How much do Twitch streamers make?
Twitch has grown to be a pretty popular gaming platform at this point, and if you’ve got stars in your eyes when it comes to Twitch, you might be feeling like you can make a lot of money on it.
The good news is that there are a lot of Twitch gamers out there do make a decent amount of money from their live streams, but there are also those that don’t.
In this article, we are going to find out how much Twitch streamers make, and whether you are slated to be a Twitch streamer that can make a lot of money, or whether you are going to earn an average amount of money with your live streams in the future.
Depending on sponsorships and popularity, most full-time Twitch streamers make between $3000, and $6500 per month.
If you are a smaller Twitch streamer, 76% said that they were yet to reach Twitch’s $100 minimum payout threshold. This means that the average Twitch streamer out there makes between $25 and $130 a month.
Twitch streamers that are in the top 100 on the gaming site make a minimum of $32,000 a month, and they do this through donations, subscribers, and ads.
Streamers in the top 1000 on the gaming site make a minimum of $7000 a month, and streamers in the top 10,000 on the gaming site make a minimum of $900 a month.
How Much Does a Small Twitch Streamer Make?
What’s really interesting is that 72.8% of smaller streamers are yet to earn any money from their Twitch live streams. Even those that are making money, the vast majority of them are earning less than $100 a month.
The ways that you can earn money from Twitch is through subscriptions, ads, and donations. Most streamers receive subscriptions, which comprise 5 to 15% of their total viewers.
Obviously, Twitch has a number of different ways to make money, but when it comes to a smaller Twitch streamer, they tend to make most of their money through Twitch subscriptions.
Twitch donations and bits to PayPal are the next two most common revenue generators, because at the end of the day, the majority of streamers on Twitch don’t have a big enough following to make money through affiliate programs, sponsorships, or merchandise.
As far as a streamer’s first Twitch payment, this is usually between $100, and $150, because Twitch has a $100 threshold that you need to make before they are going to pay you anything.
Generally speaking, it is going to take longer to receive your first Twitch payment than it is going to take to receive future payments.
From first payment, the average Twitch streamer is going to typically begin earning between $100, and $1000 until they make partner.
Active partners are going to typically earn a minimum of $500, depending on the size of their community, and the content they put out there.
Of course, if you are a smaller Twitch streamer, you are going to make less money, but there are a lot of smaller Twitch streamers out there that don’t have the goal of turning their Twitch live streams into a career, and as a result, money isn’t always the main motivator for their content.
In a survey, 64% of respondents said that they only plan on streaming as a hobby, and don’t plan on making a career out of it.
How Much do Twitch Streamers Make: Twitch Payout Explained
The stark reality of Twitch live streaming is that most streamers don’t get a payout for a number of months after making it to Twitch Affiliate.
As we’ve already mentioned, the minimum amount for a payout from Twitch is $100.
You have to factor into this a 50% cut that is going to go to Twitch, which means that a Twitch streamer would have to earn 40 total subscribers before they are able to cash out on their earnings.
As a general rule, Twitch partners tend to earn more than affiliates.
Many bigger streamers have custom deals, where they are able to increase their percentage.
There are three tiers when it comes to Twitch partners, and the first tier is split 50/50, while the second tier is split 60/40, and the third tier is split 70/30.
Of course, there are exceptions to this rule, but generally speaking, those who have reached Twitch partner status have higher entertainment value, as well as a bigger viewer base than affiliates.
With strong communities like this, partners are typically able to obtain a higher monthly payout from the popular gaming network.
How Much do Twitch Streamers Make per Ad?
Twitch partners can earn roughly around $250 a month for 100 subscribers, and affiliates aren’t going to earn as much.
This amount depends on how many viewers are watching the live channel, as well as how many of them are blocking ads when they are watching live streams on Twitch.
Twitch Subs vs. Twitch Bits
Twitch bits is considered tipping, because bits can be donated at any time, and for any amount.
Subscriptions on the other hand are paid once a month and are considered a much more reliable payment amount for a Twitch streamer.
Of course, some subscriptions are going to be cancelled, and Twitch Prime is going to expire, but a lot of people will subscribe and let it continue throughout the career of a Twitch streamer.
How Much Do Twitch Streamers Make per Bit?
When it comes to tips on Twitch, streamers make .01 per bit – if they are in America.
If the streamer doesn’t live in America, they are going to be paid the equivalent in their currency, based on the current transitional value.
Is a Twitch Bit Worth More than a Sub?
If you compare dollar-for-dollar when it comes to what the viewer is spending their money on, a streamer is going to earn more money through Twitch bits, compared to Subs.
As an example, the viewer can subscribe to a channel for four months, for $20. The streamer is going to take home half of this amount, which is $10.
Another viewer can buy 1500 bits for $20, which is going to be worth $15 to the streamer.
However, this being said, multiple subscriptions are going to unlock emotes slots for the streamer, which does end up making their channel more appealing to new Subs over time.
This means that helping somebody build their community can be a lot more valuable to a streamer when they are just starting out.
Twitch Payout Fees
Twitch doesn’t charge users payout fees, but there’s going to be a small process fee taken from your payment that goes to a third party that manages the payouts.
Of course, you also have to think about paying taxes on what you earn through your Twitch live streams as well.
How Much does Twitch Get from Donations?
When it comes to subscriptions, Twitch is going to take 50% of the subscription.
There are some high-end Twitch partners out there that get to keep 70%, but this deal is going to vary between live streamers.
As far as donations go, donations that have been made through third party companies, 100% of the donation gets to be kept by the streamer.
FAQs
How Much do Smaller Streamers Make?
Before you are able to reach the status of Twitch affiliate, your account isn’t going to make a lot of money.
This is because you can’t earn through bits or subscriptions, so you will need to be able to monetize your live stream through a third-party program, and of course this third party is going to take a cut of your earnings.
A lot of viewers are also less likely to support a streamer through a third party because using subscriptions or bits on Twitch is just a lot easier.
One of the things that holds a streamer back from achieving affiliate status is their current viewership.
With not as many views and no direct way to donate, most affiliates struggle to receive donations.
Of course, there are anomalies, especially when somebody like Mr. Beast visits a small streamer’s live stream, but don’t think that you can start making a profit until you have been able to achieve affiliate status.
How Does Twitch Pay You?
If you want to be able to get paid by Twitch, you need to enter your tax information onto the website, and also agree to the Twitch affiliate terms and conditions.
When you have earned $100 or more, Twitch is going to pay you either through wire transfer, PayPal, check, or direct deposit.
You also have the choice of holding the payments until you are ready to receive them.
How Many Twitch Followers do you Need to Make Money?
There is no golden number when it comes to how many followers you need to start making money from a livestream on Twitch, because the real answer lies in concurrent viewers.
This means that if you have an average of 15 to 20 viewers for the duration of your stream, it is pretty common to pick up one to two new Subs, as well as a few bits each time you live stream.
As your channel continues to increase, these Subs are going to add up, and eventually, you’ll be able to start making a pretty reasonable side income.
Do People Donate Bits or Sub?
Bits tend to be more common early on in the career of a streamer, because they don’t have the barrier of entry as a subscription.
Viewers can give smaller amounts, with the most popular donation being 100 bits.
It isn’t unheard of for a new streamer to receive 50% of their first earnings from bits, but this percentage is going to decrease as the channel grows.
Once you have built your community, and you have recurring Subs, as well as regular viewers, this is going to become your main source of income.
How Does Twitch Make Money?
Twitch makes most of its money through advertising through affiliate channels, and through revenue from subscriptions and bit sales.
Can You Make a Living on Twitch?
With the correct branding, dedication, high entertainment value, and a bit of luck, you can definitely earn a living on Twitch.
Of course, this isn’t going to be as easy as just turning on your computer, and pressing the ‘go live’ button, because you need to find creative ways to attract people to your live streams, and work with sponsors.
Final Thoughts
Do you still have stars in your eyes? If you do, then more power to you.
The reality is that you can definitely end up making a living on Twitch if this is your end goal, but you can also see how much Twitch streamers make and that it is a long hard road and you have to put in a lot of work initially to make the cut.
The vast majority of people who live stream on Twitch don’t end up making the kind of money that they had hoped for, and there are also a lot of people on Twitch that just want to do it for the fun of it.
However, this certainly doesn’t mean that you can’t turn your Twitch live streams into a serious side or main income at some point, you’ve just got to know that you will need to put quite a lot of work into it in the beginning.
Hope that now you know the answer to how much do Twitch streamers make.
