Achieving Twitch affiliate status and joining the Twitch affiliate program is a significant goal for every streamer.
To reach that goal, you must work hard and dedicate a significant amount of your time to building your streaming account and attracting a good audience. However, once you succeed, sign the affiliate agreement and earn Twitch partner status, it will all be worth it.
For many streamers, being a Twitch affiliate serves as their primary source of income. Therefore, it is crucial to understand how to maintain it and ensure it remains safe and secure.
The short answer to the main question is yes, you can lose your Twitch affiliate status. However, losing this status is not that simple. Below are the answers to more specific questions regarding this topic.
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Can You Lose Twitch Affiliate if You Don’t Stream
It is unlikely that Twitch will remove you from the affiliate program if you stream on a semi-regular basis; however, it is possible to lose your affiliate status if you remain completely inactive for extended periods.
Typically, 12 or more months of complete inactivity must pass before you could lose your status. However, when asked about this, Twitch stated that losing your affiliate agreement due to account inactivity is not straightforward and is determined on a case-by-case basis.
As Twitch has stated, several factors are taken into account when evaluating inactive affiliate accounts.
If you haven’t been active on your account for a few months, there’s no need to worry. Taking a break or being away for a few months is not a reason why streamers lose their affiliate status on Twitch.
The primary objective of Twitch with this policy is to eliminate inactive accounts that have been around for a long time but show no activity. This approach makes a lot of sense from their perspective.
There are numerous inactive accounts, and for Twitch, it is preferable to have these removed from the affiliate program.
In conclusion, as long as you remain active at least occasionally throughout the year, you will not automatically lose your partner status.
And you particularly don’t need to worry if you have a well-established audience.
Feel free to take a break, pause your live Twitch content, and enjoy some games for your own pleasure!
Violating Twitch’s Terms of Service
This is quite simple: you will lose your affiliate status on Twitch if you violate Twitch’s terms of service, and this should be obvious.
If you violate the terms, that is not the only consequence; you will also lose your entire Twitch account.
If you wish to stream on this platform, it is essential to adhere to these terms.
Violating these Terms will result in a ban on your Twitch account, which means that if you hold Twitch affiliate status, it will be automatically revoked.
The terms and services are not overly complicated; all you need to do is be a decent human being. It is only fair that those who are not do not receive the platform and space to promote such a mindset.
Twitch is continually striving to create a safer environment for all communities on the platform, so this is likely to change in the future.
A quick scroll through Twitter reveals the numerous requests that both streamers and their audiences have regarding updates to the Terms of Use.
This is particularly important for the streaming platform and its reputation, as the internet is always watching. Having a Twitch affiliate spread negative information to their viewers is certainly not a good look for them.
Losing Twitch Affiliate by Terminating Your Agreement
Although this doesn’t occur frequently, it is possible to leave the Twitch affiliate program if you choose to do so.
People who take this step do so for various reasons, and some even find it more advantageous to end the agreement than to continue as a Twitch partner.
Some benefits include:
If having these features outside of Twitch sounds appeals to you, then it may be time to move forward.
The first step is to contact Twitch, and they will guide you from there.
Streaming on Another Platform
As a member of the Twitch affiliate program, you are still free to stream on other platforms like YouTube or Facebook Gaming. However, there are certain rules regarding that live streaming.
You cannot stream the same content or at the same time as you do on Twitch.
Although the content is yours, it must be distinct to avoid being classified as plagiarism.
Twitch affiliates can upload VODs to YouTube 24 hours after their stream has concluded.
If you prefer platforms like YouTube and Facebook Gaming and wish to transition your streaming there full-time, you must first terminate your affiliate agreement with Twitch. This will help you avoid being affiliated with two platforms simultaneously.
Another important point to note is that it appears possible to return to streaming on Twitch if you do not achieve success on other platforms, as there have been other streamers who have successfully made those exact transitions.
Streaming Banned Games
Before you decide to stream your gameplay on Twitch and pursue your affiliate achievement, ensure that the game you are playing is allowed on this platform.
Twitch evaluates the appropriateness of a game for streaming based on two main conditions:
If you are uncertain whether the game you intend to stream is permitted, you can consult the list of prohibited games.
Make sure to verify this before you begin streaming, as you wouldn’t want to get banned before having the opportunity to become an affiliate on Twitch.
It’s reassuring to know that the previously mentioned list is updated regularly, so you need not worry about it.
Follower Count Falls Below 50
Many rumors and misinformation surround the Twitch affiliate program, and it’s common to hear statements like, “I will be dropped from the affiliate program if I go below 50 followers.”
To clarify, you will not lose your affiliate status if your follower count falls below 50.
However, there is a legitimate reason why people consider this to be a fact.
To become a Twitch affiliate, you must meet certain requirements:
You must maintain this consistently for 30 days to qualify for the affiliate program.
With this in mind, it is understandable where the confusion arises. However, as I mentioned earlier, you will not lose your affiliate status if your follower count drops below 50 after you have already joined the affiliate program.
Not Making Enough Money
To continue participating in the Twitch affiliate program, you must earn at least one Twitch payout each year.
This means you must earn at least $100 USD annually in your Twitch balance, as this is the minimum amount required for a payout to occur.
However, it has never occurred that a streamer left the Twitch affiliate program solely for this reason.
Twitch indicates that they will primarily take into account a person’s activity, rather than just their earnings.
And this certainly won’t happen automatically; you will at least receive some form of written notice from them.
However, it’s important to consider that if you invest significant effort into your streaming, have a steady viewership, and continue streaming, earning only this amount for all that work likely indicates that there is an issue with your strategy.
If you find yourself in this situation, it may be time to reconsider certain aspects and refine your account strategy.
Can Twitch suddenly terminate your Affiliate or Partnership contract?
Technically speaking, yes, Twitch has the right to terminate your agreement at any time. They have no obligation to maintain your Twitch partner or affiliate status.
However, it’s important to note that Twitch rarely does this.
Affiliates who lose their Twitch partner status typically do so because they violate the Terms of Service or because they stream simultaneously on a competing platform, such as YouTube.
As previously mentioned, streaming the same content on another platform at the same time is prohibited for affiliates.
However, in nearly all cases, you will be notified if you are at risk of losing your status due to inactivity. Additionally, if you violate any rules, it will not be sudden or without a valid reason.
Reapplying for the Twitch Affiliate Program
If you’ve been unfortunate enough to experience one of the scenarios mentioned above, you may be wondering if you can reapply and rectify the damage that has been done.
And the answer is – it depends.
If you visit their website, you will not find any specific information about reapplying after losing your affiliate status on Twitch.
However, collecting information from various online comments where people share their experiences provided some valuable insights.
The most effective way to regain your affiliate status on Twitch is to contact them directly.
If you concluded everything on good terms the last time and wish to stream again as an affiliate, there is a possibility that you could be readmitted.
While there is no guarantee that this will work, if you are certain that you want to return to this streaming platform and that becoming a Twitch partner is right for you, then you have nothing to lose by reaching out.
FAQ
How long does the Twitch affiliate contract last?
The Twitch affiliate agreement can last until Twitch decides to end it in case you break the Terms and conditions, or in case you make any mistakes mentioned above in this article. You can also end the Twitch affiliate agreement by yourself if you decide you want to for any reason. Unless one of these things happens, your contract won’t end.
Do Twitch affiliates get paid?
Twitch affiliates do get paid. The minimum amount of revenue needed to receive a payout is $100 USD, and the supported Payout Methods are ACH, eCheck/Local Bank, PayPal, Check, and Wire Transfer.
Is becoming a Twitch affiliate worth it?
If you have a consistent audience and you are consistent with streaming yourself, then doing the initial grind is worth it. It can be hard, however, if you’re into it it’s a great way to earn your main stream of income. If your audience is big enough and consistent, then you can have a good amount of money coming your way. But, if you find yourself getting extremely stressed and drained from streaming, then it’s a good idea to think it through.
How long do you have to be inactive on Twitch to lose affiliate?
When it comes to losing your status due to inactivity, Twitch usually gets rid of the accounts that haven’t been active for longer than a year. So basically, 12 months is the period during which you will need to have at least some kind of activity if you don’t want your affiliate to drop. However, decisions like this are usually made on a case-by-case basis, so even if you were inactive for 12 months, that doesn’t mean that you will automatically lose your status.
