I want to help you start earning money from your passion – live streaming on Twitch!
Whether you‘re dreaming of full-time streaming fame or just want to supplement your gaming hobby, Twitch Affiliate status unlocks amazing benefits.
In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll be sharing:
- Background on Twitch and the affiliate program
- Steps to qualify for and set up affiliate status
- Tips from successful affiliates on growing your channel
- Common mistakes that could cost your status
Let‘s get started on the path to affiliation!
Twitch Affiliates Defined
Since launching in 2011, Twitch has dominated the live streaming world. Over 30 million daily visitors now watch everything from casual gameplay to major esports tournaments.
The platform rewards its top creators through two status levels:
Twitch Affiliate
This intermediate status gives emerging streamers their first monetization options.
In 2021, Twitch grew affiliate payouts by 224% YoY, totaling over $127 million.
But it’s more than just bits and subs. Affiliates gain channel recognition that boosts organic reach.
Twitch Partner
A more exclusive status with expanded benefits. Must demonstrate larger audience and higher streaming commitment over time.
Partners accounted for majority share of over $1.3 billion paid to creators in 2021.
Let‘s focus on getting you to Affiliate first!
Why Become a Twitch Affiliate?
Here are some of the biggest incentives that come with the purple checkmark:
Make Money Streaming
The main appeal is opening up features to monetize your passion:
- Bits – Earn a cut when viewers purchase cheers
- Subscriptions – Offer perks for a $4.99 monthly fee
- Advertising – Pre/Mid/Post roll video ads
Others like merch, tips and channel memberships provide additional income.
Stand Out With Customization
- Emotes – Subscriber-only emoji for community bonding
- Badges – Display subscriber loyalty levels
- Subscribers chat – Exclusive community feel
Get Promoted on Twitch
The algorithm favors affiliates with:
- Featured browsing categories
- Affiliate recommendations
- Event promotions
This expanded exposure continues channel momentum beyond your core fans.
Let‘s get you signed up!
Twitch Affiliate Requirements
Over any 30 days you’ll need:
- 50+ Followers
- 500+ Minutes streamed
- 7+ Unique stream days
- Average 3+ Concurrent viewers
I‘ll guide you through hitting each benchmark naturally.
Step 1 – Creating Your Twitch Channel
Let‘s start by setting up your broadcaster home on Twitch:
- Navigate to Twitch.tv
- Click sign up in the top right corner
- Choose your username
- Enter password + email
- Provide other info like phone #, birthday
- Confirm your email to complete
With your base account created, try live streaming right from the website to test.
I recommend downloading software like OBS Studio or Streamlabs for overlays and customization.
Now on to growing your audience!
Tip: Complete your channel customization with profile banners and avatar before going live to look established out the gate.
Step 2 – Start Streaming Consistently
It‘s time to start providing value to your niche by streaming consistently.
Focus on playing games you already enjoy rather than chasing trends. Your passion will show.
Growing From 0 Viewers
It can be intimidating staring at that "0 viewers" figure when you begin. Here are some proven growth hacks:
Develop a commentary style mixing your expertise with natural reactions. Describe thought processes on decisions and strategy for your game.
Respond aloud to chat. Even no one‘s there yet, practice good habits like welcoming lurkers. This builds skills for higher engagement streams later.
Raid fellow small streamers you enjoy watching after signing off. Building goodwill leads to them sending viewers your way in return.
Set a Schedule
Block at least a few hours 2-3 days per week when you can be live consistently. Then actually stick to it!
Even if you don‘t have viewers yet, setting designated streaming blocks reinforces work ethic. You‘ll gain a reputation for showing up.
With a schedule, more fans can plan their week around your great content.
Tip: Promote your stream times on all social media profiles. Give new visitors plenty of chances to discover you.
Here‘s a quick checklist to help track progress:
| Affiliate Goal | ✔ |
|---|---|
| 50+ Followers | |
| 500+ Minutes | |
| 7+ Stream Days | |
| 3+ Avg. Viewers |
Step 3 – Hit Affiliate Requirements
This is the fun part once you build momentum and sights stay set on the goal.
Small improvements in streaming consistency and chat engagement will compound growth in fans.
Let‘s focus on quality over quantity for sustainable audience growth.
Share Your Passion
Think back to why you started streaming. Dig into favorite games, niche topics and skills you can demonstrate.
Viewers connect with genuine enthusiasm. Stay authentic to yourself rather than chasing trends if you want loyalty.
Interact with Chat
Even with limited viewers initially, respond verbally to:
- Welcome messages
- Follow notifications
- Any chat comments
- Lurkers just passing through
Treating each person like your VIP fan nurtures community. Reward supporters with attention and they‘ll stick around.
Step 4 – Get Affiliate Notification
After meeting all requirements for about a month, you’ll get an invite via:
🚀 Your email inbox
🚀 A notification bell on your Creator Dashboard
🚀 Direct message from Twitch
Accept the offer through whichever channel it arrives. Time to get paid!
Note: It may take 1-2 weeks into the next month to receive if on borderline qualifications.
Tip: Check Achievements tab ‘Path to Affiliate‘ to track status real-time.
Step 5 – Configure Your Payout
With your acceptance, Twitch will guide through tax interview and affiliate agreement.
Then head to the Creator Dashboard > Affiliate section to enable:
- Bits
- Subscriptions
- Advertising
Additional money makers like tipping and merch can be activated under Connected Apps.
Now focus on converting viewers into subscribers!
Subscription Revenue Breakdown
Fans pay $4.99 monthly for perks like ad-free viewing and badges. As the affiliate, you earn approximately:
- $2.49 per sub
- Over 50% cut of each payment
With emotes and other benefits, subscribers feel invested in your channel community.
Slowly building up dedicated fans should be the goal rather than stressing over view counts early on. Quality over quantity.
Let’s keep that ball rolling.
Tip: Offer subscribers-only Discord access or gaming sessions for added value.
Maintaining Your Status
As long as you stream somewhat consistently each month, your affiliate status won‘t simply expire.
But prolonged absences could cause issues. Twitch may eventually remove credentials including:
⛔️ Monetization access
⛔️ Badges, emotes and channel perks
You’ve worked hard for these benefits, so staying active avoids backtracking.
| Tip | Description |
|---|---|
| Stream Consistency | Your account dashboard tracks metrics. Shoot for weekly streams minimum to be safe. Consider scheduling days off. |
| Community Interaction | Chat, Discord, comments etc. Keep conversation flowing with fans daily if possible. |
| Check Notifications | Twitch will contact you with warnings if risking status. |
| Avoid Sharing Content Issues | Don‘t stream unauthorized games or media. Follow community guidelines. |
Building real connections keeps people coming back between streams too!
Now for some words of wisdom from fellow affiliates…
Insights From Successful Streamers
I spoke with a few affiliates about their experiences starting out and lessons learned:
Their stories prove that creating value trumps chasing early vanity metrics.
Focus on quality over quantity – value over views. Building real bonds through streaming leads to the support you need over time.
So if you provide that value for a core audience, affiliates agree Twitch will take notice and reward your work.
Why You May Lose Affiliate Status
All good things require work to maintain. To avoid losing what you‘ve built consider avoiding:
Viewer inflation – Never use bots or fake engagement services. Authenticity is everything for Twitch. Any perception of manipulating the system risks a ban.
ToS violations – Ensure full compliance with Terms of Service, Community Guidelines and Affiliate Agreement. Review if unsure.
Prolonged absence – Take reasonable breaks but remain engaged with fans where possible. Disappear fully for months risks status expiration.
Other than extreme cases, you’ll receive warnings first to improve standing before removal.
Let‘s Get Your Purple Checkmark!
After reading this extensive guide, you should feel equipped to build Twitch Affiliate status the right way – with authenticity.
Focus on playing your favorite games, speaking passionately and developing connections through chat. The rest follows.
I know you don’t want to look back in 6 months wishing you took the first steps sooner. So block off some streaming days this week!
Looking forward to celebrating your success story soon. I’m here if any other questions come up along the journey.
You’ve got this! Now get streaming!
