Considering full-time career streaming on Twitch? You’d need a lot of money flowing in. This is where the comparison of Twitch Partner versus Affiliate comes into play.
Twitch’s incentive programs recognize and reward devoted streamers. You should think of them as prospective stepping stones on your streaming adventure.
Let’s get this party started.
Twitch Partner vs. Affiliate: An Overview of Twitch Monetization Programs
Twitch offers two revenue programs: Twitch Affiliate and Twitch Partner. They can assist content providers in monetizing their work through streaming. Twitch’s gamification technology is at the heart of it. They encourage you to achieve your ideal level as a performer on the Twitch streaming platform.
Here’s a starting point for comparing Twitch Partner vs. Affiliate:
The affiliate program is accessible to the majority of people. There are specific qualification guidelines. You will be invited to join the affiliate program when you meet the requirements. You can use the subscription and donation features if you join the program.
The partner program is a little more complicated. It’s exclusively for the most popular streamers, and only about 1% of active broadcasters are part of it. On the other hand, the standards for becoming a partner are unclear. As you might expect, getting to the top of the Twitch pyramid and qualifying to become a partner can be difficult.
On the other hand, a detailed comparison of Twitch Partner and Affiliate would not be complete without a closer look at both programs.
So, here’s how it works: How to Become a Twitch Affiliate.
Are you a Twitch broadcaster looking to monetize your channel? Becoming a Twitch Affiliate is the first step in that process.
Becoming a Twitch Affiliate is a rather straightforward procedure. This comes with specific restrictions that you must fulfill within 30 days. You will then have the option to begin the Affiliate Onboarding Process. More information about this can be found in Twitch’s guide here.
Twitch will enter into an arrangement with you if you become an affiliate. You’ll submit basic and general information along with payment payout details to get started.
What Is a Twitch Affiliate, Exactly?
The Twitch Affiliate program puts qualified streamers one step closer to We’re getting closer to our ultimate objective of making a full-time living from streaming! Build your viewership and work your way up to the coveted status of Twitch partner. You can make money on Twitch by becoming an affiliate.
Bits, subscriptions, and advertisements would be revenue sources.
In order to become a Twitch Affiliate by 2022, you must meet the following requirements:
The following are the qualifications and qualifying criteria for joining the Affiliate Program: You must have:
- A minimum of 50 followers.
- Streamed for at least 8.33 hours, or 500 minutes total.
- Airing on seven different days.
- A minimum of three or more concurrent viewers.
At the same time, you must complete all four of the above requirements within a 30-day period.
These criteria are subject to change; see Twitch’s article for the most recent modifications.
Important Terms and Conditions of the Twitch Affiliate Agreement
There are a few things to be aware of when it comes to the terms and services of Twitch affiliates.
You may lose your status if your account is inactive. The simplest answer is that you haven’t uploaded any content in a long time.
There is a time limit on your streams during which you cannot stream or publish on any other site. It must remain on Twitch for some time before it may be shared elsewhere.
You must pay a maintenance fee of up to $25 if you close your affiliate account.
Twitch Affiliate Payouts and Revenue Streams on Twitch
As an affiliate, you will profit from the following revenue streams on Twitch:
Substitutes and emotes:
Subs, often known as subscriptions, allow your community to support you on a regular basis. They are also rewarded with benefits for doing so.
People who regularly watch your stream will be able to thank you in this manner. They will do this in exchange for your time and hard work in generating and displaying your content. In exchange, subscribers receive bespoke global emotes, subscription badges, ad-free viewing, and other benefits.
A subscriber can pay you a minimum of $4.99 monthly, recurring or one-time. You will effectively receive 50% of the subscription money as a dividend, with Twitch taking 50% of the portion. They can also gain access to up to one global sub-emote, which is unlocked once you reach affiliate rank.
Subscribers can choose from three different tiers. Rates might range from $4.99 to $9.99 and $24.99 each month, with a 50% applicable payout. If your viewers enjoy your content, they will be able to upgrade. With affiliate status, you can provide two additional sub-emotes for each of the higher tiers, bringing your total sub-emote count to five.
Affiliates can earn more emote slots for their Tier 1 membership, depending on the number of sub-points. One Tier 1 subscription is worth one sub-point, two Tier 2 subscriptions are worth two sub-points, and six Tier 3 subscriptions are worth six sub-points. You can determine your eligible emote slot by adding up your sub-points. This slot is permanently unlocked and will not be lost even if the sub-point total later falls below 0.
Subscriber points determine Twitch Emote slots.
Bits:
Bits can be thought of as virtual products that your viewers can purchase and use to cheer you on. A “cheer” is a bit-based chat message. Viewers can utilize it to demonstrate their support, commemorate noteworthy moments, or raise their voices. When a viewer cheers, affiliates see animated Bit Gem emotes or Cheermotes (animated variations of popular emotes). You get $0.01 for every bit you use in your chat.
Bits can also be used for specific channel page extensions. When your audience uses bits in extensions, you’ll get an extra $0.01 for every bit used in the extension. The remaining 20% will be paid to the extension developer.
This could be a way for you to make money while streaming on the Twitch network. If a viewer wants to tip you, they will not have to leave the platform. You’re also shielded from chargebacks via alternative platforms. However, if your viewers decide to tip you through PayPal or Patreon, you could end up earning a lot more. As a result, it is prudent to keep these choices open.
Ads:
When you become an affiliate, you can allow pre-roll advertising, which is video commercials that appear when you enter a channel. The other adoption is a standard ad break, which can be played during the stream.
When it comes to compensation, you must keep two things in mind:
Before a payout can be initiated, your channel must have accumulated $100.
It would help if you met the payout costs, as shown in the chart below from Twitch.
Twitch Affiliate commissions:
The Benefits and Drawbacks of Becoming a Twitch Affiliate
The Twitch Affiliate program allows you to establish yourself as a serious streamer who is in it for the long haul. However, there may be some unintended consequences. Here are the benefits and drawbacks of becoming a Twitch affiliate:
How to Become a Twitch Partner
Partner status is more difficult to achieve than at the affiliate level. Twitch partners are thus a select group of streamers. Only about 58,702 of the approximately 9.3 million active broadcasters streaming every month are partners (source: TwitchTracker).
If you are a dedicated Twitch streamer, this is undoubtedly a goal you would strive for. However, the road to getting there is not easy. To be eligible to apply for and be approved for the Partner program, you must first:
Comply with the program’s requirements.
Pass a manual review conducted by the Twitch Partnerships team.
What Does the Term “Twitch Partner” Mean?
Twitch Partners is the cream of the crop in the streaming community. They are, as previously stated, an exclusive club, with only 0.6 percent of Twitch streamers accepted.
As a partner, you’ll be able to expand your Twitch revenue share with additional emote space and a larger percentage of subscription fees and ad revenue.
You will also receive additional benefits, both for yourself and your subscribers:
Custom Cheermotes, 60 unlocked Sub Emotes
You have access to all the transcoding settings, allowing you to stream at whichever quality you choose.
Your VODs are kept for a further 60 days.
You will be able to get help from the Twitch partnership team, who will be able to answer any questions you may have.
You have been validated.
When you become a Twitch partner, you also gain preferential access to companies interested in partnering with Twitch. You will also have access to the TwitchCon Partner Lounge. In addition, you will be given preferential treatment at other important gaming events!
In order to become a Twitch Partner in 2022, you must meet the following requirements:
While being a Twitch Partner is dependent on the team examining your application, you must meet the fundamental qualifications listed below. You must have:
- I have streamed for at least 25 hours.
- Airing at least 12 distinct broadcast days.
- 75-person average audience Hosts, raids, and embeds are not included as concurrent viewers.
It will take 30 days to meet the standards above. The Affiliate program also has this rule.
However, unlike the Affiliate program, becoming qualified for Partner status does not guarantee that you will become a Partner. Once you’ve determined your eligibility, you can apply by completing the Partner application form. The Twitch Partnerships team then manually reviews the applications. It may take them up to 7 business days to respond. The good news is that even if your application is rejected, you can reapply in the future.
Important Terms and Conditions of the Twitch Partnership Agreement
The nicest benefit of being a Twitch Partner is that you can negotiate the usual partner agreement with Twitch. These rules and regulations could hurt your brand’s reputation, like the “exclusive content” rule, which could make your company look bad.
Twitch Partner Payouts and Revenue Streams.
Twitch Partner revenue streams are the same as Twitch Affiliate revenue streams. However, with a larger payout percentage and the option to create more revenue streams,
Substitutes and emotes:
Twitch Partners, such as Twitch Affiliates, can make money by accepting subscriptions. The available options are $4.99, $9.99, $24.99, or a free Prime subscription. You can also unlock up to 60 channel emotes as a partner, which is greater than the affiliates’ maximum of 5 channel emotes. The compensation can range from 50 to 70 percent of each subscription, depending on your agreement with Twitch.
Bits:
Twitch pays partners 1 cent per bit spent cheering for them like affiliates. However, you can personalize your cheer more and bit badges as a partner.
Ads:
It works the same way as Twitch Affiliates, but the revenue share can also be increased here.
Other sources of income include:
As a Twitch Partner, you’ll also have access to a variety of brand sponsorships. With a vibrant community, you can also rely on assured assistance. They will give you that based on the value you can generate with your content. This covers merchandise as well as donations. Off-platform revenue might also increase as you advance in the ranks as a partner. In reality, the sky is the limit!
Read this article to find out how much money you can make as a full-time streamer.
The Benefits and Drawbacks of Becoming a Twitch Partner
Finally, it’s time to make a decision. To recap, why you should choose Twitch Partner vs. Affiliate?
Twitch Partners and Affiliates are both excellent achievements on Twitch. But at the end of the day, your content is most important. Period. Content is king. Your viewers will back you up if your content is valuable to them. Regardless of the platform or your position on that platform, as a result, work your way up the Twitch ladder. But keep in mind that the real objective is to win over your audience’s brains and emotions.
Here’s a handy table highlighting the points to consider while deciding between Twitch Partner and Twitch Affiliate. You can decide whether or not to become a Twitch Partner or Affiliate based on your own scenario.