Can You Earn Money On Twitch? Absolutely, becoming a successful Twitch streamer and monetizing your channel is achievable through various strategies. At money-central.com, we’ll explore these avenues, offering you the knowledge to navigate the world of streaming, boost your earning potential, and achieve financial success as a content creator. Dive in to discover the world of digital income, content monetization, and revenue generation.
1. Understanding Twitch and Its Potential
What Exactly is Twitch?
Twitch is a live-streaming service where content creators showcase video games, esports, music, and interactive streams. Gaming is the most watched content and at any moment over 3,000 games are being streamed at once.
Twitch displays live streams to viewers, and categories that may be of interest.
Twitch directory
Users have the option to explore the homepage feed, browse through the Twitch directory, and search for certain videos. For a small fee per month, viewers can also subscribe to their favorite Twitch streamers.
Twitch streams allow people to chat with one another and viewers can find chatrooms of interest. If you find a popular niche for your channel you may be able to bring in a solid income.
What Is the Twitch Affiliate Program?
The Twitch Affiliate Program is one of two official programs that Twitch has available to help creators monetize their channel. If you meet certain criteria you may be prompted to join the Twitch Affiliate Program.
The following criteria must be met to join the Twitch Affiliate Program:
- 50 followers are needed
- Eight hours of streaming are needed
- Stream on seven different days
- An average of three viewers
2. Monetization Methods for Twitch Affiliates
How Can Twitch Subscriptions Increase Revenue?
As a Twitch Affiliate, you’ll have the option to provide your own subscription tiers inside of Twitch. The subscribe button is located below the bottom right corner of your stream and viewers can click to learn about subscription perks.
Here’s an example of Ninja’s subscription setup:
Ninja’s Twitch channel, featuring a list of recommended channels and subscription tiers.
Viewers get perks from subscribing like custom emotes in chat, subscriber badges beside their name in chat, ad-free viewing, and subscriber-only streams.
With Twitch, you can also set up three different subscription levels: $4.99, $9.99, and $24.99 per month.
What Are Twitch Bits?
Twitch Bits is a virtual currency viewers can purchase to send streamers “cheers” while they are streaming.
Streamers will receive one cent for each Bit they receive during a stream. Streamers are able to set a minimum of Bits a follower must send to cheer for them.
Twitch streamers have the option to create custom Cheermotes (emotes unique to a channel) that viewers can use when cheering. The more Bits that are spent, the more exciting the Cheermote.
Stream chats show weekly top Cheerers. Here is an example of a streamer receiving 41,700 Bits, which equals to $417, from their top 10 cheerers:
Twitch directory
3. Advancing to Twitch Partner Status
How Do I Join the Twitch Partner Program?
The Twitch Partner Program is a more exclusive program for Twitch creators with established audiences. This is a level up from the Affiliate Program and you need to apply to join.
These guidelines aren’t as clear cut for this program, but you need to have an established and engaged audience, stream regularly, and be a role model in the community.
The Path to Partner achievement dashboard states that you need to complete these milestones:
- Stream for 25 hours
- Stream on 12 different days
- Reach an average of 75 viewers (concurrent views excluding views from suggested, raids, and embeds)
What Are the Advantages of Being a Twitch Partner?
As a Twitch Partner, you are able to run ads during streams. This can bring in even more income. This strategy is most effective if viewership is high, because you’ll get paid for the number of impressions on each ad.
According to a Quora answer from a Twitch streamer, you will receive $3.50 for every 1,000 ad viewers. If you have less than 1,000 viewers on a stream, you are making pennies per ad.
If you have a big stream with thousands of viewers, running a quick ad or two every 30 minutes to an hour is a great way to bring in additional revenue.
4. Alternative Ways to Monetize Your Twitch Channel
1. How Can Donations Boost Your Twitch Income?
As a beginner, you can’t setup subscription tiers yet, but you can still receive donations from viewers. You can setup a Donate button through a third-party like PayPal, or use a service like Streamlabs to setup a tip page and get extra money through tips and donations.
Here is an example of how MuTeX set up their profile. Several panels with links to other social media, subscription options, and a donate button for Twitch followers who want to support the channel were created:
A screenshot of Twitch streamer MuTeX
2. Why Should I Include Affiliate Links in My Profile?
To earn money from affiliate marketing on Twitch, you can put links to some of your favorite products in your Twitch profile so viewers can buy the items that interest them. This method was used by Alixxa on their profile:
A screenshot of Twitch streamer Alixxa
The images above use an affiliate link, so Alixxa can get a percentage of any purchase her followers make, further boosting her monthly revenue.
You can also put your affiliate link in the chat for viewers to make a purchase when you mention a product in your Twitch stream.
To add affiliate links to your profile or to a chat, first sign up for your favorite companies’ affiliate programs and get approved. Or, you might join platform-specific affiliate programs like Amazon Associates. With this program, you can mention Amazon products and include affiliate links to them on your channel. Any time a viewer uses your link to buy that product on Amazon, you will earn a commission.
3. Why Should I Setup a Patreon?
Patreon is an option to start making money directly from subscribers because new streamers on Twitch can’t immediately create Twitch-based subscription programs.
Patreon is a monetization platform that allows content creators to offer subscriptions at a range of prices, with each tier typically including perks. Streamers can set their subscription tiers and list what perks come with each level. You might offer a personalized shout-out to subscribers at a certain tier.
4. How Can Brand Sponsorships and Partnerships Help?
Brand sponsorships and partnerships with aligned companies are powerful monetization strategies for large channels. Brands benefit greatly from partnering with micro-influencers (content creators with between 10,000 and 100,000 followers), brands want to make sure that the streamers they sponsor have a large enough viewership for the partnership to be worthwhile.
Brand sponsorships and partnerships can take different forms. A streamer can promote a brand by mentioning their product or service within a stream. A content creator simply tells their audience about a product or service they love during a regular stream.
As a streamer, you need to alert viewers that you’ve been paid to promote that product or service. According to Twitch’s Terms of Service, you need to indicate that Twitch is not behind this promotion, using a disclaimer like, “This is a promotion by [Your Name]. Twitch does not sponsor or endorse this promotion and is not responsible for it.”
You can also work with brands to have them sponsor an entire stream. Twitch streamers who partner with brands can display the name of their sponsors within their stream title. This sponsored content stream strategy gets even more eyes on the brand and its offerings, even if viewers miss the exact moments that you actually mention them.
5. Should I Sell Merchandise?
Offering your own merchandise is a great revenue generator. You can sell items like t-shirts, blankets, hoodies, pens, and hats that have your logo or design on them.
You can sell merch by setting up a shop on an e-commerce platform like Shopify and generate revenue while strengthening your brand.
6. How Can a YouTube Channel Help Me?
A YouTube channel allows your audience to consume and share your content outside of Twitch. From there, you can monetize your YouTube channel, giving yourself an entirely new outlet for generating income.
7. Can I Offer Coaching Services?
You can leverage your audience to offer services for up-and-coming Twitch streamers. You can provide coaching services to share your expertise on building an audience on Twitch.
Other services you might consider offering:
- Profile customization
- Graphic design for panels and banners
- Merch design and store setup
- Building a strong brand as a streamer
Anything you’ve learned how to do through your Twitch channel can become a valuable service for emerging streamers.
5. Income Potential on Twitch
How Much Money Can You Make on Twitch?
Once you start bringing in revenue, Twitch pays out every 15 days, via methods like direct deposit and PayPal as long as there is more than $50 in your account. If you want to be paid by wire transfer, you’ll have to wait until you’ve earned $100 to receive a payout.
The amount of money you can make on Twitch depends on how many viewers tune in and the frequency of your livestreams. A larger audience is the key to increasing your income, other factors, such as higher-tier subscribers and donors, can impact the amount of money you earn.
Streamer Facts compiled this analysis that estimates how much streamers at various viewership levels can earn each month on Twitch:
| Number of viewers | Estimated income |
|---|---|
| 5–10 average viewers per stream | $50–$200 per month |
| 20 average viewers per stream | $200–$400 per month |
| 50 average viewers per stream | $500–$750 per month |
| 100 average viewers per stream | $1,000–$1,500 per month |
| 1,000 average viewers per stream | $5,000 per month |
| 5,000 viewers per stream | $13,000 per month |
| 10,000 average viewers per stream | $30,000 per month |
It can take time to get five to 10 average viewers per stream, so Twitch may not be the best way to make fast money. If your goal is to earn monthly income as a professional gamer, getting started on Twitch is a first step.
6. Building Your Twitch Audience
1. Why Should I Find a Niche?
Finding your niche builds an audience interested in the content you’re creating and streaming. If your channel is unfocused, streaming a Fortnite game one day and sharing live music the next, it’s difficult to attract and retain a dedicated audience interested in your content.
If you dedicate your channel to Minecraft streaming, sticking with that game enables you to build up an audience of like-minded gamers.
2. How Do I Engage Viewers?
Popular streamers monetize the art of Twitch streaming by becoming must-watch creators. Best practices for engaging your audience include:
- Watching other streamers for ideas about strategies
- Being a skilled gamer
- Talking to viewers during streams
- Interacting with viewers through chats
- Hosting special events for channel subscribers
- Holding regular Twitch livestreams
Making these types of efforts can help attract a loyal audience that stays engaged with your content.
3. Why Do I Need to Build My Network?
A key aspect of becoming a Twitch streamer is watching and interacting with other streamers. This helps you connect with other content creators and build a community. If you become friends with other streamers, you can start streaming together as a way to share and grow audiences to reach even more fans.
Being active in live chats whenever you’re watching a streamer is another effective way to promote your name and channel, increasing the chances that viewers click on your profile and start following you.
4. How Do I Hone My Personal Brand and Online Presence?
Twitch can’t be the only place you promote your streams. You should create a website (or at least a merch site), as well as accounts on YouTube, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and other social media sites.
By building up a personal brand and being active on multiple social media platforms, you increase your overall reach, helping even more viewers discover your Twitch channel.
7. Getting Started on Twitch
How Can I Create a Twitch Account?
If you want to make money streaming, joining Twitch and creating your own channel is a great way to get started. By following this guide to making money on Twitch, you can begin building your audience and start monetizing your channel.
Want to explore more ways to make money online? Check out this guide with over 20 different ideas for generating income.
Navigating the world of online income can be complex, but with the right resources and guidance, you can achieve your financial goals. At money-central.com, we provide comprehensive and easy-to-understand articles, tools, and expert advice to help you manage your finances effectively.
How to Make Money on Twitch FAQ
How Do Beginners Make Money on Twitch?
Beginners can make money on Twitch through:
- Donations
- Patreon subscriptions
- Twitch subscriptions
- Twitch Bits
- Twitch Partner Program
- Twitch ads
- Brand sponsorships and partnerships
- Merchandise
- Affiliate marketing
- YouTube channel
How Much Money Do Twitch Streamers Make?
You can make anywhere from $50 per month with five to 10 average viewers per stream to as much as $30,000 a month if your average viewership per stream reaches 10,000.
According to research from New York University’s Stern School of Business, in July 2025, the top 1% of Twitch streamers earn 75% of the total revenue on the platform.
How Many Views Do You Need to Get Paid on Twitch?
In order to become a Twitch Affiliate, you need at least 50 followers and an average of three or more concurrent viewers over the past 30 days. To become a Twitch Partner, you must average 75 concurrent viewers or more over 30 days. The more regular viewers you have, the more you’ll get paid. View the Twitch eligibility criteria for more details.
What Are Some Reasons Why Twitch Streamers Don’t Make Money?
Twitch streamers are less likely to make money if they don’t broadcast regularly, have few followers, or don’t successfully optimize Twitch revenue streams.
Remember, building a successful Twitch channel takes time, effort, and dedication. Consistent streaming, engaging with your audience, and exploring various monetization methods will increase your chances of achieving financial success on the platform.
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