Hi everyone, PapaStanimus from twitch here. Streaming is not all just about making money, but there is nothing wrong with making money on twitch. For many of us streaming is our job, for others its something they strive for. In any case, having a plan is good for business.
There are many ways streamers are making money on twitch and a million more ways that have not been thought of yet. Today we are going to go over the eight top ways most streams make money. I would love to see some tips/ideas from those of you reading in the comments below this article.
Making Money on Twitch
Donations
Likely the most straightforward and obvious way streamers are making money on twitch is donations. Donations can be accepted via paypal, creditcard, bits, crypto (bitcoin/dogecoin/etc), and beyond. Some streams have incentives for donations that give donors special perks and abilities within the stream/chat. Other streamers do fun things like dancing, singing, and many other creative celebrations.
Subscriptions
Essentially equally as obvious as donations, subscriptions. Subscriptions are for many streamers, the biggest source of income. Subs really add up, and are reoccurring. The more you stream and the better you do, the more you get. A common tactic to reward/incentivize subs is to give subs special chat commands that affect the stream, another being special perks in discord. Taking special care of your subscribers really goes a long way.
Ads
Ads are a big deal and if the content creator is clever, can be the biggest money maker. On twitch alone, you must be a partner to get a piece of the ads. Sam goes for youtube, however it’s not nearly as difficult to achieve. If you are able to achieve one, or both, you can really do well in this area. Another great form of ad revenue is via having a website that is set up with an ad program like google adwords. Combining twitch, youtube, and a website can be an incredible ad generating force if done correctly.
Merchandise
People really like and appreciate physical things that they can hold, that represent their favorite streamers and content creators. Usually in the form of apparel, however the extra creative content creators tend to go beyond that. Posters, kazoos, shakers, bottles of water with custom labels, DVD’s, CD’s. If it’s cheap to make but cool and it represents you, your loyal people will buy it. The possibilities are endless. Bonus points for personally signing the merch.
Now keep in mind that there are many ways to do merch. Getting started with zero money is an absolute possibility, however it requires running a store through a third party which will take upwards to 80% or more of the profits. Investing in inventory yourself is risky and can result in your being stuck with a bunch of product. Handing your own sales does have a much larger reward, but also comes with a higher work requirement. Packaging and shipping orders, dealing with lost/broken items, unhappy customers (who are your viewers) comes with the territory. Be willing to do some extra work if you want to make better money with merch.
Side note, Amazon, the worlds largest online retailer, just so happens to own twitch. Just a hunch but I believe there is quite a bit of untapped potential in that arena.
Sponsorship
Getting sponsored is a great way to generate some extra revenue as a streamer and content creator. There are countless companies that are looking to promote their products with the perfect online personality. Some companies have physical products, others have digital products such as video games and security services. Appearing at events and endorsing a product is another great form of sponsorship. These companies have huge advertising budgets and you can get a piece of it.
Commissions
Creative streamers who are artistic or technical can seriously shine in the commission department. A lot of streamers pick up skills along the way that they can use to help others, and even making money on twitch. Emotes, logos, animations, transitions, video edits, music, sounds, programs, apps, websites, scripts, bots, and beyond are all things people are willing to pay for.
Consulting
Although personally, I currently prefer giving away knowledge for free, there is money to be made in the world of consulting. There are people with money to spend who desire what you have locked in your mind. They want to know quickly and efficiently the correct path of action. OBS and audio can be hard for many and you can be the one to help.
Digital media
One form or revenue, which I believe to be completely underrated is digital media. So many streamers are very creative musically, with their voices and acting, and so much more. This gives them the capability to get involved in the creation of musical albums and video media that can be sold or licensed online, creating yet another form of revenue.
