There are streamers and content creators who don’t know what bits on Twitch are. Or maybe they have heard about them, but do not know how this system works. Well, knowing about this reward mechanism is very important if you are interested in monetizing your content and being big on this platform.
This live streaming service has become one of the most important for the gamer community. Its numbers don’t lie: Twitch boasts more than two and a half million average viewers every second, more than seven million content creators using it every month, and one trillion minutes watched during 2020.
The platform offers a Freemium service; that is, you can consume the content you like and Twitch streams for free, just watching some sporadic ads (just like YouTube). However, through a payment system, you can donate to your favorite streamer, watch ad-free content, and access additional features. This is where the bits come in.
In this article we will see all about this transaction mechanism. We’ll show you what bits are on Twitch, what cheers are, and how to go about getting them. join us!
what should you know before making money with Twitch?
The first thing you should do, before we explain the meaning of bit and everything that comes with earning on the streaming platform, is to register on Twitch. This is very simple, as Twitch is free.
Just log in, leave your details, and you’re done! or download the app on your smartphone and sign up. After confirming your contact email, you can start streaming.
Basically, learning how to stream on Twitch will open up a world of possibilities for you as a content creator. So it’s not a bad idea to start thinking about a project on this platform.
Source: Freepik
how to make money on Twitch?
Now yes, to the point of the article. how can you make money with Twitch? To start making money with Twitch, the first thing you must have is affiliate status, which is achieved by meeting certain requirements:
First, you must have at least 50 followers on your Twitch channel.
Then, you must have completed 500 minutes of streaming in at least 7 days in the last month.
You also need to have at least 3 simultaneous viewers (on average).
Once you have met the requirements, Twitch will send you an invitation to your email. All you have to do is accept and you’re done!
Finally, to complete the Twitch affiliate registration, you need to have two-factor authentication as a security measure to protect your account data (and your money).
Mind you: this last process must be done through a computer. To do this, go to your channel’s security settings and enable the two-factor authentication option.
Enter your password and your phone number, and enter the code that will be sent to your cell phone.
Once you are an affiliate, you can start monetizing Twitch in several ways. For example, through monthly subscriptions, Twitch advertising, affiliate and sponsorship agreements, merchandising and donations.
One of the most popular ways to earn money on Twitch is through the famous Twitch cheers.
1. Twitch Cheers
Twitch has created a unique way to encourage interaction between users and content creators (and in the process, increase the volume of usage of its streaming platform). These are the cheers.
When you (a very, very famous streamer) make live broadcasts through Twitch on a constant basis, you achieve a certain number of loyal users, whether they are viewers or followers (subscribed viewers), creating a virtual community.your followers can send you live messages through the chat, expressing their support, asking for greetings, encouraging you, showing disagreement… whatever they want to express. Among these hundreds of messages are cheers.
Twitch cheers are small chat messages that your followers can send you during your streamings to express how much they liked your content (or how much they like you yourself, for that matter). Precisely, the translation of cheers and its meaning in Spanish is “aplausos” or “aclamaciones”.
But cheers go beyond simple messages of support. what is so special about them? They are messages of support with monetary value. and what does this have to do with bits on Twitch? Here we go.
Source: PC Mag Asia
2. Bits on Twitch
To explain the value of cheers, we will now move on to explain what bits are.
what are bits for on Twitch? When your followers send you a cheer, they send a certain amount of bits inside it. They are the virtual currency that the Twitch community uses to express their support for their favorite streamers.
and how to buy bits on Twitch? These bits can be obtained through the same Twitch portal. Payment is made through Amazon, Paypal or credit card. They come in various packages, as we can see here:
Source: Twitch
As we can see in the Twitch purchase interface, the bit packs come with discounts for new buyers. We also see that the more bits purchased, the more discounts there are.
It is interesting to calculate the value of Twitch bits in real currency. As seen in the image, to buy 10,000 bits (with discounts) the price of Twitch bits is 126 USD. That puts the value of 10,000 bits in euros at approximately 105 euros.
In addition, there are options to purchase much smaller amounts of Twitch bits to prevent you from spending your entire paycheck cheering on your favorite streamer. For example, you can acquire from 100 bits for 1.40 USD or for 2 euros.It is also known how to get free bits: you can watch commercials on Twitch channels, but as the amount of bits obtained is very small, this can take quite some time.
In addition to allowing them to express their monetary support towards you, bits give certain benefits to their buyers, such as the possibility to earn emblems of the channels to which they have sent cheers, receive greetings from the streamer, chat with the protagonist of the livestream, unlock loot at specific Twitch events, remove advertising on the channel and access an exclusive chat for subscribers.
so how do you donate bits on Twitch? Very simple: your followers leave a message in the chat with the word “cheer” and the number of bits they want to donate to you. For example, here we see a message with the sending cheer100:
Source: Twitch
This means that this user is going to donate bits (exactly one hundred) inside his cheer.
By donating these bits on Twitch (which, as we saw, have to go inside a cheer), your followers can now use the icon of that amount every time they send bits by that means.
what are the ways to receive income from your Twitch channel?
The point is, then, how to earn bits on Twitch? You have to receive a lot of cheers. and how do you get a lot of cheers?
Instead of that question, let’s better ask another one: how do you make your Twitch channel grow? It’s logical: if you have followers, you have cheers. And if you have cheers, you have bits on Twitch.
And here’s where we have to tell you the truth….
is it possible to grow your Twitch community?
Growing your Twitch community is not that easy. We could even say that it’s more difficult than on other social networks, such as YouTube, Facebook or Twitter. That’s why it’s not enough to know what bits are on Twitch.
Therefore, seeing your bits in euros and dollars won’t be so simple either. why is that?
Twitch’s algorithm is different from other social networks, as it tends to give more visibility to streamers with more followers. Under those conditions, growing the number of followers is a real challenge.
There is a huge competition on Twitch to capture the most followers. did we mention that there are over seven million content creators? Behind you are hundreds of streamers looking for a share of those cheers and those bits on Twitch.
You need lots and lots of bits to make even a visible profit. As a streamer, you don’t get the full value of the bits, but only a part of it.
Finally, bits and cheers don’t come overnight. As in other social networks, growing your channel’s follower base takes time, effort, adjustments, and a lot of patience.
so what do we do? do we give in to despair? certainly not! Growing your channel is possible, but like everything valuable in life, getting Twitch donations will take time and effort. For example, you can start by making a difference in your live streams with Facecam frames for Twitch (download them for free!).
how to grow your Twitch channel?
Here we’ll give you some tips on how to grow on Twitch and get ready to monetize through bits and cheers.
1. Check the status of your other social networks
Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and Instagram are especially important. If it turns out that your growth on these social networks is high, you’ll have a good foundation to start broadcasting on Twitch (and support yourself in the process).
Exploit the potential of your social networks, discovering tips on how to get followers on TikTok or how to improve your stats on Instagram or Facebook. This way, eventually, you will be able to increase your donation base on Twitch.
2. Complete your Twitch profile
It’s surprising how many streamers haven’t completed their profile, or have done so informally. Plus, a professional-looking profile always creates a good impression that you’re taking this Twitch thing seriously.
3. Invest in a good infrastructure for your streaming
This is one of the best tips for growing on Twitch. Twitch’s quality bar is very high when it comes to streaming quality:
Find out which are the best teams to play online.
Invest in a webcam with good definition.
Purchase a microphone that isolates outside sounds.
Study the best lighting sources.
Check the prices of consoles and games, either online or physical.
Prepare an environment in your home that allows you to transmit without disturbances or interruptions.
And, above all, get yourself a good Internet connection.
4. Configure your streaming software properly
The most used program by Twitch content creators is OBS, which Medium defines as “the ultimate streaming program”, with which you can make “automatic scene changes, integration with Twitch applications and other programs, insert gifs, videos, images, text and text file paths”.
Being one of the most essential tools in the whole process of being a Twitch streamer, we recommend you take some time to configure it in the best possible way.
Source: Unsplash
5. Plan your content
You may have the equipment and the investment, but what are you going to stream? Don’t think for a moment that great streamers’ content is left to chance.
What’s more: the more followers the streamer has, the more valuable your Twitch plan is likely to be. Choose the options that best suit you and your community:
what games will you play?
what things will you talk about while playing?
what is the tone of your communication? connoisseurial, informal, adult, childish?
when are you going to play? This is very important, because a fixed schedule will let your followers know what they expect from you.
what audience are you going to target? Find a niche audience that is ready to receive what you have to offer.
6. Nurture your community
A streamer is what they are because of their community and followers. No one who has made it to the top in social media did it alone (that’s why they are social). Before thinking about Twitch donations, think about your community. To nurture it you can:
Play with your friends. They are your first followers.
Play with your followers. It doesn’t matter if they are few, in fact, it makes them more valuable.
Always invite your followers to join your other social networks.
Interact with your followers. Live chat is a fundamental tool for this. Your new followers always deserve a greeting. Plus, by interacting with your followers in a live stream, you happen to generate more content (many of the top streamers spend time exclusively doing just that, spending time “chatting” with their followers). You could even teach them how to buy bits on Twitch.
Maintain a respectful relationship with them, within the vein of your channel.
Thank them. Remember, the streamer is what he is because of his followers.
7. Always check your Twitch metrics
There’s nothing like measurement to monitor, verify, see points of improvement and make adjustments. And you have to do it constantly.
Source: Quartz
how to set up Twitch donations?
Ok, the most important step (creating your Twitch channel and offering quality content to your followers) is already taken. Now you just have to open the door and watch that money rain in: going from bits to dollars and euros, receiving the earnings you deserve as a content creator.
Now, how to start monetizing? Talking especially about the technical part, we will tell you how you can enable the receipt of bit donations:
First of all, the most fundamental thing. You will have to log in to Twitch with your username and password, through a web browser or through the application for mobile devices.
Once you are in your profile, you must determine the minimum amount of Bits that subscribers can send you, so only those who offer an amount equal to or greater than the limit will be able to donate. To enable this tool, you must enter the following link in the control panel: https://dashboard.twitch.tv/
Or, if you prefer, you can click on your profile picture> Settings> Channel and videos.
After that, select the Preferences option, located on the left sidebar.
Click on Affiliate or Partner.
You will see the Bits and Cheering option. There, click on the minimum amount established.
By following these steps, you will be ready to start collecting the bit donations made by your subscribers and, in addition, you will reduce the amount of spam.
Now, do you want to configure the reward emojis for the people who donate bits to your channel? Then you must follow the next procedure (it is similar to the previous one in its first steps, until you get to the Affiliate and Partner part):
Once in Affiliate and Partner, press the option Viewer Rewards > Emojis.
Under Emoticons, you will have the option to configure everything like so that your followers can unlock the emblems you have activated, based on the amount of bits received.
how to buy bits to donate to your favorite channels?
All very clear and well understandable. Now, what happens when you want to donate to your favorite channel, instead of just receiving donations? In that case, we leave you the following indications:
Login to the platform: Username > Password.
In the upper right corner of the screen, right next to the profile picture, you will find the option you are looking for: the Buy bits button.
A new window will appear, in which you will have a list of possibilities and offers to buy bits. Here you will choose the option that suits you best and press the purple button at hand.
Once you have chosen the option, you will have to add the payment method. You have the option to link a credit card, so you will have to add all the data concerning your card.
If you are not convinced by the card payment option, then it may be more convenient to use a digital wallet, as is the case of PayPal, Skrill, Bitpay, Amazon Pay, etc.
Once you have chosen your preferred payment method, you will be able to review everything related to the fundamental concepts and amounts. After reviewing all the information, click on Pay Now, which will take you to the official page of the payment method you have chosen.
Complete the information you need to add and authorize the transaction. The bits will be credited to your Twitch account. And that’s it!
As you can see, it’s no big deal, so you already know both procedures: to donate and to be donated. But that’s not all, there is still the most important thing about what bits are: how to get them?
how to get bits on Twitch?
If your channel already has a certain volume, you can use certain tactics to solve how to get bits on Twitch.
1. Awards
Reward your followers, to build loyalty. In addition to playing with them, you can give them emoticons, Twitch emblems, etc.
2. Donation target
Set a donation goal that encourages your followers to send cheers. One way to encourage them to donate is by placing a ranking of the biggest donors on your profile. Be aware that, in order to do this, your relationship with your community must be optimal.
Besides, there is always the risk of deteriorating it by asking for cheers; that’s why we suggest you start small.
3. Events
Hold an event that aims to reach a certain number of followers. Once the goal is achieved, reward your followers with something different: raffles, special content, a challenge, etc.
4. Question topics of interest
Users have a greater rapport with brands and channels that listen to them. If they feel valued by the content creator, they are likely to be able to donate bits to your Twitch channel.
how can you get closer to them? One of the most effective is to find out what topics they might be interested in and why they follow your channel.
This information can be very useful for you to get to know your channel, to know what kind of topics you can discuss with them and to formulate your position on some event, when you are broadcasting live.
5. Answer private messages and chats
Staying active is fundamental for your strategy on this platform. If you want to get bits on Twitch, you must make sure you stay connected with your audience, so try to respond to your followers and constantly check your chat.
In case they send you private messages, don’t ignore them. It can be tedious when you reach an exacerbated level of fame, but try to respond to their concerns and doubts during the next live stream.
Source: Unsplash
6. Make personalized chats for sponsors
A good idea is to set up exclusive chats with your backers. This will help them feel special, so they will keep donating bits to your Twitch channel.
If you intend to have a bigger impact within your Twitch community, in your next Twitch stream, mention a topic that came up within this chat. This way, you will encourage more intrigue and desire from your followers to be part of that group.
7. mention them!
If a user donates frequently or has donated an amount that exceeds your expectations, it’s a good idea to mention their name in your Twitch livestreams. Along the lines of the previous tips, this type of action will make your community feel valued and will be an incentive for those who have not yet done so to donate bits.
Thus, donors will stand out from the rest of the community. Give them that privilege, because they are also helping you grow. Don’t forget that your community is the basis for the success or failure of your channel.
8. Make a list of the best sponsors
Just as you give your direct sponsors the opportunity to be part of your chats, you can also help this group feel really special. how? By creating a sort of ranking.
Basically, this is a list with the subscribers who have donated the most bits to your Twitch channel, made to thank them for their actions. You can show it at the beginning or at the end of the broadcast, but if you decide to show it during the live stream, you could stimulate others to participate in the dynamic.
9. Design a plan for your broadcast
Don’t think Twitch is just about sitting down to play a game and having the internet audience log in to see what you do. Well, it’s not too unwise that scenario, but there’s more to Twitch broadcasts than that.
If you want to donate bits to a worthwhile Twitch channel, you don’t settle for a makeshift scenario. For this reason, don’t offer that to your viewers and plan, beforehand, the topics you’ll be talking about.
Such as:
Skins that you can get in a punctual game level.
The skills of some characters.
Game tips and curious facts that the viewer does not know. Especially if you comment them during the related parts of the game.
During the game, set goals and get advice from your community. If they get to feel like they are participating in this game and recognize your effort, you will see the bits on your Twitch channel grow exponentially.
10. Make a call to action
You need to be vigilant here. Because it is not about making calls to action indiscriminately and before generating some kind of connection.
Initially, we suggest you generate enough empathy with your audience to produce a bond with them, which is solid enough for them to donate bits to your Twitch channel. Very few would give their money to someone with whom they have felt a minimum amount of empathy, it is a reality.
If you haven’t managed to generate that feeling with your audience, soliciting calls to action can end up being counterproductive, as you’re exposing yourself to fall out of favor with your community members. So don’t use this tool without being sufficiently prepared.
Source: Unsplash
how much does a streamer earn per bit?
As we know, Twitch bits are voluntary donations to streamers, so monthly earnings will not always be equal. it depends, for example, on how many livestreams you do per week and how big your virtual community is.
One factor that greatly influences how much a streamer earns per bit is where their audience is from, as there are countries, such as the United States, that have a culture of tipping. If your audience is predominantly American, you will most likely get more donations.
how much money is 1,000 bits? In this case, all the money is kept by the channel. For every 100 Twitch bits, the platform pays the streamer 1 USD, meaning that, for 1,000 bits, the channel owner will receive 10 USD. In case you are in Spain or another European country, the payment will be in euros
Big Twitch creators report monetary earnings of 20,000 USD up to 100,000 USD per month. However, how much does a Twitch streamer earn? To calculate that, it is important to mention that your earnings will not only be determined by your tips, as there are many other ways to have earnings on this livestreaming platform in 2022. We tell you a little more about them below.
what other ways are there to earn money on Twitch 2022?
If we talk about what’s bits on Twitch, we have to emphasize that we haven’t covered the number of ways you can do to monetize.
how can you make money with Twitch? Let’s see:
how to earn money on Twitch with subscriptions?
Having subscribers on Twitch is perhaps one of the easiest ways to monetize your streams on the platform. With this subscription, users will have exclusive access to emojis, emblems and community events.
These earnings on Twitch are much more stable than donations through bits, as it is an amount that is usually regular and has a tendency to increase over time.
The most important thing to make money on Twitch is to keep your subs interested in your channel by creating valuable content and, in turn, being as active as possible. the more broadcast hours, the better!
how much do Twitch subscriptions cost? Subscriptions are divided into three types: $4.99 USD for affiliates and, on the other hand, partners have the option to charge $9.99 USD or $24.99 USD.
Wait… What are partners? Well, after becoming an affiliate, if your account goes to the “next level” of success, the platform allows you to become a Twitch Partner
As mentioned by the streaming service itself, being a partner means “targeting those streamers who have committed to streaming.” To become a Twitch partner you need to:
Have streamed at least 25 hours.
Make streams during 12 different days.
Have an average of 75 viewers.
All of this within the last 30 days. However, this type of Twitch membership is very exclusive; therefore, meeting these requirements does not ensure your partnership with the site. You need to apply and they will review your application. If you get rejected, don’t worry, you can apply again until you get it.
Now, the moment of truth… how much does Twitch pay per subscriber? The platform keeps 50% of the monthly subscription cost per user. In other words, if it costs $4.99, the content creator will receive $2.50.
In the event that your Twitch channel exceeds 10,000 followers, the ratio becomes 70/30. 70% for the streamer and 30% for the platform. Even if your channel grows much more, you can negotiate with Twitch for a better offer!
Source: The New York Times
how to make money on Twitch with advertising?
As previously mentioned, before you subscribe to a Twitch channel, there will be a lot of advertising, the earnings are solely from the platform. However, when you pay for a monthly subscription, this is limited to one ad before you connect to the stream. A percentage of the revenue from that advertising goes to the streamer.
Later on, if the Twitch channel manages to grow to the parameters determined by the streaming website, the content creator has the option to generate more advertising revenue. That way, the platform enables you a button to show advertising to your viewers
Actually, you can generate advertising on your channel as many times as you want, but it is not advisable to abuse it, as people watching the live stream may get bored or discouraged from sending cheers on Twitch .
It is reported that, without the additional ads, a channel that has on average 1,000 simultaneous users in each transmission, can generate 400 USD in Twitch advertising.
how to make money on Twitch with affiliates and sponsorships?
As with the other methods of monetizing Twitch, the larger your audience and the larger your number of subscriptions, the better your chances of making money. Although, in reality, the key is to keep your audience loyal.
First of all, we have affiliates. The Twitch affiliate system is viable for both moderately successful accounts and accounts with millions of followers of the top Twitch streamers. It consists of getting a commission from the sales of products that you recommend .
For example, from Amazon you can extract affiliate links to buy specific products. Another alternative is to talk to your favorite brands to provide you with a discount code or a personalized link. There are companies that offer you from 1% to 10% for each sale.
Also, an option that the platform offers you directly is when you promote a game that is for sale on Twitch and your viewers decide to purchase it, then, you earn 5% of each purchase
did you know that Crehana also has an affiliate program? Sign up, promote our content on your social networks, on your blog or on your website and receive up to 20% of the sales you make. don’t miss out!
On the other hand, we have Twitch sponsorships. These are more aimed at accounts with a large number of subscriptions and a high average number of viewers per stream, although there are companies that also bet on medium-sized accounts.
Sponsorships from big brands is perhaps the option that generates the most money for Twitch (or any social network) streamers. This is not subject to sales, it is a one-time payment or a contract of monthly payments.
Usually, on Twitch, a sponsorship consists of testing a specific game or using one of their latest releases in their live streams. similarly, they may ask you to attend a brand event, make a video for YouTube or post a photo on Instagram.
how to withdraw money from Twitch?
When you become an affiliate and start generating income on Twitch, the platform will ask you for your fiscal data and you will have to indicate how the payments will be executed.
Please note that for a payment to be made on Twitch you need to have a minimum balance of 100 USD at the end of the month. If you do not reach the stipulated amount, it will be accumulated in your income until you reach the goal.
As for the payment method, you must select one of the following options:
Bank Deposit.
Transfer of funds.
Send the money directly to your PayPal.
Traditional or electronic check.
evaluate each of them and determine which is the most convenient for you!
Source: Twitch
As we have seen, earning bits and cheers on Twitch has a lot to do with the growth of your channel on this social network. It takes work, but we assure you that it is possible.
see you soon!