In case you’ve been living under a rock for the last few years, the live-streaming industry is alive and well in 2023. Thriving, really. Since its acquisition of Justin.tv in 2014, Amazon’s Twitch today looks much different than it did a decade ago. In 2022 alone, Twitch boasted over 140 million viewers and 1346 billion minutes of streaming content (take that cable guy).
But while the rest of the country hangs on to the traditional mediums most Americans are familiar with, a small but increasingly growing number of viewers have not just cut the cord, they’ve cut the boob tube altogether.
Table of Contents
So, what is Twitch today, exactly?
In many ways, Twitch isn’t an entertainment company as much as it is a social media platform for creators and entertainers. However, the space between Twitch and a platform like Twitter couldn’t be further apart.
As the 24th most viewed website on the internet, Twitch allows viewers and live streamers to interact, exchange ideas, post content, and develop niche communities that provide content creators options for monetizing what they love.
The unique space that Twitch finds itself in has placed the company in a position to benefit more than anyone (save YouTube, upstart Kick, or Drake’s Caffeine), as users throw away their remote controls and hop on Twitch to watch their favorite streamers (for hours, and hours, and hours).
One of those streamers, OliverOG, is a Fortnite competition streamer (check out the official OliverOG Fortnite Tracker) who has benefited from Twitch’s rise in the last few years.
“I wanted to be a YouTuber,” Oliver says, “but I started live streaming because I love the tournaments and live streaming vibe.”
That “vibe” that he’s referring to is Twitch’s community-based viewership which gives streamers the ability to both entertain and interact with their audience; something neither traditional media nor social media has figured out how to combine like the Amazon-owned streaming platform.
“It’s all about building a community,” Oliver says, “I’m very consistent, and when I go live, I genuinely enjoy it.”
And he’s right, building communities is what Twitch does.
Check out OliverOG on Twitch today
There’s a gritty, yet, clean energy to OliverOG’s stream that’s hard to find on traditional media. The nuanced language and back-and-forth with viewers can make watching him and other streamers compete on Fortnite better than actually playing Fortnite. How does that work?
But that’s the trick Twitch plays on you. Even YouTube, the original VOD OG, still lacks the type of interaction that places like Twitch and Kick offer. Want to support the Aussie Dude? You don’t have to shop at Amazon to show love, there’s a sub for that. You’ll get ads on Twitch, sure, but the money is in the community. This is guerilla marketing at its finest.
“I won’t say it [live streaming industry] is going to take over television [yet],” Oliver says, “but it’s definitely growing.”
So how can you get involved in live streaming and Twitch today?
First, and we can’t stress this enough, check out popular streamers like OliverOG on Twitch today to get a feel for what live streamers do.
OliverOG: Do what you love
According to Oliver, doing what you love is probably the most important part of being a successful live streamer.
“I always loved gaming,” Oliver says, “and I realized a few months after I got a gaming laptop that I wanted to be a streamer because I really loved watching other streamers play in the OG days of Fortnite.”
And he’s right, passionate-project-oriented individuals earn significantly more than their 9-to-5 counterparts and ultimately enjoy their work. In other words, as any innovator or successful business owner will tell you; don’t chase the money.
“If you stream for a really long time, like me personally, I streamed for about a year to like three viewers, three to five viewers.” Oliver says. “And then I started growing […] sometimes I would have zero viewers, but it’s kinda like streaming for fun. And then once you have a viewership, a community and stuff, it’s a really great feeling and kind of humbles you.”
Final words
Getting started on Twitch today isn’t as straightforward as creating a Gmail account, so we recommend checking out our site often for tips and tricks to wrap your head around it. For example, did you know you don’t need a $2,500 rig to start streaming? Because of Twitch’s recent and impressive software updates, you can start streaming on Twitch today using your iPhone, Android Device, or even an Amazon Fire Stick.
Ultimately, though, the ability to build a community on Twitch today is a major part of developing any significant audience, but there’s a unique skill set required to keep the troops entertained, and OliverOG has found the sweet spot with his viewers.
Be sure to check out OliverOG on Twitch and Twitter.