So you want to start streaming but you don’t know whether to create a YouTube channel or make your live streams on Twitch. Don’t worry, as you’re not the only new streamer with this problem because both platforms have their pros and cons for their users.
So today we’ll try to answer the question of whether it’s better to start live streaming on Twitch vs YouTube.
Table of Contents
Type of Content
Before we start to talk about the advantage or disadvantages of streaming on either Twitch or YouTube, we first need to take a look at which content creators use which platform. We’ll be highlighting gaming content as most new streamers on these platforms choose gaming as their niche.
Some even start with gaming, and later they go into more entertainment-based video content. Pewdiepie, Jacksepticeye, and Markiplier are the most famous examples of YouTube gaming celebrities making a switch from gaming to entertainment.
Of course, both platforms can be used to create content other than gaming, it’s just that quality gaming content is going to make you the most profit as it’s easier to monetize gaming than any other content.
Twitch Gaming
It’s quite obvious that most gamers are going to lean towards streaming on Twitch as this platform has around 8 million active streamers most of which are gaming-oriented.
Gamers like to use this platform because there are several benefits they get once they start streaming.
First, gamers can get affiliate or partner programs with Twitch earning them more money, and we’ll talk about that later in detail.
Second, Twitch gamers can get access to free animated emotes, banners, and other visuals for free as well as other perks.
Third, Twitch has strict guidelines about the content, which for some is a bad thing, but if you’re in your teens, then you’ll be protected as a polar bear from any hate comments as Twitch moderators are working round-the-clock to prevent harmful behavior both from the viewers and the streamers.
YouTube Gaming
YouTube streamers on the other hand are more oriented towards vlogging and entertainment, but there are also a lot of gamers using the YouTube Partner Program because they make more money than on Twitch.
Also, YouTube has around 40 million gaming channels, so there’s a lot of game streaming on the platform apart from making YouTube videos.
One of the biggest perks of streaming on YouTube Gaming is that you can post pre-recorded videos and also do live streaming, which is a big difference compared to Twitch.
This means that you can build an audience that watches your YouTube videos, and then start streaming every week or whenever you like, so your followers can choose to watch your streams if they feel like it.
YouTube also has a partner program that offers affiliates the chance to make revenue based on ads during their videos and streams.
So now that we have a clearer picture about both platforms, let’s see how much a new content creator can make while streaming on Twitch vs YouTube.
Twitch vs YouTube – Which One Pays the Most
Whether you have a YouTube or a Twitch channel, it’s hard to make quality content almost every day and keep your viewers interested and willing to join your streams the next day. And no one likes their work to be for nothing so obviously we need to talk about making money on these platforms.
The Internet is full of people speaking about how it’s impossible to make money streaming videos, but that’s simply not true, as there are multiple ways even smaller streamers can make a profit if they work hard and are patient enough to let their channel grow over time.
So let’s compare how you can make money on Twitch vs YouTube and see which platform pays the most.
Making Money on a Twitch Channel
Once you start streaming on Twitch, the first thing you need to do is to attract viewers. The only way to do this is to promote your channel on multiple media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and so on.
You also want to check out some popular games that are currently getting attention from viewers, so when they type in those games, your channel turns up. Now, once you get some consistent followers on Twitch, you can start making money.
Twitch Viewers and Subs
Twitch will pay streamers $3 for each consistent viewer each month. This means if you have 100 viewers who watch most of your streams each month, you’ll earn $300 just based on that.
Twitch also pays you 50% of each user subscription, so if your viewer subscribes to your channel, paying $4.99 per month, you’ll receive half of that. Twitch offers its users 3 subscription plans:
If your viewers are using Amazon prime, they can subscribe to your channel using Prime Gaming, and you’ll still get $2.5 each month from their subscription.
Twitch Affiliate and Partner Programs
To be enrolled in the Twitch affiliate program you need to fulfill a set of requirements:
Once you’ve achieved all of these requirements, you’ll be enrolled in the streaming platform affiliate program and receive perks such as:
The Twitch Partner program offers everything the affiliate program comes with, but you can also earn more money while you’re streaming.
Once you’re in the partner program, you get 70% of subscription costs, make more revenue percentage from ads, and get special perks such as 60 days of VOD storage, free visuals, financial advising, and so on.
Generally, speaking, once you get to the Twitch Partner program, you’re already making more than enough for all of your expenses.
Twitch Donations
As mentioned earlier, direct donations to a streamer can be sent by purchasing bits, which are a type of virtual currency Twitch created that allows people who are watching and enjoying streams to help the streamer.
100 bits are equal to $1, and you can only receive direct donations in form of bits if you’re enrolled in either the affiliate or partner program.
Alternatively, you can connect your Twitch stream with a link to your Stripe, PayPal, or other payment service and have viewers donate in the form of banners. Just think of it like a paid message they send you instead of being ignored in the chat, as Twitch chat knows to be chaotic.
Making Money on a YouTube Channel
There’s a reason a lot of YouTube creators decide to stream on this platform, and a lot of popular streamers even have two YouTube channels – one for normal content, and the other for streams.
YouTube seems to be a lot more flexible when it comes to making money from streams, while it still focuses on how many subscribers and hours of watch time to determine your monthly paycheck.
But let’s see if there is any advantage in streaming on YouTube and what YouTube offers to new streamers.
YouTube Views, Subs, and Watch Time
The most important thing for YouTube streamers is of course the number of views their streams and videos generate. 1,000 views are equal to $1, but to start earning money, you need to be enrolled in the YouTube partner program.
Subs aren’t as important because YouTube doesn’t pay you for the number of subs you have, so subs just ensure that people who are subscribed to you are going to view your content. Of course, YouTube’s algorithm favors YouTube channels that have more subscribers, so you should try to promote your content as much as you can.
Watch time is determined by 2 factors:
The more daily views you get and the more monthly watch time you have, the more money you get. But no one can say how much money you’ll earn because this also depends on the amount of engagement you have with your audience – comments, likes, dislikes.
There’s not a search function available to calculate your monthly profit on YouTube, so you’ll have to rely on experience to know how much you’ll earn each month.
YouTube Partner Program
To be in the Partner Program, you need to get your channel monetized. Getting monetized is quite easy as you only need 1.000 subscribers and 4.000 hours of watch time in the past year. Once you get monetized, you can start earning money from YouTube ads.
YouTube Gaming Program
The best content for monetization is YouTube Gaming, which is a part of the YouTube partner program, as this type of content is most likely to get millions of views. Most streamers start on YouTube Gaming and make sure their content is of great quality and first venture into video posting before they pursue their streaming career, making a unique audience along the way.
YouTube Gaming Program offers its streamers the ability to capture in-stream screenshots, chat mods, and even a complete list of tips for video monetization. Your only job as a streamer is to deliver quality content on time and to keep your audience happy.
YouTube Monetization on Live Streams
Once you acquire your Partner Program companies working closely with YouTube will use your screen time to play their ads and you’ll get a small percentage of revenue for each ad. It’s a standard practice that a video should be at least 10 minutes long to monetize.
However, it’s easier to get monetized by creating a live stream, as most streams last longer than an hour. This leaves more room for ads to be played during your stream, and at the same time gets you more ad revenue, apart from all the views you’ve accumulated.
The only thing you need to worry about is keeping your content clean so you don’t terminate any monetization guidelines, as things such as inappropriate video thumbnails, collaboration with other channels which are demonetized, and even inappropriate responses to the live chat can all break the guidelines.
Why Not Stream on Both Platforms?
As you can see, both Twitch and YouTube live streams can make a small fortune, but it all depends on how you utilize their potential. Most Twitch streamers are generally happy with their earnings, and YouTube creators aren’t going to be complaining because of their pays any time soon, but what if you were to stream on both these two platforms?
We’ll there are a lot of creators who use both services for their streams, and some even choose to stream at the same time. Many streamers make a lot of money through the double live stream method, as not only are they broadening their community by being Twitch and YouTube, but also their channels grow faster and pick up more views.
But is it okay to stream on both platforms? We’ll try to answer this question by taking a look at what each platform has to say about this.
Twitch ToS on Cross-Platform Streaming
If you’re a Twitch affiliate or partner, it’s not allowed that you stream on another streaming service during, or right after your Twitch stream. This means that you’ll only be going to get monetized if you only stream on Twitch., according to the Twitch Terms of Service.
Because of this streamers leaving Twitch isn’t anything out of the ordinary. Many users demand the freedom of profiting on both Twitch and YouTube because every user wants their content to be viewed by a broader audience.
If we take a look at Twitch’s corporate decisions in the past, there’s a low chance this rule is going to be revoked, as Twitch always wants its community to remain loyal to the creators only associated with the platform.
YouTube ToS Cross-Platform Streaming
YouTube is a bit more chill when it comes to streams on multiple streaming services and doesn’t demonetize creators who do it, as long as they follow all the guidelines of the terms of service.
YouTube Gaming promoted streaming on both YouTube and Facebook simultaneously, which many creators took as an opportunity to attract an audience on Facebook.
Because YouTube is more video-based than stream-based, you as a streamer will have more perks while game streaming through YouTube gaming, than on Twitch, as you’re still going to create more posts of new videos besides creating live streams.
Bottom Line: Twitch vs YouTube – Who Won?
It’s hard to say which of these streaming services are the best choice for a new streamer as both Twitch and YouTube have a lot to offer. Also, with YouTube Gaming being so popular, both platforms are going to be best for gamers, rather than entertainers, if we talk about just starting as a streamer.
However, we have to say that if you’re going to only stream gaming content, then you want to start on Twitch and build your audience there, and once you’ve established your brand and are happy with how things are going, you can make a switch and start being a video creator on YouTube and lean towards making content there.
If you’re already thinking about starting your career by video-posting on YouTube, then you can start your career there, and then slowly transition into gaming, at which point you can choose between Twitch or YouTube as your main streaming service.
Conclusion
We hope this article has shed some light on both of these platforms, and how you can use them to start your streaming career.
If you have any questions or suggestions, do post them in the comment section below.
Good luck with your streams!
