One of the handy things about living in such a technology-rich era is it’s possible to make money discussing your enthusiasms. Many people do that as bloggers, while others create YouTube channels. If you’d like to take a different route, consider Twitch.

When it launched in 2011, Twitch was primarily a gaming platform that allowed fellow gamers to watch the experts play through live streaming channels. Since then, it’s expanded to include other types of content, such as people playing music, painting or just living their lives.

Statistics indicate more than 2.2 million streamers use it monthly. Not surprisingly, then, it’s attracted advertisers such as Coca-Cola and Pizza Hut, along with streamers who want to use Twitch as a monetization method.

Twitch’s most well-known money-making streamers are partners, and data shows over 27,000 people are choosing to supplement their income that way. Moreover, approximately 150,000 people are qualified as Twitch affiliates, which is an association requiring fewer prerequisites than the partner tier.

1. Learn How You Could Earn Money

There are several ways to boost your income as a Twitch streamer. For example, you might encourage people to show support during gameplay by cheering you on with Bits. Those are specialized emoticons offered in the Twitch interface. When people use them, you earn one cent per Bit.

You can also have subscribers on your channel. As a result, you’d earn revenue. Subscription rates range from $4.99-$24.99 per month, and the chosen amount gets split 50/50 between you and Twitch. As your subscriber numbers go up, so does your potential revenue. Consider using Patreon or another third-party platform to ask for donations before you’re officially linked in with Twitch.

You split advertising revenue with Twitch too, and there’s a way to tweak your channel’s settings and set how many ads play per hour.

Twitch offers a 5 percent revenue share for games played on your channel or other game-related content people later buy from Twitch, as well.

2. Take Care of the Basics

When researching how to get started with Twitch streaming, you’ll learn some of the ways to set up your stream and decide how much you show to viewers. For example, some streaming tools show your entire workspace. Make sure to settle on the tools you use and register your Twitch account before progressing further through this list.

3. Attempt to Become a Partner or Affiliate

The next step in making money as a Twitch streamer involves getting approved as a partner or affiliate. You must meet minimum requirements for Twitch usage and overall viewership as part of the approval process. If you don’t have a large following on Twitch yet, the most feasible choice is to aim for the affiliate route. It’s substantially less stringent than the standards partners must meet.

As you fulfil each of the requirements, you’ll see a checkmark appear under the Path to Affiliate section on your dashboard. Once they’re all complete, you’ll get an invitation to become part of the program.

In contrast, getting accepted as a partner is more involved. Twitch considers its partners to be the best broadcasters on the platform. Representatives from the site evaluate content quality, your average viewership numbers and the frequency of streams.

Twitch does not indicate the minimum number of concurrent viewers required for partners. However, it says a rise in average concurrent viewership is the most significant sign of success on the platform.

4. Sign up to Earn Money as a Viewer

Maybe you’re not at the point where you want to have your own channel, or you’d like to make money with Twitch beyond streaming. In those cases, think about signing up for a service that pays you to follow Twitch streams. TwitchFollows is one possibility to consider.

5. Explore Sponsorship Opportunities

You’ve probably seen people on Instagram get free products and brand support from companies that sponsor them. A similar arrangement exists on Twitch, and you may attract attention from sponsors despite not having a tremendous amount of viewers.

Always do what you can to make your channel look presentable and professional. Consistent color schemes and logos could go a long way in conveying your seriousness. Also, make it easy for businesses to reach out. Think about adding your contact details in the Info section of your Twitch channel.

If a company connects with you and wants to provide sponsorship, you may be able to make money without going through Twitch’s approval process. However, if a brand pays you to discuss a game or another kind of product, it’s wise to disclose that arrangement to avoid betraying the trust of your viewers.

6. Get Inspired by the Top Streamers

Although it’s crucial to have a realistic mindset about making money through Twitch, there’s no harm in dreaming about potential earnings amounts. For example, a gamer who goes by the ImaQtPie handle earns millions of dollars annually, as does Jaryt Lazar, someone you may know as Summit1G.

Do You Have What It Takes?

Twitch’s most successful streamers have talent, drive and plenty of personality. The platform isn’t a ticket to quick riches, but with enough dedication, you could make using it pay off for you too.