Data from 2023 informs us that the Twitch app has been downloaded over 100 million times, further exemplifying the platform’s ability to connect with gamers and livestreamers from around the world. In order to maintain this high level of success, Twitch has recently announced a whole host of new features to help keep users entertained. As such, Net Influencer will discuss all of these updates and how they will potentially impact the influencer marketing industry as a whole. 

What Is TwitchCon?

A majority of the updates listed in this article were initially announced at TwitchCon, a dedicated convention that gives popular influencers the chance to interact with their fans and analyze the changes seen throughout the gaming industry in more detail. This year, the event took place in Paris and included a wealth of keynote presentations from some of Twitch’s most senior employees. 

Alongside these announcements, this event offered a range of unique hubs of activity including Creator Camp, which worked to promote Twitch’s education platform. TwitchCon also provided a selection of different stages, encouraging influencers to indulge in competitions and challenges for their fans to enjoy.

To make it even more engaging and accessible, these presentations were livestreamed so that fans could view them in the comfort of their own homes. A wealth of VOD clips were also available for audiences to consume in their own time. 

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What Updates Were Announced?

Clip Editor

Clips are an integral part of Twitch’s strategy as they enable streamers to pinpoint their most successful moments and make them more shareable for their audience. In order to improve this tool, the platform has now added a selection of new features such as trimming and better sharing capabilities for video editors. This feature will also be accessible on the mobile app to help streamers produce content on the go. 

Discovery Feed

In a similar vein to Instagram and TikTok, Twitch is now offering a Discovery Feed. This feature allows users to scroll through a vast portfolio of clips and short-form content as a way to help them uncover new streamers. Though the platform has put a lot of focus on this feature, they do not want viewers to use it too often. Instead, they see this feed as a gateway to new content, ensuring that smaller creators can also have their share of the spotlight. It should be mentioned that this feature is currently in Beta but plans to have a complete rollout in the fall. 

Stories

Although Stories have been replicated by a number of popular platforms, Twitch’s version encourages streamers to produce content that directly relates to the needs and wants of their subscribers. In turn, gaming influencers can now choose between creating short-form content that can be consumed on the Discovery Feed or producing work that can only be seen by selected viewers. All of these posts are assessed under the platform’s Community Guidelines, making it a safer place for creators and audiences to interact.

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Shared Mod Comments

Last year, Twitch launched its Shared Ban Info feature, a tool that allows streamers to track which users have been tormenting other creators. As a result, this feature aimed to help streamers work together to eliminate unnecessary negativity and discrimination across the platform. To elevate this, Twitch has now announced Shared Mod Comments, an added element that encourages streamers to state why they believe a certain viewer is a nuisance to the community. 

Streaming Together

After the positive response to Guest Star, Twitch is looking to expand its success even further. Now, the platform can accommodate multiple influencers streaming at the same time on Guest Star. As such, all of these audiences can view the same stream on a collection of different channels, ensuring that streamers can retain their viewership whilst giving audiences the chance to discover their peers. Another benefit of this update is that each individual user is still responsible for their own actions. So if another streamer causes havoc, you will not be penalized or punished for their poor behavior. 

How Can I Access These Features?

Since a wide selection of these features is yet to be fully rolled out, many of them will only be available to a small group of streamers. However, as they continue to be completely launched, a lot of them will be found on your personal creator dashboard. 

It should also be mentioned that in order to gain full access to all of these new updates, you must be part of the Twitch Partnership Program. This is a step up from the platform’s Affiliate Program and offers streamers the ability to monetize their content and offer their fans a wealth of exclusive perks. 

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Benefits of Using These New Features on Twitch

The announcements made at TwitchCon 2023 highlight the platform’s desire for increased growth and its drive to compete against some of the industry’s more conventional platforms. The Discovery Feed is one of Twitch’s most coveted features and showcases its ability to replicate trends and customize them in order to better suit the needs of gamers. As a result, users can now delve into a number of elusive clips in order to assess whether a content creator is right for them. In turn, creators also now have the chance to experiment with short-form content and continue to promote their work in new ways. 

The introduction of Shared Mod Comments offers us insight into what many streamers deem acceptable on the platform, creating a much safer place for them to perform. With the potential for more amicable interactions, this could potentially encourage more brands to conduct partnerships on the platform. Therefore, it seems that not only is Twitch striving to build a safer platform but is creating better conditions for brand deals and sponsorships. 

Stories are also a common part of many platforms’ engagement strategies and seem to have found their new home on Twitch. By giving influencers the tools needed to create, share, and promote a range of new content, they can now work to amplify their content strategy on the platform. As such, Twitch can no longer be regarded as a long-form platform and seems to be seeking lucrative ways to extend its capabilities. 

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With Twitch growing at an exponential rate, we must now recognize that it is no longer a platform made solely for gamers. As the platform continues to offer an array of updates, it is vital that we observe how this could benefit a wider variety of creators and how it could potentially influence the trends we are seeing throughout the industry.