Why do I need to Become a Twitch Partner?
With the extra money from Ads, Subs, or Bits you can afford an upgrade in your streamer setup or perhaps quit your day job at some point. Having enough money to live while pursuing your passion feels like a dream. Twitch Partnership, together with other sources of revenue for you as a streamer, can make this dream come true. Apart from new monetization methods, Twitch Partner Program offers many more benefits, more on that below!
What is the Difference Between an Affiliate and a Partner?
First of all, you can't become a Partner if you're not an Affiliate. So, Twitch Partner Program is essentially an updated and benefit-packed Affiliate. The Partnership provides you with new features such as custom cheermotes, verified badge, extended VOD storage, and more. Here's a full list of differences and similarities between these two programs:
| Feature | Affiliate | Partner |
| Cheering with Bits |
Yes Without Custom Cheermotes |
Yes With Custom Cheermotes |
| Subscriptions |
Yes Up to 5 Sub Emotes |
Yes Up to 60 Sub Emotes |
| Ads |
Yes |
Yes |
| Transcoding |
As Available, with priority access |
Full Access to Transcode Options |
| Squad Stream |
No |
Yes |
| Subscriber Streams |
Yes |
Yes |
| VOD Storage |
14 Days |
60 Days |
| Stream Delay |
No |
Up to 15 Minutes Delay |
| Restream Past Content |
Yes |
Yes |
| Payout Timeframe |
NET15 |
NET15 |
| Payout Fees |
Covered by Affiliate |
Covered by Twitch |
| Channel Points |
Yes |
Yes |
| Polls |
Yes |
Yes |
| Stream Team Creation |
No |
Yes |
| Instant Emote Uploads |
Yes |
Yes |
| Prefix Changes |
Once per Name Change |
Once Every 60 Days |
| Customer Service |
Standard Support Queue |
Priority Partner Support |
| Verified Channel Badge |
No |
Yes |
As you can see, the differences between those two aren’t very significant, and they're unlikely to affect your overall revenue drastically. That being said, if you’re being rejected after trying to become a Partner, staying with the Affiliate program is always an option.
How to Get Twitch Verified Badge
Getting a Verified Badge on Twitch is a personal achievement many of us want to get - while this is a very small thing that doesn't affect your success directly, it clearly shows others that you've achieved something substantial in the streaming industry. As soon as you become a Twitch Partner, your profile is marked as a Verified Twitch Account with a small checkmark next to your channel name.
Can I Get a Verified Badge if I'm Not a Partner?
Even though it's not a common practice, you can still get a Verified Badge by contacting Twitch Support without applying for a Partnership. They will review your ticket and may verify your account as an exception if you're an established brand or celebrity.
Twitch Partner Requirements
To become a Twitch Partner, you have to meet specific requirements in the 30-day period:
-
75 average viewers
-
Stream for at least 12 days
-
Stream for 25 hours or more
-
Be 18 years old or older
-
Participate in a Twitch Affiliate Program
After you succeed with everything above, you can send your Partnership application.
Other Factors That Affect Your Partner Application
When reviewing applications, Twitch staff considers not only general statistics but also the following:
Average Concurrent Viewership — This is the most crucial statistic that plays a role in accepting your application. The logic is simple - you will more likely become a Partner with 150 average viewers instead of the required 75.
Community and Chat — Having active community channels on social media and active chats on your streams will definitely increase your chances.
Content Quality — Audio quality, framerate, bitrate, and the way you interact with your viewers are as important as your stats.
Revenue — If you, as Affiliate, get a solid income for yourself (and for Twitch, as they receive a cut of your earnings), it will make you a better candidate for participating in Twitch Partnership.
Stream Frequency — Twitch employees consider the schedule of your streams, how often you stream, and so on.
How do I Know if I'm Ready for the Application?
Your Partnership progress is displayed on the Creative Dashboard under Analytics - Achievements. It is quite a clear statistic that gives you an understanding of how far you are from applying to the Twitch Partnership. However, you should be aware that not everyone who passes the basic standards gets accepted. Since each Partner application is being moderated manually by the Twitch Staff, it is hard to predict whether you'll get a green light or not.
How to Apply for the Twitch Partner
You will receive a personal invitation when you are eligible for the Twitch Partnership. Then you should follow those steps:
-
Agree to Twitch's Terms of Service and fill in your payment information.
-
Now, go to your Dashboard - Analytics - Achievements to see if you've accomplished the Path to the Partnership.
-
Press “Apply” and fill out the form that pops up.
-
The support team will notify you if you are approved within 7 working days.
General Tips
Build Your Own Community
A strong, active community is critical for success. Even if you don't have a Twitch Partnership, you can still have a solid amount of money to live thanks to your viewers. Be entertaining, be creative, engage with your audience, and eventually, you'll see the results.
Focus on Small Steps
You can't build a house without a plan, just as you can't gain many viewers or followers by relying solely on luck. So if you focus on increasing your viewership by even a tiny amount each time, you will soon reach the minimum required for the Partnership.
Don't be Afraid of Getting Rejected
Becoming a Twitch Partner is challenging. Many streamers receive letters with a bold "No" after applying for months or even years. But keep in mind that you don't lose anything by just trying. So be consistent, follow the best practices, try to check all the boxes under the requirements, and eventually, you'll get there!
Quality Over Quantity
Keep in mind that all of the applicants are being reviewed manually. While Twitch has strict requirements for stream uptime and viewer count, the quality of your content will play the most important role. For example, you can add some Professional Twitch Overlays or host thematic events with your audience to show the moderators that your content is top-notch and you deserve to become a partner.
Summing Up
So, now you know all ins and outs of the Twitch Partner Program. While keeping all the requirements and nuances in mind, you need to remember that no matter if you have Twitch Partnership or not, you'll eventually succeed. So keep doing what you do, and we wish you the best of luck on this path!
