If you’re all about live streaming, like gaming or commentary, Twitch is your go-to platform. And if you’re a content creator looking to monetize your content, Twitch offers great opportunities, too. The real question is: how do you make money on Twitch?
Well, this article will explore that. Basically, you can earn money on Twitch in two main ways: use Twitch’s monetization features or use platforms like Gank for donations and memberships.
Fret not, we’ll share the secrets to get paid on Twitch, helping you decide if you want to dive into professional streaming and become the next big name like Ibai or xQC. Ready?
How to Make Money on Twitch in 2024
Here are ways to make money on Twitch that still work in 2024:
1. Use Twitch Subscriptions
When it comes to making money on Twitch, subscriptions seem to be the standard. So, what are Twitch subscriptions?
This feature allows fans to support their favorite streamers by subscribing to your channel. They’ll get special rewards like custom emojis, badges, exclusive videos, and an ad-free experience.
There are three subscription types: Regular subscriptions involve a monthly fee to join a channel, gifted subscriptions are purchased for friends, and Prime Gaming offers Amazon Prime members a free monthly subscription to any channel.
As a streamer, you’ll get a 50-50 revenue split. And if you have a special agreement because you are a top streamer on Twitch, you might get a 70-30 revenue split.
You can set up Twitch subscriptions in three tiers: $4.99, $9.99, and $24.99 per month. Your fans may also get discounts, as seen on the IronMouse channel below:
To make money on Twitch, you must join as an Affiliate. You need at least 50 followers, 8 hours of streaming in the last 30 days, streams on 7 different days, and an average of 3 viewers.
Steps to earn money on Twitch with this feature:
- Accept the invitation from Twitch if you’re eligible for a Twitch subscription.
- Go to your dashboard, turn on subscriptions, and customize your channel.
- Set up different subscription levels and rewards for your viewers.
- You can take out your money when you reach $100.
2. Enable Twitch Bits
Want to earn money as a content creator on Twitch without dealing with that 50-50 subscription split? Twitch Bits can be the option. You get to keep all of the Bits you earn, 100% of them.
Twitch Bits is a virtual currency that fans buy to cheer for you in the chat while you stream. If you’ve seen those fun, colorful animations in the chat, that’s what Bits are for.
To buy Twitch Bits, your fans need to click on the option next to the chat. The Bits they can buy start at 100 Bits, which usually cost about $1.40.
Bits can enhance your channel page with extensions that add interactivity, from letting viewers toss items at your stream to showing a live list of new followers. And when your audience uses Bits in these extensions, you earn 80% of $0.01 per Bit spent, while the extension developer gets 20%.
How do you earn money on Twitch by using Bits?
- You need to become an Affiliate on Twitch
- Click your profile icon in the top right and go to the Creator Dashboard
- Go to Settings and turn on the option for Bits
- Consider adding Extensions that use Bits to your stream for extra money
- Stream on Twitch regularly and encourage your viewers to use Bits
- When you earn $100, you can withdraw your money
3. Run Twitch Ads
If you’re coming from YouTube, you already know this. When you turn on the ads feature, ads will pop up during your live streams, and you will get paid on Twitch.
You can run ads at specific times to earn money on Twitch, including pre-roll and mid-roll ads. And ads can be played manually or automatically using presets.
How much money can you make on Twitch this way? It depends on your viewers and CPM rates, typically around $2 to $10 per 1,000 views.
If you are a partner and join the Ads Incentive Program, you can earn more money and have a steadier income. Here’s what you need to do in this program:
- Get the offer
- Choose your preferred offer.
- Stream as you promised in the offer
- Earn your incentive
If you want to use standard ads as a streamer, what steps do you need to take to earn money on Twitch?
- Go to your Creator Dashboard, and enable Run Ads in Monetization
- In Stream Manager, adjust your Ads Manager settings
- Choose between a schedule or manual ad runs, just toggle the setting
- Adjust ad placement, frequency, and duration
- Monitor ad performance
- Cash out your earnings
4. Apply for Twitch Partner Program
How can you earn more on Twitch with your good reputation as a streamer? The answer is the Twitch Partner Program.
This program is for content creators looking to stream more, enhance their content, and better connect with their audience, including those transitioning from Affiliates to Partners.
These streamers can earn money from their content and get more benefits. You can make money through subscriptions, Bits, and ads, but with better perks than Twitch Affiliates. Here’s what you’ll get:
- Up to 60 unlockable Sub Emotes — this lets you personalize and connect more with your fans
- 60 days of VOD storage — this gives viewers more time to watch past streams
- Twitch covers payout fees — you get their earnings without extra fees taken out
- Stream delay of up to 15 minutes — this is good for competitive gaming to stop stream sniping
- Ability to create a Stream Team — you can stream together and help each other out
- A verified channel badge — this adds trust and helps your channel stand out from others.
To get those perks, you must follow some rules: stream at least 25 hours in the last 30 days, on at least 12 different days, and have an average of 75 viewers per stream.
What’s the benefit of being a Twitch Partner for making money? Most streamers begin with a 50-50 split, but top Partners can get a 70-30 deal. This means you can keep more money.
So, how do you get paid on Twitch as a Twitch partner?
- Apply to the Twitch Partner Program.
- Wait for Twitch’s response.
- Once active, start earning from subscriptions, Bits, and ads.
- Stream often
- Withdraw your money once you reach $100.
Here’s the tip: You need 350 paid subscriptions for three months to join the Partner Plus Program, which gives you 70% of your revenue.
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5. Join Amazon Associates
Amazon Associates is Amazon’s affiliate program, which allows you to earn commissions by promoting its products. This is a way to make money on Twitch, and you should try it in 2024.
To start, sign up as an affiliate to receive special links for various Amazon products. You can share these links on Twitch or social media. When viewers click your links and make purchases, you earn a commission, with tools available to track your performance.
Now, how do you get paid on Twitch with this affiliate program?
- Join the Amazon Associates Program to get your special Amazon link.
- You can also log in to your Amazon Associates account to find your current link.
- Create a new panel on your Twitch channel page with your Amazon link, a picture, and a short description of the item.
- Go to Associates Central to see how much money you’ve made from your commissions.
- You can cash out your commissions as an affiliate
6. Include Affiliate Links
This isn’t about becoming a Twitch Affiliate. You’ll partner with other marketing programs instead.
The Amazon Associates program is a great way to earn from your Twitch channel, but it’s not your only option. If you’ve used affiliate links on YouTube or Instagram, you can also apply it to Twitch.
This approach lets you promote products that match your interests, like gaming gear, tech, DIY tools, or protein shakes if you’re a fitness influencer.
It’s not just about physical products, though. You can also promote subscription services like VPNs, digital products, and software. The idea is the same. Just promote products from your affiliate programs and add unique links to your Twitch panels, chat, or overlay.
Here’s how to make money on Twitch using affiliate programs:
- Find affiliate programs that fit your niche and offer higher earnings or discounts.
- Sign up for trusted brands and get your affiliate links.
- Promote these products during your streams.
- Check your earnings on the Affiliate Dashboard.
- Withdraw your earnings when you reach the payout amount.
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7. Promote Products from Your Brand Partners
Affiliate marketing is all about joining a program and promoting products for commissions. But when you partner with a brand? That’s a whole different level.
In this case, a brand might reach out to you to promote their products, or you could do the pitching. Either way, you become their go-to promoter for a certain period of time.
It can take different forms, like sponsored streams, product placements, and co-branded events. For example, if you partner with a game developer, you might only play their games for a certain amount of time or a specific number of livestreams, as stated in the contract.
The potential earnings are high. Top gaming streamers on Twitch can earn about a million dollars for a contract. But getting there requires hard work. You need to build a strong reputation as a skilled content creator with content that attracts brands.
How do you make money on Twitch through brand partnerships?
- Work on growing your channel and making content that your audience likes.
- Contact brands you like to build relationships.
- Talk about the deal and make sure you understand what they want.
- Promote the product as you agreed and interact with your viewers during the promotion.
8. Sell Merchandise on Twitch
You don’t have to sell others’ products to earn money on Twitch. You can sell your own merchandise, like clothing and accessories, directly to your audience.
Guess what, selling your own products not only boosts your profits but also helps you connect with fans and shows their appreciation for you as a creator.
Streamers like DanTDM, Ninja, Markiplier, and Valkyrie make money by selling merchandise, too. And Valkyrie even claimed she sold about $40,000 worth of merch.
So, how do you make money on Twitch by selling your own merchandise?
- Be creative with your merchandise and make sure it is of high quality.
- Produce enough to fulfill fan orders.
- Set up your online store or join platforms like Gank.
- Integrate your store with Twitch, like Ninja did.
- Promote your merch and prepare to handle orders.
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9. Accept Donations
If you’re new to Twitch and haven’t signed up as an affiliate or partner, you might be curious how to make money on Twitch. Well, a straightforward option is to accept donations.
Basically, donations are contributions from your fans via platforms like Gank. They can send you money to support your work as a content creator, helping you reach your goals for certain cases.
How does it work? You can just add a donation button or link to your channel. Fans can click it to go to the platform where you set up donations, then choose an amount and send it your way.
Simple, right? Donations often come with a message you can read during your stream, adding a personal touch and boosting audience interaction.
This is how to make money on Twitch using Gank to accept donations:
- Sign up for a free Gank account and complete your profile.
- Enable Donations in Creator Settings.
- Install Twitch Extensions in Widgets.
- Edit your Twitch Panels and add the Gank extension.
- Customize your stream in Stream Settings, including Alerts and Donation Overlays.
10. Offer Exclusive Content for Members
Making money on Twitch isn’t your only goal, right? Building a supportive community is just as important. But what if you could build a stronger bond with your fans while also earning a steady income as a streamer?
You can do this by offering membership plans for your fans. It’s a monthly subscription that gives perks like private chats, behind-the-scenes content, or personalized coaching. And Gank can be the platform to help you make money as a Twitch streamer with membership.
What steps to make money with membership plans on Gank:
- Sign up for a free Gank account and fill out your profile.
- Go to Creator Settings and pick Membership.
- In Membership Details, click Add New Membership Tier.
- Fill in the name, description, price, perks, and image.
- Create exclusive content for your members.
- Promote your membership on Twitch while streaming.
11. Offer Paid Shoutouts
You might have seen shoutouts on Instagram, where content creators highlight a brand or product to help promote it through influencer marketing.
But did you know you can do this on Twitch too? Yes, during your live streams, you can mention specific products. And, you can give shoutouts to people. Whether it’s wishing someone a happy birthday, and more.
For streamers, this offers a new way to earn money on Twitch while keeping their audience engaged with genuine recommendations. The key is to make it as natural as possible.
To make money on Twitch this way, you need to:
- Choose the best platform for your paid shoutout service, Gank commission is a good option.
- Set a fair price and follow a certain brief.
- Get client requests.
- Give the shoutout in your live stream.
- Get paid for your work.
Read: How to Make Money on TikTok
So, How to Earn Money on Twitch
You’ve learned how to make money on Twitch. It’s about having a great plan and executing it well to earn money and build your reputation as a content creator.
You know there are two main ways to make money on Twitch: use Twitch’s monetization tools or a third-party platform. So, make sure you choose the strategy that fits your skills and niche. Remember, you can earn money on Twitch from multiple sources, like donations and memberships.
We hope this information helps. Please drop a comment if you have more strategies to share and stay updated with our latest articles on the Gank blog. See you!
FAQ on How to Make Money on Twitch
Is it hard to earn on Twitch?
Yes and no. It takes time to build a fan base on Twitch. And only about 1% of streamers become Partners, which is important for making money. So yes, the competition is tough.
But it’s possible for any content creator to be successful on Twitch. So, it’s worth it if you focus on making great content, connecting with your viewers, and giving real value as a streamer.
How many followers do you need to make money on Twitch?
To use Twitch’s monetization features like subscriptions, you need to be an affiliate. That means you need at least 50 followers and to stream for 8 hours over 7 different days in the last 30 days. But you can start making money through donations without a lot of followers.
Can you make a living off Twitch?
For sure. But, your revenue can fluctuate. It all depends on your audience size, your monetization strategy, and the skills you show in your niche. And if you grow your channel right, you could earn as much as the top Twitch streamers, up to $500,000 a month.
Can I make money on Twitch without being a partner?
You can make money on Twitch even if you are not a partner. When you get 50 followers and are eligible, you can become a Twitch Affiliate. This lets you earn money from subscriptions and Bits, which are Twitch’s built-in monetization features.
How fast do you get paid from Twitch?
Twitch pays streamers once they reach a minimum balance of $100 and payouts usually start around the 15th of the next month.
But, there are a few things that can change how long it takes for a streamer to get paid. These include payment methods, holidays and weekends, Twitch updates, and more.
