How To Make Money on Twitch
Wondering how to make money on Twitch? Learn 17 different ways to monetize Twitch as an Affiliate, Partner, or Creator.
September 20, 2024
11 minute reading
Twitch isn’t just a platform for gaming superstars. It’s a vibrant space where creators at all levels can make money gaming.
While top streamers like Tyler “Ninja” Blevins earn an eye-watering $500,000 per month, the opportunity to earn income extends beyond the upper echelons. As of August 2024, Twitch’s community includes over 2.4 million Affiliates and 67,000 Partners who are successfully monetizing their channels.
Whether you're a seasoned streamer looking to earn more income or a newcomer eager to tap into Twitch's earning potential, this guide will help you capitalize on your channel.
💡TL;DR
Twitch offers multiple ways to monetize your streaming, including subscriptions, bits, ads, and sponsorships.
Earnings potential can range from $50 per month for small streamers to $500,000 per month for top creators.
Streamers can diversify their income through merchandise sales, affiliate marketing, and cross-platform content sharing.
Fiverr can help streamers boost their Twitch monetization strategy by providing access to freelance experts in esports management, game coaching, digital marketing, video editing, and graphic design.
The difference between Twitch Partners and Affiliates
Twitch offers two programs for streamers (called Creators) to make money from broadcasting:
Twitch Affiliates
Twitch Partners
Both programs allow participants to earn income from virtual goods called Bits, subscriptions, ads, and Amazon Associates promotions. The Partners program requires more activity and viewers and unlocks more tools, more features, better support, and higher income potential.
Twitch Affiliates
Say you’re a passionate gamer streaming on Twitch for a few weeks. You learn about the Twitch Affiliate program, which is invite-only and offers tools to monetize your channel. With Bits, subscriptions, and ads, you could turn your hobby into a side hustle.
To qualify, you’ll need:
At least 50 followers
8 hours of streaming across 7 days
An average of 3 viewers
Once invited, you’d gain access to various perks: improved video options, subscriber-only content, and community engagement tools like Channel Points and polls. You can customize your channel with instant emote uploads and exclusive streams for dedicated fans.
Twitch Partners
Once you’re a dedicated Twitch Affiliate, you can level up to Twitch Partner status. The Partner program promises a wealth of upgrades like custom Cheermotes, extended video storage, and partner-only promotions to boost earnings.
To achieve Partner status, you must complete three Path to Partner achievements within the same 30-day period:
Stream for 25 hours
Stream on 12 different days
Reach an average of 75 viewers
It's a challenge, but the rewards are tempting: verified badges, custom chat features, and even free subscriptions for family and friends.
Reaching Partner Plus status with 350 paid subscriptions unlocks even higher revenue shares, capped at $100,000. As you stream, the possibilities of creating stream teams and enjoying priority support fuel the motivation to grow and engage with the community.
The path is clear: more followers mean more opportunities on Twitch.
How to make money on the Twitch platform
Twitch's Affiliate and Partner programs offer multiple ways to make money using the platform's native features, including charging for subscriptions, running ads, or earning from bits. While none of the ways we explore require up-front investment, they do take some know-how, time commitment and dedication.
Are you ready to learn how to rake in serious cash with Twitch? Let’s dive in.
1. Offer subscriptions
Twitch Affiliates and Partners can monetize their content through subscriptions, offering viewers perks like custom emotes and ad-free viewing. Subscribers can choose from three tiers: $4.99, $9.99, or $24.99 per month, adjusted for local living costs.
Twitch deducts expenses before paying streamers a 50/50 split on remaining revenue. Payments are made monthly if the balance exceeds $50 ($100 for wire transfers). For full details, read the Twitch Monetized Streamer Agreement.
Top streamer Jynxi's success story illustrates the growth potential. His advice? "Consistency, man... Do three, four hours a day at the same time every day and post the funniest moments on TikTok and YouTube shorts."
🌱 Initial investment:
Minimal to none. There’s no direct cost to enable subscriptions, but you might invest in better streaming equipment to create content that attracts subscribers.
🎯 Skill level:
Low to moderate. Setting up subscriptions is straightforward, but growing a subscriber base requires consistent streaming, engaging content, and community building.
💰 Potential earnings:
Streamers with small followings average $50 monthly for 5 to 10 viewers to $1,500 for 100 viewers. Experts who play full-time 40 hours a week average $3,000 to $5,000 monthly. Top Creators have earned over $500,000 a month.
2. Earn from Bits
Bits offer a reliable way to generate income from your viewers' support while streaming, through the following methods:
Direct Donations: Viewers can purchase and send Bits to show support during your stream. Twitch pays you for each Bit received, which is worth $0.01.
Cheer Messages: Viewers can "Cheer" with Bits in your chat, adding special animated emotes and messages. You earn revenue from each Cheer.
Bit Leaderboards: Encouraging your viewers to use Bits can create competition, as top contributors get featured on Bit leaderboards. This can increase Bit donations over time.
Special Alerts or Perks: Offering custom alerts, shoutouts, or special in-game perks for Bit donations can encourage viewers to use more Bits, boosting your earnings.
Each Bit generates $0.01, or $1 per 100 Bits. Twitch pays out 50% of Bits revenue after deductions for taxes, payment processing, bank fees, and currency conversions.
🌱 Initial investment:
Enabling Bits doesn't require any upfront investment.
🎯 Skill level:
Low. Enabling Bits is simple, and viewers can use them easily.
💰 Potential earnings:
Stats on top Twitch steamers by Bits for July 24 through August 22, 2024, show that the highest earners generated $29,646 monthly.
3. Run ads
The Twitch Ads Incentive Program lets you make money from advertising Twitch places on your channel. Advertisers pay Twitch a revenue percentage to run ads, and Twitch pays you a percentage for ads on your channel.
Source: Twitch
Twitch recommends ads for viewers based on various factors, including:
Audience size
Audience location
Number of ad-free viewers
Advertiser demand
Number of available ad brands running on Twitch
To begin receiving payments, you must run at least 3 minutes of ads per hour. You receive 55% of the net ad revenue share. Withholding rates and taxes apply.
Advertisers pay Twitch based on how many viewers see their ads, a metric known as cost per impression (CPI). Advertisers pay an estimated $2 to $10 per 1,000 impressions, while Twitch streamers earn an average of $0.25 to $4.50 per 1,000 impressions. Revenue will vary based on how much you stream and how many views you generate.
🌱 Initial investment:
Running ads on your channel doesn't cost you anything. Twitch handles the ad placement and pays you for impressions.
🎯 Skill level:
Low. Running ads is technically simple, but skillful implementation (timing, frequency) to minimize viewer disruption while maximizing revenue requires some strategy.
💰 Potential earnings:
For 40 hours of streaming monthly, you might average $500 for 4 minutes of ads hourly. Some top streamers have earned over $20,000 annually.
4. Join Amazon Associates
Through its Amazon Associates program, Twitch parent Amazon lets streamers earn commissions for promoting products.
Amazon provides you with product page links containing tracking codes. You receive commissions if you post links on your channel and viewers click through and make purchases.
Commissions start at 1% for items such as physical video games and range to 20% for Amazon Games. You can earn flat rates for promoting some digital products. For instance, promoting an Amazon Prime Video free trial registration pays $2.00 whenever someone signs up.
🌱 Initial investment:
None. Joining the Amazon Associates program is free. Your only investment here is time to set up and manage your account.
🎯 Skill level:
Moderate. This requires setting up an Amazon Associates account and incorporating product recommendations into streams without being overly promotional
💰 Potential earnings:
New Amazon Associates earn up to $1,000 a month. Most earn up to $10,000 a year. Top Amazon Associates can exceed $150,000 a year.
5. Activate Bits-enabled Extensions
Bits can be used with third-party Extensions on channel pages to generate revenue. Some Extensions enable Bit integration, allowing viewers to perform actions requiring Bits. When viewers perform actions that require Bit purchases, you receive a percentage.
Source: Twitch
Bits revenue generated by Extensions gets split between Creators and Extension developers. After deductions, the developer gets 20% of each cent, and you keep the remaining 80%.
🌱 Initial investment:
If you're using pre-existing extensions, there's typically no cost. However, if you want to develop a custom extension, you might need to invest in development resources or hire a developer.
🎯 Skill level:
Moderate to high. This involves more technical knowledge to set up and develop custom extensions. It also requires creativity to make extensions that viewers want to interact with using Bits.
💰 Potential earnings:
Similar to potential earnings for Bits, up to $29,646 monthly for top earners.
Other ways to make money on Twitch
Beyond the native Twitch monetization tools we've already covered, you can make money on Twitch using various other methods. Top tactics include:
1. Sponsored streams
Sponsorships offer streamers another revenue stream beyond Twitch ads. Brands from various industries (gaming, tech, food, clothing) partner with streamers to promote their products. Compensation can include cash, free products, or promotional partnerships.
To attract sponsors, streamers typically need to approach brands, though successful streamers (averaging 300 to 400 concurrent viewers) may be approached directly.
The process involves:
Understanding your audience using Twitch analytics and surveys
Creating a list of potential sponsors based on audience preferences
Approaching sponsors through various channels
Offering promotional opportunities (sponsored gameplay, product placement, contests)
Negotiating compensation
Compensation models include Cost Per Viewer Hour (CPVH), flat fees, or revenue share commissions. Some promotional activities you can offer are:
Sponsored gameplay
Sales banners, logo overlays, and customized graphics footers
Product placement
Affiliate links
Live unboxing of products on your stream
Contests and giveaways
Sean Strang, veteran digital talent manager, recommends on Reddit that beginners should charge $25 to $35 per 1,000 viewership hours for sponsored content. To estimate monthly revenue, divide your total monthly hours watched by 1,000 and multiply by $25 to $35. For example, if your viewers watched 100,000 hours a month and you charged $30 per $1,000 hours, you'd earn $3,000.
🌱 Initial investment:
Minimal upfront costs, though you might invest in better equipment to appear more professional to potential sponsors.
🎯 Skill level:
Moderate. Requires networking skills to secure sponsors, negotiation abilities to get good deals, and the creativity to integrate sponsorships into content without alienating viewers.
💰 Potential earnings:
$2,500 monthly and up for beginners generating 100,000 hours of views per month, varies with viewership.
2. Merchandise sales
As a Twitch creator, you can promote merchandise through an external website or e-commerce platform like Shopify. Many successful creators sell custom apparel (t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats) and other products that appeal to their audience.
Here’s an example of Ninja’s merch store built on Shopify. It features a cohesive brand aesthetic, a variety of apparel options, clear product images, and straightforward pricing, making it easy for fans to shop.
Effective promotion methods include:
Wearing or displaying merchandise during streams
Encouraging followers to showcase your products
Featuring items in your About section
Using apps like Streamlabs for chat commands (e.g., !merch)
Mentioning your e-commerce site during streams
Revenue and profits will vary with your product pricing, viewership reach, and viewer engagement. For example, custom t-shirt profit margins may average 30% to 50%, yielding $6 to $10 per $20 sale. If you have 100 followers and 5% of them buy a t-shirt every month, you'd earn $30 to $50 monthly.
🌱 Initial investment:
Moderate. You’ll spend between $50 and $1,000 for ecommerce website costs, plus $25+ per hour if you hire a graphic designer to create custom designs. Print-on-demand services can reduce initial investment but may lower profit margins.
🎯 Skill level:
Moderate. Requires design skills (or the ability to hire a designer) and a basic understanding of ecommerce.
💰 Potential earnings:
Small streamers may make a few monthly sales for a few dollars per sale. High earners may generate $1,000 or more in merch sales a month.
3. Coaching or tutoring services
Twitch isn't just for gaming—it's a platform for coaching and tutoring too. Whether you're an esports pro like Tim Hostnik (Coach Nalu) offering League of Legends coaching, or academics like Stanford grads Levi Jennings, Brendan Duncan, and Brady Richter providing SAT/ACT prep, there's an audience for your expertise.
You can monetize by requiring subscriptions or directing followers to a paid website. Cross-promote on platforms like YouTube and X, and attract students with free tips or Q&A sessions.
Earnings vary based on student numbers and pricing. Amateur gaming coaches might charge $10-$30/hour, while pros can command $60-$100/hour. Team coaches may even charge $50-$500 hourly.
Fiverr offers a dedicated "Game Coaching" category for those looking to monetize their coaching skills. This marketplace allows skilled gamers to offer their services as coaches across various popular titles.
From chess training to Fortnite coaching, and from helping players rank up in Rocket League to providing professional guidance in Call of Duty: Warzone, gamers have a wide range of opportunities to share their expertise and earn money.
🌱 Initial investment:
Minimal. Possibly just teaching materials or subscriptions to online teaching platforms.
🎯 Skill level:
High. Demands expert-level knowledge in your field, strong communication and teaching skills, and the ability to market your services.
💰 Potential earnings:
$10 an hour for new coaches to $500 an hour for team coaches.
4. Crowdfunding campaigns
Crowdfunding on Twitch offers streamers another monetization avenue. This strategy can benefit charities and non-charity causes. For example, streamers Zerator and Dach raised $11.5 million for Action Against Hunger in a three-day event.
Twitch provides a Charity tool integrated with PayPal Giving Fund (PPGF) for charitable campaigns. Alternatively, streamers can direct viewers to external fundraising websites. Platforms like “Fundraise Up” allow Twitch integration with specialized fundraising tools.
Successful crowdfunding campaigns require engaging content that compels audiences to donate. For charities, emotional stories can motivate donors. For projects like game development on Kickstarter, showing prototypes and involving viewers can encourage contributions.
🌱 Initial investment:
Low. Setting up campaigns is free, but you may incur costs creating campaign rewards or promotional materials.
🎯 Skill level:
Moderate. Requires the ability to craft compelling campaign narratives, create engaging video content, and actively promote your campaign across various platforms.
💰 Potential earnings:
Most successfully funded Kickstarter projects raise less than $10,000, but some have raised millions of dollars.
5. YouTube revenue sharing
YouTube offers monetization options similar to Twitch, including subscriptions, ads, and merchandise sales. Leveraging both platforms can multiply your revenue potential. One strategy is simulcasting (or multistreaming), which involves broadcasting your content to multiple platforms simultaneously.
Tools like Restream and the Multiple RTMP outputs plugin can help set up simulcasting. You can also record Twitch content for continuous live restreaming on YouTube using apps like Gyre. When multistreaming, you must adhere to Twitch simulcasting guidelines.
You don't have to limit yourself to YouTube when using this strategy. The same tactics can be deployed to promote your Twitch channel on other video social platforms.
🌱 Initial investment:
None beyond your Twitch investment, but you can increase your revenue by investing in video marketing for your YouTube channel.
🎯 Skill level:
Moderate. Requires knowing how to create a YouTube channel and how to simulcast.
💰 Potential earnings:
YouTube broadcasters earn an average of $.01 to $0.3 per ad view or $10 to $30 per 1,000 views. This equates to $100 to $300 per 10,000 views or $1,000 to $3,000 per 100,000 views.
6. Affiliate marketing
Affiliate marketing opportunities extend beyond Amazon Associates. You can find these through affiliate marketing network platforms or by directly approaching brands.
Leading affiliate marketing platforms include:
Research your Twitch audience's buying habits, promote offers that resonate with your audience, and use your Twitch stream and other platforms to extend viewership.
Many platforms offer higher commission rates than Amazon Associates. For example, CJ's Amazon Sellers program often provides higher commissions for Amazon products than Amazon Associates itself.
🌱 Initial investment:
None beyond creating your Twitch content, but investing in promoting your content will yield higher profits.
🎯 Skill level:
Moderate to high. Requires research skills to find profitable programs, the ability to create content that naturally incorporates affiliate products, and an understanding of disclosure requirements and marketing strategies.
💰 Potential earnings:
Up to $1,000 monthly for new affiliate marketers, up to $10,000 a year on average, and $150,000-plus for top performers.
7. Selling digital products
You can promote digital products on Twitch the same way you promote physical products like those sold by Amazon. Digital products you can sell on Twitch include:
Digital games
PlayStation or Xbox backgrounds
Ebooks
Audiobooks
Digital memberships
Digital courses
Non-fungible token (NFT) collectibles
Successful selling of digital products relies on the same techniques you'd use to sell other products covered in this guide.
Research what type of digital content your audience consumes. Stream engaging content to draw audience attention to your digital product offers. Leverage other platforms like YouTube and X to promote your Twitch channel and digital product sales.
Work with Fiverr experts to create high-quality digital content for your streaming channels and promotional efforts. Fiverr offers an affordable way to access a diverse pool of freelancers who can assist with everything from graphic design to video editing, and scriptwriting to custom stream overlays.
Using Fiverr's services, you can efficiently scale your content production across multiple platforms while maintaining quality and focusing on your core strengths in streaming and coaching.
🌱 Initial investment:
Low. Costs can include software for product creation (e.g., ebook writing, course creation tools) and hosting/distribution platforms.
🎯 Skill level:
Moderate. Requires skills in product development, digital marketing, and potentially graphic design or technical writing. You’ll also need an understanding of pricing strategies and digital rights management.
💰 Potential earnings:
Profit potential varies by product. Selling a $50 online course to 10 students monthly will net $6,000 annually, while a $500 course would bring $60,000. Your viewership size, engagement, and marketing activity also affect your profits.
8. eSports management
Experts in competitive gaming offer eSports management services like tournament organization, team management, and strategic coaching. They can help players and teams enhance their performance in the professional gaming arena.
Maybe you’ll be hired to manage a small Fortnite team, organizing their practice schedules, analyzing their gameplay, and developing strategies for upcoming tournaments. They might also handle logistics for team participation in online or local events.
🌱 Initial investment:
Low. You need time and knowledge in the field to excel in this service.
🎯 Skill level:
High. Requires a deep understanding of eSports and management skills.
💰 Potential earnings:
Between $200 and $5,000 per month. Varies widely based on expertise and clients.
9. Game matchmaking
In game matching, experienced players pair up with clients in popular games, offering companionship, skill improvement, and ranking assistance. This service bridges the gap between solo play and finding reliable gaming partners.
For example, a highly ranked League of Legends player might offer their services to play duo queue matches with clients, helping them improve their skills and increase their ranking. They would play a set number of games with the client, offering real-time advice and feedback.
🌱 Initial investment:
Low. It requires the gaming setup you likely already have.
🎯 Skill level:
High. You’ll need game specific-skills to mentor less advanced players.
💰 Potential earnings:
Between $200 and $1,000 per month, depending on hours and skill level.
10. In-game creation
Selling in-game creation services involves creating custom content within games, such as buildings, textures, or entire environments.
A Minecraft expert might be commissioned to build a large-scale replica of a famous landmark. They would spend hours in the game, carefully constructing the build block by block, then provide the client with the save file or a guided tour of the creation.
🌱 Initial investment:
Low to moderate. You may need to purchase game licenses and software
🎯 Skill level:
High. Requires game-specific building and creation skills.
💰 Potential earnings:
Earnings range between $300 and $1,500 per month, depending on the complexity of the project and the demand for your services.
11. Gameplay experience and feedback
Analytical gamers can test and review games across various platforms, providing detailed insights on user experience, bugs, and potential improvements. Their feedback helps refine games before and after release.
For example, you might be hired to playtest a new mobile game before its release. You would spend several hours playing the game, noting any bugs, assessing the user experience, and providing a comprehensive report on game balance, enjoyment factors, and potential improvements.
🌱 Initial investment:
Low. Mostly requires gaming platforms you already have.
🎯 Skill level:
Moderate. Requires gaming experience and analytical skills to diagnose games.
💰 Potential earnings:
Ranges between $500 and $2,500 per month, but varies depending on depth of feedback and number of clients.
12. Game recordings
Skilled gamers create high-quality footage, tutorials, and walkthroughs for various video games. They capture gameplay, provide commentary, and edit content to help others improve or overcome challenges.
You might record themselves completing a difficult level in a popular game like Elden Ring, providing commentary on strategies and tips. They would then edit this footage, add explanations, and deliver a polished video guide to the client.
🌱 Initial investment:
Low. You’ll need basic recording software and a decent computer or console.
🎯 Skill level:
Moderate. Requires gaming expertise and video editing skills.
💰 Potential earning:
Around $500 per month part-time.
How much money can you make on Twitch?
Subscriptions represent the most significant income source for most streamers. Small streamers with 5 to 10 viewers average $50 a month, while those with 100 viewers average $1,500 monthly. If you're an expert gamer who plays full-time 40 hours a week, you may earn $3,000 to $5,000 monthly.
Hire a freelancer to grow your Twitch account
Successful Twitch monetization requires skills beyond gaming, such as video production and digital marketing. If these aren't your strong suits, Fiverr offers a solution.
Fiverr's freelance network includes experts in:
Graphic design to help you create quality graphics for livestreaming
Technical and IT support for your channel and other digital properties
If you're looking to outsource your Twitch business operations so you can focus on streaming, Fiverr Pro provides comprehensive support. We'll assign you a business success manager to coordinate your digital marketing strategy and hire quality, vetted freelance talent. We also provide project management services to run your operations. Our team will help you grow your Twitch following, keep your audience engaged, and promote your channel online.
Boost your Twitch monetization strategy with professional help. Check out our Fiverr gigs for custom Twitch overlays, emote design, or personalized coaching to take your streaming career to the next level.
Make money on Twitch FAQ
Can you earn money on Twitch?
Yes! Over 2.4 million Affiliates and over 67,000 Partners were making money on Twitch as of August 2024.
Can you tell me how to make money on Twitch as a woman?
Women can make money on Twitch using any of the methods described in this guide. About a third of Twitch users are women. Female streamer Pokimane has over 9.3 million followers.
How much does a Twitch streamer make?
Smaller streamers earn an average of $50 monthly for 5 to 10 viewers and $1,500 monthly monthly for 100 viewers. Full-time expert streamers may earn $3,000 to $5,000 monthly. The highest-paid Creators have earned over $500,000 a month.
How much does Twitch pay for 1,000 views?
If you're talking about the Twitch Ads Incentive Program, Twitch pays out an average of $0.25 to $4.50 per 1,000 impressions.
How many followers do you need on Twitch to make money?
You can become a Twitch Affiliate with 50 followers. But if you use some of the other methods described here, you can start with even fewer followers.
How do I start streaming on Twitch?
To start streaming on Twitch, first sign up for a Twitch account and customize your profile and channel page. In the process, you'll adjust your settings for the type of broadcasting hardware and software you'll use. You can use a mobile device, laptop, desktop, or web browser. Now you're ready to go live! You'll be asked to title and categorize your first stream.
