Are you an average gamer?
Or you don’t know what twitch is?
Want to learn more about twitch?
This article has covered it all for you (or at least tried to).
Twitch is the new trend today. Thus as a gamer, you should learn how to keep up with this trend. Keeping yourself updated and future-ready is the norm. So let’s jump into it.
Contents
What is Twitch?
Twitch is a live streaming website for games and gamers. In simpler terms, you can make other gamers watch you playing games on twitch. Or you can watch other gamers play games on Twitch. All in all, Twitch is a website for Games; Viewing, and Broadcasting. With Esports and other games on the rise, the use of Twitch is on the rise.
Twitch is packed with the following features:
- It allows users to stream games and other content online
- It lets users chat with other streamers online
- Twitch is not just a platform for games but also music, cooking, competitions, etc.
- It brings the world of original streamers together
Is Twitch Dangerous or Illegal?
Often people wonder if a website is good for them or not. The reality being everything has its pros and cons. Basically, twitch is not a website that is totally safe. What I mean is that Twitch is safe as a platform. But the source has been criticized for the violence and other games found on it. It’s not very safe mental health-wise and has a report that doesn’t support its cause for teenagers and kids. Anything and everything works well when used in limits.
Secondly, Twitch is a website where users use copyright material. The games that are being streamed have a copyright of their own. Although, this copyright would not cause much of a problem if the content comes under the tag ‘fair use’. In short, Twitch is legal.
What are the Pros and Cons of Twitch?
Twitch has its own set of pros and cons although, this website definitely is the most popular today for streaming games online. Don’t let any of these take you away from trying this website at least once. It’s worth it.
Pros
- Twitch is absolutely free to use. You don’t need any subscriptions. (If you use the basic pack)
- Allows you to stream your own content. Twitch does not have a lot of restrictions on what you are streaming on the website. It gives users plenty of freedom to choose. ‘
- Chat with other users in chat rooms and also schedule and visit other people in the local community meetups.
Cons
- Sadly, it is not commercial-free.
- You cannot stream something if it is not live. (Big Letdown)
- No Parental Controls, if you have a kid using this.
How can I use Twitch?
Twitch is compatible with such a wide array of devices. It is hard to find a device Twitch is not compatible with.
Listing all of them below:
PC: Twitch.com is compatible with all laptops and desktops launched in the recent decade.
Mobile: Both iOS and Android platforms support Twitch completely.
Smart TV: You can now use your TV to access Twitch using an Amazon Fire TV stick or an Apple TV
Others:
Playstation 4 or 5
XBox 1
Nvidia Shield
Chromecast
What is the price of Twitch?
A Twitch subscription comes in 3 packages, namely:
- Basic (Streaming, Chatrooms, Community Meetups allowed) @Free
- Turbo (Streaming, Extended Broadcast Storage and an Exclusive Chatroom Badge, Ad-Free Streaming) @ $8.99/Month
- Prime (Membership access to Amazon Prime, Movies and Games feature, a members-only badge, and everything else in the Basic and turbo packs)@ $12.99/Month
Twitch offers its users a free trial of 7 days for its Prime membership. You can try this out before making a confirmation on investing the money as well. My suggestion would be that if you are a gamer or plan to become one, along with an interest in Music and Movies. This pack definitely is worth your money.
How to earn money on Twitch?
Twitch is a wonderful way to use your passions and interests for making money. Albeit it does not come easily. As a starter on twitch, you will have to follow certain criteria. These will help you earn money by bringing in crowd stream after stream. Ways you can earn money on twitch are:
- Donations: Users donate money to their favorite streamers on Twitch. Focus on the word favorite. In order to be a favorite streamer to anybody, you’ll have to be entertaining and unique.
- Brand Partnerships: Promote brands on your streams. The brands will pay you in exchange or send you products. Just like what influencers do.
- Merchandise: As a twitch streamer, once you have made a name for yourself, things start to flow. You can start to sell merchandise to your audience. For eg. selling t-shirts, pens, hoodies, etc. with your brand name engraved on it. This can create another source of income.
There are plenty of other ways to make money on twitch. Sadly, that’s not what the article is about. The other ways are
- Twitch Affiliate (game sales, virtual cheers, subscriptions, etc.)
- Twitch Partner ‘
PS: You need a minimum of 50 followers to get paid on twitch. Anything above that and you start to make yourself a name on the platform.
The Best Twitch Streaming Alternatives in 2020
“The alternatives below are not in any order.” Although they’re the best in the personal opinion of the author:
Caffeine Streaming
Caffeine is an interactive streaming platform. It has been launched pretty recently but has already made a name for itself. The interaction on the platform takes place as if it were a social media platform. By the looks of it, Caffeine has a timeline like Facebook or something. Here, it gets you a string of options to stream upon. Once you decide on the option you’re trying to watch you can choose to chat with the group on the same stream. Streaming options have a huge variety of entertainment, gaming, music, etc. Basically, they don’t have a separate chat box. Instead, they have chat bubbles which personally I’m not a fan of. Caffeine works best on the chrome browser. The interface is amongst the most trendy I have come across on the internet.
Youtube Gaming
This list would’ve been incomplete without the presence of a big name. Youtube gaming arguably is the biggest streaming platform on the Internet. It gets this goodwill from Youtube itself. But, a platform specially dedicated to gaming shouldn’t go unnoticed. Youtube Gaming looks typically the same as YouTube generally looks like. Although, this platform has a better variety of content mixed and fused entertainment and gaming. It comes with a special skin though for its gaming content. Along with this, an added benefit is that you’d get access to famous YouTubers that fit into the gaming category. Recently, Yt Gaming has signed a deal to broadcast the Esports Championship Series for CS: GO.
Smashcast TV
Smashcast TV is a streaming website and application to stream live gaming content. This website is known to be one of the best outsides of Asia. It was launched in competition with T w i t c h. The website is a basic interface with a simplistic outlook. It does stream other content but the main priority being video games, which obviously is the most popular. It’s by far the easiest website on the list to stream on. Just log yourself in and you can start streaming using your own camera and microphone. Smashcast is a huge community so sadly, it does not support any private streams. Anybody who views your channel and can you online can stream your content. (“Hey that means more views doesn’t it?”). Hitbox.tv is not switched to smashcast.tv which means if you used hitbox you’re probably aware of this one.
Periscope
Periscope was launched by Twitter 5 years ago. Periscope or pscp.tv offers a stream of channels you can choose from. It gives its users 2 options: Editors’ picks & suggested streams. The editors’ pick is further divided into categories like Around the world, Premier League(yes EPL), featured broadcasts, Japan news, Japan scopes, etc. On the other hand, suggested broadcasts are hashtags options including music, sports, art, news, etc. The Periscope mobile app is available on both Play Store and Appstore. In fact, it’s the app that is popular a lot more than the website. You can use Periscope directly without logging in or making yourself an account. The added benefit is that it saves time. To make an upload, registering yourself is necessary, obviously. The Periscope video player is decent. It did not amaze me in any way. The app is famous for other streams, not gaming. Although, gaming is always an option. The app is only decent when compared with Twitch and nowhere near when compared to Twitch Prime
Vimeo
Vimeo is a globally, established streaming lab. The website has been in the market for quite some time. But, it recently made a name for itself(2020 has been good to some,at least). Vimeo can be used or purchased in 3 packages
1: Vimeo Basic
This allows Vimeo users to host streams only. That’s all. 🙁 Although, it’s free of cost.
2. Vimeo Premium
Vimeo Premium will let you live stream without any limitations. It’s unlimited. The pack will cost you 75$ a year which is billed annually or 7$ monthly.
3. Vimeo Enterprise
A pack that is especially for Business owners. Owners with ambition who would like to take their business to the next level. The pack ensures security and safety to its owners. Also, gives an option to customize bandwidth, add users, etc. Monetize your videos using Vimeo Enterprise. On Vimeo Enterprise, Vimeo charges you according to your needs. Fill up a form on their website and they will connect with you.
Vimeo vs Youtube is the biggest battle between streaming websites. Vimeo too, like others, is popular for other topics more than gaming. If you are looking for an app that is ready for the future, Vimeo fits the bill. The website has recently announced itself and it’s here to stay.
Final Opinion
Twitch is basically the best you will get to stream games. To earn money as a gamer, twitch.tv is easily your best bet. Other websites and apps come close but are nowhere near as good as twitch, sometimes also called witch. Twitch is easily the best in the market today. Thus, plenty of people use twitch. Popular gaming platforms like Playstation & Xbox come with a pre-installed version of Twitch. If you prefer to stream for other topics as well, I highly recommend you to try the other ones on the list.
I have kept the alternatives list a little short with the only the best so far. I will be coming up with an article with a new set of alternatives. You can log on to geekymint.com to look for it. Also, if you’re reading this after I have finished working on that one. You’ll find the link below. Stay Tuned.
