Every gamer, whether a hobby gamer or a career gamer is familiar with Twitch. Twitch is the leading platform for gamers looking to build up their audience. One way to do this is through their affiliate program which helps to build up subscriptions and be able to monetize their content. This leads many to ask whether twitch affiliates can stream to other platforms.
In short, the answer is that you cannot simultaneously stream to other platforms such as Mixer or Youtube. You can, however, stream to other platforms once a certain amount of time has passed-usually 24 hours.
While being an affiliate with Twitch sounds like a great thing, being able to reach multiple audiences on a variety of platforms quickly is something that should be considered before making a commitment. For some people, the benefits may outweigh the limitations, but for others it can end up being a hindrance to their gaming career. Read on to find out some different options, so you can make an informed decision.
The Pros of Being a Twitch Affiliate
Before you make any decisions about whether to become a Twitch affiliate, it is a good idea to assess the pros and cons. To be honest, becoming an affiliate right away may be a good option for casual or hobby gamers due to the following:
- You don’t need a ton of followers to qualify for affiliate status. The requirements are 50 followers, 3 average viewers, and streaming for a certain amount of time.
- It can be a great way to use a hobby to make some extra money. If you already have a full-time job or are a student and may need some extra cash, while you won’t be raking in the dough, you can make as much as $12 a month from something you enjoy doing.
- You can build up a brand. Being associated with one streaming platform can be a way of creating your niche and being what comes to people’s minds when a certain word, technique or game is mentioned.
The Cons of Being a Twitch Affiliate
You may be wondering what the big deal of having a limitation on simultaneous streaming. After all, you can still upload to the other platforms, just not right away. However, with the way the industry works, being able to get your content quickly to a variety of people increases your chances of building up a following as you can connect and interact with them via the chats. It is an effective way to network and build up your name in the gaming world.
While being an affiliate and reaching eventual partnership with a streaming service like Twitch may be the goal, if you are just getting started out then it is extremely difficult to make much headway on Twitch. This is because there are so many gamers on Twitch that is hard to attract enough attention and build up your followers and thus the amount of money you can make is extremely limited.
This is why many in the industry recommend that, instead of putting all your eggs into one basket (being a Twitch affiliate) instead have accounts on different platforms such as Youtube, Mixer, Facebook, and Twitch where you can stream simultaneously using Resteam.io or Streamlabs Prime.
Once you have built up a loyal following, they will be more likely to follow you if you choose to make Twitch your main streaming platform. Plus, your audience will be big enough that you can reach partner status and earn a living much more quickly than you would by being a Twitch affiliate with a small following.
Conclusion
Twitch is the leading platform for gaming streamers. Many people like the idea of becoming a Twitch affiliate. It can be a great way to monetize a hobby and make a little extra cash without having to spend tons of time or energy doing so. It can also be an effective way to establish your “brand” or make your mark so that you stand out in the gaming world.
However, there are some limitations to becoming a Twitch affiliate. The main one is that you cannot simultaneously stream to other platforms. If you are trying to make gaming your career this can be a big issue as it limits the amount of people you can reach and connect with as you are gaming. Instead of becoming a Twitch affiliate right away, where your ability to build up your following can be limited it may be a better option to do multi streaming first.