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How To Have Multiple Streams of Income on Twitch
Twitch has made it easy for users to bring in multiple streams of income through their platform and third party sites. Whether you’re in the top 100 streamers or you have a small, but engaged audience, it is possible to monetize your content. We’ve rounded up some of the best methods to make money as a Twitch streamer.
Twitch is one of the best social media platforms for influencers to make money because the creator and the audience already have one thing in common: Gaming. This automatically creates a level of trust and relatability which will, in turn, maximize the amount of money you can make.
When it comes to making money on Twitch, the most common and well-known method is through the Creator Camp. On top of that, there are other methods you can use if you want to have multiple streams of income only through Twitch. Most successful Twitch streamers earn their money both through the Creator Camp and by utilizing other monetization strategies.
Want to know how you can get started? Let’s dive into how you can have multiple streams of income on Twitch.
Twitch Creator Camp
The Twitch Creator Camp is one of the best ways to monetize your content on Twitch. Unlike a lot of other social media platforms, Twitch offers users multiple different ways to make money which include:
- Subscriptions
- Bits
- Running advertisements
Subscriptions
Subscriptions allow viewers to subscribe to streaming channels for a minimum of $4.99 per month. There are also premium subscription options with more perks for $9.99 and $24.99 that you can advertise to viewers. Twitch gives 50% of these sales to creators, and they keep the other half.
Subscribers gain access to exclusive emotes, subscriber badges, and other perks determined by each influencer. For example, a lot of creators offer ad-free viewing to their subscribers.
An extra incentive to encourage viewers to subscribe to your channel is by setting up subscriber alerts. These alerts pop up on the page while you are streaming when a viewer subscribes or renews their subscription. Lots of viewers love seeing their name pop up on the screen of one of their favorite creators, so this encourages them to hit that subscribe button!
Bits
Twitch Bits are essentially mini-donations from viewers. Viewers are able to purchase Bits in different colors and styles that they can give creators to celebrate something, cheer them on, or simply support them. When someone donates a Bit, a gem emote pops up on the streaming screen.
For each bit you receive, you earn $0.01. So, for every 100 Bits you receive, you’d make $1.00. Typically, creators will earn 80% of these sales. While this seems like a relatively low amount, it is great to supplement some additional income on top of your subscribers.
Running Advertisements
Once you’re accepted into the Twitch Creator Camp, you are able to start running ads while broadcasting. Creators are given a lot of freedom in where they place their ads and how many ads display on each broadcast.
As long as the ads are at least 8 minutes apart each, creators can choose to run as many as they’d like. Creators can also choose the duration of each advertisement, ranging from 30 seconds to 3 minutes.
The amount of money you can receive from these ads varies depending on how much advertisers are paying Twitch. For instance, during the holidays or when a new product is launching, you’ll most likely earn more from ads.
A lot of channels will offer ad-free viewing to their subscribers. Whether you plan to do this or not, it is important that you communicate that to your audience since it is so common in the Twitch community.
How to Join the Twitch Creator Camp
Before you join the Creator Camp, you must complete a series of modules that Twitch provides. These modules go over how to be successful on Twitch, and all of the ways you can monetize your content through their program.
Rules and Requirements
In order to be accepted into the Twitch Creator Camp and start monetizing through Twitch, you first must meet a few criteria:
- At least 50 followers
- At least 500 minutes of broadcasting time in total
- 7 unique days of broadcasting
- An average of 3 or more concurrent viewers
Once you meet these criteria, Twitch will automatically invite you to join their program. Until then, you can still utilize other methods of monetization to make some money from your broadcasts.
Best Ways To Make Money On Twitch
Besides Twitch’s Creator Camp, there are plenty of other ways to monetize your content and increase your streams of income. Incorporating some of these other methods will better secure and maximize the amount of money you can make from streaming on Twitch.
Sponsorships
One of the most popular ways you can make money on Twitch is through sponsorships. Many companies that sell products that appeal to gamers will reach out to creators to see if they will advertise a product while streaming.
As long as you have a relatively active and larger audience, chances are that a brand probably wants to work with you. However, if you’re feeling brave, definitely cold-pitch a sponsorship idea to the ideal brand you’d like to work with!
The most important thing to keep in mind when it comes to sponsorships is to never accept partnerships from brands you don’t support or agree with. It is important to stay genuine and keep trust within your online community.
Affiliate Links
Affiliate marketing is one of the most common ways for influencers to make money online. Affiliates for certain brands can recommend products to their audience using their specific link in exchange for a commission on that sale.
One of the best affiliate programs for Twitch streamers is the Amazon Affiliate Program. With this program, you can create your own online storefront to recommend all of your favorite gaming products to your viewers. Depending on what product you’re selling, commission rates can range between 1% to 10%.
Selling Merch
In order to sell merchandise, you must already have a large and engaged enough audience set in place. So if you’ve made a name for yourself on Twitch, selling merch can be a great way to gain another stream of income.
A majority of influencers on Twitch power their merchandise store through Shopify. Once you have your merchandise listed, you can share that link with your audience and start making sales.
Patreon
If you are new to Twitch or don’t have enough follower engagement yet, Patreon can be a great way to get things rolling. It’s a subscription program that creators can set up to give their audience a few extra perks in exchange for a monthly donation.
Here are some ideas for what perks you can offer your audience:
- Exclusive content
- Early access to content
- Behind the scenes content
- Content that didn’t make the cut
- Casual chatting videos
Viewer Donations
Bits aren’t the only way to receive donations from your subscribers. If you’re not accepted into the Creator Camp, you can still accept donations by partnering with a third-party site like PayPal or Streamlabs.
If you are accepting third party donations, a great way to make that visible to your viewers is by putting it on your profile page. In addition, you can promote your donation link in the live chat while streaming.