How to Make Money Streaming (Besides Tips)

For many, streaming on sites like Twitch or YouTube is a fun and rewarding hobby. But what if you could make money doing what you love? Setting up a Streamlabs tip page is the most common and easiest way to get started, but there are other ways to make money streaming, such as sponsorships and merchandise sales.

Before we get into this chapter, we want to reiterate that live streaming can be arduous work. Those that do this full-time are among the top streamers in the world. You should never go into streaming looking to make a quick buck. It takes months and sometimes years to build up enough of an audience where you can reliability make a stable income.

Live streaming is something you do for the love it. You should go into it expecting to engage with your viewers and create a real community. If you do that, the money will come — eventually.

So without further ado, let’s get started!

Products & Services to Help You Make Money

Support via tips and subscriptions is standard among content creators. But there are many additional methods to earn extra money as a content creator. This section discusses alternative ways to make money outside only tips and subscriptions.

Create a Merch Store

Adding a Streamlabs merch store can help you make more money. It lets your supporters buy bespoke gear and show off your business in person. Creating an online store with Streamlabs’ Merch Store tool is simple. Setup is quick, easy, and 100% free. Add hundreds of different products, including t-shirts, mugs, and hoodies.

Looking for more strategies to increase your product sales? Please read our blog to learn five effective techniques to increase online sales.

Amazon Associates

The Amazon Associates Program allows people and businesses to earn money by recommending products on Amazon. Amazon Associates will enable you to make money by promoting Amazon products on Twitch. You get paid for any eligible Amazon purchases your viewers make using your links. Twitch Partners and Affiliates gain increased commissions for certain Amazon Associates purchases.

Patreon

If you are a creator with a substantial following, you should try developing exclusive material. One easy option is through Patreon.

Artists of many genres can join Patreon for a fee. You may modify your community’s rewards on Patreon. Common benefits include exclusive live-streamed material, private forums for community members, private chatting with the content creator, and more. You know your audience best, so listen to what they want to see and deliver.

Expand Platforms

Create content on YouTube, make videos, post on TikTok, create a newsletter or blog. Each new piece of content keeps you in front of your community. And the more stuff you make, the more support you get. Content creation is time-consuming. If you can show your audience the effort you’re putting into it, they are more willing to provide a helping hand.

Advertisements

Each platform will require you to meet specific criteria before being authorized to advertise. But it’s an excellent method for your audience to support you without having to pay money.

This section discusses the platform requirements for running advertising and general best practices to know before monetizing your channel with ads.

Twitch Advertising Requirements

Twitch recently changed its advertising policy to allow affiliate streamers to receive ad income. To become a Twitch affiliate, you must first:

1. Reach 50 Followers.
2. Stream for eight hours.
3. Stream on seven different days.
4. Have an average of three viewers.

Please note you must complete all affiliate requirements within 30 calendar days.

YouTube Advertising Requirements

To make money on YouTube, you must join the YouTube Partner Program. To join the YouTube Partner Program, you must meet the following criteria:

1. Follow all the YouTube monetization policies.
2. Live in a country or region where the YouTube Partner Program is available.
3. Have more than 4,000 valid public watch hours in the last 12 months.
4. Have more than 1,000 subscribers.
5. Have a linked AdSense account.

Facebook Advertising Requirements

To start earning money on Facebook through in-stream ads, you must first qualify completing the following requirements:

1. Pass and remain compliant with Partner Monetization Policies.
2. Publish from a Page (not a profile) with at least 10,000 followers.
3. Generate at least 30,000 1-minute views on videos at least 3 minutes long in the last 60 days.
4. Be at least 18 years old.
5. Live in an in-stream ads-eligible country.

Advertising Best Practices and Strategies

• Don’t Run Ads Right Away: To gain momentum, keep ad breaks minimal, especially at the beginning of your stream. Placing ads during a natural gap in gameplay may increase audience retention. Try to play commercials anytime you go to the restroom or eat.
• Prepare Your Audience: Inform your audience when you will run advertisements. Announcing when an ad will appear prepares the audience and allows for a smoother broadcast.
• Play Ads Strategically: The frequency of your advertisements is also crucial. While it varies per creator, we generally recommend broadcasting ads every hour to lessen the likelihood of viewers leaving your stream. Also, if you stream on Twitch, showing mid-roll advertisements means new viewers won’t see a pre-roll commercial.
• Consider Audience Feedback: Finally, remember to include audience feedback. Reduce the number of commercials you play if they don’t respond well. Ultimately, running ads can help you earn some more cash. You don’t need thousands of viewers to make money from ads. However, you should consider whether or not adverts are harming your viewership.

In summary, there are many ways to monetize your live stream. Definitely check out some of the products and services listed below to start monetizing right away. Don't forget to strike a balance between playing advertisements and letting your viewers enjoys the content.