Twitch Affiliate: The Complete Guide for 2025

Ever wondered how your little brother got so good at Grand Theft Auto? Maybe he subscribed to an expert player’s live game stream on Twitch. Subscription? Your affiliate marketing muscle might be tingling. Your instinct is right — that expert player is a Twitch affiliate, and he makes money sharing his content on the platform. 

Twitch is a video-sharing platform where content creators can share live streams for niche audiences, most often in the video gaming niche but also others like cooking, lifestyle, and slots.

We’ll walk you through the ins and outs of the Twitch affiliate program and how brands like yours can leverage Twitch affiliates and Tapfiliate’s tracking platform to boost leads and revenue. Partner management software can dramatically improve the effectiveness of your affiliate marketing activities. Tools like Tapfiliate provide real-time tracking, variable compensation structures, and seamless integration capabilities, allowing brands to successfully manage their affiliate connections and drive growth.

What Is Twitch Affiliate and How Does it Work?

The Twitch affiliate program allows content creators to monetize their channel and content. But not all fellow streamers are considered Twitch affiliates. Instead, they must meet certain criteria to reach Twitch affiliate status (more on that later). 

This status gives them the ability to make money through: 

• Ads: Brands (like yours) can offer commissions or pay-per-click compensation structures that give Twitch revenue for ads displayed on their streams.

• Twitch bits: Twitch bits are a form of virtual currency used on the platform that content creators can cash in for fiat currency of their choice. Creators can earn Twitch bits through “cheermotes,” which are emotes that audiences can only buy with Twitch bits. 

• Subscriptions: Twitch entertainers can charge a set fee per month for audiences to subscribe to their content, meaning they get access to special content that regular audiences aren’t privy to. Most subscriptions range from $4.99 to $24.99 per month, which is split in half between creators and the Twitch platform. 

So, how do Twitch affiliates become qualified streamers in the first place?

How to Become an Affiliate

As long as you are over 18, you can stream videos on Twitch. 

But you can’t actually make money without meeting the platform’s affiliate eligibility requirements.

Keep reading to check all the Twitch affiliate boxes:

Figure Out Your Niche and Audience

What do you want to talk (and stream) about? And what audiences care to watch this kind of content? These are essential questions to ask before you can move onto Twitch affiliate status. Once you’ve settled your content goals and know who you’re targeting, then you can focus on creating a following.

Reach 50 Followers

Twitch’s most popular content creators have millions of followers. Luckily, though, you only need 50 to get started as an affiliate. We’ll cover some audience expansion strategy later on in this piece, but, for now, let’s move on to the next requirement. 

Stream for 8 Hours

After you hit your eighth hour of streaming, you’ve already made it through half of the platform’s minimum requirements. Don’t worry – you don’t have to stay on the camera for 8 hours straight. Instead, you can break these 8 hours into multiple video streams, and to get your affiliate status faster? Try to break it down on seven different days.

Stream for Seven Different Broadcast Days

Twitch requires affiliates to have seven separate streaming days, but here’s the kicker: they need to be within the last 30-day period.

Reach an Average of 3 Viewers Within 30 Days

Even with 50 followers, Twitch won’t consider you an affiliate until you can show a few of them consistently watching your videos. But don’t think one or two videos with three viewers is enough to become an affiliate. Your history over the last 30 days needs to show an average 3-person viewership.

If Fortnite aficionado Squeezie can pull off an average of 219,000 concurrent viewers, three doesn’t feel impossible, right? Try to keep a consistent streaming time to make your Twitch channel reliable and aligned with your audience’s schedule.

Check Your Progress

All boxes checked? Double-check to be sure on your Creator Dashboard’s “Achievements Analytics” section. 

Look Out for Your Invitation Email

Twitch will notify you via email that you’ve been invited to their affiliate program. Keep in mind that this sometimes takes a few days after you’ve met all the above requirements.

Add Some Personal Details

Congrats, you’re in! Now, you just need to share a few personal details with Twitch like: 

• Payout method and account information
• Full name and address
• Tax information

You can learn more about this process on Twitch’s affiliate onboarding page. 

So, what’s in it for affiliates to join Twitch’s program?

Why Should I Become a Twitch Affiliate?

Sure, you might find more potential customers as a YouTube shopping affiliate than a Twitch affiliate. The former is a much more popular household name. But the value Twitch offers isn’t necessarily in the viewers (despite its impressive 140 million monthly active users). Instead, the value comes in the diverse monetization tools and niche audiences.

• Niche audiences: Video games, music production, sports, and esports are all top content niches on Twitch’s platform. If you have brand offerings or affiliate knowledge in any of these areas, Twitch is a great place to build your audience and community with like-minded people.

• Diverse monetization: Ad revenue isn’t the only form of affiliate commission out there. Twitch gives creators the opportunity to make money through product commissions, cheermotes (tips, or money through donations), and subscription revenue, combining multiple affiliate revenue types within one platform. 

• Engagement potential: Content creators have full creative range with Twitch’s video formats and engagement options, from live contests and Qs&As to user interaction, live events, giveaways, product unboxings, fundraisers, and the ability to repurpose video content to other platforms seamlessly. 

• Branding options: Who says branding isn’t for affiliates? Creators on Twitch can build their followings, revenue, and brand persona with the platform’s unique tools, like custom emotes, which expand the common emoticon library to mini photos, expressions, animated emotes, and meme-like icons. You can also customize your channel with descriptions and photos, too.

• Revenue potential: Twitch’s top affiliates bring in over $20 million per year. These figures also include Twitch’s affiliates with Partner status, who have more access to brand sponsorships due to an elite following and performance (more on that later). 

Strong community potential? Check. High-quality content options? Twitch offers it. Now, let’s beef up your path to affiliate revenue with these expert tips. 

Next Steps for Affiliates

Twitch gives you all the tools you need to beef up your affiliate income. All you need to do is use them.

• Engage your audience: Users love Twitch for the personable element that live streaming offers. Engage that interest by responding to their comments and having conversations with them on your streams. This will improve your chance of getting bits and loyal subscribers.

• Ask for feedback: Conversation opportunities are abundant on Twitch, so invite your audience to share their thoughts. Gather unique intel about how to improve your content for them while engaging them with your attention. 

• Prioritize stream quality: How does your setup look? Invest in a solid microphone, multiple cameras, and a bulletproof internet connection to ensure a high-quality stream. 

• Cross-post and repurpose content: Use other affiliate channels at your disposal. Repurpose a live stream into YouTube videos, rebroadcasted content (if you’re a Twitch partner), or even Instagram Reels for highlights.

Twitch Partners vs Affiliates

Think you can boost that minimum 3-viewer average to 50? You might be on the path to affiliate success via Twitch’s partnership status. Partners are elite streamers eligible for: 

• 70% of subscription revenue (instead of 50% on affiliate status)
• + Subscriber streams to engage loyal subscribers
• + Custom chat badges
• + Ability to rebroadcast streams
• + Priority Twitch customer support
• + Guarantee video transcodes

Essentially, Partnership Status gives affiliates an extra edge to make more money with greater content customization, back-end support, and audience engagement options. 

Sounds good? Here are the basic requirements: 

• 75 average viewers (simultaneous viewers on a stream)
• 25 hours of streaming
• 12 different broadcast days

Twitch Affiliate Program FAQ

Joining the Affiliate Program

1. How many followers does a Twitch streamer need to become an affiliate?

You need at least 50 followers to become a Twitch affiliate.

2. Can you become a Twitch affiliate with a straight 8-hour stream?

Twitch requires affiliates to have seven separate broadcast days. The eight-hour requirement can be broken up into those days. 

3. What’s the time period required to meet minimum Twitch affiliate requirements?

Twitch streamers must have an average of 3 viewers, 50 followers, seven broadcast days, and 8 hours of streaming within a 30-day period. 

4. How long does it take to become a Twitch affiliate?

On average, Twitch will notify eligible streamers within 48 hours that they’ve been accepted to the affiliate program. 

Onboarding for New Affiliates

1. What are Twitch’s community guidelines?

Twitch doesn’t permit overtly graphic or gorey content, or anything that’s violent in a live setting. You can read their full community guidelines here.  

2. Once I’m accepted, how can I start earning income?

After your invitation to the program, you’ll have to add personal details, choose a payout method, complete various tax forms, and wait a couple of days for validation. 

3. Twitch is a US company: can I become an international affiliate?

Yes. However, you’ll have to complete additional tax forms before you can go live as an affiliate. 

• Guide new Affiliates through the initial setup process after acceptance.
• Cover essential first steps like setting up payment methods, understanding Twitch’s policies, and accessing Affiliate-only features.

Revenue Questions

1. What is the payout threshold for Twitch affiliate income?

Twitch’s payout threshold is $50, meaning Twitch affiliates must earn at least $50 to activate a payout. If an affiliate chooses the wire transfer payout method, the threshold increases to $100.

2. What are the available payment methods for Twitch affiliates?

Twitch pays affiliates through wire transfers, checks, PayPal, ACH/direct deposit, and eChecks. 

3. How long until I receive a payment?

Twitch payouts are distributed 15 days after the end of the revenue month. 

4. How can I maximize revenue as a Twitch affiliate?

Twitch is a live-streaming platform offering a desirable human element to streamer content. This element suggests that audiences want to see a genuine personality behind your channel, meaning anything to enhance your unique voice, branding, and content uniqueness can engage your audience and thereby increase your subscriptions, cheermotes, and revenue. 

Twitch affiliates can also leverage other channels with cross-posting, engage their audience, regularly seek feedback, and maintain a reliable streaming schedule to improve revenue. 

Are you a brand looking to promote your products with Twitch affiliates? You’ll need a system to engage affiliates, just like they have systems to engage their audiences. Plus, how will you track all your commissions across Twitch and other platforms. Tapfiliate, a leading affiliate tracking software, rises up to the task with accurate live affiliate tracking, coupon codes, affiliate communication, flexible commissions, and automation features. Sign up for your free trial today!

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