How To Squad Stream on Twitch : Definitive Guide

September 27, 2023
by Liam Doherty

If you’re a Twitch streamer you’ve probably heard of “squad streaming”. We’re going to show you exactly how to start a squad stream on Twitch, explain who it’s available to, and finally discuss how it can improve your content. This fun feature allows you to stream with up to three other streamers, giving your audience a multi-angle view of gameplay and adding a new dimension to your content. It’s most commonly used with multiplayer games to give viewers an overview of all the action.

Squad streaming has quickly become one of the most popular ways for Twitch users to connect and collaborate, allowing streamers to combine their audiences and effectively promote their channel to new viewers. No matter how long you’ve been streaming, squad streaming can be an incredibly effective way to grow your Twitch channel, build your community, and engage with your fans. Not to mention it’s an incredibly fun way to stream and build genuine connections with other streamers.

But how exactly does squad streaming work, and how do you set it up? We’re going to answer all of these questions in this article. We’re going to cover the basics and some advanced tips to make your squad streams even better, and some key ways to engage your audience.

Before we dive in, let’s first make sure you can even make use of these collaboration features.

Who can squad stream on Twitch?

Squad streaming is only available to Twitch partners. If you haven’t reached this milestone yet, don’t let that get you down too much. In fact, use the prospect of unlocking awesome new benefits as an affiliate and then becoming a Twitch partner to stay motivated. It might seem like a long journey, but we promise if you stick with it’s also a rewarding one.

It might seem unfair, however there are some pretty legitimate reasons why this feature is limited to partner streamers only. The most important reason is the need for video quality options which ensure an enjoyable experience for viewers. Luckily, Twitch has mentioned plans to make the feature available to streamers under much broader circumstances.

If you’re a partner already, skip ahead and dive straight into how you can start a squad stream on Twitch.

How to set up a squad stream on Twitch

TLDR: Go to “Creator Dashboard’ -> “Stream Manager” -> “Quick Action” -> “Start a Squad Stream”

1. Click your profile picture in the top right corner on Twitch. Select Creator Dashboard.
2. Select Stream Manager from the sidebar on the left.
3. Select the add button from the Quick Actions panel, search for Squad Stream and select it. Click on the newly added Start Squad Stream button.
4. Now invite up to 3 members into your squad by clicking on the Add a channel button. See the invite requirements further down.
5. Once all streamers have accepted the invite, click on Start Squad Stream

You’ll know everything is working by checking you and the invited streamers channels, as they will now have a banner enabled, indicating viewers can now watch in squad mode.

How To Join A Squad Stream

Now that we’ve covered how to set up a squad stream on Twitch, there are cases you’re simply looking to join other streamers squad. Joining a squad stream is simple. Assuming another streamer will be setting up the squad stream, you simply need to the Squad stream panel in quick actions and wait for the invitation in the “Invites’ tab.

In order for another streamer to invite you make sure you meet all the requirements listed below.

Squad Stream Invitation Requirements

There are a couple of conditions when it comes to who can be invited to a squad stream.

1. Their channel must already be live on Twitch
2. They should either be:
  1. On your friends list
  2. A teammate
  3. Following you

Improving your squad stream

Name the Squad

To make it easier for viewers to find your squad stream, it’s a good idea to give your squad a name. This will make your stream stand out from other squad streams and help viewers identify your squad when they see the name pop up in their recommendations.

Communication

One of the most challenging aspects of squad streaming is coordinating with your team. To make it easier, use a communication platform like Discord to communicate with your squad during the stream. This way, everyone can communicate clearly with one another. It also gives a new dynamic to your stream. Watching people interact with one another is one of the more fascinating aspects squad streaming has to offer.

Audience Engagement

As with any stream, engagement with your audience is key to keeping them interested and coming back for more. Make sure you’re keeping an eye on chat and responding to viewer questions and comments as much as possible.

You may get a lot of new audience members interacting in your chat that came from another squad members channel. Be sure to say hi and make them feel welcome in your community.

Another great way to engage with your audience during squad streaming is to have each broadcaster take turns doing unique activities on their stream. For example, one person can play a game, another can do a Q&A, and another can have a chat hangout. This will keep things fresh and prevent your viewers from getting bored.

Analyze Streams After They’ve Ended

As a streamer, your main priority will always be to improve the viewer experience. After your squad stream is over, take some time to analyze your performance. This means looking at your viewer count, engagement rates, and other metrics to see what worked and what didn’t.

Pay close attention to these areas:

- What particular activity or game do viewers enjoy
- Are you giving enough attention to your community
- Is there good chemistry between everyone in the squad

If you feel like one of the areas above needs some work then focus on ways in which it can be improved. For example, if you find yourself missing key engagements from your audience consider adding a bot to your stream.

How to Find People To Stream With ?

Knowing how to squad stream is all well and good, but if you’ve got nobody to stream with then it’s not even an option for you. Don’t worry, networking and building connections with other streamers is a huge challenge for the majority of streamers. In a world of instant gratification streamers are constantly exposed to bad actors who only engage with them based on an ulterior motive. Whether it’s blatant self promotion in their chat or just lame follow for follow schemes, most streamers have become pretty cautious around who they let into their circle.

There are no quick ways to build up legitimate friendships, it’s a slow but rewarding process. Here are some or our top tips:

1. Be active in other small streamers chat whose content you genuinely enjoy
2. Help other streamers out: Answer questions on reddit, create useful content for other streamers
3. Don’t approach streamers just because they have a large following
4. Be your authentic self, you’ll naturally connect with like-minded streamers this way
5. Never self promote. With time you’ll be given natural opportunities to mention that you have a stream, as streamers begin to recognise your name and remember you

As you learn how to grow your channel, you may end up on the other end of the stick. So, try to think about how you would like to be treated by other small streamers looking to connect with you.

Squad Streaming and Your Brand

Once you know how to Squad stream on Twitch, you’ll quickly realize that it’s a great way to expose your brand to new potential subscribers. When exposing yourself to a new audience, first impressions mean a lot, and having high-quality graphics and animations go a long way to making your stream look and feel like the real deal.

At Hexeum we offer professional-grade graphics and stream overlays that help elevate your stream. With a well thought out design, you can create unique and engaging viewing experiences that leave a lasting impression on your viewers.

Squad streaming offers massive potential for creators to provide unique and unprecedented content on Twitch. From highlighting esports events to producing engaging content with other streamers, the opportunities are limitless. By following the tips outlined above, studying successful streaming squads, and investing in professional graphics for that extra bit of polish, you can elevate your squad streaming experience for yourself and your viewers.

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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.