From streamer to earner: how to become a Twitch affiliate

Twitch has become the biggest platform where gamers, artists, and creative people perform streams that millions of people watch daily. Twitch streamers develop a brand and engage with global audiences. However, Twitch is more than just a place for streaming content. It also has monetization programs that enable streamers to earn money, such as the Twitch Affiliate program. It is a big step up for those interested in streaming professionally. By becoming a Twitch affiliate, streamers can transform their hobby to make money. This way, streaming content can become a real job. In this article, we will explain the road to becoming a Twitch Affiliate and the steps you need to go through to achieve that.

What is the Twitch affiliate program?

The Twitch Affiliate program exists for streamers who want to make some money off of their channels. It offers streamers the ability to generate income through subscriptions, donations that use “Bits,” and advertisements. It is standing between regular broadcasters and Twitch partners, who are the elite few that can stand to gain a lot more revenues and privileges on Twitch.

Once you become an affiliate on Twitch, some features become available that allow your viewers to support your channel financially. This is perfect for those who are willing to step up their streaming game and move to the next level.

Requirements for the Twitch affiliate program

To become a Twitch Affiliate, you must accumulate specific levels of achievement. Various requirements make up the affiliate program which are meant to confirm that a streamer is serious and consistent. Here’s a breakdown of Twitch affiliate requirements:

• At least 50 followers: A constant and increasing number of followers is an essential condition for creating a streamer’s community.
• Stream for 500 minutes in the last 30 days: The streaming time for a specific content type must sum up to be not less than 500 streaming minutes within the last 30 days.
• Average of 3 concurrent viewers: This means that at any given time, you should have a minimum of three people viewing your streams.
• Stream on 7 unique days: It’s not right to stream all your hours in one go. Twitch has a rule that one must stream for 7 different days in 30 days.

Twitch affiliate vs partner: discover the difference

Becoming a Twitch Partner is a step up from being an affiliate. Let’s break it down with a comparison of key features:

Twitch partners get more support from the platform, get prioritized, and get to earn more through sponsorships. However, joining the Partner program is much more challenging as one needs a high number of captivated viewers.

What can you benefit from affiliating with Twitch?

The opportunity to become a Twitch Affiliate has several advantages. After passing the necessary conditions to get on this program’s list, monetization opportunities and some extra tools are provided. Some of these benefits are meant to serve as ways through which streamers can make more money and grow their followers. Let’s break down the Twitch affiliate benefits:

• Subscriptions: Affiliate streamers get a cut from the subscriptions and from pledging different tiers of payment that offer different benefits.
• Bits: Viewers can cheer with Bits, which is a virtual currency on the Twitch platform. Affiliates are paid a percentage of the amount that viewers spend on Bits.
• Ad revenue: Affiliates can have promoted advertisements on their streams and cut from the overall ad sales. Ads are not lucrative upfront but they can turn into a reliable source of income.
• Custom emotes: Affiliates are also able to design and present specific emotes. These are usable by people who subscribe to their channel. Emotes are an excellent addition to help make channels feel a bit more individual. It also allows for the development of a unique community.

These monetization options give affiliates a chance to make money, therefore, transforming their hobbies into a reliable source of income. The affiliate program is a great place to start if you are just venturing into the streaming industry.

How to get an affiliate on Twitch?

It may take time and energy to become an affiliate on Twitch, but the returns are always encouraging. Only after you hit the eligibility requirement, the steps to apply for the Twitch Affiliate program are quite simple. Here’s a step-by-step guide to ensure you can apply successfully:

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Build your follower base: View videos, share your channel on the Internet, and send a request to other streamers. This will help attract the required fifty viewers.
2. Stream regularly: Adhere to the required streaming time and create the right streaming frequency for the target audience to grow.
3. Monitor your stats: Check your Twitch panel for average viewership to monitor your progress and make sure to achieve the milestones on time.
4. Engage your audience: Include yourself in the chat with the viewers. Ask them for feedback, and make content that will get them involved.
5. Meet all criteria: The moment you satisfy the follower/viewer and other streaming requirements, Twitch will invite you.
6. Apply for affiliate Twitch: Once you’ve received the invite, you will have to complete some paperwork. This includes the tax details and accepting some Twitch service terms.

How to promote your Affiliate status?

Affiliate status is the first step to becoming a successful streamer on Twitch. If you plan on expanding your channel or getting more rewards with Bits, you should advertise your new subscription status. Here are a few strategies to help you maintain and grow your affiliate status:

• Announce your status: Direct a message to your Twitter, Instagram, Discord, etc., to notify your audience that you have become an affiliate. Tell them to subscribe or use Bits during your streams.
• Create incentives: Provide gifts to your subscribers to encourage them. You can offer them special emotes, being called out during the stream, interactive content and many other creative things.
• Engage with the community: Interact with the Twitch communities, use other streamers’ chat, and engage with other streamers.
• Stick to a schedule: The most important thing about channel growth is sustaining the process. That’s why it is crucial to follow a particular schedule to build a strong audience.

Make sure that you stay within the rules set by Twitch to not lose your affiliate status.

Is it safe to affiliate with Twitch?

The silver lining of the news is that Twitch does everything in its power to protect its users and affiliates from online threats. However, you can still take some actions to keep yourself and your child safe online.

Here are a few safety tips to keep in mind:

• Enable privacy settings: There is a need to protect certain details about yourself like your real name, location, phone, or any other contact details.
• Moderate your chat: You should make use of moderators or chatbots to deal with your chat and delete any violations.
• Follow Twitch’s guidelines: Violating Twitch’s community guidelines and terms of service may result in temporary bans or even termination of the account holder.

Should minors be Twitch affiliates?

Twitch allows users as young as 13 to stream with parental permission. Still, there are several factors to consider before allowing your child to become an affiliate:

• Time management: Streaming is not an instant process. The last thing one wants is to indicate that streaming is in any way a hindrance to other important activities such as school.
• Financial responsibility: Receiving money from subscriptions, taking Bits, accountability for payment, and figuring out taxation. However, it is best done under parental guidance.
• Parental supervision: Guardians should make sure that their child is safe while streaming any content. This means especially monitoring their whispers so that no predator is able to reach them.

How to protect minors on apps like Twitch?   

Here’s how to ensure your child stays safe while streaming:

• Set up parental controls: Remotely supervise your child. Consider installing parental control applications like FlashGet Kids to limit the time your child spends in front of the screen. This app will ensure that your child stays away from apps like Twitch by offering features like app blockers and screen time limits. Moreover, you can also rely on its notification tracker and screen mirroring features to see everything your child does on their phone.
• Monitor chat: Make sure that your child’s chat is monitored so that they don’t receive any rude messages or threats. You also have to watch out for potential child predators.
• Teach responsible behavior: Teach your child to be polite and behave in a good manner on any online platform.
• Limit streaming hours: Encourage your child to find other activities and limit the time your child spends on Twitch.

Conclusion

The Twitch Affiliate program is a great chance for a streamer to monetize their hobby. But for parents, it is crucial to think twice about the responsibilities associated with it. If you are worried about your kid’s online safety then tools Like FlashGet Kids could be quite useful. They will help you supervise the kid’s activities as they stream. With FlashGet Kids’ plethora of features like live monitoring, screen mirroring, screen time, and daily usage, you can always stay in the loop of your child’s behavior both online and in the real world.

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