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the main  /  BY/ What is Twitch and what is it for? Like streaming on Twitch. Twitch: what is it and how does it work? Full description of the streaming service What is a twitch channel

What is Twitch and what is it for? Like streaming on Twitch. Twitch: what is it and how does it work? Full description of the streaming service What is a twitch channel

For 6 years, there has been an international platform for broadcasting streaming video games on the Internet on the Internet.

Anyone can use Twitch.tv - esports studios that cover tournaments, bloggers, professional players and ordinary people who love computer games and want to show the gameplay to other users, and at the same time chat in real time.

In addition to the entertainment part, the portal has become the main source of income for both foreign and CIS players.

Each streamer has the opportunity to make money on their broadcasts when a sufficient audience appears (we will talk about this below).

If you love games, esports events and everything related to this topic, but are not yet familiar with the Twitch.tv resource, then now is the time to do it.

In this article, you will learn everything that is necessary for a novice Twitch user: how to create your own account / channel, how to subscribe and watch streams, how to become a streamer yourself, and much more.

What is Twitch?

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To get a complete picture of what Twitch is, let's get acquainted with brief history creation of a portal and its development.

When the service was created in 2011, it was Justin.tv. Within the framework of the portal, mainly broadcasts of eSports tournaments and foreign streamers were conducted, since this topic was not very popular in the CIS region.

By the beginning of 2012, the site's audience had grown significantly - up to 15 million every month. In another year, this figure has more than doubled.

In 2017, Twitch.tv is the world's largest gaming and live streaming service.

To expand the audience and attract investors, new partners, etc., Twitch's management decided to go beyond just gaming content.

Gradually, art, IRL (streams " Everyday life"), Talk shows and the like.

All these opportunities open up a huge field of activity for talented people and give them the opportunity to prove themselves and get an audience.

In addition, twitch.tv is the main place where viewers will find all the official broadcasts of major esports events across all disciplines.

Also, recently, the service has been supporting presentations. gaming companies, exhibitions and similar events as part of the broadcasts.

Companies such as Blizzard, Valve, Riot and many others cover their events on the site. The main servers of the service are located in San Francisco, Amsterdam and Singapore.

Twitch.tv as a whole ecosystem - brings together people with common interests and provides the opportunity to interact with each other, share gaming experience, show your level of play or engage in creative activities.

Any user who is at least a little familiar with the Internet and computer software can become part of this system.

BUT this instruction in an accessible language will explain all the possibilities of the video service and the ways of creating your broadcasts.

VIDEO: How to start streaming from scratch to a twitch channel via obs

How to start streaming from scratch to a twitch channel via obs

Capabilities

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First, let's take a look at all the functionality and capabilities that Twitch TV offers to its users.

The service provides a wide range of opportunities for both parties: those who broadcast and those who watch them.

First, let's take a look at all the possibilities for viewers:

  • Watching streams on Twitch;
  • Subscribing to streamers to receive alerts (free / follow) and to get advantages over other viewers (paid / subscribe);
  • View all streams by category;
  • Separation of broadcasts by games;
  • Chatting with any streamer;
  • Donate to streamers;
  • Communication with other users in private messages.

Stream viewing is available to absolutely all portal visitors, even without registering a personal account.

You can open the twitch.tv website, go to the live streams section and select the stream you like by game, platform or language division.

Paid streamer subscription differs from free subscription by having unique emoticons for chat(they can be used in any chat).

Also, the streamer personally can conduct individual events, contests for paid subscribers, create separate rooms for communication, and so on.

On the site you can view broadcasts by section.

The subsection "Games" contains categories of games in descending order of the number of viewers at the current time.

Usually, the top positions are occupied by e-sports disciplines or new products from the gaming industry.

The "Communities" subsection contains a list of streamer communities that are grouped into groups.

Communities let you follow streamers from the same group and quickly switch between streams.

"Popular" directs you to a list of streams that are active in this moment... First there is a list of streams in your language, and below are all channels.

The "Creative" tab has appeared relatively recently.

In it you will find streams of drawing, cooking, music rehearsals, modeling, sculpting and any other art.

The viewers in the section are several times less than in the main category. Since Twitch.tv is primarily a gaming platform.

Now let's list the streamer capabilities that the service provides:

  • Broadcasting;
  • Saving recordings of the broadcast in your channel;
  • Channel decoration under the broadcast player;
  • Receiving donations from viewers;
  • Getting paid subscribers to your channel.

The main screen, on which all users spend most of their time, looks like this.

In the screenshot you can see the main blocks, which are marked with the following numbers:

1 Chat for communication;

2 Stream window;

3 Buttons for free / paid subscription;

4 Stream name, number of viewers and total number of views.

The main statistics that characterize the streamer channel:

  • The number of followers. Indicated above the stream window. Indicates the total number of free subscribers;
  • The number of total views for the entire lifetime of the channel;
  • Current online broadcast (red number under the player);
  • The number of paid subscribers (information is available to the channel owner).

All information about the streamer is located under the player.

There you can place a small block about yourself, about your computer and devices, links to donate and personal pages in social networks.

Also, streamers use the description under the stream to place ad units.

The administration of the service does not punish these actions in any way.

Where to see?

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The creators of the video service took care of the users. They provided the opportunity to enjoy streams on personal computers, laptops and mobile devices.

To watch broadcasts, you will need a browser if it is a computer or laptop running Windows, Linux or macOS.

In addition, you can download Twitch on mobile device and watch broadcasts anywhere you have access to unlimited internet(not recommended to use mobile tariff with restriction, since reproduction streaming video requires a lot of traffic).

The mobile application is available for operating systems iOS or Android. You can download it absolutely free. Functional mobile version is no different from stationary.

There is also special utility for smartphones, allowing you to stream from them (more on that below).

More recently, the developers have introduced an application for the PC. Thanks to him, you no longer have to constantly hold open tab Twitch in the browser.

You can download it on the main page of Twitch.tv by clicking the "Download Twitch for PC" button. After that, click the "Download" button again to start downloading the installer (about 120 MB).

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On Twitch, registration is very fast in a few steps. Our instructions will help you in this matter.

All you need to create an account is email. You can create a separate account, or log in using the Facebook page.

To do this, enter the following information in the appropriate fields:

  • Unique nickname;
  • Unique password;
  • Date of birth;
  • Email address;
  • Confirmation (I’m not a robot).

Then click the Sign Up button.

After that, you will immediately find yourself in personal account your account.

The first step is to verify your account.

To do this, go to the settings and click the "Confirm" button.

Now switch to the email tab - a confirmation email should come to your address.

All account management is carried out through the side menu, which can be called by clicking on your nickname in the upper right corner of the page.

The following sections and control keys are located here:

  • Switching online mode and invisibility among themselves;
  • Shaded or normal mode;
  • "Channel"- redirects you to your personal channel, where you can look at it from the outside, like a regular viewer, and make any adjustments to the description or design;
  • "Video Manager" - from this tab you can manage all videos and clips of the channel;
  • "Information Panel" allows you to edit content under the stream (information about yourself and the notification feed);
  • "Friends"- list of friends on Twitch;
  • "Messages" a tab for correspondence with other users and the administration of the service;
  • "Subscriptions" opens a window with channels to which you are subscribed for free or for free;
  • "Wallet" opens a page for management in cash on the account;
  • "Settings".

It is worth dwelling on the last point in more detail.

In chapter "Settings" there are seven tabs:

  • "Profile"... Contains basic account settings: change Email, channel address, avatars, information about yourself. You can also deactivate your account here;
  • "Turbo access" - a special bonus that can be activated for $ 8.99 per month (Fig. 9);
  • "Channel and video materials" ... In this section, you can configure the design of the banner and page with videos. There are also buttons for setting the saving of broadcasts, and so on (Fig. 10);
  • "Security and privacy" - password settings, blocking messages, privacy options;
  • "Notifications" - a large list of settings for notifications about the start of a stream, clip views, and so on;
  • "Connections"- linking third-party services to your Twitch.tv account;
  • "Paid subscriptions" - display of all channels and their capabilities, to which you subscribed for money.

Let's take a closer look at paid and free subscriptions, since this is the main way to support a streamer, if you do not take into account donations and advertising.

Twitch subscription

After that, the channel will appear in the "Subscriptions" section of your account menu. You will receive notifications about the start of streams, new clips, saved recordings, etc.

This feature is provided by Twitch for free.

The second type of subscription is Subscribe. Previously, users could only subscribe for $ 4.99 per month.

A 9.99 subscriber gets one additional smiley, and a 24.99 subscriber gets two additional smileys. The streamer receives exactly half of the subscription price.

Why don't every channel have a Subscribe button, you ask?

The fact is that paid subscription provided to users with affiliate program and an agreement concluded directly with Twitch.tv.

To do this, the streamer must provide statistics of his channel to the administration.

The most important thing is the number of regular viewers and the regular schedule of streams and adherence to all the rules of the portal.

After reviewing your application, a decision will be made to issue an "affiliate program".

There are no exact numbers after which the administration will issue the Subscribe button with 100% probability.

Also, Twitch.tv occasionally runs promotions that reduce the cost of a monthly subscription. For example, from September to October 2017 there is a 50% discount for the first month.

Choosing a payment method

6 Now proceed with confirmation.

Done! You have subscribed to your favorite streamer for exactly 30 days. After that, you can automatically renew your subscription, or cancel it through your account settings.

There is another method to subscribe.

At the moment, all users can checkout Twitch prime- Free access to Subscribe for one month.

The "chip" was created as trial period for new users of the portal.

Registration is carried out through the Amazon portal (the company owns Twitch.tv). First you need to register:

  • On the main page of Twitch, click Try Prime;
  • Click on the Start Your 7-Day Free Trial button;
  • Click the Create your Amazon account button;
  • Enter your personal data and press the button again;
  • Now you need to bind bank card... Enter her details and click Add your card;
  • Enter your personal details and address, mobile phone and click the use this address button.

The owner of a Twitch Prime account gets the opportunity to subscribe to one streamer once, skip any ads, receive unique badges and emoticons in chats; get access to unique content.

Twitch Prime is available to everyone for a 7-day trial period.

IN modern world computer games have become one of the most popular forms of entertainment. They are no longer seen as fun for "freaks" who have no private life. Projects for all ages appear, the number of genres is expanding, the quality of content is significantly improved. Accordingly, more and more people are trying their hand at computer games Oh. However, there are those who like to just watch the gameplay. It would seem, why is this? Most likely, you thought that this was some kind of fashion trend, but in fact, esports had viewers in its very heyday, more than twenty years ago. Even then, a large number of spectators gathered for the competition, in computer clubs behind the players there were people who simply watched, so it cannot be said that this is a new trend.

However, in the modern world, it has acquired absolutely the new kind thanks to services like Twitch. What is Twitch? If you do not know about the existence of this platform, then you most likely only love to play computer games, but not to look at them and not to share your gameplay. In short, it is a service for streaming computer games. It is visited every month by more than 45 million users who watch the broadcasts of the gameplay of a game performed by about 900 thousand streamers, that is, users who not only play, but also simultaneously broadcast the gameplay on the network. If you want to know in more detail about what "Twitch" is, then you should read this article further, as from it you will learn detailed information about this platform.

Why is Twitch needed?

How do I use Twitch?

And the first question is how to use this service at all? Streaming to Twitch is a fairly simple process that doesn't require much effort on your part, but you'll need to familiarize yourself with this in more detail later. For now, let's take a look at everything in order: you can view what other users are streaming when you first visit the site. A convenient search system will allow you to quickly find what interests you. However, you should definitely create your own free account, as this will allow you not only to add streamers to your favorites and use the advanced features of the site, but also right from the first minute if you want to start streaming games yourself. The site interface is extremely simple, so creating your own Twitch stream will not be a problem. However, brief instructions on this process will still be given in this article.

How do I stream?

Many gamers, when they first hear about this platform, immediately wonder how they stream on Twitch. It turns out that the answer to this question is simpler than you might imagine. The fact is that immediately after creating your own free account, as mentioned above, you can start streaming the gameplay of your favorite game, only a few conditions must be met. You will need software and in some cases additional devices such as a webcam and microphone. If we talk about software, then the service itself will offer you several options, but you can always use the software you see fit. In addition, the site contains a variety of instructions, making it easy to use. But in order to learn more about how streaming is done on Twitch, you should continue reading this article, as you will find more information about both software and streaming hardware here.

Software

So, in order to stream to Twitch, you need to acquire the appropriate software that will capture video on your screen and transfer it to the network. Considering the fact that Twitch is one of the most popular streaming platforms, almost all video capture software will have Twitch compatibility pre-installed, so you just need to select that platform from the drop-down list of programs and start broadcasting. However, sometimes this option is not provided, in which case you will need to use a special key that is given to you on the site to start streaming. Also, if you plan on annotating your game out loud, you should get an audio capture program and tweak it. Well, if you want users to be able to see your face, as well as all the emotions that you experience from passing, then you will need to acquire software for transferring video from a webcam to the network. You will need to learn some of the Twitch commands to control what is happening on the screen more effectively. Be careful not to show anything on the screen that you do not want to show. In addition, Twitch commands will allow you to monitor the quality of your broadcast. Remember that if it is too low, you may be denied the right to broadcast content due to inadequate quality.

Equipment

Since we are talking about special software for microphones and webcams, you need to pay attention to the equipment itself, which will be useful to you for streaming. As mentioned above, neither the microphone nor the webcam are required attributes of your broadcast. All you need is a computer and an internet connection. Naturally, given the fact that during the game that loads your computer, the broadcast will also exert an additional load, your PC must be very powerful, have a dedicated high-quality video card and at least four gigabytes random access memory... It's much easier with consoles as modern consoles like PS4 and Xbox one, have built-in support for streaming to Twitch.

If you want to add your voice or even your image to your broadcast to make it brighter and more interesting for viewers, you will need to purchase a high-quality microphone and a good webcam, as well as install the appropriate software, which was already discussed above. ... As you can see, video streaming has taken gaming to a whole new level with Twitch.

Developer tools

"Twitch" has become so popular that now the creators of the service provide special tools for developers, which can be used already in the process of project development. Thus, the streaming function on this platform will already be integrated into the game itself, it will be invoked with the press of one button, and you will not have to think about how to set up Twitch in order to broadcast the gameplay of your favorite game.

affiliate program

People also ask how to make money streaming on Twitch? It also turns out to be pretty simple: all you need to do is apply for a partnership. The conditions for this are at least 500 subscribers on your channel, high-quality content that is added to the site at least three times a week. However, the conditions are quite flexible, so if, for example, you had a YouTube channel with large quantity subscribers and quality content, then you can apply for a partnership with the Twitch website immediately after registration.

What's next?

Gaming streaming is an incredibly promising industry that is currently growing at a fast pace. So if you love to play or watch others play, then you should definitely register on the Twitch platform.

Twitch God is a program with which you can "wind up" viewers on the streaming Twitch service... First of all, it should be reported that its use is not safe and may entail blocking the channel. Consider this risk and remember that the only reliable way attracting "live" viewers to the channel - interesting streams, and not at all cheating and leading to the top.

Twitch God itself is not free. To work with it, you need to subscribe, the price for which starts from 5 euros per month. You will also need a huge amount of proxies. You can search for lists of free servers on the net, but usually such servers "live" very little. To check proxies, use the Proxy Checker module, which is included in the program.

But no one can guarantee that the free servers will not "fall off" right in the course of the broadcast and you will not lose all the fans. In general, we are leading to the fact that in order to work with Twitch God, you will have to acquire access to a paid proxy. As you can see, the promotion will require certain costs, so once again think carefully about how this event is justified from a financial point of view.

The program also acts as a chat bot that can automatically ban people in the chat for spam, insults, and also displays certain information about the stream after the viewer enters the desired command. The list of available commands is usually laid out in the channel description.

Key features and functions

  • cheat viewers on Twitch;
  • the need to use your own proxies on the basis of: one server - one "fake" viewer per broadcast;
  • a tool for checking the status of servers loaded from a text file;
  • several methods of cheating;
  • key for quick update of stream indicators;
  • performing the functions of a chat bot;
  • the need for a paid subscription;
  • convenient control panel.

Live streaming has breathed new life into esports. Twitch played a major role in this, but not everyone is familiar with the project yet. What is "Twitch" and how is it interesting?

History

Recently, more and more people have become interested in esports. Broadcasts of championships and recordings of the game on YouTube attract a huge number of viewers. The number of visitors to some broadcasts reaches hundreds of thousands, and this is not the limit.

In 2007, players used Justin.tv, which allowed everyone to start their own stream. Noticing the increased popularity of esports, the co-founders decided to create a separate resource. This is how Twitch appeared. The stream on the site was full of flaws and problems, but it was developing rapidly. If in 2011 there were only a couple of million visitors on "Twitch", then already in 2014 the number of viewers exceeded tens of millions.

Google became interested in the project, and even the terms of sale were negotiated. However, the deal did not materialize. In the summer of 2014, the resource was sold to Amazon, which offered best price... The cost of "Twitch" was one billion dollars.

Catalyst

Having learned what "Twitch" is, the players immediately found a use for it. The resource has become in some way a catalyst in esports and directed its development in a more productive direction. With the help of video broadcasts, players exchange experiences, tactics, or simply watch the recordings.

Viewing "Twitch" huge amount people speaks of an unprecedented rise in popularity. The site is visited by about a million viewers per day. Video broadcasting allows you not only to watch the games, but also to make money on it.

The affiliate program provides an opportunity to earn income for any streamer. Making money from streaming pushed people to devote more time to games. Now every gamer can combine pleasure and benefit.

Affiliate program

Before you learn how to make a "Twitch", you should get rid of the thought of easy and quick earnings from your head. Although the affiliate program of the resource looks simple and attractive, in reality everything is more complicated. The streamer must be prepared for a long unpaid period.

The first step will be to register and create your own channel. Minor difficulties may arise, but serious problems should not happen here. The most time consuming is further.

A streamer needs to get 500 visitors on his broadcast. However, the number of viewers must be constant. The site has over 600 thousand broadcasts, which is incredible competition. Most of the visitors prefer well-known streamers.

In addition to knowing what a Twitch is, it is necessary to study the terms of service. You should also be aware of the copyright document. The slightest violation will cause a refusal.

The amount of free time is also important. The streamer is required to broadcast three times a week. The approximate duration should be 6 hours.

Sharp corners smoothes out manual order processing. Every request to join the program is reviewed by people. If the user falls short on some criteria, he may be given a concession.

Basic income

Before you need to make an earnings plan. There are several ways to generate income, but it's important to strike a balance and not forget about the content first.

The main income will be brought in. Their launch depends directly on the streamer. You can turn on ads at least every five minutes, but this will affect the number of views. The ideal solution, in order not to lose viewers, would be to run the block several times an hour.

The way of making money has its pitfalls. First of all, this is a decrease in the number of views. Viewers come to watch games, not advertisements. If the duration of the broadcast is about six hours, you can run blocks 4 times per hour. This will allow you not to scare people away with advertising.

A stream launched on Twitch that attracts a large number of viewers does not necessarily bring a lot of money. Many users have apps installed that block unnecessary ads. If the viewer does not see the block, the streamer is not credited with money.

Side ways

Asking the question of what "Twitch" is and how to make money on it, you can find several options. The main one is advertising, but there are also minor ones. How else can you increase your profits?

A paid subscription will bring income to the streamer. The method is simple and straightforward. A viewer who likes the channel pays for a monthly subscription. The cost is $ 5, of which the streamer gets half. The income is independent of the launch or operation of the channel, but the profit is small.

An unprofitable, but valid way is built-in advertising. The streamer is required to find those willing to hang a banner on his channel. Ads will be displayed over windows, which is not very nice. The income from the venture is small and depends on the number of viewers.

Program selection

Before that, you need to create a channel. Open Broadcaster, which works on the principle of a virtual camera, will help with this. The program captures the image and then sends it to the Twitch channel. Even novice streamers will have no difficulties.

The main reason for its use is the large number of advantages. The program almost does not load the system and allows you to achieve High Quality. Free access and constant updates also play a significant role in the selection.

There are also disadvantages. The main problem is that the program was released not so long ago. Deficiencies are noticeable and minor problems... The functionality also leaves a lot to be desired.

Broadcast settings

After installing, you should select the language for work. Image quality and bit rate are configured in the "Encoding" tab. The filming of the broadcast will depend on this tab. Before setting up "Twitch", you need to adjust the parameters to the Internet speed. Find a balance between quality and bit rate for optimal performance.

Going to the "Broadcast" section, you need to select "Twitch / Justin", and then enter the stream key. This will enable the system to select the server that is optimal for the user. You can find out the key on the Twitch website in the broadcast section.

To start broadcasting, you need to launch Open Broadcaster and launch the "Scenes" tab. Then the source of the capture is indicated. The game to broadcast must be running in windowed mode. In the program, "window capture" is selected and "start" is pressed. The stream has been successfully launched.

Outcome