Twitch is an online streaming platform where millions of people come together to interact and make entertainment. It as a streaming service focuses on video game streaming, creative content, IRL (In real life) streams, and much more.
Twitch was originally founded by Justin Kan and Emmett Shear in 2011. Back then, the predecessor of Twitch was famously known as “Justin.tv”, a live streaming service created by Justin Kan, Emmett Shear, Michael Seibel, and Kyle Vogt. Justin.tv moved to a new site Twitch in 2011 and was rebranded as Twitch Interactive in 2014. The Justin.tv services were shut down in August 2014, which gave the company time to focus on Twitch as its main platform.
It grew so huge within its first year as a platform of its own and gathered millions of viewers each month, drawing attention to big companies like Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook, etc. As of 2014, the famous e-commerce giant Amazon acquired Twitch for $970 million and they are now the current owners of the biggest streaming platform. It is a very popular platform within the gaming community. Over the past few years, It has found a more mainstream audience which has greatly reshaped it into a place more than just gaming.
While it is mostly known for its “games” section, streamers have over 100 different categories to choose from, such as just chatting, special events, science and technology, makers and crafting, politics, e-sports tournaments, music, food and drinks, software and game development, talk shows, and podcasts, beauty, and body art, and so much more.
Twitch Fundamentals
With millions of daily viewers each day to watch millions of content creators on the streaming platform, It still has big competition. YouTube, owned by Google, is Twitch’s biggest competition, and Facebook Gaming. Although, while they may be similar, the platforms are different.
What differentiates Twitch from the other streaming services?
Twitch is mainly a live streaming platform. Some creators upload videos (Video on Demand), but the majority live stream content. YouTube, on the other hand, offers live streaming features, but most content creators upload pre-produced videos to the service. Facebook Gaming has very similar features to both Twitch and YouTube but does not have the larger live streaming audience and video game partnerships.
How does Twitch fare with other streaming platforms?
According to Cloutboost, in 2021, It dominated 70% of the streaming market with over 5.7 billion hours watched and has over 30 million active daily users, and 140 million monthly visitors. Facebook Gaming took about 16% with over 1.2 billion hours watched, which overtook YouTube Gaming. YouTube Gaming, on the other hand, had 1.13 billion hours watched. The platform had about 14% of the streaming market in 2021.
Getting Started
Twitch for new users may be overwhelming to get by the first time, and the usual question of “How do I get started?” comes up. I’ve got you covered.
On your first time at Twitch, users are usually welcomed by live video feeds from channels. In search for specific content, there’s a Browse option and you can filter through channels based on category or what game the streamer is playing. Non-gaming content is generally under the “Just Chatting” category or other general categories. Upon finding a creator you like; you will be redirected to their channel and can watch the stream.
On the creator’s page, you’ll find the currently live video or previously streamed video followed by the details of the channel, clips from live streams, information about the streamer, and social media links. On the left side of the page, you’ll find recommended channels Twitch thinks you’ll have interest in. Lastly, on the right side of the page, you’ll find the live chat section.
How do I get notified about my favorite streamer?
Unlike YouTube which straight forward in terms of being notified when a channel is about to go live or post a video, on Twitch there is a “Follow” and “Subscribe” button. The Subscribe button on Twitch is a paid subscription to that channel either through Amazon Prime, PayPal, or Credit Card. The Follow button on the other hand is what you’re looking for if you want to be notified when a streamer goes live.
Twitch as a Platform
One very common question is, “What does Twitch have to offer as a platform?” and it’s a very straightforward answer, but let’s break it down.
As mentioned earlier, Twitch is an online streaming platform where millions of people come together to chat, interact and make entertainment. Twitch live stream includes audio-only commentary from the player, and also a pop-up window option. It offers a variety of categories going from gaming to music, to art, to politics and so much more.
Twitch saves content creator streams, so the user can have an option to watch a previously streamed gameplay or shows. Twitch truly has no limit with innovative features. It hosts e-sports tournaments between competitive players, events, and demos from gaming conventions like BlizzCon, Penny Arcade eXpo (PAX), PAX Prime, and Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). Anyone can view live streams or archived videos on Twitch, all you have to do is sign-up for a free Twitch membership. Twitch is also available on the iOS and Android app stores, and users can get all the same content, alongside mobile-friendly features.
Does Twitch have any Premium Perks?
It offers subscriptions for anyone who has gotten more invested, with three tiers at a price range of $4.99 to $24.99 per month. The Twitch subscription allows you to support your favorite streamer, ad-free, and access other features like emotes or chat badges. Emotes are exclusive emojis that show a viewer’s support for the content creator.
Twitch Prime is also a subscription option through Amazon Prime. It offers a free monthly subscription for its first users, and also gives its users access to more games and exclusive in-game items, with a free bonus channel subscription every month at no additional cost, members-only chat, more storage, and so much more.
