If you’re a Twitch streamer, you’ve probably heard of Twitch’s programs such as Affiliate and Partner. Joining the Twitch Affiliate Program is a huge achievement, and we want to help you reach this milestone to be able to monetize your content. With some hard work, guidance and time, you can get there. So, let’s jump in and get started on all you need to know about becoming a Twitch Affiliate!
What Is A Twitch Affiliate?
Firstly, let’s make sure that we’re on the same page about what Twitch Affiliates are.
Affiliates are frequent and active streamers that Twitch consider to be reliable content creators on the platform. Partners are the top tier of streamers, the ones who are a core part of the site and whose content drives traffic to Twitch. Twitch Affiliates are active streamers that are seen as reliable, top tier and most importantly, bring traffic to the platform.
The Twitch Affiliate Program allows qualified streamers to make a living from their passions. Affiliates can earn income on Twitch whilst building their audience and working towards coming a Twitch Partner.
Earning With Subscriptions
Affiliates can earn money on Twitch by accepting subscriptions from viewers. As an Affiliate, you will have access to all subscription options, which are $4.99, $9.99, $24.99 and the Prime Free subscription. They also have access to one global subscriber emote for all subscribers, plus the option of adding two more for $9.99 and $24.99 subscribers.
Earning With Bits
Bits are a virtual good that viewers/users of the platform can buy to Cheer in chat. These include animated gem emotes or Cheermotes. Affiliates can therefore choose to enable Bits to Cheer on their channels., allowing viewers to offer support without leaving Twitch.
Earning With Game Sales
Another way Affiliates can receive revenue is from the sale of games or in-game items on Twitch.
When streamers play a game on stream that is available for sale, a purchase offer will appear on the channel page. Affiliates then earn a 5% revenue share of the purchases that originate from their channel pages. Viewers who take advantage of these offers are also rewarded with a Twitch Crate for purchases of $4.99 and upwards.
Remember: Unfortunately, Twitch Affiliates don’t qualify to make money on channel ads.
How Do I Become A Twitch Affiliate?
Twitch has some restrictions for who can be a Twitch Affiliate. To qualify, you must:
- Have at least 50 followers
- Have at least 500 total minutes broadcast, 7 unique broadcast days and an average of 3+ concurrent viewers
- Not yet be a Twitch Partner.
Streamers who qualify are invited via notifications, email and a Dashboard announcement. Once you have been invited, a new section will apper on your Settings tab allowing you to register for the Affiliate Program and enable Bits.
How Does Payment Work For Twitch Affiliates?
Revenue
In terms of revenue, Twitch Affiliates can receive revenue via subscriptions, Bits, donations or sponsors. Here is a breakdown:
- Twitch splits the subscription revenue 50/50 with Affiliates, so you would receive $2.50 from a $4.99 subscription
- Each Bit equals $0.01
- Donations from third parties go directly towards your payout
Payout
The process of getting paid as a Twitch Affiliate is pretty straightforward and similar to being a freelance employer.
Once you have generated at least $100 in revenue, Twitch will issue a payment. It’s your choice whether to set this up to a PayPal account or checking account and so on. You will also need to provide tax information!
Top Tips For Aspiring Twitch Affiliates
Now that we’ve covered what Twitch Affiliates are, how you can earn and whar you need to do, let’s take a look at some top tips to help aspiring affiliates.
- Get to know Twitch’s guidelines, rules and regulations. This means taking a look at Twitch’s music rules and knowing your copyright laws to prevent from copyright claims that may hinder you becoming an Affiliate.
- Use top quality music that can help you standout. Scroll down to see how Audiosocket can help you here!
- Stream as often as you can to build your fan base, and spread the word on social media, in forums and so on.
- Make sure that your streams are good quality, both visually and in terms of audio. You don’t have to spend a ton, but we would recommend at least getting yourself a microphone instead of just those built-in to headphones!
- Plan out your content to make sure (for example) that you’re finding the perfect game to engage your audience, or trying new, niche things and ideas that will make you stand out.
- Engage with your audience and remain engaging, friendly and hardworking, and you can work your way up to Affiliate and even eventually a Partner!
Final Thoughts
Being a Twitch streamer means committing to creating outstanding videos and building a satisfied audience. This can be achieved by creating professional, engaging content – and that includes using quality music.
Your best option is to license your music properly through a company such as Audiosocket. Starting at $10 a month, you can have unlimited access to over 80,000 tracks! With various genres and moods, it couldn’t be easier to find music to match the content in your live streams. Get started now!
