Twitch is a live streaming service for gamers that was bought by Amazon in 2014 for $970 million. Since then, it has become one of the top streaming platforms, with over 100 million active users. Twitch offers two methods to generate money streaming on the site: as an affiliate or a partner.
Making money on Twitch may be quite profitable with both affiliates and partner programs. So, which is better?
The Difference Between Affiliate and Partner on Twitch
To be an affiliate on Twitch, you need to agree to the twitch affiliate agreement and have at least 50 followers, and have streamed for eight total days. Once you meet those qualifications, you can apply to the program.
If accepted, you’ll be able to run occasional ads and unlock some other features like twitch bits donations and sub buttons (which let viewers support you financially). You make a cut of the revenue from any ads that run during your streams, as well as any bits donated.
The twitch affiliate program makes a lot of sense for smaller streamers to get that subscription revenue and slowly make their way to the twitch partner program.
The partner program is more exclusive for content creators. You need to have an average of three viewers per stream and stream at least 25 hours in the past month to apply. If you’re accepted, you get all of the features available to affiliates, plus a few more.
For example, you can run ads more frequently, have your streams featured on the Twitch homepage, and get a share of the revenue from monthly subscriptions to Twitch Prime (which viewers use to support their favorite streamers). You also get a cut of the revenue from any emotes you sell.
Twitch Affiliate vs Partner Payout Key Minimum Requirements
The distinctions between Twitch affiliates and partners begin with the various requirements for each program. You must meet the following conditions to become a Twitch partner in the previous 30 days:
- Concurrent viewership of 75 viewers
- Stream at least 12 different times
- Have at least 25 hours of streaming.
Becoming a Twitch affiliate is a bit different. The requirements for this, also over the last 30 days are:
- Minimum of 500 total minutes broadcast
- Minimum of seven unique broadcast days
- Average of three concurrent viewers
- At least 50 followers.
Twitch Affiliate Program vs Partner Payout Benefits
Now that we’ve gone over the requirements, let’s take a look at what you can expect in return for being a Twitch partner or Twitch affiliate.
Many top streamers are making over 7 figures streaming video games on their twitch channel. Most of these top twitch streamers have partner status and are qualified streamers.
Twitch Affiliate Program Benefits And Cons
There are a few key benefits that differentiate Twitch affiliates from partners. The first is that by being a partner, you unlock the ability to run ads more frequently than an affiliate.
You also get featured on the homepage, which can help considerably with getting new viewers. And as we talked about before, you get a share of the revenue from monthly subscriptions to Twitch Prime.
Twitch Affiliates Receive Additional Perks. You get 14 days of VOD storage as an affiliate. This implies that if one of your viewers misses your broadcast, they may go back and replay it at their leisure.
If you’re a Twitch Prime member, you get even more VOD storage! Affiliates can set polls and provide channel point incentives to keep their viewers engaged.
Twitch Partnership Program Benefits And Cons
In addition to the benefits that affiliates get, partners also get a cut of the revenue from any emotes they sell. Emotes are little images that viewers can use in the chat to express themselves, and they’re a big part of the Twitch experience.
Partners also have access to exclusive partner-only events, like meet-and-greets and other activities.
Partners get access to all Transcode features, up to 60 days of VOD storage, up to 60 emotes, stream delay alternatives, and squad streaming.
You can get a self-service emote tool, form stream teams, and full access to customer service.
Twitch Affiliate vs Partner Payout Programs
Now that we’ve gone over the benefits of being a Twitch affiliate or partner, let’s talk about payouts.
When it comes to ad revenue, both affiliates and partners make up 50% of the total revenue share. So, if an ad generates $100 in revenue, the affiliate or partner would get $50.
As a Twitch Partner, you may make money by selling ad space on your channel. In certain ways, it is.
However, this number can fluctuate considerably depending on things like how many individuals see your channel (and thus the ads) and whether or not they use Adblock.
Twitch Affiliate accounts have a minimum payout threshold of 100$ and make the first 40 or so subs a hard beginning to your streaming journey.
Twitch Affiliate vs Partner Revenue
As an affiliate, you can earn revenue from Twitch through Bits and ads. With Bits, you’ll receive 1 cent per Bit used to Cheer in your channel—just like our Partners do. Everything but Partner Custom Cheermotes will be accessible to you.
In addition to generating income from video ads played on your channel, you’ll also have the opportunity to insert commercial breaks before and after live streams, as well as during any natural pauses.
An affiliate is eligible for payout once the pre-taxed accrued revenue balance reaches $100.
On Twitch, partners receive money from channel subscriptions and emote as well as Bits and advertising.
Partners also get revenue from subscription fees and emojis, in addition to Bits and advertising. The platform now has a 50/50 partner split in revenue.
As a reference, YouTube channel, which gives 70/30 to creators, or Facebook, which announced an increase to 100%.
Conclusion
Both the affiliate and partner system has a lot to offer streamers. If you’re just starting out on the twitch platform, the affiliate program is a great way to dip your toes in the water with your monetization options.
Once you’ve grown your channel and built up a solid viewer base, you can then apply to be a partner.
The partner program is the best option at the end of the day. Partner Program will help full-time twitch streamers increase twitch subscriptions and earn a lot of money from those new subs.
Expert streamers have channel customization that gives viewers an experience and you will find that the top tier of streamers has many revenue streams including third-party sponsors.
FAQ
What is the difference between twitch affiliate vs partner payout?
The main difference between twitch affiliate vs partner payout is that affiliates make 50% of the revenue from ads, while partners make 70%. In addition, partners also get a cut of the revenue from any emotes they sell.
Do Twitch partners get paid more than affiliates?
Yes, Twitch partners do get paid more than affiliates. In addition to the 50% revenue from ads, they also get a cut of the revenue from any emotes they sell and have access to exclusive partner-only events.
When do Twitch affiliates get paid?
Twitch affiliates with a balance of $100 or more will be paid out within 15 days after the end of the month.
What is the minimum payout for Twitch affiliates?
The minimum payout for Twitch affiliates is $100. Once an affiliate has accrued $100 in revenue, they will be eligible for payout. However, this number can fluctuate considerably depending on things like how many individuals see your channel (and thus the ads) and whether or not they use Adblock.
Does Twitch take 50% from partners?
The Twitch Partnerships pay out a 50% cut to streamers. The remaining half is kept by Twitch. There are also monthly payments of $9.99 and $24.99 per month, each with a separate payment structure.
How much money do 10k subs make on Twitch?
As a Twitch streamer, you can expect to earn around $3 per view. This means that if you have 10,000 subscribers on Twitch, you could earn up to $30,000 minus taxes. The exact percentage that Twitch takes from your earnings will depend on your status as a streamer, but it is typically 50%.
