How Do You Twitch Stream?

When figuring out how do you Twitch stream, there's a list of priorities. Twitch is a place where gamers and other content creators can start broadcasting real-time video to the world.

If you have a new Twitch account with plans to become a Twitch streamer, your first order of business is finding out how to start streaming on Twitch. Getting some free Twitch viewers probably wouldn't be so bad.

Establishing a new Twitch channel takes a bit of time and effort, but anyone can do it! Many streamers have successfully grown their channel and even made a career out of streaming on Twitch.

Here is a definitive guide on how to live stream on Twitch to help get your Twitch channel up and running.

How Do I Stream on Twitch?

Starting to stream on Twitch is an exciting endeavor that can help you connect with an audience and share your passion for gaming or other content. Here's a step-by-step guide to get you started:

1. Create a Twitch Account: If you don't already have one, go to the Twitch website (twitch.tv) and click on the "Sign Up" button to create a new account. Choose a unique username and password.

2. Set Up Twitch Channel: Once you have an account, go to your profile settings and customize your channel. Upload a profile picture and banner, write a bio, and set a theme that reflects your content and personality.

3. Prepare Your Equipment: To start streaming, you'll need the following:

   • A powerful and capable computer with decent specifications.
   • A reliable and fast internet connection (at least 5 Mbps upload speed for good quality).
   • A microphone for clear audio.
   • A webcam (optional, but it can enhance viewer engagement).
   • Broadcasting software like OBS (Open Broadcaster Software) or Streamlabs OBS (SLOBS). These are free and popular choices for streaming.

4. Install and Set Up Broadcasting Software: Download your chosen broadcasting software and install it on your computer. Once installed, configure the settings, including video and audio sources, resolution, bitrate, and encoder settings.

5. Test Your Setup: Before going live, do some test streams to ensure everything is working correctly. Check your audio and video quality, overlays, and alerts to make sure they look and sound as intended.

6. Create a Streaming Schedule: Consistency is essential for building an audience. Decide on the days and times you'll be streaming and stick to the schedule as much as possible. This helps your viewers know when to expect your content.

7. Promote Your Channel: Let your friends and social media followers know about your Twitch channel. Engage with other streamers and their communities to build connections and gain exposure. Utilize relevant hashtags and be active on platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Discord.

8. Understand Twitch Community Guidelines: Familiarize yourself with Twitch's rules and community guidelines to ensure you abide by them during your streams. Breaking these rules can lead to temporary or permanent suspension of your account.

9. Prepare Your Content: Know what type of content you want to stream. Whether it's gaming, art, music, or something else, make sure you're well-prepared to provide enjoyable and engaging content for your viewers.

10. Go Live: When you're ready to start streaming, open your broadcasting software, and hit the "Go Live" or "Start Streaming" button. Remember to interact with your viewers and respond to their messages and questions during the stream.

11. Monitor Chat and Engage with Viewers: Pay attention to the chat and interact with your viewers. Engaging with your audience creates a more enjoyable experience and encourages them to stay and return to future streams.

12. Review and Improve: After your stream, take some time to review it and assess what went well and what could be improved. Continuously learning and making adjustments will help you grow as a streamer.

Remember that building a following on Twitch takes time and dedication. Be patient, consistent, and authentic, and over time, you'll likely see your viewership grow. Good luck, and have fun with your streaming journey!

How to go Live on Twitch?

Squad Streaming on Twitch is when up to four Twitch creators collaborate to stream live simultaneously. When viewers click on a channel that is currently Squad Streaming, viewers will have the option of toggling into Squad Mode and simultaneously watching all the channels that are part of the Squad.

Currently, only Twitch Partners can Squad Stream. However, Twitch is working on expanding Squad Stream and making it available to Affiliate.

1. Access Twitch Stream Manager - You’ll find the Stream Manager in the left-hand menu within your Twitch Creator Dashboard.

2. Invite other streamers to your Squad - In the Stream Manager under Quick Actions, you’ll see the Squad Stream widget. Using the widget, you can click Add a Channel and search for the user you’d like to invite to join your Squad. Just make sure whoever you invite is currently live streaming and is ok with getting your invitation. Alternatively, if another streamer invites you to a Squad, you can accept it through this widget.

3. Start Squad Streaming! - Now that your Squad is ready, just click the Start Squad Streaming button at the bottom of the widget, and your Squad is live!

Initiating a Squad Stream is an excellent way for Twitch streamers to expand their community, provide viewers with fresh content, and connect with like-minded creators.

To become a Partner, start Squad Streaming, and start making money on Twitch, you’ll need to develop skills as a good streamer. How do you become a successful streamer on Twitch?

How to Become a Streamer- A Successful One

More important than knowing the technicalities of how to stream on Twitch is learning how to become a good streamer. A high-def camera, crystal clear audio, and all the world’s best streaming equipment mean nothing without high-quality content.

To build a loyal fan base and reach your channel goals on Twitch, you need content worth watching, consistent streaming, and an amiable disposition.

Take a look at some necessary steps to increasing your chances of streaming success.

Step 1: Decide What to Stream – Choose the Right Games

As a Twitch creator, your interests may vary, and the thought of sticking to a particular vein of content may sound boring, but don’t underestimate the value of consistency on your channel. Of course, you’ll want to improve your content over time, but frequent or significant changes in your stream may disorient viewers and disappoint fans.

Before you commit to a game or another type of content for your broadcast, think carefully about what will hold your attention and your viewer’s attention in the long-term. If you’re a gamer, choose the game you’re most passionate about that has a reasonable level of popularity. If you need to have variation, consider playing multiple games that fall into one category, so you’ll keep the same audience even if you swap games.

When brainstorming what you’d like to broadcast, think about what you have to offer to the Twitch community. What sets you apart or makes you unique? Is there a niche in which you feel comfortable? Play to your strengths and just be yourself. While it’s ok to draw inspiration from other creators, avoid trying to imitate other streamers you admire.

Remember, new viewers who visit your channel will watch you for your game. However, if they like how you play, they’ll revisit your channel for you, not your game.

Step 2: Decide When to Stream – Schedule Your Stream

Beyond the content you choose, consistency is also important when it comes to when you stream. When left to chance, streaming can be erratic, at best. You need a streaming schedule to give your channel structure, keep you on track, and let your audience know what to expect.

Thankfully, Twitch has built-in scheduling tools that make it easy for any creator to make a solid schedule. Just open up your Creator Dashboard and click the arrow next to Preferences in the left-hand navbar, then hit Channel in the drop-down menu. There are many options on the Channel page, but scroll down until you find the Stream Schedule. From here, click Add Stream to start building your schedule.

After you finish scheduling in the Creator Dashboard, you can go back out to your channel page and click on Schedule to double-check and see how it will appear to your audience.

Finally, don’t forget to let your audience know when you plan to stream via social media. It doesn’t hurt to remind your viewers when your next broadcast will start at the end of a stream. Bear in mind, your viewers may not remember to check your schedule. Provide them with continual friendly reminders so they don’t miss out. Then, make sure you hold up your end of the deal and stream according to your schedule.

Step 3: Decide How to Stream – Grow Your Audience

As in real life, if you want friends on Twitch, you have to be a friendly person. Having good manners and following basic social protocol on Twitch is crucial if you plan on growing your audience.

Before you interact on Twitch, be sure to familiarize yourself with the Twitch Community Guidelines.

Being friendly, showing common courtesy, and maintaining good sportsmanship on Twitch will earn you your viewers’ respect. Work hard to create an atmosphere of appreciation and make viewers feel welcome. Likely, they will reciprocate the appreciation and become a long-term supporter of your channel.

Making Money on Twitch

Twitch sets before every new streamer two critical goals, gaining Twitch Affiliation and then Twitch Partnership. Becoming a Twitch Affiliate and then eventually gaining Twitch Partnership opens up a score of monetization options within the Twitch platform. Unlocking these achievements should be your channel’s top priority.

Theoretically, anyone can earn money on Twitch through donations, merch sales, and affiliate links. Still, there are multiple ways to generate income on Twitch exclusive to Affiliates and Partners.

Check out these ways to make money on Twitch once you join the Twitch Affiliate Program.

Twitch Bits

Also known as virtual cheers, Twitch Bits are Twitch’s in-house currency. Viewers buy Twitch Bits and use them to support their favorite streamers by sending them in a channel’s chat during a live stream. In turn, you can cash out your Bits for real money. Typically, the rate of exchange is $0.01 per Bit. Often, viewers send bits by the hundreds, so they can add up if you have a strong fan base.

Twitch Subscriptions

Once you reach Affiliate status, you can start accepting channel subscriptions. Of course, viewers can watch your channel for free, but they unlock exclusive benefits, such as extra emotes and badges, if they pay for a monthly subscription. There are three monthly subscription tiers, each at different price points.

The three monthly Twitch subscription tiers are:

• Tier 1 - $4.99/month
• Tier 2 - $9.99/month
• Tier 3 - $24.99/month

For every subscription your channel receives, you will get 50% of the revenue.

Twitch Game Sales

For Affiliated and Partnered gamers, another way to make money on Twitch is through game sales. If you play a game that is sold directly on Twitch, your channel will feature a link to where your viewers can go buy the game and play it for themselves.

Each time someone clicks the link below your stream and purchases the game via Twitch, you’ll get 5% of the sale revenue.

More Ways to Make Money on Twitch

Twitch Affiliates and Partners can also make money on Twitch through other means, including advertising and sponsorships. The bigger your channel grows, the more earning potential you have.

How, then, do you become a Twitch Affiliate or Partner?

Becoming a Twitch Affiliate

Unlocking the Twitch Affiliate achievement boils down to putting in the hours on your live stream and getting enough followers to qualify.

Here are the qualifications for becoming a Twitch Affiliate:

• Have 50 followers
• Live stream for 500 minutes within the last 30 days
• Live stream on 7 different days within the last 30 days
• Average a minimum of 3 concurrent viewers

Once you qualify, Twitch will send you a notification to your email and through the Creator Dashboard.

Thankfully, Twitch will keep track of your progress to see how far you’ve come to reach Affiliation and how far you still need to go. To see your stats, open the Creator Dashboard and navigate to Insights > Achievements. From there, click Path to Affiliate to toggle open the tracker and see your progress. Directly below, you’ll find the Path to Partner tracker as well.

Now, how do you become a Twitch Partner?

Becoming a Twitch Partner

As the Twitch platform’s crowning achievement, becoming a Twitch partner unlocks ultimate perks and maximum monetization methods.

For example, only Partners can Squad Stream. With Squad Streaming, you can potentially quadruple your audience instantaneously and gain mass exposure, depending on the popularity of the streamers in your Squad. Streaming with a Squad presents an opportunity to gain more followers and subscribers and earn more Bits.

Twitch Partnership also opens the door to landing more significant sponsorships and other ways to earn money as a Twitch creator.

Here are the qualifications for becoming a Twitch Partner:

• Stream for 25 hours within the last 30 days
• Stream on 12 different days within the last 30 days
• Average a minimum of 75 concurrent viewers

However, meeting the requirement above does not guarantee acceptance into the program. Once you qualify, Twitch will need to extend an invitation to apply. You will fill out an application, turn it in, and Twitch will review your channel and stats. If Twitch agrees, they will grant you a Partnership within a few weeks.

The Bottom Line

Opening a new Twitch account can be both exciting and daunting. In the beginning, it may feel like there are a lot of technicalities to getting your stream up and running. Then, come the complex tasks of producing high-quality, watch-worthy content and building your own community from the ground up.

While the process sounds intimidating, it doesn’t have to be. Growing your channel and unlocking Twitch achievements, such as Affiliation and Partnership, may be more straightforward than you think.

Twitch makes things easy by providing clear guidelines and establishing reachable goals for all streamers. Follow the rules, be friendly, and stream quality content, and you’ll be on the Path to Partnership soon.

Additionally, investing a little in the right tools to grow your Twitch channel can go a long way in helping you establish your place in the world of Twitch.

To gain new followers and viewers, try using TwitchGainz.com. It’s free to use and can help you quickly gain Affiliate status on Twitch.