How To Make Money On Twitch: 15 Great Tips for 2023

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Looking to unlock the secret of how to make money on Twitch? You’re in the right place. Whether you’re a newcomer or an established streamer, earning a steady income on this popular streaming platform is entirely possible—and we’re not just talking about pocket change.

One key tip right off the bat: Consistency is king. The more you live stream, the more opportunities you have to attract concurrent viewers, engage your audience, and ultimately earn ad revenue. Many streamers also tap into multiple streams of income, such as brand sponsorships and affiliate status, to maximize their earnings.

This comprehensive guide will explore 15 effective ways to start earning money on Twitch, from the basic Twitch affiliate program to selling your own merchandise and much more. We’ll give you actionable strategies and specific product recommendations that will help you build an established and engaged audience while capitalizing on advertising revenue and other perks.

1. Twitch Subscriptions: Monthly Fee Perks

If you’re looking to make money on Twitch, subscriptions are a reliable revenue stream. Once you achieve Twitch affiliate or partner status, you can start monetizing your Twitch channel with subscription tiers.

Subscriptions provide a monthly fee, offering extra perks like exclusive emotes or chat privileges to an engaged audience. This not only helps you earn a steady income but also enhances viewer retention.

The more viewers you have, and the more engaged they are, the more money you’re likely to make from subscriptions.

Strategies for Twitch Subscriptions:

• Subscriber-Only Streams: Offer exclusive content only accessible to your Twitch subscribers to encourage more viewers to opt for a subscription.
• Loyalty Rewards: Implement a point system where long-term subscribers get extra perks, increasing retention.
• Regular Shoutouts: Acknowledge new subscribers during your livestream to make them feel valued and encourage others to subscribe.

Product Recommendations:

• Streamlabs: Use this tool for creating custom alerts that make subscriber acknowledgments more entertaining.
• Revlo: Helps manage your loyalty points system efficiently.
• Own Twitch Store: Sell merchandise like t-shirts specifically designed for subscribers.

2. Earn Ad Revenue: Twitch Ads

Once you’ve built an established audience and achieved Twitch affiliate status, running ads can significantly boost your revenue.

To earn ad revenue, you’ll have to strategically place Twitch ads during your live stream. Unlike other revenue methods, earning through ads doesn’t require your viewers to pay anything, making it a less intrusive way to make money.

Most streamers balance between subscriptions and ad revenue to maintain a steady income.

Strategies for Earning on Twitch Ads:

• Ad Scheduling: Find the best times during your streams to run ads, ideally when viewer engagement is high but not during crucial moments in your content.
• Interactive Ads: Utilize interactive ads that engage your audience rather than irritate them.
• Multi-Platform Advertising: Use your other social media channels to announce when you’re going live to attract more viewers and thus, more ad revenue.

Product Recommendations:

• Twitch Turbo: Promote this ad-free viewing experience while still earning ad revenue when Turbo users watch your stream.
• VidIQ: Use it to optimize the timing and type of ads you should run based on your viewers’ behaviors.
• Restream: Stream on multiple platforms simultaneously to increase viewership and advertising reach.

3. Twitch Bits: Engage Your Audience

If you’ve already established an engaged audience on your Twitch channel, Twitch Bits can serve as micro-donations during your live streams.

These virtual currencies can be used by viewers to cheer for you, contributing directly to your earnings.

Unlike a PayPal donation button, Bits integrates seamlessly into the Twitch experience, offering a more interactive way to make money. Twitch streamers often find that Bits add an element of fun and community to their streams.

Strategies for Engaging Your Audience with Twitch Bits:

• Bit Leaderboard: Display a leaderboard showing who has donated the most Bits to encourage a bit of competition among your viewers.
• Themed Cheers: Create special cheers that align with your brand or the game you’re playing to make Bit donations more entertaining.
• Bits for Perks: Offer extra perks like shoutouts, emotes, or game advantages in exchange for Bit donations.

Product Recommendations:

• Twitch Extensions: Use Bits-enabled extensions to gamify your Twitch stream and encourage Bit donations.
• StreamElements: This all-in-one tool helps manage your Bit donations and offers on-screen overlays to acknowledge Bit contributions.
• Own Twitch Store: Offer exclusive digital downloads—like custom wallpapers or game mods—to those who donate a certain number of Bits.

4. PayPal Donation Button: Direct Support

For Twitch streamers seeking a direct way to earn extra money, installing a PayPal donation button on your channel can make a significant impact.

It’s a hassle-free approach that allows your established audience to offer financial support instantly. This option is incredibly effective for digital nomads who may need a quick influx of cash while on the move.

Since PayPal is universally accepted, it can help you start earning money irrespective of your geographical location.

Strategies for PayPal Donation Buttons:

• Transparent Goals: Clearly state what the donations will be used for (e.g., improving stream quality, travel expenses) to motivate viewers.
• Donor Recognition: Acknowledge donors during your live stream or on other social media platforms to make them feel appreciated.
• Donation Tiers: Create different donation levels, each with its own perks, to encourage larger donations.

Product Recommendations:

• Streamlabs: Incorporate Streamlabs to manage your PayPal donations efficiently and provide on-screen notifications.
• Tipeeestream: Use this platform for setting up donation goals and transparently displaying them during your streams.
• Donorbox: It’s an excellent tool for setting up recurring donations for a steady income.

5. Brand Sponsorships: Partner Up

Partnering with brands that align with your content and lifestyle can be a game-changer for many Twitch streamers.

Brand sponsorships not only offer a steady income but also introduce your channel to a broader audience.

Make sure to choose brands that resonate with your lifestyle, especially if you’re a digital nomad, as this will make your advertising seem more genuine.

Strategies for Brand Sponsorships:

• Media Kit: Create a media kit highlighting your reach, average viewership, and engagement rates to attract brands.
• Contract Negotiation: Ensure the terms are favorable, focusing on long-term engagements rather than one-off promotions.
• Affiliate Links: Incorporate affiliate links related to the sponsored brand to earn additional revenue.

Product Recommendations:

• Canva: Use it to design a professional-looking media kit.
• AffiliateWP: Manage all your affiliate links efficiently.
• Upfluence: A platform for connecting with potential sponsors and tracking sponsorship success.

6. Affiliate Status: Start Monetizing

Achieving affiliate status on Twitch is the gateway to several monetization options like running ads and offering subscriptions.

You can earn ad revenue and get monthly fees from subscription tiers, which can add up to a considerable income.

Affiliate status allows you to start monetizing your content effectively, offering multiple streams of revenue for your Twitch channel.

Strategies for Monetizing Your Affiliate Status:

• Stream Regularly: Consistency is key to increasing your concurrent viewers, thereby maximizing your affiliate benefits.
• Cross-Promotion: Use your other social media accounts to promote your Twitch streams and gain more followers.
• Engage with Other Streamers: Collaborate with other Twitch affiliates to cross-promote and share audiences.

Product Recommendations:

• OBS Studio: This is essential for high-quality live streaming, a factor that can help you achieve and maintain affiliate status.
• SocialBee: Automate social media posts across multiple platforms to increase your Twitch channel’s exposure.
• TwitchTracker: This analytics tool can help you monitor your channel’s performance, essential for maintaining affiliate status.

7. Affiliate Marketing: Use Other Social Media Channels

Affiliate marketing can be a goldmine for Twitch streamers, especially those with an established audience across other social media platforms.

Promoting products via affiliate links can significantly boost your income beyond what you earn on Twitch.

Say you’re streaming a video game; you can promote gaming accessories through affiliate links on your other social media accounts, thereby earning extra money.

Strategies for Social Media Channels for Affiliate Marketing:

• Targeted Promotion: Share affiliate links related to the content you’re streaming on Twitch across your other social media channels.
• Trackable Links: Use trackable affiliate links to measure ROI and understand which platforms yield the most conversions.
• Time-Sensitive Offers: Create urgency by promoting limited-time offers to boost clicks and conversions.

Product Recommendations:

• ClickBank: An extensive marketplace for finding affiliate products to promote.
• Pretty Links: A plugin for creating trackable, pretty affiliate links.
• Hootsuite: A comprehensive social media management tool to schedule posts across multiple platforms.

8. Own Merchandise: Twitch Store

Having your own merchandise like t-shirts or gaming gear can offer an additional revenue stream for Twitch streamers.

It’s a fantastic way to deepen your brand’s reach while also offering something tangible to your fans.

Plus, with print-on-demand services, the entire process becomes streamlined, making it easier to start earning money.

Strategies for Selling Merchandise on the Twitch Store:

• Limited Edition Items: Create limited edition or seasonal merchandise to foster a sense of exclusivity and urgency.
• Fan Input: Involve your audience in the design process to ensure the products resonate with them.
• Bundling: Offer bundles of merchandise at discounted prices to encourage more sales.

Product Recommendations:

• Printful: A reliable print-on-demand service for creating custom merchandise.
• Shopify: Use Shopify to set up your own Twitch store seamlessly.
• Adobe Illustrator: For designing high-quality, professional merchandise graphics.

9. Exclusive Content: More Money for More Access

For Twitch streamers looking to offer something special to their most dedicated viewers, platforms like Patreon provide an avenue for exclusive content.

You can earn more money by offering extra perks, such as behind-the-scenes footage, or more intimate Q&A sessions for a monthly fee.

Strategies for Earning Money through Exclusive Content:

• Tiered Access: Create different subscription tiers on Patreon, each offering its unique set of benefits.
• Consistency: Update exclusive content regularly to keep your subscribers engaged and coming back for more.
• Promotion: Use your Twitch stream and other social media platforms to tease the exclusive content available on Patreon.

Product Recommendations:

• Patreon: The go-to platform for managing exclusive content and subscription tiers.
• Buffer: Use this tool to schedule promotional posts across your social media accounts.
• Canva Pro: Excellent for designing eye-catching promotional materials for your Patreon page.

10. Video Game Sales: Twitch Partners

For Twitch Partners, the platform offers an opportunity to earn revenue through video game sales.

If your audience buys video games or in-game items through your stream, you get a share of the profits. This creates an additional income stream that is especially relevant if you’re already playing video games and engaging an audience interested in similar titles.

Strategies for Video Game Sales using Twitch Partners:

• Showcase Games: Regularly feature new or trending video games that your audience may be interested in.
• Live Demonstrations: Use your live streams to provide a firsthand look at the game’s features, thus encouraging your viewers to buy.
• Strategic Timing: Announce game sales during peak viewership to maximize the potential for purchases.

Product Recommendations:

• Twitch’s Built-in Sales Feature: Directly integrated, making it hassle-free for streamers.
• StreamElements: Helps in displaying live, real-time game sales data.
• Discord Server: Create channels specifically dedicated to game promotions, updates, and sales.

11. Coaching and Consultations: Play Video Games Better

With expertise in video gaming, you can offer coaching sessions to your Twitch audience.

This not only establishes you as an expert but also allows you to earn extra money. Utilize booking platforms to manage your consultation schedules.

This creates a more organized approach to monetizing your skills beyond live streaming.

Strategies for Coaching and Consultations:

• Skill Assessment: Offer a free initial assessment to identify the skills that the client needs to improve.
• Tiered Pricing: Offer different packages based on the level of coaching provided.
• Follow-Up Sessions: Arrange follow-up coaching sessions for ongoing training.

Product Recommendations:

• Calendly: For easy and seamless booking of coaching sessions.
• Skype: For conducting remote one-on-one coaching sessions.
• OBS Studio: For recording and reviewing gameplay during coaching.

12. Events and Tournaments: Entry Fees

Creating your own events and tournaments can be an exciting way to engage with your Twitch audience and attract concurrent viewers.

Charging an entry fee can help you earn money while offering a fun and competitive environment for your viewers.

Strategies for Events and Tournaments:

• Pre-Event Hype: Use social media platforms to create anticipation before the event.
• Partnerships: Collaborate with brands for sponsorships to add extra perks and prizes.
• Post-Event Coverage: Share highlights or recaps on Twitch and other social media channels to keep the engaged audience interested in future events.

Product Recommendations:

• Eventbrite: For organizing and selling tickets to your Twitch events.
• StreamLabs: Useful for running a smooth and professional-looking live stream of your event.
• Adobe Premiere Pro: For editing and creating highlight reels and recaps.

13. Podcasts and Interviews: Other Streamers and Social Media Channels

Want a fresh way to make money on Twitch? Try hosting podcasts or interviews with popular Twitch streamers or other personalities.

These special streams not only bring in more viewers but can also be monetized through Twitch subscriptions and brand sponsorships.

This adds a new layer to your income streams, pulling in extra money and building a more established and engaged audience.

Strategies for Podcasts and Interviews:

• Curate High-Value Content: Align guests with your channel’s theme to offer valuable insights to your audience.
• Promote Aggressively: Use other social media channels to announce upcoming interviews and gain more concurrent viewers.
• Monetization Plans: Consider running ads during the interview or securing a sponsor for the podcast.

Product Recommendations:

• StreamYard: Excellent for multi-person interviews, offering split-screen and other dynamic features.
• Auphonic: For improving audio quality.
• Twitch Affiliate Program: Utilize to earn ad revenue from these specialized streams.

14. Skill Sharing: Twitch Tools

Apart from playing video games, you can offer educational streams where you discuss various Twitch tools, lifestyle topics, or entrepreneurship.

Charge a fee for specialized content, offering your viewers not just entertainment but also valuable knowledge. It’s a smart way to start earning money outside of typical ad revenue streams.

Strategies for Skill Sharing:

• Specialized Tutorials: Create step-by-step guides explaining the use of different Twitch tools.
• Value Packages: Bundle multiple tutorials and offer them for a reduced monthly fee.
• Interactive Q&A: Hold live Q&A sessions to solve real-time queries and concerns.

Product Recommendations:

• PayPal Donation Button: Use it to accept fees for these specialized services.
• Teachable: Organize your tutorials in a course-like structure.
• Restream: To broadcast your Twitch streams to multiple platforms, increasing visibility and revenue.

15. Cross-Promotion: YouTube Videos

Maximizing income on multiple platforms is the key. Many Twitch streamers upload their live streams as YouTube videos, a tactic that can earn you money in multiple ways: through YouTube’s ad revenue and also by driving YouTube viewers to your Twitch channel.

With content existing on multiple platforms, you offer more avenues for advertising revenue and sponsorships.

Strategies for Cross Promotion:

• Cross-Platform Consistency: Maintain brand consistency across Twitch and YouTube to improve your established audience’s experience.
• SEO Optimization: Use SEO-friendly titles and descriptions to attract more viewers on YouTube.
• Engagement Drives: Run promotions or giveaways to encourage YouTube viewers to check out your Twitch streams.

Product Recommendations:

• TubeBuddy: For keyword optimization on YouTube.
• Elgato Stream Deck: To seamlessly switch between scenes, launch media, or run any programmed sequence of commands.
• YouTube Partner Program: To start monetizing your YouTube videos with ads.

How To Make Money on Twitch: Summary

Navigating the world of Twitch can be both exciting and challenging, but the rewards are well worth the effort. From gaining affiliate status to unlocking ad revenue, the potential to earn money on Twitch is more achievable than ever.

Whether you’re focused on increasing your concurrent viewers or looking to diversify your income with brand sponsorships, consistency, and an engaged audience are your best allies.

The bottom line is that many Twitch streamers are already making a steady income through multiple platforms, including social media channels and even YouTube videos.

As you develop your Twitch channel, don’t overlook the importance of an established audience. The more followers and viewers you have, the better your chances of earning through subscription tiers, running ads, and selling merchandise through your own Twitch store.

By incorporating these strategies, you set yourself up not just for extra money but for a sustainable, long-term business model.

If you’ve found this guide helpful, make sure to explore our blog for even more entrepreneurial and money-making ideas, such as;

• How to Make Money on TikTok: 8 Surefire Ways to Earn $1,000+ a Month
• Make Money Writing Online; 21 Fun & Actionable Ways
• How to Make Money Podcasting and Build a Lifestyle Business
• 10 Easy Side Hustles to Make Money Today

We aim to inspire, educate, and empower you to achieve both financial freedom and personal growth. So don’t just stop at streaming; start monetizing all your skills and assets now!

How To Make Money on Twitch: FAQs

How much do Twitch streamers make?

The income for a Twitch streamer varies widely based on factors such as Twitch subscriptions, ad revenue, and brand sponsorships. For those just starting out, the earnings might be minimal. However, popular Twitch streamers in the Twitch partner program can make six figures or more annually. Your potential to make money streaming depends on how many followers and viewers you have, as well as how you diversify your income streams.

Can you earn money with Twitch?

Absolutely, you can earn money with Twitch through various means. Twitch users can start earning money once they reach affiliate status, which allows them to get a share of the advertising revenue, offer subscription tiers to viewers, and receive direct donations.

How many views do you need to get paid on Twitch?

To start getting paid, you need to achieve Twitch Affiliate status. For that, you’ll need at least 50 followers, an average of 3 viewers per stream, and a minimum of 500 total minutes broadcast in the last 30 days. Once you reach affiliate status, you can earn money through Twitch subscriptions, ads, and donations.

How do I start getting paid for streaming?

To start getting paid for streaming, you’ll first need to create a Twitch account and start streaming regularly to build an audience. Once you meet the criteria for Twitch Affiliate or Twitch Partner status, you can start to monetize your streams through subscriptions, running ads, and other methods.

How do I become a Twitch partner?

Becoming a Twitch partner requires a more established presence compared to achieving affiliate status. You’ll need to stream for 25 hours in the last 30 days, stream on 12 different days, and maintain an average of 75 concurrent viewers. The Twitch Partner Program offers more features and extra perks like additional emote slots and higher-quality streams.

Is a YouTube channel necessary for a Twitch streamer?

Having a YouTube channel isn’t a requirement, but it can be a beneficial supplementary platform. By uploading your Twitch streams or highlights to YouTube, you reach a broader audience and have an additional venue for earning through ads and viewer engagement.

How can I grow my Twitch audience?

One key to growing your audience is to stream regularly. Consistency keeps your audience engaged and coming back for more. Make use of other social media platforms to announce your streaming schedule and engage with followers.

Can I stream on multiple platforms?

Yes, you can stream on multiple platforms, although it’s essential to check the terms and conditions of your Twitch Partner or Affiliate contract as there may be exclusivity clauses. Streaming on multiple platforms allows you to maximize your reach and potentially earn more money streaming.

What types of games should I stream?

The games you choose to stream should ideally be ones you enjoy playing, as your enthusiasm will translate to a more engaged audience. However, consider the popularity and competitiveness of the games to balance between having enough viewers and not being lost in a sea of other streamers.

How important is chat engagement?

Chat engagement is crucial for keeping your audience entertained and involved in your stream. Engaged audiences are more likely to subscribe, donate, and even promote your Twitch channel to other potential viewers.

Do I need special equipment to start streaming?

You don’t necessarily need high-end equipment to start streaming, but having a good-quality camera, microphone, and a stable internet connection can significantly enhance your stream’s quality.

How can I make my Twitch stream more interactive?

Incorporate features like polls, chat games, and incentives for subscribers to make your stream more interactive. You could also host community events or collaborate with other streamers to keep your audience engaged.