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- 14 Apr
Ultimate Guide to Timing Your Twitch Streams
- May 1, 2023
- by Ben Price
When first starting your streaming journey, it can be quite difficult to find an audience of viewers. Twitch is an absolutely massive platform, with over 140 million monthly active users and 8 million different streamers live every month. With so many other users online at once, it can be quite difficult to garner a decent viewership at first. To add to the challenge, Twitch’s algorithm heavily favors streams with more viewers, making for poor discoverability for newer channels.
Because of all of these hurdles that you will undoubtedly struggle with when first beginning on Twitch, doing everything in your power to increase viewership will be vital to gain your initial first few followers. One great way to improve your odds of gaining new viewers is by streaming on the days and hours that fewer other streamers are live. So today, let’s go over what the best time to stream on Twitch is, as well as the best days to stream on Twitch.
When is the best time to stream on Twitch?
The best time to stream on Twitch is between the hours of 12 midnight and 9 AM pacific time. These are the best hours to stream on Twitch, because there are fewer channels that are live at this time. Because there are fewer channels live at these hours, there will be less competition for viewership which will increase your odds of gaining additional viewership.
Streaming during these times will also allow your channel to be found by viewers from other parts of the world as well, which can also be beneficial for your channel.
Stream when there are fewer channels live
Live streaming during off hours, when there are less channels live, can allow your channel to be more easily discovered – and when you’re first starting off on Twitch and have yet to have a real following, this is absolutely integral in your initial growth as a streamer.
If you happen to be familiar with Twitch, then you’re probably aware that most big name streamers almost never stream through the night. This is because they simply don’t have to – they are the biggest names on the platform, therefore they can stream whenever they choose. Because of this, we don’t recommend streaming during peak viewing hours, which is between 11 AM and 11 PM pacific time.
What are the best days to stream on Twitch?
The best days to stream on Twitch are on weekends, as there are more people online on these days. Although, if you’re looking to stand out the most, then we recommend streaming on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays which have the lowest amount of competition. This is because these are the least common days and times that streamers go live, therefore you’ll need to capitalize on these times in order to be better noticed. Streamers most commonly stream during the daytime – so to find more viewers, early morning streams or late night streams on these week days are usually the best bet.
Playing games that fewer channels are streaming
In addition to streaming during less busy days and times, it’s also highly recommended to stream in categories that have less competition. The top categories such as Just Chatting, League of Legends, Grand Theft Auto V, and CS:GO may not be great choices if you’re looking to stand out, as there are often tons of streamers live streaming in these categories even during less popular hours.
Instead, we recommend streaming games that are still fairly popular, but aren’t the top most watched games. Something important to note is that your channel will be found easier if you’re streaming a game that has a lot of viewers, but not a lot of channels streaming it. Since channels are ordered from most to least views by default, the more channels that are streaming the same title means that your channel will be near the bottom of the list (and therefore difficult to find).
Consistency above all else
While streaming during less busy times is helpful, arguably maintaining consistency over time is even more important. When you first start streaming, it can be difficult to stay consistent if you try streaming too much all at once. Adding a ton onto your plate at once can cause burn out, so try taking things one step at a time.
If you create a streaming schedule, be sure to stick to it. Having an inconsistent streaming schedule can make it more difficult for viewers to know when you’ll be live, and missing too many scheduled streams can cause your channel to lose viewership. After all, if your viewers don’t know when you’re going to go live next then how do you expect them to watch your stream?
Bottom Line: Stream when you’re able to
It’s important to approach your streaming schedule realistically and structure your schedule around your free time. If you work a day job, then obviously you can’t stream while you’re at work. If you need a bit of time to yourself to unwind before streaming, then account for that time. Go live when it is most convenient for your life, and never let streaming get in the way of your mental health.
Stream when you want to stream and don’t let the “suggested streaming times” dictate when you go live. If you’re not a morning person, then don’t force yourself to wake up early in order to gain a few additional views. If you don’t like staying up late, then you shouldn’t pull an all-nighter.
Whislt a schedule hugely beneficial, there are many other factors which can help boost your stream quality and engagement. However, it’s important to approach streaming as a hobby, and not a job. After all, streaming is supposed to be fun.
Keeping Viewers Informed
When you’ve finally decided on days and times to go live, it’s important to keep a note of this schedule, and ultimately let viewers know when you will go live. One way to do this is by adding a channel schedule. In addition to this, you could create a branded graphic of your schedule and add it to the panels section.
Finally, it’s important to also utilize social media to notify your community when you go live. Keeping to a schedule is conisdered a best practice, however community members can still forget. Sending out live notifications on your socials, ensures that community members with hectic lives of their own, won’t miss your stream.
As such, it’s important that you funnel active viewers to your socials, this has many benefits as mentioned above, although can be difficult to pull off in practice. Using social reminder tools are a great way to do this on autopilot, so you can do what you do best, which is creating content.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many hours a day should I stream on Twitch?
It’s recommended to stream at least 3-4 hours on Twitch per broadcast, although many streamers will go live for even longer than that, between 5-8 hours. Although with that said, it’s highly recommended to take regular breaks, as streaming for long periods of time can be detrimental to one’s own health.
What time is most popular on Twitch?
When it comes to maximum viewership hours, between 11 AM and 2 PM are the most popular times on Twitch. During these hours, Twitch’s views hit their peak numbers which makes them the best hours for streaming to the maximum number of viewers but are also the most competitive hours for streaming. Therefore, new streamers will have a harder time getting discovered by new viewers during these times.
How Often Should I Stream to Grow on Twitch?
If you want to have the best chances of growing on Twitch, it’s recommended that you go live 3-5 days per week for an average of 3-4 hours per broadcast. While you may improve your chances of gaining viewership by streaming for longer hours, consistency is arguably more important. Additionally, time spent on your channel while off stream – promotion, setting up high quality overlays, content creation, networking with others – can be just as important for channel growth as streaming.
Increase your viewership with Hexeum
While streaming during less busy hours and days on Twitch will certainly help to increase your chances of getting more viewers, it doesn’t guarantee that your new viewers will be retained. In order to increase your chances of sustained viewership over time, it’s important for your stream to stand out visually.
And of course, one of the best ways that you can make your channel stand out is through the use of professional widgets, alerts, emotes, and designs. That’s where Hexeum comes in: our website features a huge library of custom-made designs that can help elevate your livestream in order to really stand out from other streams. If you’re looking for new ways to grow your channel, then look no further – visit Hexeum’s store today!
