A streamer averaging 1000 views can potentially make $2,500 per month before fees. However, Twitch doesn’t pay content creators based directly on how many viewers they have.
You can earn money via ads that run on your Twitch channel but, to make serious money on Twitch, you’ll need to turn viewers into people who subscribe, donate, and/or click your affiliate links.
That means it’s hard to say how many viewers you need on Twitch to make money because it depends on how engaged those viewers are. For example:
A Twitch channel that averages 10,000 viewers for every stream but which only has 100 subscribers might not make as much money as a channel that averages only 2,000 viewers for each stream but has 300 subscribers.
It doesn’t take a genius, though, to work out that more viewers does generally result in more money.
How many followers do you need on Twitch to make money?
Just like with viewers, the amount of followers isn’t a direct metric through which Twitch streamers make money. In fact, it’s not uncommon for streamers to have way more followers than they have average viewers.
Following someone on Twitch is like bookmarking a webpage. It makes it easier for that user to return to your channel in the future, but it’s not making you any cash directly.
Having plenty of followers is obviously a good thing, though, as it implies a good number of regular viewers:
More viewers gives Twitch Affiliates and Partners more opportunities to make money via ad revenue, subscriptions, donations, selling merchandise, gaming sponsorships and affiliate commissions.
How much do Twitch streamers make per sub?
Twitch streamers typically get 50% of each sub they bring in (bigger streamers can get a higher percentage).
For US viewers it currently costs $4.99 for a tier 1 subscription, $9.99 for a tier 2 subscription or $24.99 for a tier 3 subscription. Each level comes with perks like sub emotes that viewers can use in the chat.
How do I get subscribers on Twitch?
Ultimately, you need to convert viewers and followers into subscribers to make money on Twitch. You need to be a Twitch Affiliate before users can subscribe to your channel, which means you need:
- At least 500 total minutes broadcast in the last 30 days
- At least 7 unique broadcast days in the last 30 days
- An average of 3 concurrent viewers or more over the last 30 days
- At least 50 Followers
That might seem pretty daunting but for comparison, you’ll need 75 followers to monetize on Kick, a new streaming platform like Twitch.
In order to get viewers to part with their cash and subscribe to your channel, you need to deliver regular and engaging content: Make people laugh, impress people with your skills, and make them feel like part of a community of fans. Interact with people in the chat – even if that means having to ask them not to backseat your stream.
In January 2021, the number of active streamers on Twitch worldwide peaked at 9.89 million.
That’s a lot of competition for you to go up against – you’ll need to work hard to stand out from the crowd but the rewards are huge if you manage that.
How much do the top Twitch streamers make?
Leaked Twitch data from 2021 allegedly showed that, between August 2019 and October 2021, streamer CriticalRole earned $9.6 million from ad revenue, subscriptions and bits alone (i.e., not including external revenue like sponsorships, affiliate deals and merchandise sales.)
Top 5 highest earning Twitch streamers 2021
| Streamer | Twitch revenue (Aug 2019 – Oct 2021) |
| CriticalRole | $9.6 million |
| xQcOW | $8.5 million |
| summit1g | $5.9 million |
| Tfue | $5.3 million |
| NICKMERCS | $5.0 million |
That revenue goes longer for some content creators than others. For example, several famous streamers have moved to Texas – one of the big advantages there is the lack of state income tax.
How do I become a Twitch Partner?
Twitch Partners are one step up from Twitch Affiliates. To become eligible for Twitch Partner status, Twitch Affiliates must complete the ‘Path to Partner’ achievement:
- Stream for 25 hours
- Stream on 12 different days
- Average of 75 viewers (concurrent viewership excluding hosts, raids and embeds)
Reaching those goals doesn’t automatically make you a Twitch Partner – it’s just the absolute bare minimum required to be eligible. You’ll also need to maintain those levels consistently to be considered for Partner status.
What equipment do you need to stream on Twitch?
All you need to stream on Twitch is a camera and a good internet connection! However, to really stand out from the crowd you’re probably going to need a little more than that.
Check out our guide for equipment you might need for a YouTube channel – most, if not all, of the advice there applies to streaming on Twitch, too.
Is streaming on Twitch worth it?
Whether streaming on Twitch is worth it totally depends on your personal situation and goals. If you simply want to share your gaming experiences and you aren’t worried about making money – let alone enough money to make it your full time job – then sure, streaming on Twitch is worth it!
Having this attitude also makes it far easier to find games to stream on Twitch.
If your primary aim is to make money, then the plus side is that there’s a lot of it to be made and plenty of reasons why people donate to Twitch streamers or subscribe to content. You’ll have to decide whether it’s worth the effort required to build a channel up to the point at which you can start making good money.
The information above should give you a good idea about what to expect but, in short, it’s not as simple as just loading up your favorite games and filming yourself playing them!
Just like with any other job, the most successful Switch streamers put a great deal of prep and planning (in other words, time and money) into their channels. They also pick the right games: It’s OK to stream emulators on Twitch so the possibilities are practically endless.
If you’re not sure Twitter is the right platform for you, then starting a YouTube gaming channel might work well instead.
Conclusion
So, how many viewers do you need on Twitch to make money? Well, not that many, but you should focus on subscribers, donators, and other monetization streams like ads and affiliate links to really start making bank from streaming on Twitch.
