What is Twitch? Founded in 2011, Twitch is a digital media streaming platform that is open and accessible to anyone. It was originally used primarily by gamers but is now home to virtually any type of content you can imagine. If it can be streamed from concerts to talk shows, podcasts to contests, chances are there is a dedicated Twitch channel. Celebrities have adopted the platform, with notable actors and musicians like Terry Crews and Snoop Dog carrying hundreds of thousands of followers on their Twitch Channel.
Purchased in 2014 by Amazon for $1 billion, Twitch has grown into one of the highest internet traffic sources in the US. By 2024, it is estimated that there will be over 50 million Twitch users. Twitch is easily accessible from several platforms, including iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and even smaller devices like the Amazon Fire Stick.
Since Amazon acquired Twitch, new products like Amazon Luna have made the platform accessible to gamers who cannot afford to build powerful gaming PCs and in-house production studios with expensive gear. While other types of content creators can create a Twitch account and begin streaming instantly with little to no equipment.
Whether you are a musician, gamer, artist, comedian, or content creator, Twitch can help you reach an entirely new audience and monetize your work. With the platform’s growing popularity among viewers and streamers alike, becoming a content creator on Twitch could be one of the best decisions you ever make.
Related: The 2 Best Mics And Cameras For Streaming On Twitch
So what is Twitch and how does Twitch work?
Twitch works by allowing users to stream their gameplay live on the platform. Viewers can then watch this content and interact with the streamer through chat or voice messages. Streamers can also monetize their streams by offering subscriptions or charging for access to certain features. Twitch offers various tools that help streamers manage their streams, like analytics, moderation tools, and overlays. With these features, Twitch makes it easy for anyone to become a successful content creator.
As new streamers build a following and consistent audience, they’re given opportunities to monetize their stream in various ways, including advertising, sponsorships, and Twitch bits. Successful Twitch streamers have also identified other ways to monetize beyond their stream, joining affiliate programs with large companies like Amazon, eBay, and Walmart. In contrast, others offer merch and take donations.
The platform has also become a critical and dependable source of new customers for advertisers. In 2021, it is estimated that Twitch made $2.6 billion in revenue, primarily from advertising. Twitch maintained an average of 2.78 million concurrent viewers for over 22.8 billion hours of content in the same year. And while those numbers may seem meager compared to YouTube, where users consume over one billion hours of video daily, Twitch’s ease of access and the interactivity with viewers it provides content creators has made it one of the most popular destinations for individuals and corporations to expand their brand and build long-term relationships with customers.
What is Twitch?
If you’re ready to get your start in live-streaming, Twitch is the perfect platform to do so. And while there are growing pains and barriers to overcome in anything worth doing, Streaming This Weekend has put together a wealth of resources intended to help you level up quickly, with contributions from seasoned Twitch streamers and veteran marketing professionals. Take your business or passion project to the next level with Twitch.
More “What is Twitch” resources: Awesome Amazon Luna Game List With Game Play 2023