I started streaming 3 weeks ago and I'm trying to figure out realistic expectations for hitting affiliate status. right now i have 32 followers and i've streamed about 15 hours total
the requirements seem doable (50 followers, 8 hours streamed, 7 unique broadcast days, 3 average viewers) but that 3 average viewers thing is killing me. i'm usually sitting at 1-2 viewers and one of them is probably me on my phone lol
how long did it take you to hit affiliate? and any tips for getting those first consistent viewers?
How long does it take to become a Twitch affiliate?
Re: How long does it take to become a Twitch affiliate?
I'm going to be real with you, it took me 4 months and i wanted to quit multiple times
Everyone online makes it sound easy but the reality is most people streaming to 1-2 viewers for months before anything happens. that's just the grind
what i wish i knew earlier:
- don't stream oversaturated games like fortnite or valorant. you'll be buried under 10,000 other streams
- play games with 500-3000 viewers total on twitch. small enough that you can be discovered but big enough that people are actually looking for that content
- have something going on besides gameplay. just playing a game silently won't get you viewers. talk constantly, be entertaining, have personality
Also 3 weeks is super early. give it at least 3 months of consistent streaming before you judge if it's working. most people who "make it" on twitch streamed for 6+ months before seeing real growth
the followers will come faster than the average viewers. getting people to actually show up consistently is the real challenge
Everyone online makes it sound easy but the reality is most people streaming to 1-2 viewers for months before anything happens. that's just the grind
what i wish i knew earlier:
- don't stream oversaturated games like fortnite or valorant. you'll be buried under 10,000 other streams
- play games with 500-3000 viewers total on twitch. small enough that you can be discovered but big enough that people are actually looking for that content
- have something going on besides gameplay. just playing a game silently won't get you viewers. talk constantly, be entertaining, have personality
Also 3 weeks is super early. give it at least 3 months of consistent streaming before you judge if it's working. most people who "make it" on twitch streamed for 6+ months before seeing real growth
the followers will come faster than the average viewers. getting people to actually show up consistently is the real challenge
Re: How long does it take to become a Twitch affiliate?
It took me about 6 weeks to hit affiliate and the 3 average viewers was definitely the hardest part
here's what actually worked for me:
- streamed the same game consistently (apex legends) instead of switching games every day
- went into other small streamers' chats when i wasn't streaming and genuinely engaged (not promoting myself, just being part of the community)
- posted clips on tiktok and twitter which brought a few people to my streams
- streamed at consistent times so the few people who did like my content knew when to find me
The average viewers requirement counts your entire stream period, so if you have 5 viewers for 2 hours and 1 viewer for 2 hours, your average is 3. don't stream super long sessions when you have no viewers because it tanks your average
also lurkers count. even if nobody is chatting, they're still counted as viewers if they're watching
focus on networking with other small streamers. that community support is what got me over the affiliate threshold
here's what actually worked for me:
- streamed the same game consistently (apex legends) instead of switching games every day
- went into other small streamers' chats when i wasn't streaming and genuinely engaged (not promoting myself, just being part of the community)
- posted clips on tiktok and twitter which brought a few people to my streams
- streamed at consistent times so the few people who did like my content knew when to find me
The average viewers requirement counts your entire stream period, so if you have 5 viewers for 2 hours and 1 viewer for 2 hours, your average is 3. don't stream super long sessions when you have no viewers because it tanks your average
also lurkers count. even if nobody is chatting, they're still counted as viewers if they're watching
focus on networking with other small streamers. that community support is what got me over the affiliate threshold