streaming sites like Twitch to watch games, tournaments, talk shows, casual solo sessions, and more. Just like YouTubers, Twitch streamers are a new breed of online celebrities with legions of dedicated fans who tune in to the platform to watch their favourite streamers. Many of these personalities have reputed sponsors and millions of fans in both Twitch and social media. While not all make it to the NFL and NBA, anyone with a modern game console and passion of gaming, can be a Twitch streamer.

What is the best thing about being a Twitch streamer? Of course, you are doing what you love and you have the celebrity status. Is that all enough? Twitch streaming is not just for entertainment; it is an excellent way to earn money online. If you are addicted to gaming and have a combination of other skills like good communication, business skills and enough time to spare, you are all eligible to start making money on Twitch.

What is Twitch?

Twitch is the leading live streaming platform in the world, mainly for gamers. It was launched as Justin.tv in 2007 by Justin Kan and Emmett Seahr as a general streaming site with different channels. But games became the major focus and soon they spun off the gaming content to a dedicated service- Twitch TV on June 2011.

In August 2014, Twitch was purchased by Amazon and since then it has continued to grow to add more participatory features and to provide exciting offers to its Amazon Prime subscribers. As the services expanded, it attracted large partnerships too with the latest one being a 2-year deal with Blizzard entertainment. Twitch is now the exclusive broadcaster of its eSports events. If you want to make money streaming video games, there is no other better place than Twitch. The streaming service boasts over 2 million unique streamers every month and thousands of them are already making a good amount of earnings through the Twitch partner programs.

How to Set Up on Twitch?

If you are looking for how to earn money on Twitch, there are few things you need to do to set up on the platform. You have to start with creating a profile in Twitch followed by setting up equipment and so on. The first step is to create an account on Twitch. You can create an account for free, by visiting Twitch and clicking the Signup button. You can register using your email or your Facebook or Google account. The next step is that you need to have the proper equipment- You will need to have either a PC or a gaming console. If you are opting for a gaming console, you must purchase a capture card to live stream your games.  If you are planning to stream via a PC or laptop, you will have to meet the requirements for the output you expect.

The minimum recommended specs Twitch offers are-

• CPU: Intel Core i5-4670 or AMD Equivalent
• MEMORY: 8GB DDR3 SDRAM
• OS: Windows 7 Home Premium

Streaming Software

The streaming software is the most essential addition of any streaming tool kit if you plan streaming games for money. Streaming software comes with many significant features that make your broadcast stand out. With real-time video, audio mixing, switching between transitions, they offer everything you need to pull off a dynamic stream with ease. While some software is free, some live streaming software comes with a paid subscription that offers lots of customizations to personalize your streaming software. Regardless of what software you choose, setting up your live stream involves same steps- picking your equipment, designing a layout on how they will appear to viewers and finally synchronizing your Twitch profile and actually going live.

Microphone and Camera

When you want to make money streaming on Twitch, the quality of your stream should be top-notch. You need to have a dedicated microphone and a webcam.  Though you have a gaming headset, having a good microphone will ensure that your viewers can hear you clearly. Go for a good quality microphone that offers crisp audio and adjustable pickup modes. Check out for the webcams that have sharp visual and offers a built-in ring light to brighten your face.

Streaming from Consoles

If you want to become a Twitch streamer and earn money while playing games, without owning any fancy hardware, it is recommended to use either PS4 or Xbox One. This allows you to stream directly from your console without the need for any additional software or devices. Xbox One allows you to go live from the Twitch app and on PS4, you can go live straight from the system’s share menu.

If you use Xbox, you can also stream directly to the Microsoft mixer platform that is relatively easy to set up. While you won’t be able to customize your stream as you can from your PC, console streaming is a great way to start with. If you want to stream from your console like Nintendo Switch but need more control, you can get a capture card which records your console gameplay to your PC.

Building an Audience: Gaining Followers

Twitch is currently the most popular online platform to stream games. The number of concurrent streamers and viewers are overwhelming. That is a double-edged sword. If you want to be a Twitch streamer, that’s great as the potential audience is enormous. At the same time, competition is also quite high. In short, you have to stand out from the crowd to gain more followers and build a community. Let’s see the easy to follow and practical tips to build an audience on Twitch. Hang on to learn how to earn money on Twitch.

Find Your Niche: How do you stand out among Twitch’s 2 million streamers?

If you are serious about becoming an active live streamer and look forward to making money on Twitch, it is important to claim a niche. Where most streamers go wrong is that they try imitating top streamers without adding their own style element. This might work to an extent, but it is not easy to establish yourself as a top streamer by copying others. To choose a niche, you can share your talents or even lack of talents. People love talent shows like X-Factor and American Idol. If you have got a talent, don’t hide it from the world. Sing, dance, play your favorite instrument or showcase your DIY skills while you stream. Streams like ASMR and Mukbang attracts a huge audience even though they seem to be strange trends. Find your talent and run with it.

Build your channel, Be Consistent

Consistency is critical when it comes to building your channel on Twitch. Just like people tune in to their favorite shows at the same time each night, they would like to know exactly when you would go live on Twitch. And if you promise, you have to keep your word to earn their trust. Whether you broadcast in the morning or in the afternoon, stick onto a schedule and let your followers know about it. Make sure your broadcast time is clearly specified in your Twitch profile and social media.

If you choose to stream at random schedules, it becomes difficult to get the same viewers. Basically, you are training your viewers to come back at a specific time of every week by putting up a schedule. Don’t be afraid to start small if you can’t stream every 7 days. Commit to at least one or two streams a week and stick to it. Obviously, the more content you are able to provide, the better. But it’s not always about the frequency, it’s about the consistency, especially when you begin with. While building your channel, prepare it for sponsorships as well. If you are a streamer who is considering the idea of how to get sponsored on Twitch, customize your channel in an impressing way starting with offering a professional info section.

Grow your Community

What differentiates Twitch from other streaming platforms is that the audience is kept as a key part of the experience. Building a community is essential if streaming games for money is what you are looking for. All Twitch streamers have access to chat rooms that allows streamers to directly connect with users who follows them. This also helps in building a community on the platform. The more you make viewers feel like they are with you while you play, the better chances you have at building a loyal community.

Streamers have been taking different routes to keep their actions interactive. If you have ever tried how to get sponsored on Twitch, you know the significance of nurturing a community to get noticed by sponsors. Listing to your followers is also a great way to build relationships. If no one is watching your streams and engaging, ask yourself what would be the reason and try to cater to the content they want.

Social Media

Promote yourself on social media and interact with your followers there as well like on Twitch. Social media is a great platform to start with building a community. If you really want to see a noticeable positive difference in your viewership, start using social media to strengthen relationships. If you can do promos of the upcoming streams and put up a notification each time you go live, the better. The possibilities of social are almost limitless for streamers, it’s one of the most effective tools to nurture your personal brand. This is essential if you want to gain more followers and you are seriously looking for effective ways on how to make money on Twitch. On top of branding, social media also helps you to earn more sponsorships from big brands.

Don’t Stress About Your Gear (At First)

Just because popular streamers had a top-quality webcam and fancy screens with over 3 PC’s doesn’t mean that you also got to start the same way. How do gamers make money without investment? Have they invested so much in Tech gears? Not really. Interestingly, most of the popular streamers started small with probably an old laptop. The system requirements of Twitch are lenient, which means you must focus on growing an audience before spending thousands of dollars to build an impressive studio. Even if it is an old laptop that you have, start with it. As your channel grows, you can upgrade to better gaming set up.

How to make money on Twitch?

If you are wondering about can you make money on Twitch, Twitch streamers have a lot of ways to earn money and have enough support base for the same. If you have a real intention to make money with Twitch, you have to start aiming to become a Twitch affiliate. From there you can reach the level to become a partner by meeting the required criteria. To make good earnings from Twitch, streamers have to improve their skills and build up a fan base before considering making consistent

Twitch Affiliates and Partners

Have you ever wondered how to make money gaming on Twitch? Affiliates and partnerships are the way to earn more in Twitch. Twitch affiliates and partners can earn from monthly subscriptions from viewers. Each subscription cost $4.99 and for every subscription, the streamer receives 50% of that revenue. There are some statistical requirements to become an affiliate and then a partner. Once you become eligible for the affiliate program, Twitch sends an invitation via email to the streamer to be a part of the program. Once you qualify as an affiliate, you can start earning by collecting bits or when people subscribe to your channel.

How much do Twitch partners make? Again, that differs considerably as it depends on a lot of other factors. Twitch affiliates also have the opportunity to earn in-game products and game sales that originate from your channel. When you make it as a Twitch partner, you will get the benefits offered to Twitch affiliates and live chat privileges, emoticons and exclusive perks in addition.

Both Twitch Affiliates and Partners Can Earn Twitch Bits

Bits is the official donation system of Twitch and it is available only to Twitch affiliates and partners. But bits are not just as easy as getting money with just the push of a button. Bits are digital currencies that can be purchased from Twitch with real cash using Amazon payments. Streamers in Twitch earn special badges for using their bits. The more bits they use; the more badges they earn. A Twitch game streamer earns $1 for every 100 bits used during the stream.

Twitch Subscriptions

If you are looking for ways on how to make money playing games, Twitch subscriptions are a great way to earn a recurring income. Twitch subscriptions are loved by streamers. When a streamer buys a monthly subscription, the money the platform collects is divided between Twitch and the Twitch partner. Both affiliates and partners are eligible to earn revenue from subscriptions.

Video Ads

If have tried different ways on how to make money on YouTube gaming, you know one of the main revenue sources is video ads. Similarly, Twitch also allows streamers to earn through ads. Revenue earned from ads is one of the popular monetization tools available only to Twitch partners. Streamers can activate their commercial button and the viewers receive video ads. Twitch monitors the number of views for every ad and keep track of the numbers. Streamers are paid a fixed amount of money per 1000 views and it is referred to as cost per mile (CPM). CPM rates are not just on the quantity, quality outweighs the numbers. Generally, the CPM rate ranges between $1-$10.

Donations

Most new streamers are eager to learn how to get donations on Twitch. Once you sign up as a streamer on Twitch, you can immediately add a donation button in your channel that allows your users to send their contributions. Another way to accept donations is through PayPal. Accepting donations on Twitch is a common practice. Initially, donations might seem like a less relevant monetization option but imagine having millions of followers and all of them decide to donate a dollar every month. You can be a millionaire just from donations.

Affiliate Links

For people who ask can you make money off Twitch, affiliate links are the answer. Joining different affiliate programs is an excellent way to earn income. Yes, this is different from the Twitch affiliate program. Twitch streamers can sign in to any affiliate networks and thereby earn a percentage of money when your followers spend on the company’s products.

As Twitch is a product of amazon, it has added an affiliate marketing feature to Twitch. This feature allows you to showcase different products as a widget on their profile. When their followers click on the widget, they are redirected to the relevant Amazon sales page. If a streamer buys a product through the link, the broadcaster receives a share of the total sale revenue.

Selling Games and in Game Items

Twitch allows Twitch partners to sell games and in-game products from their profile and receive 5% of the total revenue. When you stream a game that Twitch sells or that has in-game products which you can sell, a sales box automatically appears on your profile.

If a follower clicks on the box and makes a purchase, you will receive the 5% share of it if you are a Twitch partner. This is an automatic process and doesn’t require an affiliate partner to do anything. The sales box automatically appears on the profile of streamers who play relevant games, but only Twitch partners would receive a share of the sale.

Selling Merchandise

Once you build a brand and becomes popular on Twitch, you can see your followers being willing to pay for your custom merchandise. At this stage, you can place a link on your Twitch profile that direct fans to your online store. You can use your online store to sell goodies like coffee mugs, T-shirts, books or other fanboy products for your followers to purchase.

Brands have now discovered how relevant Twitch is for gamers, and have found that it may be an excellent place to set up sponsorship deals. Obviously, gaming companies benefit from sponsoring the elite players of their game. If a company sells a product to “gamer-type people,” they will benefit from engaging in Twitch sponsorship. It is common to see sponsorship deals from companies that sell computer hardware, accessories, phones, websites, food, drinks, takeaways, fashion labels, and much more.

How Much Can You Actually Make on Twitch?

Do people make money on Twitch? Yes. But, how much? To be honest, there is no way to give accurate numbers. Even if you have just 300 subscribers and you get around 100 views, depending on how active your followers are how much money can you make streaming on Twitch varies.

Imagine many of your followers offer you gifts and donations, the money you make out of Twitch would be more. If you are someone who have already tried how to make money playing video games on YouTube, you know how important is to gain more subscribers to earn more money. However, Twitch offers you many different monetization ways other than number of views or subscriptions.

Most followed streamers on Twitch

Shroud

Shroud is one of the famous Twitch streamer, popular for his game performances like Call of Duty Black Ops 4. Shroud also streams videos of other games like Lord of the rings, Fortnite, Fallout 76, etc. and has over 6.7 million fans on Twitch. He streames for over 60 hours every week and has brand collaborations with many brands like HYPERX and Madrinas Coffee. Madrinas Coffee even has a product on his name- Shroud’s Insane Cappuccino.

TSM_Myth

With over 5 million subscribers in Twitch, 6.8 million followers on Instagram and 4.3 million followers on YouTube, TSM_Myth is another popular Twitch streamer renowned for his Fortnite game performances. He is a part of Team Solo Mid or TSM Premiere ESports team based in the US and has multiple brand partnership with brands like HTC, Logitech, and Geico.

Tfue

Tfue is yet another most watched Twitch streamer having over 6 million followers on Twitch and 11 million in YouTube. With just 236 videos, he owns one of the fastest-growing Twitch channels overall. He mostly plays Fortnite and streams 70 hours in Twitch every week.

Summit1g

Summit1g is another popular streamer with over 3.9 million followers who is famous for his videos on Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. He also plays other games like Counterstrike, Ring of Elysium and Fortnite for almost 60-70 hours every week. He collaborates with several brands like Audio-Technica, monster energy cyber PowerPC and Corsair.

Riot Games

Riot Games is another popular Twitch channel dedicated to League of Legends game performances. He has over 3 million followers and is a participator in tournaments at LoleSports.

Who’s Ninja, the “Trump” of the Streaming World?

Yes, we have kept the first for the last! Ninja a.k.a Tyler Blevins is a 27-year-old gamer who raised to fame when he live streamed himself playing the globally popular game Fortnite with rapper Drake. He not only trended on Twitch, he even made to BBC news. With over 22 million YouTube subscribers, Ninja is a star in both social media and Twitch where he is pulling over $560,000 per month just by streaming games. Ninja successfully made a name in the professional gaming industry by taking part in Halo competition. Later he left e-sports to pursue his streaming career and is currently having over 14 million fans on Twitch.

Does Fortnite, Model the Future?

The massive multiplayer online Fortnite Battle Royal has become a worldwide sensation since its launch. Released by epic games, the game is free for users on Xbox One, PC, PS4, and all apple devices. There is a popular paid-for version of it called Fortnite: Save the world too,

One of the main reasons it became popular is because it is free. Players don’t have to spend any money to battle against their friends. This makes the game more accessible than other multi-player title variants. Another reason is that the game is cross-platform meaning both PS4 and Xbox players can play against one another. The game is also less violent than other fighting titles making it interesting to both casual and professional video games. Equally appealing is that one of the players of Fortnite is the rapper drake who frequently live stream his online matches.

For both players and developers, Fortnite is special as players are willingly pouring out money into a game which is available for free. While the basic model of the game is a freemium one, it allows micro-transactions where players can purchase virtual goods with micropayments. It is not mandatory to follow Fortnite business model. It is true that different game has different expectations and the business model might

Twitch Streamers Reveal Their Number One Tips for a New Twitch Channel

Streaming games for a live audience has emerged as one of the ways to attain heights of popularity and make real money. You will be surprised to know how much money streamers make just by streaming games. If you take some of the popular Twitch streamers their dedication to what they do has convinced many to take up Twitch streaming as mainstream. However, it is not an easy career than most people would assume. Though your potential audience is quite enormous, so is the competition you have to face.

While there is no easy road to achieve it, yes there are some tips that will make you a popular streamer. Rather than beginning to create a channel without any knowledge about Twitch and game streaming, take it from the Twitch celebrities itself. Here are some of the tips by popular streamers if you are going to start a Twitch channel.

Futureman Gaming

Futureman Gaming stresses the importance of building a community but he also points out that it is not going to happen overnight. You have to work hard, learn from your mistakes and have fun to differentiate yourself so that you can grow a community.

Jeffrey Shih

Jeffrey Shih an American Hearthstone player says his number of tips for newbies is to simply stream.

Vinny from VineSauce

Vinny from VineSauce says never overreact to the audience. If you are a quiet person, let that aura follow. Always try to be charismatic and never sacrifice your personality. He also explains the significance of finding out fun themes to stream and edit some highlight videos to attract the audience.

Ari “TRIPLEWRECK” SMITH

Ari “TRIPLEWRECK” SMITH, one of the top destiny streamer suggest watching your own streams and make changes in the way it is appealing to the audience. He says if you won’t enjoy your stream, how could your viewers be enjoying it.

NICK28T

NICK28T, a FIFA ultimate team player has this advice for new streamers- Be consistent. Act like you have thousands of audience even if you just have 1 or 2.

Twitch Launches Creator Camp Channel to Help Its Users Become Better Streamers

Twitch launched a creator camp which is basically a website where streamers can get the useful information they need to grow and improve their streams.  No matter you are a first-time streamer or streamer who want to try out new strategies, Twitch creator camp has something for you. It features some of the successful Twitch partners who will share tips and advises that will be helpful for your streaming journey. Creator camp also hosts live sessions with partners to dive deep into the subjects that matter the most to streamers.

Hosting a good game is not easy. Most of the streamers spend quite a lot of time searching for advice on effective tools and techniques to make their broadcast more engaging and to grow their community. However, Twitch creator camp makes things simpler by creating a centralized platform where you can access all relevant information to a streamers success and learn about how to make money on Twitch.

Twitch vs YouTube

If you want to know about how to make money playing video games on YouTube, there are a lot of other general things you must be aware of. First of all, Twitch is largely game focused whereas on YouTube it is not very easy for gamers to find their stream. If done through android smart devices or PS4, or your PC, YouTube finds the best stream resolution but if you chose to stream from the PC it needs an encoder. However, with Twitch, you can directly stream to the site from the Xbox One game console.

When it comes to earning money, with YouTube it all starts with ad revenue. Once you have over 10,000-lifetime views and you became a YouTube partner, you can start earning from ads. Another way to earn is through donations from subscribers and viewers through fan funding card option. Whereas making money on Twitch is possible through a partner program, ads and Twitch gives you the potential to earn much more than YouTube gaming.

Take Away

The most active streamers make a living through a combination of monetization technique like Bits, donations, paid subscriptions, and influencer marketing. As with any type of success in the social platform, making money on Twitch also takes a lot of hard work and patience.

If you are streaming games for money alone, you will struggle for the first few months. Your passion and interest in gaming are what will drive you to be patient and that is what will pay off in the end. Even if you have 30 views or 3000 views, people are choosing to watch you playing games. In the end, it is important to remember that you are still playing games. Whether it’s just a hobby or something you plan to take up as a career, streaming must be fun. The more you enjoy playing games, the more everyone will watch you and the more money you can earn.