Twitch is a live video streaming service that allows gamers to stream their gameplay in real-time. It also allows their streamers to earn revenue in various forms. But what makes a Twitch affiliate different from a Twitch partner?
Twitch affiliates are streamers who receive some benefits from Twitch, but not all of them. Becoming an affiliate is easier and faster than becoming a partner. Partners have more privileges, including higher payouts for ad revenue, access to exclusive content on Twitch Prime, and custom emoticons.
This blog post will go over what it means to be an affiliate or partner on Twitch! Keep reading to learn about the differences between being a Twitch affiliate and a Twitch partner.
What’s the Difference Between Being a Twitch Affiliate and Partner?
The most significant difference between Twitch affiliates and Twitch partners is that Twitch partners get paid more. Twitch affiliates can make around $100 per month, while Twitch partners’ monthly earnings are estimated to be around $500-$1000.
The following table shows how the Affiliate and Partner Program on Twitch compare to each other:
| Perks for Twitch Partners | Perks for Twitch Affiliates | Perks for Both Programs |
| Special features for channel growthChannel customization features | Ability to unlock more benefits after a certain amount of time | Monetization via subscriptions, cheering, and adsVideo tools for creating quality content |
As you can see from this chart, partner offers quite a bit more perks than affiliate. But becoming a Twitch partner is more challenging to achieve than becoming an affiliate.
How Do You Become a Twitch Affiliate?
Becoming a Twitch affiliate is pretty easy in the streaming sector. You only have to be consistent and have a following for your streams. Then the affiliate invitation happens automatically.
To become a Twitch affiliate, you need to meet the following criteria in the last 30 days:
- Broadcasted 500 total minutes
- Complete the Path to Affiliate achievement
- Have 3 or more concurrent viewers
- Have at least 50 Followers
- Have had 7 unique broadcast days
As you can see, even if you have a small following, you can almost immediately start earning revenue through your streams. And, you will get some perks for becoming an affiliate!
What Do You Get For Being A Twitch Affiliate?
For being a Twitch affiliate, you can get many different perks. Most of these perks come as soon as you become a Twitch affiliate, while other perks can be earned over time.
The following are perks you receive for being a Twitch affiliate:
- Ability to air reruns and premieres for your content
- Ability to earn channel points
- Ability to send out polls
- Exclusive option to offer subscriber streams
- Use of transcoding when it is available, with priority access
As you can see, in addition to monetization, you get so many perks as a Twitch affiliate.
How Do You Become a Twitch Partner?
You can become a Twitch partner by completing the Path to Partner program after you have reached the necessary criteria. Those criteria are harder to achieve than affiliate, and a partner can only be achieved after you have become an affiliate first.
The following is a list of criteria Twitch uses to consider you eligible for their partner program and is directly from Twitch’s website:
- Complete the Path to Partner achievement or demonstrate large, engaged viewership/following on other services.
- Content that conforms to our Community Guidelines, Terms of Service, and DMCA Guidelines
- Maintain the criteria outlined in the Path to Partner achievement consistently.
As you can see, there is a bit more that goes into becoming a partner on Twitch. But it is worth it because you get so many more perks being a Twitch partner.
What Do You Get For Being A Twitch Partner?
For being a Twitch partner, you can get so many more benefits than being a Twitch affiliate.
The following is a list of all the perks you get for being a Twitch partner:
- Access to special promotional content for partners only
- Access to teams
- Channel customization
- Delayed streaming
- Monetization through advertisements, cheering with bits and subscription levels to your content
- Priority support
- Video on demand (VOD) features
- Video transcodes
The list of perks for being a Twitch partner is long! And it pays to be a partner, where you will earn more money than being an affiliate because more people view your ads.
In Summary: There’s a Big Difference Between Twitch Affiliates & Partners
The Twitch affiliate program is something you should look into if you are interested in Twitch. It will give you many more opportunities to stream and grow on Twitch’s platform.
But, there is a big difference between Twitch affiliates and Twitch partners, so make sure that your content meets the criteria outlined in the Path to Partner achievement before attempting to switch from affiliate to partner.