You’ve put in the work, followed our ultimate guide to starting a stream, and built a small, dedicated community. The next logical step is to ask: “How do I make money from this?” This guide will show you exactly how to monetize your Twitch channel by breaking down the four primary methods. Understanding these is the key to learning how to monetize your Twitch channel for the long term.
Making an income from streaming is a marathon, not a sprint. It starts with a single, crucial milestone that unlocks the platform’s built-in tools. Let’s begin there.
Table of Contents
The Gateway: Reaching Twitch Affiliate Status
Before you can access most of Twitch’s monetization features, you need to become a Twitch Affiliate. Think of this as your official entry into the world of professional streaming. Thankfully, the requirements are very achievable for a consistent new streamer.
To become a Twitch Affiliate, you must meet four criteria over a 30-day period:
- Reach 50 Followers.
- Stream for at least 8 hours.
- Stream on 7 different days.
- Maintain an average of 3 concurrent viewers.
Once you hit these goals, Twitch will send you an email inviting you to the Affiliate program. After you’re in, you unlock the first and most foundational way to make money.
Method 1: How to Monetize Your Twitch Channel: The 4 Methods
This is the primary method of earning directly through Twitch. As an Affiliate, you can now accept financial support from your viewers in two ways.
How Subscriptions (“Subs”) Work
A subscription is a recurring monthly payment from a viewer to your channel. In exchange, they get special perks like custom emotes, a unique chat badge, and ad-free viewing.
- Revenue Split: For Affiliates, the revenue from subscriptions is split 50/50 with Twitch. A standard Tier 1 sub in the US is $4.99, so you earn about $2.50 from it.
- Prime Gaming: Many viewers will subscribe for “free” using their Amazon Prime membership. The great news is that you still get paid the same amount as if they bought a regular subscription.
How Bits Work
Bits are a virtual currency that viewers can buy from Twitch and then “Cheer” in your chat. When they do, an animated emote appears, and the Bits are donated to you.
- Revenue: For every Bit cheered in your chat, you earn $0.01. It may not sound like much, but it adds up quickly from multiple viewers.
Method 2: Direct Donations
While Bits and Subs are fantastic, Twitch takes a significant cut. Direct donations are a way for your community to support you directly, ensuring you get the maximum amount of money.
Why set up direct donations?
You receive nearly 100% of the money (minus standard payment processing fees from services like PayPal). This is the most financially efficient way for a viewer to support you.
How to set it up:
Services like StreamElements or Streamlabs make this incredibly easy. You can connect your PayPal or bank account to their service, and they will provide you with a secure donation link. You can then add this link to your Twitch channel panels for your viewers to use.
Method 3: Affiliate Marketing
This is one of the most powerful and underrated methods for streamers. Affiliate marketing is the process of earning a commission by promoting another company’s products.
How it works for streamers:
The most common way is through the Amazon Associates program. You can create special links to the gear you use—your microphone, your mouse, your webcam, even your gaming chair.
- Create a “My Gear” Panel: On your Twitch channel, create a panel with links to the products you recommend.
- Use a Chatbot Command: Set up a command like !mic in your chat. When a viewer types it, your chatbot can automatically post the name of your microphone along with your affiliate link to buy it.
- For example, you could link to one of the best budget microphones for streaming that you personally use.
When a viewer clicks your link and makes a purchase on Amazon, you earn a small commission at no extra cost to them. It’s a win-win.
Method 4: Sponsorships and Brand Deals (The Advanced Goal)
This is the ultimate goal for many career streamers. A sponsorship is when a company pays you directly to advertise their product to your audience.
- What it looks like: This could be anything from having a company’s logo on your stream overlay, to doing a dedicated gameplay segment of their new game, or using their peripherals (keyboards, headsets) on camera.
- When does this happen? Brands typically look for streamers with a consistent, engaged viewership (usually in the hundreds of concurrent viewers, not thousands). They care more about a streamer’s engagement and professional attitude than just raw numbers.
To learn more about the highest tier of streaming, you can read the official requirements for the Twitch Partner Program on their website.
Your Monetization Journey
The journey of learning how to monetize your Twitch channel is about building multiple, small streams of income that grow over time. This path—Affiliate, Donations, Affiliate Marketing, and eventually Sponsorships—is the proven model for success. It all starts with great content and a community that wants to support you, which is the true foundation of how to monetize your Twitch channel.
It all starts with creating great content and building a community that wants to support you. Stay consistent, engage with your chat, and the monetization will follow.