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Can You Make Money on Twitch from Scratch? Here’s How
Discover how to make money on Twitch from scratch. Learn key steps, revenue strategies, and pro tips to boost your earnings as a new streamer.
Among all live streaming platforms, Twitch holds a strong status in the world. One can find many sources of entertainment and various programs on Twitch. Creators can generate income using different methods offered by YouTube. Every day, millions of viewers flock to the platform in search of entertainment, learning, and even companionship, forming a large and active user base.
However, some people are curious if ordinary users have the chance to get paid on Twitch. How to make money on Twitch? Although these questions appear simple, they require various factors. You ought to decide on the best format for your content, increase the number of followers, and learn about the platform rules. For those creating for the first time, not having fans makes it a little tough in the beginning. This article will detail how to participate in Twitch's official Affiliate Program and Partner Program by formulating effective strategies, and gradually establishing a stable and substantial source of income.
What is Twitch？
Twitch is a real-time interactive platform with game live streaming as its core. Users can watch live shows from hosts on the internet. They can also talk with the host and other viewers in real time. They can use features like chat messages and voice calls. It is like a "YouTube for games." But it’s different from normal video sites. Twitch focuses on live shows and makes viewers feel involved. Viewers can join in and interact with the content as it happens. This makes watching more fun and helps them feel part of a community.
Today, Twitch has over 100 million users every month. The site covers many popular topics like games, esports, art, music, and reality shows. Big games like "League of Legends," "Overwatch," and "PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds" have many viewers and hosts. This creates a lively and diverse community.
Can you Earn Money on Twitch?
The answer is yes. Twitch provides content creators with an official monetization mechanism. Twitch Affiliate and Twitch Partner are the main ways content creators can earn money on Twitch. Streamers get paid on Twitch from paid subscriptions, ads that appear, and donations through Bits. The following is a comparison table of the two plans in terms of entry threshold, income method:
| Feature | Twitch Affiliate | Twitch Partner Program |
| Eligibility Requirements | - At least 50 followers - 500 total minutes streamed in the last 30 days - 7 unique broadcast days - Avg. 3+ viewers per stream |
- Consistent high viewership - Strong community engagement - Streamer must apply and be approved by Twitch |
| Monetization Options | - Subscriptions - Bits (cheers) - Ad revenue |
- All Affiliate options - Higher ad revenue share - More sponsorship opportunities |
| Customization & Tools | - Basic emotes - Limited channel customization |
- More emote slots - Priority support - Stream team creation |
| Approval Process | Automatic upon meeting criteria | Manual application and Twitch review |
The information on the table suggests that new streamers gain more benefits from Twitch Affiliate. Getting started this way is really fast and simple. The Twitch Partner program is designed for experienced users who enjoy a lot of attention and influence from their audience. It may lead to getting a bigger part of the revenue and extra help in resources. Most people are introduced to Affiliate as their first experience of earning money from Twitch.
To find more ways to make money online, click the article: ⬇️
How to Make Money on Twitch for Beginners?
As long as you know how to use the right features of the platform, game fans, musicians, or those who share their daily activities will have a chance to begin making money on Twitch. The next steps can help you solve how to make money on Twitch.
Step 1: Create and Set up Your Twitch Channel
First step on how to make money on Twitch is to find a name for your account that fits your material, is easy to recall, and is not too long. A unique avatar photo or personal logo is what we suggest to help you be recognized; the cover photo should simply show your identity or when you will be broadcasting. When live broadcasting, using OBS (Open Broadcaster Software) is strongly advised, since it allows for features like switching between several scenes and managing the image’s quality. Take a step to test your network bandwidth before the broadcast to ensure the upload speed is at least 6 Mbps. These simple options will decide how the audience feels about your channel and whether or not they plan to subscribe.
Step 2: Clarify Your Content Direction and Target Audience
There are people who succeed in promoting smaller games to a small but firm base, and there are those who gain popularity with ASMR videos. What matters most is to pick an area where you excel and love to create content, and not simply follow the new trends in fashion/entertainment. Picture in your mind the kind of audience you are engaging with. A clear target audience can help you optimize the live broadcast language, interaction methods, and even broadcast time. This focus will greatly enhance your channel recognition and long-term appeal.
Step 3: Maintain a Regular Live Broadcast Time
A regular and steady live broadcast ensures that more viewers come back. It would be sensible to make a routine like “three times a week, for two hours each time” in the beginning. The algorithm is likely to show channels that stream often on its recommendation page. Also, by releasing content at the same time, you allow viewers to plan when they can watch and improve their viewing habits. It is possible to display the live broadcast date and time in your channel details and instantly notify yourself about the upcoming broadcast. In the first phase of organizing your channel, don’t feel the need to stream daily, but try to keep a steady schedule and create outstanding content.
Step 4: Increase Audience Interaction and Community Building
People watching your stream like to be involved and not just silent observers. You may use the bullet screens to instantly interact with your audience and keep them engaged; create a private group on Discord where fans can talk and interact with each other; share a preview of the live broadcast on social media a few hours before it happens to grab viewers’ attention early on. It’s a good idea to schedule prize draws and question sessions in the appropriate place to stir interest.
Step 5: Apply to become a Twitch Affiliate or Twitch Partner Program
As soon as you have reached the basic achievements to become an Affiliate (500 minutes streamed in 30 days, 50 followers, and live on 7 days), the system will send you an invite. All you have to do is provide your personal details as stated in the forms. If you are interested in becoming a Twitch Partner, you have to prepare and submit your application. The platform checks your videos and your viewers’ involvement with your content. After joining any of these programs, you are free to earn through subscription services, ads, Bits, and similar ways.
Step 6: Make Money with Subscription Income
After you are either an Affiliate or Partner, you may activate the Twitch subscription service. Twitch sells three types of subscriptions for $4.99, $9.99, and $24.99. One of these platforms can be selected by viewers to give you support. You may provide several types of membership for your users. There are special features involved in each level. An example is giving users special emojis, no advertising, or offering them fan badges. Providing members with videos meant just for them or special live streams is also an option. This approach may attract additional people to be part of the movement. Know that your members will remain paying if they want to continue helping you for a long time. Usually, Twitch is set to 50% by default. Making a higher ratio is possible for Partners after they go through a negotiation process with the platform. If you think the commission rate is too high, you can choose to build a profitable website on your own.
Step 7: Enable Bit Reward and Donation Functions
On Twitch, everything can be purchased using Bits, Twitch’s virtual currency. Audiences can purchase your channel coins for $0.01 each. As a host, you can directly share and get paid on Twitch. You can also depend on third-party applications such as Streamlabs and PayPal, in addition to Bits. Nevertheless, you have to watch out for fees and any tax matters when using these platforms. It is advisable to record your earnings regularly to help when you need to declare them for taxes. As for interactive design, you can add effects for meeting rewards (like on-screen surprises, words of thanks, or exciting animations). Fast gameplay changes can inspire the audience to take part and develop healthy rewards habits over time.
Step 8: Use Advertising to Earn Income
The feature can be activated by the Twitch Affiliate or Partner. You need to manually set the insertion frequency in the background. To keep people interested, advertisements should not go over three minutes per hour. If you want to improve the user experience, make the “Subscribe to Free Ads” function attractive to them. For instance, those who subscribe to a service get to enjoy ad-free content, and others still have to watch ads. The revenue from advertising is set by CPM, and it is mostly $3-$10, based on the viewers’ location and the group they belong to. Selling an appropriate amount of advertising allows you to collect consistent extra earnings.
Step 9: Seek Brand Sponsorship and Cooperation
Once you have built a group of followers, you can go ahead and connect with brands for possible collaborations. Ways to earn money from live broadcasts include using the brand’s logo, reviewing items, offering discount codes, and sharing part of the sales. The key to attracting brands lies in the data support you can provide, such as average audience size, fan profile (age, interests, etc.). Make sure to log a contact email for business purposes in your Twitch channel or your social media. You must follow FTC guidelines and make it clear that your content is sponsored, so you do not face legal trouble.
Step 10: Expand to other platforms for monetization
Don’t limit yourself to how to make money on Twitch. You can select excerpts from the live show and post them on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram to bring more people back to your channel on Twitch. You can also use YouTube to place ads and offer channel memberships to get income from different sources. Apart from offering products, you can make money through peripheral items or services (OBS guidance, selling special T-shirts) sold from your very own website. It is suggested to choose a website builder such as Wegic that does not require any coding skills. Now, it’s possible to get a personal site through conversational operations for only $23.90 per month. In this way, you don’t need to promote the recharge account, and you are not limited to the platform's algorithm and profit-sharing rules. You can control your own brand and income channels at low cost.
Extra Tips for Maximizing Your Twitch Earnings
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Organize events and challenges that require people to pay. Introduce events where it costs little to enter (for example, a $1 mini-game challenge), and make rewards special to boost people’s enthusiasm (like personalized voice messages and allowing fans to request songs). Do your best to keep the event delightful and follow the rules. Make sure to tell folks about the event early so they are eager to attend.
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Reserve preferred seats for those who buy a lot or participate a great deal on social sites. For people to get VIP seats, tell them to sign up for a particular number of subscriptions or buy specified gifts. Provide fans with special perks, for example, making them emojis, giving them special titles, or showing them exclusive content.
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Introducing fan funding goals (Goal Bar). Set real-time funding goals (such as "purchase new equipment" or "start a new series") in the live broadcast interface, so that viewers can see the specific destination of each support. This transparent, goal-driven approach can effectively increase fans' willingness to participate and sense of belonging.
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Make sure you collect a list of supportive people and show your appreciation to them each month. Place the list of the monthly supporters on the screen during your webcasts and frequently carry out exclusive draws or live thank-you sessions.
Conclusion
How to make money on Twitch? The ways include much more than streaming live. People can use a variety of methods to earn money, from basic subscription packages to advertising, from cooperating with brands to merchandise sales, and from viewers paying for their content to rewards. Consistently giving top-quality content and building solid connections with the audience can make your work unique among other creators.
If you wish to spread Twitch’s influence and set up your own brand identity, you have to develop a professional website. Building your own official website using Wegic, which does not need coding, is both easy and affordable. Thesites offer ways to sell products, give online courses, or present your IP. Sign up for a Wegic account now to experience conversational website building
FAQs
How to make money on Twitch without being a Partner or Affiliate?
There are many ways to make an income on Twitch, such as by receiving donations, getting sponsored, or trying affiliate marketing. Though Twitch Affiliates and Partners get a ready-made way to earn, any Twitch streamer can start making money with other platforms too.
How much does a Twitch streamer make?
A Twitch streamer’s earnings are not constant and can change depending on the number of viewers, subscriptions, and programs they use to earn money.
How to make money on Twitch for small Twitch streamers?
Small Twitch streamers are able to get paid by joining the Affiliate program after reaching the program’s criteria. Talented gamers may receive money through tips, paid sponsorships, or external sites before they are chosen for the Affiliate or Partner positions.
How long does it take to get paid on Twitch as a new streamer?
After a new Affiliate joins, they start earning money and can be paid once the amount reaches $50. It usually takes between 15 and 45 days for the first payment to be made, based on what Twitch says.
How much is 1 sub on Twitch?
On average, Twitch streamers get about $2.50 for every Tier 1 subscription, while the other half is kept by Twitch. Taking part in the Twitch Partner Program offers more revenue sharing than the platform usually offers.
Written by
Kimmy
Published on
Jun 18, 2025
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