To create an account, you need to press the purple button "register" in the right upper corner. You must enter your username, your password, and your email address. Besides, you need to indicate your date of birth to monetize your account later, or to get to see content appropriate to your age.
To set your Profile, you have to click on the yellow avatar in the right upper corner and select "settings". You can now adjust your profile picture, add a photo or GIF as your channel banner, and change your username as well as your display name. Also, you can add a short bio to introduce yourself to your (future) followers. If you wish, you can deactivate your Twitch account here as well.
You get there by clicking on your avatar in the right upper corner and select "channel". You will also find a button which allows you to customize your channel. Additionally, you can adjust your channel's accent color in the usual profile settings and add a video play banner displayed when you are offline. You can also link up to five social media accounts to your Twitch channel. Besides, you can find your streaming schedule and lists for hosts and raids.
While you are in your Creator Dashboard, you can manage your videos by clicking on the video play button. The tab "video producer" lets you create highlight clips of your saved videos. Next to the videos, you find three vertical points leading you to the command "highlight". You will see all your unpublished highlight clips, and through "add new highlight" you can create another one out of your most recent stream. After selecting all the highlights, you can publish your clip publicly.
You can arrange your videos under the tab "collections",so your viewers can find particular streams more quickly. A collection for World of Warcraft and one for Guild Wars 2 would be an example of this. Twitch will always show your most recent one at the top. Under "clips", you can create, for instance, best-of videos of your last stream, and you get an overview of all your videoclips.
To integrate ads in your stream through Youblicity, you do not have to give us your stream-key. If you need it for other purposes, you can find it in the Creator Dashboard by clicking on the gears icon and selecting "channel". Right on top, you see your key. You can copy or reset it if necessary.
The Creator Dashboard gives you an overview of everything relevant to your streams, such as analytics, chat moderation, all your videos and clips, and your stream manager. As a newcomer, you will find the Twitch 101, which should help you get started with Twitch by explaining all relevant functions and giving you tips from successful streamers. You also find an overview of all possible streaming software you can use for your stream.
Backing up your stream can be useful if your internet connection is weak and breaks down. A backup stream allows you to show a temporary image for 90 seconds to your viewers as long as you fix the connection problem. You will need a main encoder for this.
To mark your content as not appropriate for minors, you have to access your channel settings via the Creator Dashboard. If you scroll down a bit, you will get to the section "Adult Content". There you can activate the parental control. By activating it, however, you cannot (further) monetize your channel. This setting does not mean that you can stream sexual acts, nudity, threats, or extreme violence. This leads to immediate and irrevocable blocking of your account.
To add moderators to your chat, you need to go to the Creator Dashboard and click on the icon with the three little men, located directly below your analytics, and click on "Role Distribution". There you can search for a user and give him the role of a moderator. This user can now moderate your chat. Therefore, you should tell the user what he/she should pay attention to so that there are no misunderstandings. Likewise, you should pay attention to select your moderators only conscientiously.
There are a few different broadcasting applications you can use to stream. However, we recommend OBS Studio because it's free to use on the one hand, and on the other hand, the commercials are compatible with Youblicity. We don't need your streaming key for this, which may well be the case with other applications.
The Creator Dashboard gives you the possibility to view the analytics of your videos. To do so, click on the bar chart icon, which opens a submenu. Now you can choose between channel analysis, stream overview, and achievements.
Channel analysis is essential to monitor the growth of your canal. Here you will find in a 30-day overview, or even in a more extended time frame, the average number of viewers, the total amount of live views, and your current number of followers. It shows you how many chat messages have been sent within this period, and how many minutes your streams have been viewed. A graph makes the changes visually more vivid.
Besides, you will receive more detailed information about the activities of your account. The profile views are divided into Twitch, channels, and external, where you can also get a more detailed insight into your profile views. You can also see your top clips, your streams within the selected period, channels with the same viewers as you, and your followers' favorite categories. You can also see how your viewers receive your live notifications, and which tags are searched by other users to find your channel. This allows you to evaluate your current strategy and streaming behavior and revise it if necessary.
Here you can find a detailed overview of individual streams. Twitch allows you to analyze your videos through clear statistics. This way, you can evaluate your performance and find out the preferences of your community. Many successful streamers look at the statistics on a daily basis to assess their content.
Through completing certain activities, you get achievements. This way, you can make your way to an affiliate or a partner more clear. They are also a great way to get the most out of Twitch because you will have to try many different things to get the results. Some achievements are essential to unlock certain things. For example, to give your followers a VIP status, you need to complete the success "Build a Community".
To go live on your computer, you need one of the streaming software suggested by Twitch, such as Twitch Studio or Open Broadcaster software. However, if you want to work with Youblicity, it is recommended to use OBS, as it allows you to implement our commercials. You can then use this software to go live on Twitch and other platforms. To find out how you can stream with the different programs, you have to consult the developers' website. OBS offers a tutorial for the first usage, in which you will make all the necessary settings.
To go live with an encoder, you should make a few settings, which are especially recommended for the beginning. You should set your encoder profile for your video as default, and the mode should be Strict CBR. Your audio requires a few more settings. For example, the codec should be set to H.264 (x264) and AAC-LC. Stereo or Mono should be set. You should set your bitrate to 96 kbps and the maximum audio bitrate to 160 kbps. Your sampling frequency should be 44.1 or 48 kHz. Also, the maximum stream length should be 48 hours to ensure good quality.
If you want to go live on a mobile device, click on your avatar, and you will find the purple button "Go Live". Before you finally go live, you have to add a description and select a category. You can also share the stream on other platforms from there. You also have a preview of your stream, so you can check and adjust the image before you go live.
Hosting a channel means that you can watch other live streams together with your viewers. Your video and audio will be disabled, so you can only communicate with your community through the chat. This allows you to strengthen the bond with your viewers. It's up to you whether you host channels you know (e.g. team members or friends), or whether you follow big events like e-sports live with your followers.
You can easily host a channel and manage its settings by accessing the channel settings in your Creator Dashboard. There you can set up, for example, that you host channels automatically or those of your team. In the former, channels are hosted as soon as you go offline. You also can host pre-recorded videos, i.e., channels that stream premieres or repeats. You can also choose whether they are played in a specific order or randomly. Your team channels always have priority over others.
In the "Host List" section, you can manage the channels you want to host. This means that you can add, delete, and rearrange channels.
When you raid a channel, you send your viewers to another stream. Your viewers get a short message from you what they should write in the raided stream (e.g. "#RAID by myname"). This way, you get attention from other twitch users, and the other streamers may get new followers and an activity boom. However, you should ask the other channel if you are allowed to raid their stream. Note that you automatically become the other channel's host through a raid, and you can only change this after the raid has ended.
The other channel should have about as many followers as you and play the same game - or a similar genre-, so that the exchange of viewers and growth potential is maximized. You can visit streamers familiar to you, but also those you don't know yet. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, so you should consider both options.
During your stream, you can initiate a raid by entering /raid name. After entering the raid's name, a chat message will appear with a ten-second countdown and a "Raid Now" button. If you don't click on "Cancel" or "Raid Now", the raid will start automatically after 80 seconds. After that, your viewers will receive a message informing them about the raid and inviting them to join.
In your settings in the Creator Dashboard, you can find an overview of all raids that have been organized. With "Current Raids", you can see all raids in the last 24 hours.
Usually, raids run smoothly, but sometimes you can be raided by unpleasant people who spam the chat. To avoid such cases, you can, for example, choose that only channels that you follow can raid you or not allow raids at all. You can find this option in your Creator Dashboard under Settings -> Channel. There you will find the category "Raids" at the bottom.
Furthermore, you can activate your chat only for followers. You can change this during a raid by clicking on the gear symbol in the chat and opening the settings. You can also choose how long people have to follow you to be able to write in the chat.
You can click on the "Clip" button during a stream and by default, 25 seconds before and 5 seconds after the click will be recorded. You can also create a clip by pressing ALT+X or Command+X. Another tab will open, and you can download or play it there. You can give your clip a title.
If this is not the exact moment you wanted to record, you can lengthen the clip to 60 seconds or shorten it to 10 seconds. You will also see the last 90 seconds of the stream so you can adjust your clip accordingly.
After you have edited your clip the way you like it , you can share your clip by clicking the "Publish" button. The clip includes the chat and channel feed. Your clip's viewers can be directed directly to the broadcast or will automatically see the recorded stream after the clip ends.
Emotes are like smileys, but more individual. Your audience can express themselves more easily and emotionally to support you. There are a few standard Emotes from Twitch that everyone can use, but once you become an affiliate, you have the opportunity to create your own. As a partner, you can make even more individual Emotes. Many streamers try to create uniform Emotes with a specific theme, but it is up to you to create a vast repertoire of Emotes within the guidelines.
This way, you can strengthen your community and reward them for subscribing to your site. As a partner, you have access to a larger number of Emotes so that you can reward higher subscription levels of your followers with exclusive Emotes. They also create an additional incentive for your viewers to become subscribers.
Twitch's own Emotes all have a special meaning, which you can read about in the Twitch Creator Camp. There you will also find the Emote Codes so that you can use them in the chat.
There are many ways to monetize your channel, but you usually need at least affiliate status to do so. A regular streamer account is sufficient for donations, but the profit margin is relatively low and not steady.
However, once you have reached affiliate status, you can build up a steady income flow through Twitch's opportunities. With monthly subscriptions, you offer your followers an elite environment, and you can earn money monthly. It's similar to advertising, which, once you start streaming, makes you money depending on your audience share.
Also, your followers can buy you bits to support you in the chat. You will be credited with 0.01$ per bit. Some streamers have been creative in using bits, for example, by letting their audience celebrate important moments in the stream through cheers (bit usage), as animated Emotes pop up in the chat by using Cheermotes. If you use an extension for your stream (for example, for Fortnite), your fans can also use bits for it. You receive 80% of the income as the rest goes to the developer of the extension.
After Twitch has partnered with Amazon, there are a few advantages to monetization, such as the fact that you can sell your merch on Amazon and earn money. You must already be a Twitch partner to do this. You also have the opportunity to become an associate at Amazon if you are not already a Twitch affiliate and sell Gaming Gear via links on your channel page. You benefit from a commission per sold item.
Last but not least, you have the option to cooperate with advertising partners through agencies. With Youblicity, you have many advantages and can easily monetize your channel.
There are three different levels of Twitch, which you can reach with your channel depending on various factors. In the beginning, you are a streamer that can be followed, and you can use your chat to interact with followers. This level is very basic and allows you to earn money only through donations from your followers.
You automatically become an affiliate when you meet the following criteria: You must have streamed at least 8 hours on seven separate days in the last 30 days. You must have reached at least 50 followers and have had an average of three viewers per stream. As an affiliate, you can offer subscriptions, get advertising revenue, and create your own Emotes. Furthermore, your subscribers have a special icon next to their username.
To become a partner, you have to fulfill the requirements and then apply to become one. There is no guarantee that Twitch will select you. To be eligible for a partnership, you must have at least 25 hours of streaming time on 12 individual days in the last 30 days and have reached an average of 75 or more viewers with your streams. As a partner, you will have several additional benefits, such as more Emotes, Cheermotes, and icons for your subscribers and account verification. You also get faster support in case of problems.
As soon as you have reached at least the affiliate status, your viewers can subscribe to you. This gives you a steady income, which is based on the rank of the subscription. Depending on how much the subscriber pays you each month, he/she will receive certain advantages over "normal" followers or lower-ranked subscribers. Through subscriptions, your fans can support you financially and express their affiliation to your community through Emotes.
There are many ways you can get more viewers on your stream and thereby expand your community. First of all, you should think about why people come to you at all - what makes YOU unique? Therefore you should be as authentic and natural as possible. There is no point in pretending or trying to imitate a known streamer. You should also enjoy streaming and bring that across because it has a positive effect on your community.
Furthermore, you should create an atmosphere in which your viewers feel comfortable and follow your stream. Hate comments should have no place in your chat. Therefore you can also select mods and set the AutoMod. You should also remove people from your community that are toxic in any way.
Instead, interact with your community by naming them by their name or react to positive chat messages and ignore or admonish bad behavior. In this way, you create an audience that sticks together and supports you. You can also ask your community questions to integrate them into your stream. That way, you can also get to know your fans better. Another possibility would be to get in touch with them via Discord, for example, so that you can be reached off the stream or so that your community can exchange information even when you're away.
A consistent streaming schedule is essential so that your followers always know when you're streaming again and come back to you. You should always communicate this with them. Other social media such as Instagram or Twitter are suitable for this. On these platforms, you should be active anyway to reach people who might otherwise not have found you on Twitch. Of course, you can also have offline meetings like at TwitchCon or meetups with your community.
If you have established good relationships with other streamers, you can start cooperations like hostings or raids to increase the number of followers of both channels. You can also play games together or implement other ideas - be creative! The best channels are the ones that have the same theme as you (the same game, for example) and, if possible, have about the same size as your own.
Apart from you as a person, you must have good lighting so that your viewers can see you. It is also important that your audio works well. If you sound too loud, too quiet, or even distorted, it can scare away many potential followers.
A streaming schedule is essential so that your fans know when you will go live next time and what you will show them. This way, you stay interesting for your followers. You should try to create a balanced and regular schedule that you can stick to. This is a way to convey to your fans that they are essential to you and that you take streaming seriously.
In your Creator Dashboard, you can find the section about schedules under the "channel settings". You can select or specify the start time, duration, day, category, and the streaming title. Please note that this will not automatically start your stream at the scheduled time!
Furthermore, you can set the vacation mode by entering the first and last day of your vacation. On your channel page, your followers will see that you are on vacation and when you will return.
To manage your chat, you must first access the chat settings. To do so, go to your Creator Dashboard and open the moderation by clicking on the gear wheel symbol. There you can select AutoMod and then set the appropriate level. There are four levels in total, where 0 means switched off, and 4 means that all risky messages regarding discrimination, sexual content, obscenity, and hostility are blocked. You can also add your terms under Blocked Terms or sentences that you want to block automatically.
Within this menu, you can also choose not to have links displayed in chats and messages at all, so that the moderators can check and delete them if necessary.
You can make other settings relevant to the chat to keep it as "clean" as possible.
In principle, you can go live from your smartphone or tablet, your game console, or your computer. However, depending on the type of device you want to use, you may need an encoder, especially if you're going to stream from external cameras (not the webcam) or a console.
Depending on what you want to stream, either a smartphone or a laptop is sufficient. Sometimes it can also be advantageous to have two screens: One for your gameplay and one for OBS, to name one example. For gameplay streamers, webcams or two cameras are also an advantage if you want to show different locations/scenes in the stream at the same time. Depending on the situation, a drone might also be interesting to you, as a farmer or travel blogger, for example.
Also, depending on what kind of equipment you want to use, you will need an encoder. It can also be advantageous to have a separate microphone - the one of a regular headset is enough for a start.
Some consoles like the Xbox One or the PS4 let you stream directly from there - for free.
Especially in the beginning, you don't need any "fancy accessories". There are also cheaper versions, and you can buy better equipment later by donations from your community.