Home GamesWhat is Twitch: how it works, tricks, Twitch Prime

What is Twitch: how it works, tricks, Twitch Prime

by Editorial Staff

The streaming-focused social network has broken records in the last year. We are going to know the reasons for its success, how it works, and some tricks to take advantage of it.

The Twitch platform is in fashion , undoubtedly on its own merits but also because of controversies that have to do with issues such as leaks to Andorra or censorship.

Confinement has made many young people stay at home, and among the activities that have emerged the most are multiplayer games. This has led many people to discover Twitch video game streams, and to share their own live streams. Although it must be made clear that on Twitch you can find all kinds of topics beyond gaming.

Letโ€™s see what Twitch is, how it works, and some tricks to take advantage of its advantages.

Although it has taken years to get off the ground, Amazonโ€™s social network has already become the streaming platform of reference, leaving services such as Microsoftโ€™s Mixer, and even YouTube, by the wayside. These are its secrets.

What is Twitch?

Twitch isย a streaming video social network.ย That is, you cannot record videos, edit them, and then upload them toย Twitch, as is done on YouTube.ย All the videos on Twitch are recorded live, although they can be recorded for up to two months, depending on whether you are a Twitch affiliate or partner, as we are going to see.ย But they are not saved permanently as in YouTube and the like, with few exceptions.

Twitch

If your live shows like, you will gain followers and viewers, and then options will open toย earn money onlineย through advertising, sponsors, donations, subscriptions, commissions for game sales, etc.

Of course, no direct uploads are required to use Twitch.ย Youย canย alsoย enter as a spectatorย to see the transmissions of the most famous streamers, such as Oablock,ย Ibai, etc.ย You can follow the ones you like the most, and even become a subscriber to your favorite channels by paying a monthly fee, to obtain certain privileges.

Also, Twitch is a platform whereย you can buy games.ย If you are fromย Amazon Prime, itย is possible toย activate Twitch Prime to get free games every month, add-ons for multiplayer games, etc.

You can now try Amazon Prime Video for free for a month and with no commitment to stay.ย On this platform you can watch series like American Gods, Hanna and Jack Ryan, as well as hundreds of exclusive movies.

Its origin

Justin TV

The origin of Twitch dates back to 2007, when Justin Kan and Emmet Shear launched a streaming service calledย Justin.tv.ย It was dedicated to different topics but the most successful category by far was video games, so in 2011 they decided to openย a new platform dedicated to eSports or electronic sports, which they called Twitch.tvย .

In its early years, Twitch focused onย video game tournaments, broadcasting live the most important international game events such as Starcraft II, DotA, League of Legends, etc.

But like all Internet services that have some success, it soon attracted the eyes of the trueย ownersย of the Internet, willing to buy everything that overshadows them, or that allows them to enter new markets effortlessly, by pulling their checkbook.

At the beginning of 2014, according to Forbesย Google reached a preliminary agreement to buy Twitch, but in the end it abandoned the idea because the antitrust agency would have denied the purchase, also owning YouTube.

On August 25, 2014,ย Amazon announced the purchase of Twitchย forย 970 million dollars, with the intention ofย turning it into a global streaming service, which is not only dedicated to video games.

Taking advantage of Amazonโ€™s cloud, one of the largest and most powerful, Twitch streaming gained in quality and storage capacity.ย With its contacts,ย Amazon attracted sponsors and streamers outside of video gamesย , from influencers to musicians or simplyย direct to chat, but gaming is still the main use of the platform.

The numbers

Twitch

As we have mentioned, Twitch has grown quite a bit in the last year, and the current data figures are really good.

The platform hasย 2.5 million simultaneous users at all timesย , with 7 million users conducting direct at least once a month, andย more than 30 million unique visitors a day.

More than 1,800 people work on the development of the platform, and in 2020 alone, more than a billion minutes of video were viewed.

What can be found on Twitch?

Twitch

As we have mentioned, the most successful channels on the platform, and the most visited, are dedicated toย video games:ย gameplay, live games, tournaments,ย speedrunsย (attempts to finish games as quickly as possible), tricks, tips, lessons to learn to play, etc.

Amazon has been trying to diversify the platform for a long time, but it is struggling.ย Other popular categories areย Music, Talk, Sports, Travel, Food and Drink, and Special Events.

Additionally,ย Twichย occasionallyย airs entire television shows for a limited time, such as the classic Doctor Who series, Power Rangers, or all 16 Pokรฉmon movies.

Do you really make money streaming on twitch?

As with similar social networks such as YouTube, Instagram, etc., money can be made on Twitch, but 1% of streamers take 90% of the profits.

In other words,ย the best streamers make a lot of money, but they are a small group.ย You have to work a lot and very hard to gain the followers and the minutes necessary to be able to access Twitchโ€™s partner and affiliate programs, which are what allow you to earn money, as we are going to see.ย Unless you fall in grace and like it the first timeโ€ฆ

Twich

That said, it must be recognized thatย Spain is aย superpowerย on Twitch,ย as three Spanish streamers are in the Top 10 of those who earn the most: Ibai, AuronPlay and elRubius.

As we see,ย Ibai is in third position, with almost 1.5 million dollars of profit per yearย .ย AuronPlay, fifth, remains at $ 1.2 million, and Rubius is close to $ 800,000.

Precisely when these figures were published, the controversy aroseย aboutย the march of El Rubius to Andorra to avoid paying taxes in Spain.ย AuronPlay lives in the United States.ย Only iBai lives and is taxed in our country.

In what formats twitch is it available?

What is Twitch

This platform can be used in any browser fromย its websiteย .ย There is also an app for iOS and Android, as well as an application for Windows and Mac. You can download all of them fromย this link.

ย In addition, Twitch is integrated in Fire TV, Chromecast and Apple TV devices, and in the PS4 and PS5 consoles, Xbox One, Xbox One Series X and S, and NVIDIA Shield.ย From these consoles you can stream video to your Twitch account.

It is also possible to use itย within many PC gaming platforms suchย as Origin, UPlay, Steam, Minecraft, etc.

Sign up for Twitch

What is Twitch

Creating an account on Twitch is very easy, and free.ย You just have to accessย their websiteย or install one of the apps that we have mentioned.

Tap on theย Registerย button, and you will access the form where you only have to put your username, password, age and email:

With this account you can both direct and use it as a spectator to save the list of favorite channels, subscribe or donate and buy Bits and other options.

Twitch Prime

If you have an Amazon account then you can convert your Twitch account toย Twitch Prime, which gives you a number of privileges.ย Itโ€™s what Amazon now callsย Prime Gaming.

Twitch Prime

Just tap onย Loginย on theย Prime Gamingย websiteย and log in with your Amazon Prime account.ย If you have a separate Twitch account you can link the two here, or create one from scratch.

With Twitch Prime (nowย Prime Gamingย ) every month you getย 3 or 4 free PC games that you keep forever,ย even if you stop being Amazon Prime.ย Plus, you get all kinds of add-ons for dozens of multiplayer games, from CoD to League of Legends, Roblox, Apex Legends, Destiny 2, and dozens more.ย Weapons, costumes, unique items, and much more.

You can also get them with the free trial month of Amazon Prime, and you keep it forever when that month is over.

These games are downloaded from the Twitch application for PC, which offers a menu similar to Steam.

Amazon Gaming

To get them you simply have to touchย the Crown-shaped iconย of the application.ย Here you will see all the gifts.ย Tap onย Claimย , and the following will be added to your Twitch Games Library (Games):

If they are add-ons for multiplayer games, you usually get a code to enter the game and obtain the object, or by linking your Steam account.ย 

Twitch Games

In just over a year theyย have given away more than 100 high-quality games, including titles such as the Darksiders saga, Broken Age, Enter de Gungeon, Hyper Light Drifter, Pillars of Eternity, SuperHot, Tales from the Borderlands, The Walking Dead , and numerous Neo Geo console classics.

With a Twitch Prime account you also have other privileges, such asย subscribing to a free channel.

Using Twitch as a spectator

Most peopleย use Twitch to watch streams, that is, live videos.ย It can be used without creating an account, but you will not be able to save your favorite channels or take advantage of most of its functions.ย That is why it is convenient to create a free account as we have explained in the previous step.

Log in to the Twitch website, or to the desktop or mobile app.ย They are all quite similar.

Main screen

The main screen has three important areas, which we have delimited with a box:

In the upper right corner (1) there is the Crown to claim the prizes, the notifications icon, the Whispers, to send private messages to other users, and your profile.

In the top bar (2) are the options to see the channels you follow, explore new channels, access channels related to Esports, and categories such as Music or Mods (Mods).ย In Games is your collection of games.

In the left column (3) the channels you are following are shown, to have them at hand and, if they fit, the direct ones that are being broadcast at the moment.

Customize your profile on twitch

If you tap on the icon in the upper right corner, you will access theย Profile.ย Here you can indicate whether or not you are connected, in case you want to be connected but without others seeing it.

From the profile it is possible to see your list of friends, the subscriptions you are paying, your portfolio, the language, and tools for creators that we will see later.

What is Twitch

Inย your Profile Settings, there are many options:

Inย Generalย we choose how we want Twitch to be minimized, or if we want it to start when we turn on the computer.

Inย Profile weย customize our appearance and that of the channel, with additional options if we are from Prime Gaming.

Inย Canal y Videos weย manage the rules of our channel, and the videos that we have uploaded.ย Security and Privacyย allows us to choose who can send us gifts and whispers, or how visible we want to be.ย Here we can also change the email and password.

Finally, inย Notifications, weย select the type of notifications that we want to receive: if a channel that we follow opens live, notices of tournaments, etc.

Find creators, videos and friends

Once we have the profile ready, it is time toย search for content.

We can use the categories on the top bar, or better yet, the search engine, also up there.ย Just type in a friendโ€™s username to add them to your friends list.ย Write a game, musician or similar to follow, or search channels by typing keywords.

What can you do live

Transmission
Here we can seeย a typical broadcast on Twitch:

In the central part is the video.ย If it is live, a red icon will appear indicating it.ย In the channels there are old live shows, but they are only kept for two months, except for certain very prominent videos.

If you touch the image you can change its quality, see it in full screen, or in theater mode, with a black background.

On the right we haveย the chat to comment on the video with the creator himself,ย and with other viewers who are watching it at the time.

At the bottom of the video you have the option toย follow the channel, to receive notifications when there are live streams, and put it in your list of favorite channels.ย Another option is toย subscribe by paying a monthly feeย to obtain certain privileges, as well asย donate bits,ย and other options, which we will see below.

Finally, we can share the video with friends or report it, if we see something that seems illegal or goes against the rules of Twitch, such as racist insults, discrimination, etc.

Twitch Predict

Twitch recently released an in-video game calledย Predict.ย It is basicallyย a gambling game.ย The streamer proposes a challenge, such as being in the top 5 in a Fortnite game or eating a whole pizza in 5 minutes, and the followers vote whether or not he succeeds.ย If they win, they take points that when accumulated can be exchanged for channel prizes, from emoticons to subscriptions.

Subscriptions

Subscriptions

When a creator becomes an Affiliate (see below) he canย add the Subscriptions to his channel.

It consists of a monthly fee, normallyย 4.99 euros per month, which gives you access to certain privileges within the channel.ย Subscribers have access to a subscriber-only chat, exclusive directives just for them, custom emoticons, emblems, giveaways, etc.

If you are on Twitch Prime, you have a free subscriptionย that you can use with whoever you want.ย Keep in mind that each channel has its own subscription.

Bits and Cheers

Theย Bitsย are the currency of Twitch.ย It is a way toย make donations to your favorite creators.

Bits

Bits are purchased with real money.ย You can pay with PayPal or your Amazon account.ย They are bought from the main window of the app, from your profile, the option is in several places.

100 Bits cost 1.53 euros, and there are discounts with large purchases.

When you see something you like in a video, you can give it a Cheer, which is a donation with Bits.ย You writeย Cheerย and the number of Bits you want to donate to them, in the chat.ย You can also associate a Cheer with a Cheermote, which is a special animated icon that will appear when you donate.

The creator will receive 1 euro cent for every Bit you send him.

By giving Cheers you can receive emblems, appear in the list of the most generous in the channelโ€™s ranking, and other prizes.

Twitch Turbo

You will soon realize thatย the broadcasts have quite a few advertisements.ย There is a payment option to remove them, calledย Twitch Turbo.

It costsย 8.99 euros per monthย and in addition toย eliminating most of the ads itย offers other advantages such as extended emoticons, chat emblems, and it also saves your videos for 60 days, instead of the usual 14 days.

Using Twitch as a streamer

Have you been encouraged to upload your live streams to Twitch?ย It will not be easy to gain followers because there is a lot of competition, but if you are good, have charisma and are original, you may be able to make a hole for yourself.

The first thing you need is obviouslyย a webcam.ย Anyone is fine, but you must have a quality video so that your followers see you decently, not a blur.

If you are going to stream games you will need software that captures the screen.ย Luckily all consoles already do.ย In the case of the PC, we will use special software.

But if you are only going to chat or other activity, a camera and a microphone is enough.

The streaming software

As we have commented on Twitch, you cannot record video and edit it, to broadcast it delayed.ย It only works with live, real-time camera broadcasts, so youย need streaming software that captures what the camera records and sends it to Twitch live.

Streaming software

Twitch has its own streaming software calledย Twich Studio, which you canย download here.ย But itโ€™s still a bit green, so many streamers useย OBS Studio, and some other that Twitch offers on their website:

This software allows you to define parameters such as the size of your image inside the screen (PiP) if you are transmitting gameplay of a video game, add frames and decorations, and other options to customize the transmission.

When you hit the cast button, it sends both the screenshot from the computer and what the webcam (usually your face) recorded to Twitch.

Creator Profile

There are specific options for creators in the Twitch Profile.ย They are Channel, Video Studio, andย Creator Control Panel.ย The first two are also within the Creator Panel:

Creator Panel
With the menu on the left you control everything.

First you have toย decorateย your channel with theย Settingsย optionย .ย Here you enterย Channelย and create your emblem, profile photo, a description of the channel, etc.

Theย Moderationย sectionย is important, because hereย you define rules that you want to be followed, for example, do not swear, do not see adult content and ads on the channel, etc.ย You can also let the Twitch AI do the moderation.

You can also install the streaming software, and extensions that help you with some tasks.

Transmission Panel

You must define theย rewards to the spectator, the so-calledย Drops.ย They are promotions of the main games that randomly give away content on the channels, and you decide which one you want to include.

When you have followers in the Creator Panel you will be able to see the list, statistics, and other data.

To transmit you must enter theย Transmission Manager.ย Here you will see what the viewers see, so you know that everything is correct, the chat to communicate with your followers, and the buttons to start a broadcast.

During the transmission you will see real-time data such as viewers, video bitrate, etc.

Affiliate Program

If you manage to accumulateย 50 followersย andย in the last 30 days you have transmitted at least 500 minutes in 7 different days, with an average of 3 or more viewers, you will be qualified to enter theย affiliate programย .

This will allow you to add subscriptions of 4.99, 9.99 or 24.99 euros per month in your channel, so that your followers sign up.ย You can also receive Bits, and game sales commissions during advertising.

Partner Program

The highest level is becoming aย Twitch Partner.

To do this, you must broadcast at leastย 25 hours a month, for 12 different days and with an average of 75 viewers.

Partners have the benefits of affiliates, and other exclusives such as more image quality in the transmissions, the possibility of applying delay to the transmission, 60 days of video storage, priority technical assistance, more channel customization, etc.

Game sales commissions

In many broadcasts,ย bannersย areย displayed for the sale of the game that is being played.ย For each purchase of the game that a spectator makes through the banner, the creator takesย a commission of 5%ย .

Tricks to gain followers on Twitch

The hardest thing about being a streamer isย gaining followers, especially in the beginning.ย Follow these tips to make it easier:

  • Define yourself as a streamer: Donโ€™t broadcast like crazy.ย Decide first if you want to focus on a single game or theme or be more generic, and go along that line.
  • Type of content: Are you going to do gameplay, tricks, lessons, only competitive?ย Decide it based on your strengths, and focus only on that.ย If you want to cover too much you will disperse your followers.
  • To give the callus: Meditate how many days a week you can transmit, and do not miss one.ย Followers like consistency.
  • Interact with your fans: Talk a lot in chat and reply to messages.ย Itโ€™s hard work, but people appreciate close contact.
  • Hold giveaways oftenโ€“ that attracts a lot of people
  • Use all social networks: Donโ€™t just focus on Twitch.ย Advertise your broadcasts on Twitter and Facebook, and also broadcast on YouTube and the like.
  • Do not respond to attacks: Trolls or haters are not worth fighting for.ย You will come out badly.ย If you have to kick them off your channel, do it.

You already know everything you need to get famous on Twitch!

Or, more realistically, to enjoy the broadcasts broadcast by the best creators.ย Have fun and donโ€™t take it too seriously!

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