Twitch is a streaming platform that allows you to broadcast yourself and any hobbies you may enjoy. The range of categories when it comes to what you can stream can differ from playing video games, playing instruments, chatting streams, and even chilling in a hot tub. Since the pandemic, a lot of people have turned to streaming video games on Twitch to make new friends and even earn a little extra money when they become a Twitch affiliate. If this is you or you’re just starting out, here are five tips for streaming your gameplay on Twitch.

Set Up A Streaming Schedule

One very important and often difficult thing to do is to set a streaming schedule and stay consistent with it. Start by setting up how many days through the week you will be streaming and during what times. Think of it like setting up a TV show that people can catch every week. We all know life can sometimes get in the way and things will come up that might affect your streaming schedule, but this is not a deal-breaker, stay as consistent as you can with your schedule and viewers will keep on coming back to watch your streams.

Choose Your Streaming Content

The next thing is to decide what type of content you would like to stream.  Are there any specific genres you like to play while people watch? If you like you could do speed runs of games or show off your skills in racing, gamble online for real money, and even stream fighting games. You can always choose a variety of categories to stream.  For example, you may stream video games one day and have a full community night the next where you’re playing interactive games with your viewers or just chatting with them. 

Make Your Streams Known

Make the most of social media to advertise your streams. Start utilizing other platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and YouTube. This way, you can bring followers and people who consume your content on those platforms to your Twitch channel. As soon as you have a consistent following and viewer base you can start forming a community. The best way to do this is to start your very own Discord server so even when you’re not streaming, you can still interact with your community and announce your upcoming content.

Start Upgrading

When you first start, you may not have the best gear but that is ok, the more you stream the better and more comfortable you will become. Aim to become a Twitch Affiliate. To achieve this, you need to have at least 50 followers, stream seven days within a period of 30-days and have an average of three viewers over the course of your streams. Once you achieve this, your followers can start subscribing to you and you can add customized emotes for them to use in the chat. They will also be able to start cheering you with Twitch’s own currency called bits. Subscriptions and bits will earn you money and you will be able to cash out straight to your bank account or your PayPal. However, Twitch does take a 50% cut, so keep that in mind. From your newfound earnings, start upgrading and making your streams an even better experience for your viewers. Start by looking for a high-quality webcam so your viewers can see you and your reactions more clearly. High-quality microphones will also enhance the viewer’s experience. There is a ton of other upgrades you can purchase such as lights, stream decks, better gaming equipment, and consoles.

Take Breaks

As fun as streaming can be, remember to take breaks during your streams and from your streaming schedule. You can run ad breaks during your streams so you can have a rest, go grab a snack, or drink and use the lavatory when you need it while still earning from the ads. It is good to stay consistent with your schedule but remember to always take vacation breaks to recharge and improve both your physical and mental health before returning. Of course, you can still interact with everyone in your Discord community.

Starting a Twitch channel doesn’t have to be difficult, just enjoy the process and do what you enjoy while sharing it with your friends.