Twitch is the place to be for those loving the social side of gaming. Some of the world’s top gamers demonstrate their skills for their fans on their Twitch channel, many on an almost full-time basis. The top Twitch streamers can do this because they can make a healthy income from playing games and commentating on their progress.
It is perhaps surprising that quite a few of Generation Z are more entertained by watching others play games than by playing themselves. Clearly, this indicates that the more popular Twitch streamers can skillfully entertain their fans. The viewers are there more for the commentary and conversation than they are for the fun of the game.
Twitch has grown in popularity, and there are now more than 7.25 million broadcasters per month. To date, Twitch users have viewed 13 billion hours of content. Currently, 97,800 channels are streaming on the platform, and 2,382,000 viewers are watching them.
Influencer Marketing Hub can give you an indication of the media value of any Twitch channel along with the likely cost of buying a sponsorship for that channel. These values weigh up numerous factors but effectively indicate the level of influence of the chosen Twitch channel. The tools below are not official Twitch tools and are not in any way associated with or endorsed by Twitch.
The Influencer Marketing Hub developed this tool to provide media value-earning potential guidelines to Twitch streamers and brands considering working with them. Below is an estimation of the highest-paid Twitch Streamers followed by our Twitch Money Calculator.
Estimated Media Value by Channel
How Much do Twitch Streamers Make?
- How Much do Twitch Streamers Make?
- What Is Twitch Money Calculator?
- How to Use the Twitch Money Calculator?
- Can You Make Money On Twitch?
- How to Make Money on Twitch: Sources of Income for Twitch Streamers
- Estimated Earnings of the Top Twitch Streamer
- How to Build an Audience on Twitch?
- Wrapping Up
- Frequently Asked Questions
What Is Twitch Money Calculator?
Twitch Money Calculator is a tool that calculates the estimated earnings of a Twitch channel. Our tool uses the daily video views and average engagement rate of Twitch channels to calculate how much they are earning.
Besides the estimated media value, our calculator also estimates your monthly and yearly media value. You can also measure the estimated media value of your channel by pasting its name into our calculator. The calculator will import your total number of subscribers and total video views to calculate the total estimated media value and average media value per video.
How to Use the Twitch Money Calculator?
There are two ways to use the Twitch Money Calculator. The first is to import the Twitch user channel name and let our calculator do the rest.
The second method is to move the scale to enter your daily views. The calculator will measure your channel's engagement rate and calculate the estimated media value accordingly.
For example, Alan Ferreira is a Twitch gamer with 7.2 million followers. We put his channel's name, Alanzoka, into our calculator, and his average media value per video came to be $2,500.
Twitch money calculator example
Now, let's try the second method. Suppose your channel gets 30,000 views per day. In that case, your average engagement rate is 50%, and the estimated media value is $38 to $64. You can make anywhere between $1,160 to $1,900 per month or $14,100 to $23,500 per year.
Twitch money calculator example
Note that these are just estimates, and the actual earnings may vary based on factors such as sponsorships and donations. Some gamers also land huge brand deals that can bring them millions of dollars per year in revenue.
Can You Make Money On Twitch?
Twitch is an extremely lucrative source of income for the top streamers. Many of the top Twitch streamers are also talented professional e-sport players, too, and the combination makes them powerful influencers to their gaming/viewing fans.
It is estimated that the top 5 Twitch streamers gross over $35 million between them.
It is important to remember these are not your stereotypical gaming bums who spend all day playing games and never find a job. They may look like the stereotype, but in reality, they are shrewd business people, who have found a way to maximize the potential of their gaming talents.
However, Twitch streamers are more than just gamers. They are entertainers. The commentaries and conversations are more critical to the viewers than any natural gaming ability. You don’t have to win every game to be a successful Twitch streamer. The fans come to the Twitch channels for the entertainment experience. Moreover, they pay for what they like.
How to Make Money on Twitch: Sources of Income for Twitch Streamers
There are many ways to make money on Twitch. While some are in-platform revenue streams, others require streamers to use external platforms or opportunities. Here are some popular ways to make money on Twitch.
Become a Twitch Affiliate
The Twitch Affiliate Program is the platform's basic revenue-sharing program that lets creators monetize their channels. Once you meet the eligibility criteria, Twitch will reach out to you to become an affiliate. Here are the requirements for the affiliate program:
- Have 50 followers
- Stream for 8 hours
- Stream on 7 different days
- Get 3 viewers on average
You can track your progress toward fulfilling these requirements through the Achievements section of your Creator Dashboard. Once you reach all these goals, you’ll get a Twitch notification or an email with an invite to join the affiliate program. It won’t happen overnight, though. It usually takes some days after you become eligible to get the notification.
There are two ways to make money through the affiliate program: Twitch subscriptions and Twitch bits. The former lets viewers subscribe to a channel for a minimum monthly fee of $4.99, while the latter is Twitch's currency used for tipping creators during live streams. The table shows some dos and don’ts of making money through the affiliate program.
Dos | Don’ts |
Acknowledge viewers when they support you with subs or Cheers. You can do this through verbal ‘’thank yous’’ or visual alerts. | Don’t over-monetize your stream since it may result in your viewers feeling disengaged. |
Give your subscribers something in return for their support. For example, you can give them a shoutout or set a day in the week to play games with them on stream. | Don’t make your viewers feel guilty for not using Bits or subscribing to your channel. |
Set goals for your stream. Work with your community to hit the subs or Bits goals. | Don’t forget to let your subscribers and general viewers know you’re grateful for their support. |
Twitch Subscription Revenue
Twitch Affiliates and Partners can earn a portion of the money people pay to subscribe to their channels. Affiliates can provide their subscribers with a single Sub Emote to use in the chat room. However, Twitch Partners can unlock up to 60 Sub Emotes to act as an incentive for people to subscribe at the higher levels.
Viewers can opt for one of three subscription levels - $4.99, $9.99, or $24.99. The streamer and Twitch share the subscription income, initially with a 50:50 split. Large broadcasters often receive a higher percentage of the subscription revenue, however, up to 100% in some cases.
There are two types of subscriptions:
- Regular Subscriptions: These are the standard subscriptions that viewers can purchase to support a channel. They automatically renew every month until the viewer cancels their subscription. As mentioned, there are three tiers to choose from, and the viewers can change their subscription level at any time.
- Gift Subscriptions: A gifted subscription is when someone purchases a one-month subscription and gifts it to your channel. Gift subscriptions do not renew automatically, so the recipient will need to manually renew their subscription if they wish to continue supporting the channel.
Your viewers who have an Amazon Prime subscription also get access to Prime Gaming. It's a Prime incentive in which the account holder gets one free channel subscription per month. Prime Gaming members can gift you this subscription. Note that Prime subscription is set on a non-recurring basis, so you'll have to remind your Prime subscribers to renew the subscription every month.
One of the most significant benefits of subscriptions to streamers is that it provides them with a recurring income. They will continue to receive their share of a subscription payment until the subscriber actively cancels the subscription.
Successful streamers can make $3,000 to $5,000 per month from their subscribers, with the top broadcasters earning substantially more.
Twitch Bits and Cheers
Bits are Twitch’s virtual currency. Channel subscriber can buy Bits and redeem them for a range of emotes they can use to Cheer in their favorite streamers’ chatrooms. There is a range of animated emoji (called Bit gems and Cheermotes), worth varying amounts of bits.
These range from a small gray Bit gem worth one bit, up to large red highly animated star Bit gems worth 10,000 bits each. Cheermotes are slightly different, as individual streamers customize these. However, they primarily work the same way.
Whenever a fan uses a Bit gem or Cheermote, Twitch pays the broadcaster at the rate of one cent per Bit. People watching you can also use Bits in certain extensions of your Twitch channel’s page. When your audience uses Bits through these Twitch extensions, you'll earn 80% of $0.01 for each Bit, while the extension developer receives the remaining 20%.
Bits offer a more secure alternative to third-party donation methods, as they protect streamers from chargebacks and other payment issues. Since everything is managed within Twitch, there is less room for fraudulent activity or payment disputes. Plus, Bits are a great way to engage with your audience during streams as they can be used in chat to trigger effects and animations.
Advertising Revenue: Become a Twitch Partner
The Twitch Partner Program is another in-platform option for streamers to earn revenue. However, it's available to streamers with a more established audience. Unlike the affiliate program, you have to apply to become a partner. Once accepted, partners have access to more monetization options, such as running ads during your streams.
While the eligibility guidelines aren't super clear, one thing is for sure: Twitch wants a dedicated and engaged community on your channel. They also want to see consistent streaming schedules, a healthy chat, and original content.
You also have to complete the following milestones:
- Stream for 25 hours
- Get 75 viewers on average
- Stream on 12 different days
Since Twitch Partners earn through ads on their streams, it's imperative to have a large viewership. There's no set amount you earn for every 1,000 viewers. However, in a Quora answer, a Twitch streamer said that you get $3.50 per 1,000 ad views. So, if you don't get even 1,000 views per stream, running ads might not be worth it.
The amount you earn for ads mainly depends on two things: cost per mile (CPM) and ad types. Twitch calculates the ad revenue based on CPM, which is the cost an advertiser pays for 1,000 ad views. On average, the CPM can be between $1 and $10 for Twitch ads. However, the rates are variable and can fluctuate depending on your channel and Twitch's ad inventory.
CPM prices are highly seasonal, and the CPM price can vary significantly at different times of the year, from $2 to $10 per 10000 views. June, October, November, and December are the months when advertisers pay the most for advertising spots.
Secondly, Twitch has several ad types, such as pre-rolls, mid-rolls, and overlay or display ads. The earnings for all these ad types differ.
Twitch ads operate in a similar way to those on YouTube. However, only Twitch Partners can share in the revenue from the ads. The ads on Twitch generate approximately $231.8 million in revenue on average, making it very lucrative for those with millions of followers.
One thing that has reduced ad income of late has been the rise in ad blocking. However, streamers do often ask their fans to turn off Ad Block to help them.
Advertising rates differ for each streamer. Twitch drafts an individualized contract with each partnered streamer defining their personal rates and rewards. It also includes a confidentiality clause, making it difficult to establish the exact amounts that streamers earn from advertising.
Accept Donations
If you're a beginner and aren't eligible to set up subscription tiers, you can still get donations through third-party platforms. For example, you can use PayPal or a donation platform like Streamlabs or Streaming Elements to accept donations. Add a donation button or link to your Twitch channel, and your viewers can contribute any amount they wish to support you.
As a creator, you can also use donations to raise money for charity or a specific cause. Many Twitch streamers have used their platform to raise awareness and funds for various charities. A good example is when five of the most popular streamers on the platform raised money for a video game distraction therapy center.
Asmongold, Mizkif, Esfand, Nmp, and Rich Campbell ran a stream together to raise over $600,000 in just a few hours for Games for Love, a therapy center for terminally ill children. These creators further engaged 37 more influencers, who ran further campaigns to raise about $2 million for the same cause.
Set Up a Patreon Account
Artists all around the world use Patreon to be financially supported by their fans and followers. Over 8 million monthly active supporters use the platform to fund their favorite creators.
Twitch streamers can also use Patreon to give their fans the option to pledge monthly support. The platform allows creators to set up different tiers of rewards for their patrons based on the amount they pledge. For example, for a $5 per month pledge, you can give your fans a shoutout in the streams. For higher tiers, you can offer exclusive content, personalized merchandise, multi-player gaming, or even one-on-one video calls.
Add Affiliate Links to Your Profile
Like every other platform, you can also use Twitch to earn affiliate marketing income. In our guide on affiliate marketing strategies, we discuss the process of earning income through commission from promoting products or services in detail.
To put it concisely, you need to apply to high-paying affiliate programs like Amazon Associates or ClickBank and then get your unique tracking links. Then, you can place these links in your Twitch profile and earn a percentage of the sale when your subscribers buy products through those links. You can also place affiliate links in Twitch chat.
However, don't add random affiliate links. Instead, find products that your audience will be interested in. For example, you can add affiliate links for your gaming gear or the games you frequently play in your streams.
Alixxa, a Twitch streamer with over 470k followers, uses this method to diversify her income. She has added affiliate links to energy drinks and other items in her About section. You can take notes from her approach and apply it to your channel.
Sell Games and In-Game Items on Twitch
Although the direct sale of games and in-game items was initially limited to Twitch Partners, it has more recently been expanded to include Twitch Affiliates. Both Affiliates and Partners can earn a 5% share of the revenue from purchases that originate from their channel page.
When a broadcaster streams a game that is available on Twitch, an offer to buy the game or in-game items automatically appears on the channel page in an area just below the video window. Whenever one of the viewers takes up the offer, the streamer gets paid 5% of the purchase amount.
Sell Your Merchandise
Once you have a somewhat loyal and engaged following, you can think of selling merchandise like branded t-shirts, hoodies, accessories, or even limited edition items. Your fans will likely flock to purchase your trendy gear.
But what should you offer as merch? Terrestrial, a Twitch streamer, says,
''I think if you have a cool design, or you have something in mind, and you can somehow get it to your community, you should just go ahead and offer it.''
The interesting thing about Terrestrial is that she only has 10k followers. Many streamers won't even think about selling merchandise until they have hundreds of thousands of followers.
However, there's no right time to start. Terrestrial started selling her merch when she only had 10 viewers per stream. Since then, merch sales have become a big part of her monthly income.
A good example of a Twitch streamer who has made it big with merch sales is Pokimane. As one of the largest streamers, she has a ton of followers who buy her branded apparel called Pokimerch. Just make sure the items you create have the same theme and tone as your channel.
After you've created your merch, you can promote it on your channel by wearing and showcasing it during streams. You can also put a link to your merch website in the About section of your Twitch profile.
Get Brand Sponsorships or Partnerships
If you really want the big bucks, you should be aiming for brand sponsorships or partnerships. Besides gaming brands, Twitch streamers have also been securing deals with non-gaming brands like energy drink companies and clothing brands.
For example, Alanzoka, the Twitch streamer whose income we calculated earlier with our calculator, gets branded deals from some of the top companies, including Elgato. The company reached out to him to promote their Elgato Stream Deck, a device that helps streamers control their content on Twitch with the press of a button.
Similarly, Ninja, the most popular Twitch streamer, has collaborated with big brands like G Fuel. He worked with the company to launch their new drink, which resulted in a massive boom in the drink's Google searches in the US.
Brand partnerships can earn you handsome amounts of money, but they are not just handed out to anyone. You need to have a significant following and audience engagement for companies to consider partnering with you. But once you get there, you're looking at hundreds of thousands, if not millions, per campaign.
Pro Tip
Join Twitch influencer marketing platforms to connect with brands and increase your chances of getting sponsorships or partnerships.
Provide Coaching Services
When you stream on Twitch, there's a reason people watch you for hours. They know you're good at what you're doing, and they enjoy your content. So why not use their existing trust in your skill and expertise to your advantage?
Many Twitch streamers offer coaching services to their audience for games in which they excel. For example, if you're a top-level player in a popular game like Fortnite or Stardew Valley, you can offer coaching services to aspiring players who want to improve their skills.
You may charge an hourly rate for your coaching services and even offer different packages depending on the level of support required. Gaming is not the only service you can provide coaching for. Many Twitch streamers offer tutorials and classes on different topics like:
- Building a Twitch community
- Merch design
- Graphic design
- Video editing
- Streaming equipment setup
- Growing a social media presence
Whatever you're good at, you can provide coaching for it.
Set Up a YouTube Channel
Many Twitch streamers also have a YouTube channel where they post highlights of their streams, behind-the-scenes content, vlogs, and other videos related to gaming or their personal life. A YouTube channel helps in two ways:
- Increases your reach
- Offers a second revenue stream
You can even upload all your streams to the platform; the more views you get, the higher you earn from YouTube's Partner Program. Check out our guide to learn how to create a YouTube strategy for success.
Win Prize Money
Although much of the appeal of Twitch streaming is the entertaining commentaries from the streamers, many of the broadcasters are highly skillful players. Some of them play in profession e-sports leagues. E-Sports are enormous and even enjoy dedicated television channels.
These broadcasters can make good money from winning their championship games, over and above the money, they earn from their Twitch streams.
Kuro "KuroKy" Takhasomi has a reasonable following on Twitch with 13.8K followers, although this is much smaller than the top streamers who have millions of followers. He probably doesn’t make an enormous amount of money from the regular Twitch income-earning methods.
However, as captain and support player at Team Liquid Dota 2, he performed very well in e-Sports Championships. Indeed he had the highest overall earnings from e-Sports playing - $4,097,926.95. Over half of this ($2,172,536.60) came from winning The International (TI7) in 2017.
KuroKy has won 37 gaming tournaments, been runner-up in 13 tournaments, and made it to 3rd place or semis in a further 18 tournaments over the last decade. He is considered a top five Dota player of all time.
Estimated Earnings of the Top Twitch Streamer
Top-tier streamers on Twitch make around $100,000 to $200,000 per month, depending on their subscriber count. These top streamers earn money through subscribers, sponsorships, donations, and ad revenue. Ninja, for example, reportedly makes around $500,000 per month from his Twitch streams alone.
However, these numbers are not set in stone and can vary greatly depending on the individual and their audience engagement. For example, xQc, aka Felix Lengyel, a popular Twitch streamer, made over $300,000 per month from Twitch.
He got roughly 70k viewers per stream, but a large portion of his income came from donations and advertisements, too. Plus, he has a YouTube account, from which he makes about $100,000 per month. However, his biggest deal came from Kick, Twitch's rival company, which offered him a 100-million deal to stream exclusively on their platform.
However, not every streamer is as big a star as Felix. Even with 1,000 subscribers, you can expect to make good money per month. For example, Ashni Christ, a streamer with 1,000 subscribers, reported earning around $10,000 from the platform.
The Twitch channel with the most followers is that of Ninja, aka Richard "Tyler" Blevins, who currently has nearly 18.5 million followers. He plays and streams the incredibly popular Fortnite game.
There is an estimation on how much money Ninja makes from the various types of Twitch income sources. They calculate that Ninja has a yearly estimated revenue of $5,417,447, made up of:
- Subscription - $3,955,571
- Ad - $509,521
- Bit Donations - $316,354.92
- Average Sponsorship - $600,000
- Average Estimated YouTube Compensation - $36,000
These numbers may overestimate his earnings, however. Twitchstats suggest he “only” earned $19,577.10 from Bit Donations last September, and there were months when he earned less than $10,000.
Regardless of the exact amount, it is likely that Ninja is financially very comfortable, just from playing games, and talking as he plays.
How to Build an Audience on Twitch?
Once you've created your Twitch account and set up your streaming equipment, the next step is to build an audience. Here are some helpful tips.
Select Your Niche
First, choose your niche. For most people, it's gaming. But select the kind of games you'll play, such as first-person shooters or strategy games. For example, Ninja is known for playing Fortnite, and Nickmercs plays Apex Legends and Fortnite. When you limit yourself to a specific gaming niche, it becomes easier to attract and retain a concentrated audience.
Check out our guide on the most viewed games on Twitch to help you narrow down your options.
Aim to Provide Value
Many streamers play and chat simultaneously. But don't just ramble; instead, aim to provide your viewers with value. You can do this by sharing tips and strategies for the game you are playing, engaging in discussions about the latest gaming news, or simply being entertaining and relatable.
Build a Personal Brand
When you choose a game, you won't be the only one playing it. There are hundreds of others. Why should people watch you, then? For most top streamers, the answer lies in their personal brand. They've built a unique and engaging personality that keeps their viewers coming back for more.
For example, Terrestrial has a cutesy and bubbly persona, while Shroud is known for his laid-back and confident demeanor. Find what makes you stand out and incorporate it into your streaming persona. Our guide on personal branding can help.
Upgrade Your Streaming Setup
There's nothing wrong with starting with a simple setup. But as you grow, you should invest in your streaming setup. A high-quality webcam, mic, aesthetic background, and lighting can give your audience an awesome experience. You should also upgrade your internet speed to prevent lag or buffering issues during your stream.
Promote Your Streams
If you already have a social media presence, promote your streams there. You can also ask your friends and family to spread the word about your streams. Some streamers also take clips of their streams and upload them to TikTok and Shorts to use the viral potential of short-form video content.
Where do you guys promote yourselfves?
byu/Fairy2play inTwitch
Twitch also offers free promotions to select partners to promote their channels. Of the eligible partners, the platform selects random live streams to promote. The platform plans to expand promotions in the future.
Engage With Your Community
Regardless of the platform, community engagement is a must-have to grow your presence. Chat with your viewers, ask for their feedback, give them shoutouts, and be interactive. When you get subscribers, acknowledge them and thank them for their support. You can also use relevant Twitch tools and plugins, such as Sound Alert, to make your stream more interactive, such as
Stay Consistent
You won't get to Ninja-level popularity overnight. Stay consistent, and you'll see results. It's best to set up a schedule and stream according to it.
Wrapping Up
Over the years, streamers have had their share of qualms with copyright issues and inconsistent pay-outs. However, the platform has made significant strides in these areas by introducing new features, such as Twitch Affiliate Program and Twitch Prime Subscriptions.
Now, there are many ways for streamers to get paid on the platform. As you diversify your income streams and increase your audience size, you can expect to earn a decent living. Our Twitch Money Calculator can help you estimate your potential earnings during different stages of growth.
To really make the most out of Twitch, keep your community engaged and create a name for yourself in a niche. This will bring big brands who want to capitalize on your fan-following to promote their products. In return, you can earn six figures every month!
Frequently Asked Questions
How can you make money on Twitch?
Twitch streamers can make money through a combination of affiliate links, selling customized merchandise, donations, sponsorship, and tournament winnings. All these forms are available to all Twitch streamers, but to make money using these tactics you need to have access to a reasonable audience or be an exceptionally skilled gamer.
How to grow your Twitch audience?
Here are some ways to grow your Twitch audience:
- Promote your stream on social media platforms
- Collaborate with other streamers and cross-promote each other's content
- Host giveaways and contests
- Host community days
- Attend gaming events and network with other streamers
- Engage with your audience during streams and on social media platforms
Is Twitch only for gaming?
While Twitch is primarily known for gaming, it has also expanded to include non-gaming content such as art, music, design, talk shows, and even cooking streams. Creators from different niches can now stream on the platform and build an audience.
Is Twitch payout monthly?
Twitch pays streamers on or around the 15th of the month. For most payout methods, you need to have at least $50 in your balance for a payout to be made. If you don't reach this threshold, you can wait until the next month when your balance carries over.
Who pays more, Twitch or YouTube?
YouTube generally has more ad revenue opportunities than Twitch, but Twitch offers more direct ways for streamers to earn money through subscriptions and donations. On Twitch, you have to be a huge creator to make a ton of money. On the other hand, smaller YouTubers can make a decent living from their ad revenue alone.
How many followers do you need to make money on Twitch?
You should have at least 50 followers to become a Twitch affiliate, which allows you to start earning through subscriptions, bits, and game sales. However, it takes a much larger audience to make significant income on Twitch.
How do I become a Twitch Affiliate?
There are four criteria that you must meet to become a Twitch Affiliate. Firstly, you have to stream for at least 500 minutes in the last 30 days. Secondly, you must stream on at least seven days in the last 30 days. Thirdly, you must receive an average of three concurrent viewers per stream. Lastly, you must have grown your audience to 50 followers. Twitch will automatically invite you to become an Affiliate if you meet these four criteria.
How much money does the top Twitch streamer make?
At the time of writing this article, Ninja (aka Richard “Tyler” Blevins) has the Twitch channel with the most followers. He has almost 12 million followers who follow how he streams himself playing the popular Fortnite game. It is estimated, according to Mediakix, that his revenue per year is $5,417,447. Most of this he made from subscription, followed by Ad ($509,521), and Bit Donations ($316,354,92). Though, Twitchstats suggested that he earned only $19,577.10 from Bit Donations.
How does Twitch’s subscription revenue work?
Twitch Partner and Affiliates can earn a portion of the money that people pay to subscribe to their channels. There are three subscription levels available to viewers: $4.99, $9.99 and $24.99. Initially, the streamer and Twitch will share the subscription income equally. Though, bigger broadcasters often get a higher percentage of the subscription revenue. In some instances, they might even receive the entire amount. A streamer will continue to receive this share till the subscriber actively cancels his/her subscription.
How can I work out the media value earning potential of Twitch?
Influencer Marketing Hub has designed a tool to give you an indication of the media value of any Twitch channel and the likely cost of buying a sponsorship for that channel. It weighs up several factors such as the number of total subscribers, number of total video views, average media value and total estimated media value. It is not an official Twitch tool and is not associated or endorsed by Twitch.
