Hey friend! As an avid gamer and streaming enthusiast myself, I know you might be wondering if you can realistically make money streaming on Twitch in 2024.
Well, I‘ve done extensive research into Twitch streaming incomes, and in this post I‘ll walk you through exactly how much money Twitch streamers really make.
Get ready, because we‘ll dig into real data on streamer earnings, revenue sources, tips for maximizing your income, and reasonable income goals to set as a small or medium streamer. Let‘s get started!
Contents
How Do Twitch Streamers Get Paid?
The great news is Twitch provides multiple ways for streamers to make money from their livestreams. Here are the main ways Twitch streamers monetize their channels:
- Subscriptions – Viewers can subscribe to your channel for $4.99 per month. As a Twitch Affiliate or Partner, you earn approximately half of this subscription revenue.
- Bits – Fans can cheer you with Bits during your streams, with each Bit worth $0.01 that goes to you.
- Advertising – Twitch runs video ads on your streams and shares the ad revenue with you. Top partners can earn up to $250 for 100 average viewers.
- Tips – Viewers can send you direct donations via PayPal, Streamlabs and other services. You get 100% of tips donated to you.
- Sponsorships – Popular streamers often get sponsored by brands to promote products/services on stream.
- Merchandise – You can create and sell branded merchandise like shirts, mugs and other items.
The great news is you can start earning all of these as soon as you qualify for the Twitch Affiliate program by meeting some basic viewership, streaming hour and follower requirements.
Twitch does have a minimum $100 payout threshold before they‘ll pay you your earnings directly. But any income you generate can be withdrawn once you pass that threshold.
How Much are Top Twitch Streamers Earning?
The very top Twitch stars earn millions streaming each year. According to leaked revenue reports, here‘s how much the top 10 biggest Twitch streamers made in 2021:
- CriticalRole – $9.6 million
- xQcOW – $8.4 million
- Summit1G – $5.8 million
- Tfue – $5.3 million
- NICKMERCS – $5 million
- ludwig – $3.3 million
- TimTheTatman – $3.3 million
- alanzoka – $2.8 million
- auronplay – $2.8 million
- DrLupo – $2.3 million
The richest streamers earn huge incomes through a mix of subscribers, donations, sponsorships, ads and merchandise sales. CriticalRole earns over $100,000 per month just from their 50,000 Twitch subscribers!
But you definitely don‘t need millions of followers to start earning good money on Twitch. Even streamers with just a few thousand viewers can make very comfortable livings streaming.
Twitch Streamer Earnings for Small & Medium Channels
Obviously most Twitch streamers are not top tier partners with millions of subscribers. The majority are small-to-medium sized channels with less than 1000 viewers.
Let‘s take a data-driven look at what these ordinary streamers realistically earn:
0 – 50 Concurrent Viewers
When first starting out as a small affiliate streamer, earnings are often minimal if you have less than 50 live viewers. Only the most passionate early fans may sub or donate bits at this stage, and it takes time to build an audience.
Any income will likely come from the rare donation/tip or merch purchase from a family member or close friend initially. Don‘t expect significant earnings until you grow your viewership.
Typical Monthly Revenue: $0 – $25
50 – 500 Concurrent Viewers
Once affiliate streamers reach 50-500 viewers, earnings start to climb. For a streamer with ~200 average live viewers:
- Subscriptions – With a 2-3% subscriber rate, 4-6 subs per stream (~$25-$35).
- Bits – Small cheers of 50-100 bits are common, likely totaling $5+ per stream.
- Donations – A couple small $5 donations per stream.
- Ads – Around $1 per ad with 200 viewers, with 2-3 ads per hour.
This adds up to around $40-$60+ per stream, or $800-$2400+ monthly for a 200 viewer channel streaming 5 times a week.
500 – 2000 Concurrent Viewers
For medium channels with 500-2000 live viewers, Twitch earnings will be:
- Subscriptions – 500 viewers with a 3% sub rate equals ~15 subs per stream ($75).
- Bits – More frequent bit donations totaling $20+ per stream.
- Donations – More common small donations totaling $20+
- Ads – Around $2.50 per ad with 5+ ads per hour.
- Sponsorships – Can earn $100+ per hour for sponsored streams.
All together, 500-2000 concurrent viewer streams earn $200-$500+ per stream, or $2000-$6000+ monthly. This income level can support full time streaming.
Monthly Twitch Earnings Benchmarks
Based on typical subscriber rates, bit donations, ad splits and more, here are general monthly earnings benchmarks for different Twitch channel sizes:
| Average Concurrent Viewers | Typical Monthly Earnings |
|---|---|
| 0 – 50 | $0 – $25 |
| 50 – 100 | $100 – $300 |
| 100 – 200 | $300 – $800 |
| 200 – 500 | $800 – $2,500 |
| 500 – 1000 | $2,500 – $5,000 |
| 1000 – 2000 | $5,000 – $10,000 |
| 2000 – 5000 | $10,000 – $25,000 |
| 5000+ | $25,000+ |
So while tiny new streamers will make little money, you can earn a healthy side income starting around 100-200 concurrent viewers, and support yourself fully with 500-1000+ loyal viewers.
Maximizing Your Income as a Small or Medium Streamer
While getting thousands of concurrent viewers takes significant time for most streamers, you can optimize your revenue potential from the start:
- Set up your affiliate link – Enable subs/bits/ad revenue as soon as you qualify for the program.
- Add channel point rewards – Give viewers redeemable rewards to invest in your channel.
- Run subscriber contests – Give away fun prizes to encourage more gifted subs.
- Promote merch – Sell shirts, mugs and items featuring your brand.
- Thank top supporters – Recognize major subs, bit donors and tippers so they feel valued.
- Keep a schedule – Stream consistently on certain days/times so fans know when to watch you.
- Collab with others – Team up with similar streamers to gain new viewers.
- Leverage other platforms – Use YouTube, TikTok, etc to grow your overall brand and drive Twitch traffic.
The key is putting in the work to build an engaged community that wants to support you month after month. With smart strategies, you can maximize your earnings potential over time.
Setting Realistic Income Goals for 2024
While making a big full-time income on Twitch is possible, it takes significant dedication over months and years to build your brand and audience. Don‘t expect to earn huge money immediately after going live for the first time.
Here are realistic first year income goals to set as a new streamer:
- First 3 months – Focus on networking, growing to 25-50 average viewers, and unlocking your affiliate link. $0-$100 in earnings.
- Months 4-6 – Work on slowly building a community of regulars. 50-150 viewers and $100-$500 in monthly revenue.
- Months 7-12 – Expanding your audience and dedicated fanbase. Aim for 200-500 concurrent viewers and $500-$2000 in monthly earnings.
Approach streaming with patience. Stay consistent, engage your viewers, and constantly work to improve the quality and value you provide. Building a thriving channel that earns well takes a lot of time and effort!
Final Thoughts
I hope this gives you a transparent look into realistic Twitch streaming incomes in 2024 as either a small/mid-size channel. The key is managing expectations starting out, and investing time into growing your brand, community and skills as a streamer.
With consistency and perseverance, your audience and earnings potential can keep increasing over months and years. And remember to focus on the fun of streaming first, and let the money be an added bonus down the road.
Now get out there, start streaming, and have a blast sharing your gaming experiences! I‘ll be sure to stop by and say hello. Let me know if you have any other questions.
