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Guides

Twitch Partner Requirements

September 27, 2023
by Liam Doherty

Whether you’re a gamer, artist, musician, or just someone with a unique personality, Twitch has revolutionized the world of live streaming. With millions of active users and over 3.8 million monthly broadcasters, it’s no surprise that so many people are pursuing the dream of becoming a Twitch Partner. But what exactly does it take to join the elite ranks of Twitch’s top stars?

In this article, we’ll explore everything you need to know about becoming a Twitch Partner. From eligibility requirements and the application process to all the pros and cons of earning that coveted Partner badge. In the end, we’ll also go over a few of the most frequently asked questions about Twitch Partnership.

Whether you’re just starting out on Twitch or have been streaming for a while, this article will provide a comprehensive guide to becoming a Twitch Partner. So, sit back, grab a snack, and let’s dive into the world of streaming.

What Is a Twitch Partner?

A Twitch Partner is a content creator who has met certain criteria and has been accepted into Twitch’s Partner program. Becoming a Twitch Partner is a significant milestone for streamers as it provides access to additional features, monetization options, and support from Twitch.

Becoming a Twitch Partner signifies recognition and support from Twitch, opening up opportunities for streamers to further grow their channels, interact with their communities, and potentially earn income through their content.

Benefits of Becoming a Twitch Partner

Partners get access to a ton of benefits designed to improve the viewer experience and help grow communities. Partnership also opens up more monetization opportunities, so you can earn more revenue from your streams.

Here’s the full list of benefits:

More channel customization options

- Verified User Badge so you can show off your Partner status.

- Custom chat badges for your subs.

- Free lifetime subscription for your chatbot. This grants your chatbot elevated sub status for life.

- Up to 3 free lifetime channel subs that you can give to whomever you want. The number of lifetime subs is based on your sub count.

- Custom emoticons. Get up to 60 slots for custom channel emotes.

- Custom emoticon prefix. Partners can customize the prefix at the front of their custom emoticon code.

- Custom Bit Badges and Cheermotes

- A share of the revenue generated by Twitch ads that play on your channel

Greater VOD support

- Support for reruns and premiers
- Extended VOD storage for up to 60 days (Affiliates can only store VODs for up to 14 days).

Priority Support from Twitch

Twitch has a dedicated support team put together to serve Twitch Partners that can be contacted at any time via the Partner Help page.

Stream Teams

Twitch Partners can form and join a Stream Team through their Partner Help page. When you join a team, you can proudly display the team name on your channel, and you’ll be listed as a member of the team. This means that when you’re streaming live, you’ll be automatically featured at the top of the team member list.

Access to Exclusive Partner opportunities

Some streamer events are only open to channels with a proven track record of consistently active and engaged viewership. Partners are much more likely to be considered for invitations to special promo opportunities, like Spotlights, Meet & Greets, and Partner Panels.

First priority Transcoding

Twitch has transcoding servers that automatically re-encode and re-stream your live content to your viewers at various bitrates and resolutions. This helps provide a more stable and enjoyable experience for your viewers with limited stable internet bandwidth or unstable internet connections. Due to limited server capacity, not every stream can be transcoded. As a Partner, you’ll get first priority transcoding, ensuring a more consistent stream for your subs.

Support for Broadcast Delays

Partnered channels can delay their broadcasts by up to 15 minutes. This is a crucial feature if you often stream tournaments or live competitive play and want to prevent stream sniping.

Twitch Partner Requirements

There are two ways to become a Twitch Partner: (1) complete the Path to Partner achievements in your Twitch Dashboard, or (2) prove that you have a large viewership on other streaming services.

Unless you’re already an established streamer on YouTube or Facebook Live, that second option probably isn’t possible for you. But if you take a look at the Path to Partner achievement block in your dashboard, you’ll see that you only need to fulfill three primary requirements:

1. Stream for 25 hours
2. Stream on 12 different days
3. 75 average concurrent viewers

All three requirements must be fulfilled within the same 30-day period.

Perhaps the hardest of the requirements is the last one. Getting and keeping viewers isn’t easy, and 75 average viewers, especially for a smaller streamer, is a lot. Twitch also doesn’t count Watch Parties, Subscriber Streams, Spotlight, hosts, and raids towards that figure.

Also note that completing the Path to Partner achievement block only makes you eligible for applying for Partner status. It is not a guarantee that you will be granted Twitch Partnership.

How to Get Partnered on Twitch

As we discussed above, one way to gain Twitch Partnership is by completing the Path to Partner achievement block in your Twitch dashboard. To complete this achievement block, you must:

1. Stream for a total of 25 hours,
2. over 12 separate days,
3. with an average viewer count of 75.

Again, all three of these must be completed within the same 30-day period.

You can track your achievement progress from within your Twitch dashboard.

1. Click on the Analytics tab in the sidebar menu
2. Click on the Achievements sub-menu item
3. Click on the Path to Partner achievement block

When you’ve successfully completed all three achievements in the Path to Partner block, an alert will appear with a button that allows you to apply for Twitch Partner status.

Disadvantages of Becoming a Twitch Partner

We’ve gone over the laundry list of benefits to becoming a Twitch Partner. For those looking to make a career out of streaming, Partner status is a critical milestone toward that goal.

Compared to Affiliate status, there are no added drawbacks to becoming a Twitch Partner, though Partnership does share the same negative as Affiliate status, which is that you’re forced to run pre- and mid-roll ads. In the case of Partners, however, you do get a share of the money generated by those ads.

Taking your stream to the next level may also have other consequences that you should be prepared to face, such as:

High expectations and pressure

As a Twitch Partner, there may be increased pressure to consistently produce high-quality content and maintain a regular streaming schedule. This can lead to stress and burnout if you feel overwhelmed or unable to meet the demands.

Increased competition

Once you become a Twitch Partner, you may face greater competition from other streamers. The platform has millions of users, and standing out among the crowd can be challenging. Sustaining viewer engagement and growing your audience becomes increasingly important.

FAQs

Can you lose your Partner status on Twitch?

Yes, it is possible to lose your Partner status on Twitch. Twitch Partners are expected to adhere to certain standards of behavior and content creation, and failure to do so can result in a loss of Partner status. Twitch may also review your account periodically and revoke Partner status if they determine that you no longer meet the criteria or have violated the platform’s terms of service. Losing Partner status may result in a loss of revenue and opportunities on the platform, so it’s important to ensure that you comply with Twitch’s policies and maintain a positive online presence.

Can you become a Twitch Partner without becoming an Affiliate?

Yes, technically any channel that demonstrates large, engaged viewership is eligible for Twitch Partnership. This really only applies to established streamers with popular brands that may be considering moving over from a rival platform. For most streamers, Twitch recommends going through their Affiliate program first.

The Affiliate program is designed to help smaller creators grow their channels and earn revenue through features like channel subscriptions, Bits, and ad revenue. Once you meet the requirements for the Affiliate program and are accepted, you can work towards becoming a Partner by consistently streaming on Twitch, building your audience, and meeting additional requirements such as concurrent viewership, stream duration, and broadcast quality.

Can I apply for Twitch Partnership if I was previously denied into the program?

Yes. As long as you’ve fulfilled eligibility requirements, then you are allowed to apply for the Twitch Partner program as many times as you want.

Keep in mind that Twitch may take into account your channel’s development in between your applications. Showing progress and growth between applications may increase your odds of being accepted for Twitch Partner status.

What is the difference between Twitch Partner and Affiliate?

Twitch Partnership is a bit like an upgraded version of Twitch Affiliate, meaning you get all the benefits of Affiliate status but to a greater extent. Here are the major differences between Twitch Partner and Affiliate:

Twitch Affiliate	Twitch Partner
Cheering with Bits	Cheering with Bits with Custom Cheermotes
Subscription with up to 5 Sub emotes	Subscription with up to 60 Sub Emotes
Priority transcoding access	First priority transcoding access
No stream teams	Stream teams
14-day VOD storage	60-day VOD storage
No broadcast delay	Up to 15 minutes of broadcast delay
Standard support Queue	Up to 15 minutes of broadcast delay
No channel badge	Official Twitch verified channel badge
User pays payout fees	Twitch covers payout fees

Can you multi-stream as a Twitch Partner?

Twitch prohibits multistreaming (or simulcasting) to other long-form video delivery platforms like YouTube and Facebook. However, you are allowed to multistream to short-form video platforms, like TikTok and Instagram Live.

Do Twitch Partners have to wait 24 hours before streaming to other platforms?

No, you can begin streaming on other platforms the moment you end your Twitch stream. In the past, Twitch had a strict exclusivity policy that prohibited Twitch Partners from streaming on other platforms within a 24-hour window after streaming on Twitch. That rule has since been removed.

However, any content streamed on Twitch cannot be uploaded or re-streamed on other platforms until 24 hours has passed since that broadcast ended. This comes under section 2.2 in the affiliate agreement which also applies to partners.

How much do Twitch Partners make?

Generally speaking, Twitch Partners make more money than Twitch Affiliates. This is because Twitch Partners have access to additional revenue streams that are not available to Affiliates, such as:

- Subscription tiers
- Paid emotes and chat privileges
- A cut of revenue from the ads that run on their stream
- Greater opportunities for sponsorships and merchandise sales

That being said, it’s important to note that becoming a Twitch Partner takes a lot of hard work and dedication to building a loyal and engaged audience. Affiliates can still earn a significant amount of money from their streams and should focus on growing their audience and building a strong community on the platform.

Do Twitch Partners get more views?

Twitch Partners may have a slightly higher chance of getting more views simply because they have access to more resources and support from Twitch. Additionally, many viewers may be more likely to watch streams from Partnered channels because they perceive them as being more established and successful.

That being said, it’s important to note that the number of views a streamer gets is determined by several factors beyond their status as a Partner, Affiliate, or regular Twitch channel. The quality of their streams, the games they play, the time of day they stream, and their promotional efforts all play a significant role in determining their viewership.

Conclusion

Becoming a Twitch Partner is an exciting milestone that many streamers aspire to achieve. It offers a variety of benefits such as monetization options, access to valuable resources and tools, and increased visibility on the platform. However, it’s important to note that obtaining Partner status is not easy. Streamers must meet specific requirements including consistent streaming, a growing fan base, and high-quality content production.

Once you become a Twitch Partner, it’s important to continue growing and improving your channel. You have access to exclusive benefits such as ad revenue, subscriber emotes, and priority support from Twitch. However, these perks come with increased expectations and responsibilities including maintaining a positive community and following Twitch’s Community Guidelines.

Twitch Partnership is an excellent opportunity for streamers looking to take their channel to the next level. With dedication, hard work, and a commitment to community, becoming a Twitch Partner can lead to a successful and rewarding career in streaming.

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Liam Doherty

Liam Doherty comes from game development background, initially exposing him to the world of content creators. In 2017 he decided to dive headfirst into the creators realm, offering solutions for branding and creating better content.