How Much Money Can Twitch Streamers Make? For gamers that enjoy the social aspect of gaming, Twitch is the place to be. On their Twitch channels, some of the world’s best gamers display their abilities for their followers, several of whom do so practically full-time.
The top Twitch streamers are able to do so because they may earn a living by playing games and commenting on their progress.
What is Twitch?
As you may have noticed, many Twitch streams focus on gameplay. The first time you hear someone comment on a stream, it could be in reference to a game or maybe a normal commentator responding to a conversation.
Most of the time the latter is the case, but the second is a relatively new phenomenon. What most people want to know is: what exactly is Twitch? The answer is a lot.
When it comes to video streaming, Twitch is in a category of its own. It’s the only site that specifically focuses on streaming video games.
While most of the major gaming sites have sections on Twitch, there is nothing that focuses on the games themselves. This has become a pretty big deal for Twitch in recent years.
How Much Money Twitch Streamers Make?
In September 2016, Justin.tv’s analytics showed that the average Twitch viewer watched 23 hours and 28 minutes of video. Streamers earn money from the viewers that watch their channels, the advertisers that sponsor them, and so on.
It may not sound like a lot of money, but there are an estimated 17 million Twitch users and 2.5 million streamers. With such a huge audience, the streamers have a huge audience of potential viewers.
Top Twitch Streamers
Some of the most well-known streamers on Twitch earn upwards of a million dollars each year. Some live out of their homes to broadcast to their followers and do not employ a team of people to help with their channels. Others work with teams or have assistants to help with their shows.
Getting Started
People who are trying to make a living on the Twitch platform typically start out by having the luck of being chosen as a Twitch partner. Partners are chosen based on being involved in the social aspect of gaming.
Streamers then play games together with a partner at a party. A great deal of community interaction takes place on the Twitch platform, and it’s easy to get involved with that if you are willing to.
First, look for big streams. Many channels in the top 10 and top 100 are either part of a stream party or just having a private party in the channel.
If you are good at a game, you might be selected to be the host. One of the better opportunities to find a partner is to try out a game on an upcoming stream.
The Reality of Being a Twitch Streamer
Right now, Twitch streamers typically make a few dollars per minute of gameplay and roughly $5 per thousand viewers. Those are the main paychecks you will see, but the money earned isn’t the end-all-be-all when it comes to earning a living as a Twitch streamer. You also need to create great content and your community to grow.
For example, one streamer that’s highly followed by his/her community is Lenny Palmer. He streams about 75 hours per week and regularly gains a total of 6,000 viewers.
He earns anywhere from $17,000 to $38,000 per month from ads on his channel and the revenue that comes from his Twitch Channel Builder. You can do the math for this, but keep in mind that Palmer is an absolute leader in his niche.
In other words, you’ll have to work a lot harder to be his equal.
What Makes a Successful Streamer?
It takes a lot of effort to be successful on Twitch. In addition to the time spent streaming and the time spent commenting, most streamers also work an 8-10 hour workday. That doesn’t leave much time to stream.
Furthermore, not every gamer who streams gets to maintain a highly successful audience. For example, a lot of Twitch gamers are young, which can mean that a lot of these gamers are still in college and likely to graduate early.
It’s possible for a gamer to be successful on Twitch if they have a decent following. But, even then, Twitch gamers that get a lot of viewers may have to play the same games for a while in order to create a steady viewership.
Another important factor to consider is the ratio of people to viewers.
The Future of Twitch Streaming
Trying to make a living as a Twitch streamer is no easy task, as millions upon millions of people enjoy watching the streamers play.
However, if you are one of those people that enjoy the interaction and live atmosphere of Twitch, there’s no reason to think that the platform won’t be around for a very long time.
By no means do you have to be an established streamer to stream on Twitch? With the right equipment and following your Twitch channel, you can enjoy the social experience of streaming and get paid for it. Although there are some hurdles, you can overcome them if you really want to.
However, there are some things you need to consider when deciding whether or not you’re ready to make a living on Twitch.
Conclusion
All in all, Twitch is a great way to easily watch new games or streams of people playing the games you are into. People who do not watch other people play games, but would like to, will find it a great way to enjoy themselves while they also are being entertained. It is a wonderful tool to get introduced to the world of gaming, and those who enjoy it, have a great way to earn a living from the source.
Richard Gray is a knowledgeable and passionate writer and editor with extensive experience in the personal finance, real estate, and investments industries.
He has helped countless readers make informed decisions about their finances and investments, and he believes strongly in financial literacy.