Twitch Prime offers individuals a platform to showcase their talents and gain popularity while earning an income.
Twitch, an Amazon subsidiary, is a platform that offers gamers, musicians, lifestyle coaches, and a variety of streamers an easy-to-use avenue to build and engage with an audience in real-time while also earning a form of remuneration. Monthly and annual tiered subscriptions, donations, advertisements, and sponsorships aid twitch streamers in earning a sustainable income and increasing audience engagement by presenting tiered subscription benefits and rewards.
However, multiple monthly subscriptions across different channels and the need to renew these subscriptions monthly became an expensive task for most Twitch users. To help improve the overall user experience, Amazon announced Twitch Prime as a premium add-on to their popular streaming platform Amazon Prime. The add-on features enable accessibility to Twitch and added twitch-related benefits while only paying for one service.
What are the benefits of using Twitch Prime?
Ad-free viewing
Twitch users usually have to sit through advertisements at the beginning and during live streams, past broadcasts, and hosted streams. Advertisements help streamers earn an income per impression. However, Twitch Prime users can enjoy ad-free streams and re-runs, which will still count towards ad impressions, thus not affecting streamer income.
Access to exclusive gaming content
Popular games including Call of Duty, Fortnite, and Grand Theft Auto often have in-game paid content which changes monthly and is inclusive of additional elements such as customized collectibles and sponsored events. Members can access such content for free with their Prime subscriptions.
Discounts on Amazon gaming purchases
Twitch Prime users can access monthly free games and enjoy early access to selected games for a limited time only. Members can get up to 20% off on Amazon for physical copies of pc or console games.
Free channel subscriptions and Twitch currency packages
Twitch Prime allows users to subscribe to any channel for free and are given the option to upgrade their subscription to higher tiers for access to more exclusive channel content. Users are presented with access to Twitch currency which can be donated or used on channels as financial funding for streamers.
More chat features
Other channel benefits for Twitch prime users include chat features such as additional emotes (stickers and gifs related to the content creator), message highlights, special fonts, poll and prediction channel points, an entry in certain competitions, and participation badges based on different tiers.
What can Twitch channels and streamers gain from Twitch Prime?
The publicity of Twitch Prime had raised a few concerns among the Twitch community, especially around the ad-free viewing and possible loss of income from it. However, Twitch reassured users that features included with Twitch Prime would not change the generation of income for streamers. The company said that Twitch streamers would receive payments for “every Prime subscription in the same way as normal subscriptions.” Another benefit of Twitch prime for streamers and their viewers is that past streams, broadcasts, and events will be available for 60 days instead of the usual 14 days. This allows streamers and channels to fulfill their viewership.
How to set up and use Twitch Prime?
Twitch Prime is solely available to individuals with an Amazon Prime account. Members need to link their Twitch TV account with their existing Prime Video account to enjoy their free Twitch Prime membership. Luckily, Amazon has made it easier for existing and new users to sign up by visiting https://gaming.amazon.com/. Once you are on the Amazon website, you will need to:
1. Click the “Sign In” option on the top right corner and fill in your information.
2. Once logged in, there will be an option on the left side saying, “Link Twitch Account.”
3. Click on the link and follow the prompts to sign in to your Twitch account.
4. Once logged in, you will need your intention to link your accounts, following which, you will have access to your Twitch Prime subscription.
Twitch Prime users can now take advantage of the benefits included in their membership. The first is free monthly subscriptions to any Twitch channel. To use this feature, users will need to choose a channel they wish to subscribe to and click on the subscribe button. Twitch will ask you to confirm your subscription. If you click on “Yes,” you will be subscribed to the channel and have access to channel benefits. If you wish to cancel your subscription to a Twitch channel, you can visit the Subscriptions Management page, find the channel you wish to unsubscribe from, click the “Don’t Renew Subscription,” and confirm your cancellation.
Is Twitch Prime actually free, and can I cancel my membership?
If you are an existing Amazon Prime member, then a Twitch Prime membership would be considered free as it is already included in your monthly $12.99 subscription. However, if you do not have an Amazon Prime account, you can sign up for a free 30-day trial. The trial also allows users access to features such as Twitch Prime and other benefits for the 30-day period.
Due to Twitch Prime being an add-on for Amazon Prime memberships, it cannot be canceled without ending your Amazon Prime membership too. If you wish to keep your Amazon Prime membership, you may unlink your Twitch account and continue to use other Prime features. Simply go to the settings menu on Twitch TV or Amazon Prime and click “Unlink Account.”
Is Twitch Prime available worldwide?
Twitch Prime is available with Amazon Prime subscriptions in over 200 countries which include, but are not limited to:
• United States of America
• United Kingdom
• Japan
• France
• Australia
• Canada
• Netherlands
However, countries such as China do not have access to Twitch Prime. Users can use VPNs to access the service.
Conclusion
People who enjoy gaming, lifestyle streams, or the usual video streaming would benefit greatly from a Twitch Prime membership as it allows members to access a multitude of rewards and perks. Twitch Prime is an add-on to the popular Amazon Prime Video streaming and gaming platforms and is a benefit for streamers and could be used for exposure and viewership.
Frequently asked questions
Is Twitch Prime free forever?
Your Twitch Prime membership gives you a free one-month subscription to the broadcaster of your choice monthly.
