How To Become a Twitch Music Streamer: Tips for Artists

 If you are a musician or entertainer, chances are that you have already heard of the live streaming-platform Twitch. In this article you will find out how to use Twitch as a way of sharing your music and growing your fanbase. We will also show you the ways in which you can use Twitch to earn money. Let’s go!

What is Twitch? 

The interactive live streaming-platform Twitch is a subsidiary of Amazon. Founded in 2011 it was primarily used by gamers at first. Today all this has changed: The platform now hosts talk shows, live concerts and other content by artists and entertainers from different fields. This means you can use it to live stream a concert or a playlist of your music, among other things. [1]

Can you play music on Twitch? 

The short answer to this question is: Yes! However, you should keep in mind that due to copyright you are only allowed to live stream your own original music on the platform. 

How to share your music on Twitch 

If you want to start sharing your music on the platform, all you need to do is sign up and download the free Twitchstudio software. Once you’ve done that you are basically ready to go. 

Little tip: While you can use your laptop or phone to live stream, it is highly recommended for you to invest in a good camera, microphone (and if applicable) lighting. The reason for this is simple: The better the quality of your stream, the easier it will be for you to turn viewers into followers and fans.

How to make money on Twitch 

Twitch offers your several ways of making money via the platform, based on how far you have advanced in the hierarchy of Twitch creators: 

When you first sign up as a Creator, your only way of making money via Twitch is by linking your account to your merch store or another website where people can buy your music or access your work. 

All this changes when you have reached Affiliate status. Once this happens, viewers can subscribe to your channel at a set price per month. But that’s not all: As an affiliate you can start receiving ad-revenue and earn income via so-called Cheermotes, which your viewers pay for. Reaching Affiliate status isn’t too difficult: You will need to have gone live for a total of 8 hours within the past month, achieved an average of 3 viewers per stream and reached at least 50 followers. [2]

Once you have streamed over 25 hours material and reached an average of at least 75 viewers per stream, you can apply for Partner status. While the monetization options are the same as for affiliates (subscription, ad-revenue and Cheermots), making it to Partner-level unlocks many additional features that help you grow your channel. It also allows you to negotiate a custom deal with Twitch, which means you may be able to keep a larger percentage of your earnings. 

But how much money does that amount to? 

It all depends: While top-ranked streamers can make somewhere between 900$ und 30 000$ per month, many small streamers make less than 100§ per month. It is important to note, however, that this statistic includes many Creators who use Twitch as a hobby, rather than as an income stream.

How to promote your Twitch

We all know that having a strong online presence can make (or break) any artists career. So, make sure you let your followers on Instagram, TikTok and other Social Media channels know whenever you go live on Twitch. Also, don’t forget to set your category to music, add tags and a relevant title to your Twitch-livestream. All these little tricks will help drive traffic to your livestream and make it easier for viewers to find you. 

Get your existing audience to follow you on streaming platforms

Conclusion: Is Twitch the right platform for musicians? 

 With over 2.5 million viewers at any given moment and an average of 31 million visitors per day, Twitch offers you instant access to new followers and fans. While its main competitor YouTube receives much more site-traffic, the livestreams of Twitch tend to generate more viewers (as there is less competition).[3]  

While YouTube remains one of the best places for sharing your music videos, Twitch might actually be a better bet when it comes to promoting your music via livestream.