We have all wondered, some more often than others, what it would be like if we were able to generate revenue, or should I say make a living, without ever having to leave the comfort of our homes.
There is one method that has seen immense growth in popularity over the past couple of years thanks to the increasingly more popular gaming culture that is taking over the world as the new trend. The subject that we will be covering is, of course, streaming on Twitch!
To earn money on Twitch, you need to reach the Affiliate level. After that is done, there are certain Twitch Affiliate benefits you will get, such as the following:
1. Unlocking revenue options, such as Twitch subs, donations, and bits;
2. Twitch VODs will stay on your channel for 2 weeks;
3. Custom subscriber emotes and badges;
4. Regular Bit badges;
We’ll be focusing in-depth on what it actually takes to be a Twitch affiliate and what benefits and perks come with e-fame, and how the “system works”. Stay with me to learn the possible Twitch affiliate benefits!
Table of Contents
Twitch Affiliate Explained
Technology is changing how we, today, consume entertainment and information, and as such, streaming services have become more popular, mostly because they offer viewers, followers, subscribers more personalized content and offer more control to the viewers as they can enjoy the content on their own time, as opposed to TV programs for example.
However, to enjoy all the perks and benefits of being a Twitch affiliate, you would have to put in some work yourself, as it is not all fun and games, even if you are playing games.
What it means to be a Twitch affiliate is to have your streaming account monetized, or in other words, to have your streaming account generating revenue, which is one of the many perks we will be covering.
There is a distinct set of rules that you would need to follow and certain goals that you would need to achieve to receive the Twitch affiliate status.
How to Become a Twitch Affiliate
To become a Twitch Affiliate, you would need to sign up for a free account on Twitch and create your streaming account.
When choosing a name, you should choose something that you are going to stick with since you want to grow your brand as soon as possible and get your affiliate status.
Now, this is where the actual work starts.
The goal you need to clear for your account to get affiliated is to have at least 500 minutes of streaming time in the last month.
You also need to have at least 50 followers, which must be diverse.
Canceling out bot accounts, you must have three simultaneous viewers on average and seven days of unique broadcasting!
That is not so easy to achieve as you may think.
Later, if you manage to grow your account even more, you could advance your Twitch affiliate account to a Twitch partner!
Now let’s see the perks and benefits of being a Twitch affiliate and how much do Twitch streamers make.
Fun Fact: They do have an algorithm developed that detects bot accounts, so you can’t grow your community that way.
Twitch Affiliate Benefits
1. Revenue Generation Using Twitch’s Tools
The first and probably the most appealing perk of Twitch affiliate is generating revenue through Twitch’s built-in tools that allow viewers and streamers to generate transactions through subscriptions, ads, or bits!
These services are not only built-in in Twitch, but as it is the most popular streaming service, users are most familiar with using them and are more often using said services. This is just one of the benefits that a twitch.tv affiliate has.
This allows viewers to support their favorite content creators, but just having a fan base is a perk of its own, wouldn’t you agree?
But of course, not all of the money would go to the Twitch affiliate.
A percentage of the revenue is taken by the platform, which seems reasonable, considering their platform has allowed us to enjoy countless hours of entertainment.
There are some special occasions where some of the most popular Twitch affiliates can negotiate in a contract the percentage that is taken by Twitch.
2. Ability to Give Your Subscribers Custom Experiences
The benefits of Twitch affiliate status grant you the ability to create custom emotes that your viewers and followers can use while you are streaming your content on the platform.
This may seem silly at first, but a majority of viewers enjoy using custom animated emotes from streamers that they support.
I’m sure it would be quite refreshing if you saw your own personal emote being used widely by your own viewers and community!
This can easily improve the general viewer experience, which will help grow your own account even more and work on upgrading your Twitch affiliate status.
All of this is important as it contributes towards creating a tailored, more sincere experience for viewers.
3. Opportunity to Develop and Grow Own Brand
One of the less often talked about perks of Twitch affiliate status is the ability for streamers and content creators to develop their own brand.
When you start reaching your goals and actually start generating revenue from your created content, you will hopefully start to grow your Twitch community even larger, and that can open some interesting doors for you.
More often than not, more popular streamers are seen to create their own branded Twitch merch, which fans and viewers are able to purchase in online stores.
This could range from anything like clothing options, gaming equipment, beauty products, and similar items.
4. Twitch Takes a Cut on Purchases?
Like we have mentioned before, the platform also needs to generate revenue, and it does so by taking a percentage of the money that is made by subscriptions, buying bits, and similar by viewers.
Up to 50% of the money in transactions is taken by Twitch.
This has been shown to upset a number of users and viewers.
But the perk of Twitch affiliates is that they are not tied down only to the Twitch streaming platform, although the next con might impact the statement above.
Twitch TV
We mentioned that Twitch affiliates are free to use other streaming platforms.
Still, content that is first streamed on Twitch.tv is to be exclusively shown on Twitch for the first 24 hours of the content’s creation.
This can be an inconvenient situation when you would like to share on your other social media profiles the sick play you just made in your favorite game!
What It Takes to Create a Community
Creating a community and creating entertaining content for a number of people may prove much harder than you imagine.
For example, imagine that you are put on stage in front of fifty people that you have never met before and that your goal is to keep them entertained for the next four hours.
The majority of people would not find much success if put on the spot.
Thankfully, you are always allowed to develop a script about the subjects or content that you would like to share.
Accumulating more and more viewers will prove to be frustrating since it requires creating entertaining and unique content almost daily, and not even the best artists can work without sometimes hitting a creative block.
But try not to be discouraged and focus on your goal.
Conclusion
In conclusion, pursuing the Twitch affiliate perks is possible to almost anyone, and if you think you have the patience and tenacity required to grow your own channel, it wouldn’t cost you a penny if you tried!
You will need at least 50 followers and three simultaneous viewers on average, besides some other details. Still, with a lot of hard work, your imagination, and persistence, you can hope to earn a decent amount of money on this platform.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Earn Money on Twitch?
Yes, although there are certain goals that have to be met and accomplished before you can start monetizing your account. This is far from impossible to achieve, but it does require a certain amount of dedication and tenacity!
How Many Views Do I Need to Earn Money on Twitch?
You would need at least 50 followers and at least three simultaneous viewers on average. There are some rules that also apply to the quantity of the creative content that you stream and certain goals like the amount of time you have streamed in the past month have to be made to keep your Twitch affiliate status.
How Much do Twitch Streamers Make?
This really depends on the streamer, but some of the most successful streamers make around $3,000 to $5,000 monthly playing video games around 40 hours a week. This is one of the many benefits of Twitch affiliates.
How Do I Apply for the Twitch Affiliate Program?
You can apply for the Twitch affiliate program here, considering you have met the aforementioned requirements. We would advise you to read the Twitch Affiliate Agreement if a streaming career is of interest to you.
