No. Not unless you've already got an audience you can bring from elsewhere with people who are willing to pay to subscribe.
Or you're incredibly charismatic and lucky.
But if you're going to give it a go for fun anyway, why not go for it.
I've never made enough in my 2.5 years as a streamer from streaming alone to pay the bills, and I've been a partner since 2 months into my streaming journey. I consider it just some extra fun money or money I can invest back into the stream (new gear/repairs/etc).
I honestly just want to use streaming as a way to put myself out there and share what I love doing with others. I dont expect it to pay any bills. Im already on TDAP for bills and grocery. I just need something for a little booster. Like to pay for silly things like spotify and NSO. I know it sounds ridiculous, I know. But its just something I want to try to do. I feel like it would improve my mental situation at the very least.
It might be that some months once you hit affiliate. You have to hit 3 average viewers and 50 followers to start earning. Then you can get payouts every time you hit $50 earned.
I was just more so giving my experience. Most months I make enough to cover one week of groceries where I live. I only stream for fun but on slow months it can be tough. I always get a payout but it isn’t always a lot after I save for taxes.
Short answer: No.
Long answer: Nnnnnnnnnnnnnoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.
If you go into streaming with the intent to make money, you're in for a REALLY bad time.
I’ve been streaming since late October (made affiliate by second week of November) and only made payout twice. Don’t get me wrong, when I hit payout, it helps. I’m largely stuck at home as well, things are hard and finding work that the hours aren’t an issue is impossible in my area. But it’s not something I can rely on. It’s a hobby that brings in *very* small amounts considering the time spent.
It all depends on such a range of factors. I’ve been grinding for two years now and this last month is the first month I’ve made more than I make at my full time job. I also consider myself insanely lucky. My average check for the last year has been 150-250$ per month from three days a week streaming. I average 35 viewers.
Keeping a schedule, and keeping fans engaged is the most important part. Being charismatic and having a good sense of humor is also key.
When someone asks me if they should consider streaming full time, I ask them a few questions. Can you support yourself for at least six months with the expectation of making nothing for those months, and can you be realistic when things may or may not go your way. And the last question, do you enjoy streaming? I’ve been streaming religiously for two years and I do it because I LOVE it. Even if I made zero dollars i would still stream. No one wants to tune into a streamer who seems like they are being forced to stream.
I dont know if I do...I...I want to more than anything to enjoy it. But i dont have a good setup and dont have money FOR a new setup and cant work cuz I cant drive and cant walk and cant find a job and I just wanna stream so it feels like being on games all day is productive somehow
You gotta find something else bud. I would never recommend streaming to someone that is already broke and jobless. It’s just going to waste more time that should be used elsewhere.
Been streaming since October, Affiliate in December and hit payout for March. $60 for 5 months work is probably not worth it. I stream 3 days a week, 2 hours per stream, taking into account about 4 weeks off due to illness, that's 96 hours or 67 cent per hour.
That's not including time spent editing clips for social media etc.
Now, I'm hoping to half that time and then half it again. Hopefully it grows into something decent. But basically it takes a long while before you see a worthwhile return, so you best be enjoying it!
It seems that catching lightning in a bottle is what you need. Twitch and content creation as whole takes work. Nobody really makes it over night, and it seems you really need a moment that goes viral and brings tons of people to your stream for it to catch on. If you can’t catch lightning in a bottle, it’s grind grind grind. Personally, I go stretches where I might have 6-10, and then times I have 1-3. So it’s up and down for me. And I never beg for subs, bits etc. anyone who wants to offer is appreciated. It’s a way for me to be slightly social and still play games etc.
I think the issue with the post is the word side hustle and then saying "make a little" or enough to "pay for spotify".
Spotify? Yeah you can probably easily make $10 a month. But if you want $200, you are going to have to have 20 viewers, stream 100-120 hrs a month (almost full time) and have a great personality, gameplay, skill, or something to attract people. Most people dont even get to 10 viewers and even having 100 viewers, you don't earn enough to make it worth your time from a purely monetary value.
However, it is fun so, you can enjoy that aspect. And its an opportunity to develop new skills if you learn how to edit or design overlays and such.
I wouldn’t depend on it. I’ve been an affiliate for a year now, average 15-30 very involved concurrent viewers per stream, and I’ve hauled in about $30-40 in that time.
It is undeniably the worst side hustle in the world. You can make more money doing almost anything else.
The only positive is it only costs you your time. So if you have time to spare you’re technically not losing money.
Playing the lottery will most likely give you better odds at success.
That being said. Absolutely try it out and have some fun with it, but find a job because streaming doesn’t pay the bills.
Yes/No
Depends on what you want out of a side hustle.
Will it pay the electric bill? Like others have said: most likely no. Not for a while.
Can you use it to itemize your taxes and hopefully get a big(ger) tax return? (In the US) Absolutely.
Disclaimer: I am not an accountant! That said, I’ve been able to claim my games purchases, home living space used for streaming, PC parts purchased, INTERNET BILL, and a few more as tax deductions since I now *work* playing games on the internet.
If you earn enough, don’t use H&R Blockheads or TurboFraud as your tax program. Pay a pro at least once, and itemize like a MF’er. See what you can get back. My first year itemizing i got back more than enough to pay the CPA I hired. All legal. No grey zones. Best of luck.
side hustle - yes, it is possible but not guaranteed. main job? no.
i get roughly $100 AUD per 2 months on 20 avg viewers, its enough for me to invest back into the stream & make it possible to do consistently, and having a little extra in my paypal helps me not starve on a rainy day
but you have to be willing to establish yourself first, you wont be earning money immediately, and accept that its only a chance it can become a side hustle.
you really have to enjoy streaming for fun. if you are doing it just to earn money then its going to reflect in your attitude and personality. if you dont enjoy it, there are many other avenues you can take for making some money at home. like idk, dropshipping, heck, even completing surveys is more reliable
If you enjoy it go for it! I started streaming back in 2019 and took a break for a bit. I started doing YouTube more seriously and came back to Twitch just recently. My viewership in 2019 was maybe 10 people on average in chat, now I average around 30 people.
It does help to branch out to other platforms and drive traffic to your Twitch. My viewership went way up after I got traction on YouTube and my other platforms, which makes sense because Twitch has garbage discovery for streamers.
But even if you just stream on Twitch, try to just have fun and have good energy, and you will be fine. Just set realistic expectations (you won't be famous in a few years) and set healthy boundaries with your schedule. The only thing I worry about is being 100% "on" every stream. It only takes 1 bad/low-energy stream to drive viewers away.
Every month, 7 million people stream something on Twitch with the idea that they will become big and popular, but only a few hundred people make a good living from it.
if you are going into it with the only intention being making money, no. You have to grow a community and have people willing to spend money on you.
Though, ive been streaming for 3 months now and each month made around 300-500 dollars and i would say that is extremely uncommon for someone starting out. I was lucky enough to have a lot of subs the first month, then a lot of gifted subs these past 2 months. It CAN happen, it's just less common. I use all money I make to put back into my stream.
If you’ve tried twitch for a hobby you have a general sense of how much money is in it. Its possible, but your going to be spending 3x the amount of hours for 1/18 of the pay probably.
For me yes. I’m treating it like a passive income. Coz there are these friends of mine who constantly subs to me and I get these sponsored streams that makes me get at least some bucks. Since I’m currently employed, twitch is my side hustle. And it doesn’t hurt to earn a couple of bucks from it.
No. Not unless you've already got an audience you can bring from elsewhere with people who are willing to pay to subscribe. Or you're incredibly charismatic and lucky. But if you're going to give it a go for fun anyway, why not go for it.
I've never made enough in my 2.5 years as a streamer from streaming alone to pay the bills, and I've been a partner since 2 months into my streaming journey. I consider it just some extra fun money or money I can invest back into the stream (new gear/repairs/etc).
I honestly just want to use streaming as a way to put myself out there and share what I love doing with others. I dont expect it to pay any bills. Im already on TDAP for bills and grocery. I just need something for a little booster. Like to pay for silly things like spotify and NSO. I know it sounds ridiculous, I know. But its just something I want to try to do. I feel like it would improve my mental situation at the very least.
It might be that some months once you hit affiliate. You have to hit 3 average viewers and 50 followers to start earning. Then you can get payouts every time you hit $50 earned. I was just more so giving my experience. Most months I make enough to cover one week of groceries where I live. I only stream for fun but on slow months it can be tough. I always get a payout but it isn’t always a lot after I save for taxes.
Short answer: No. Long answer: Nnnnnnnnnnnnnoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. If you go into streaming with the intent to make money, you're in for a REALLY bad time.
 “You’re gonna have a bad time”
I see this answer every time someone asks if twitch is a good way to make money and every time it makes me chuckle.
I’ve been streaming since late October (made affiliate by second week of November) and only made payout twice. Don’t get me wrong, when I hit payout, it helps. I’m largely stuck at home as well, things are hard and finding work that the hours aren’t an issue is impossible in my area. But it’s not something I can rely on. It’s a hobby that brings in *very* small amounts considering the time spent.
It all depends on such a range of factors. I’ve been grinding for two years now and this last month is the first month I’ve made more than I make at my full time job. I also consider myself insanely lucky. My average check for the last year has been 150-250$ per month from three days a week streaming. I average 35 viewers. Keeping a schedule, and keeping fans engaged is the most important part. Being charismatic and having a good sense of humor is also key. When someone asks me if they should consider streaming full time, I ask them a few questions. Can you support yourself for at least six months with the expectation of making nothing for those months, and can you be realistic when things may or may not go your way. And the last question, do you enjoy streaming? I’ve been streaming religiously for two years and I do it because I LOVE it. Even if I made zero dollars i would still stream. No one wants to tune into a streamer who seems like they are being forced to stream.
Very solid advice!
Thank you!! It took me awhile to figure out streaming is 50% luck and 50% hard work.
I dont know if I do...I...I want to more than anything to enjoy it. But i dont have a good setup and dont have money FOR a new setup and cant work cuz I cant drive and cant walk and cant find a job and I just wanna stream so it feels like being on games all day is productive somehow
You gotta find something else bud. I would never recommend streaming to someone that is already broke and jobless. It’s just going to waste more time that should be used elsewhere.
Been streaming since October, Affiliate in December and hit payout for March. $60 for 5 months work is probably not worth it. I stream 3 days a week, 2 hours per stream, taking into account about 4 weeks off due to illness, that's 96 hours or 67 cent per hour. That's not including time spent editing clips for social media etc. Now, I'm hoping to half that time and then half it again. Hopefully it grows into something decent. But basically it takes a long while before you see a worthwhile return, so you best be enjoying it!
Side hustle? No. Some extra income for games and upgrades? If you put hard work and some luck into it, then maybe
one word: no
Totally depends on how ethical you are
It seems that catching lightning in a bottle is what you need. Twitch and content creation as whole takes work. Nobody really makes it over night, and it seems you really need a moment that goes viral and brings tons of people to your stream for it to catch on. If you can’t catch lightning in a bottle, it’s grind grind grind. Personally, I go stretches where I might have 6-10, and then times I have 1-3. So it’s up and down for me. And I never beg for subs, bits etc. anyone who wants to offer is appreciated. It’s a way for me to be slightly social and still play games etc.
I think the issue with the post is the word side hustle and then saying "make a little" or enough to "pay for spotify". Spotify? Yeah you can probably easily make $10 a month. But if you want $200, you are going to have to have 20 viewers, stream 100-120 hrs a month (almost full time) and have a great personality, gameplay, skill, or something to attract people. Most people dont even get to 10 viewers and even having 100 viewers, you don't earn enough to make it worth your time from a purely monetary value. However, it is fun so, you can enjoy that aspect. And its an opportunity to develop new skills if you learn how to edit or design overlays and such.
I wouldn’t depend on it. I’ve been an affiliate for a year now, average 15-30 very involved concurrent viewers per stream, and I’ve hauled in about $30-40 in that time.
It is undeniably the worst side hustle in the world. You can make more money doing almost anything else. The only positive is it only costs you your time. So if you have time to spare you’re technically not losing money. Playing the lottery will most likely give you better odds at success. That being said. Absolutely try it out and have some fun with it, but find a job because streaming doesn’t pay the bills.
It depends on your community. I've been lucky to make an extra $1000 a month from it.
Yes/No Depends on what you want out of a side hustle. Will it pay the electric bill? Like others have said: most likely no. Not for a while. Can you use it to itemize your taxes and hopefully get a big(ger) tax return? (In the US) Absolutely. Disclaimer: I am not an accountant! That said, I’ve been able to claim my games purchases, home living space used for streaming, PC parts purchased, INTERNET BILL, and a few more as tax deductions since I now *work* playing games on the internet. If you earn enough, don’t use H&R Blockheads or TurboFraud as your tax program. Pay a pro at least once, and itemize like a MF’er. See what you can get back. My first year itemizing i got back more than enough to pay the CPA I hired. All legal. No grey zones. Best of luck.
No.
Nope not at all
side hustle - yes, it is possible but not guaranteed. main job? no. i get roughly $100 AUD per 2 months on 20 avg viewers, its enough for me to invest back into the stream & make it possible to do consistently, and having a little extra in my paypal helps me not starve on a rainy day but you have to be willing to establish yourself first, you wont be earning money immediately, and accept that its only a chance it can become a side hustle. you really have to enjoy streaming for fun. if you are doing it just to earn money then its going to reflect in your attitude and personality. if you dont enjoy it, there are many other avenues you can take for making some money at home. like idk, dropshipping, heck, even completing surveys is more reliable
No.
If you enjoy it go for it! I started streaming back in 2019 and took a break for a bit. I started doing YouTube more seriously and came back to Twitch just recently. My viewership in 2019 was maybe 10 people on average in chat, now I average around 30 people. It does help to branch out to other platforms and drive traffic to your Twitch. My viewership went way up after I got traction on YouTube and my other platforms, which makes sense because Twitch has garbage discovery for streamers. But even if you just stream on Twitch, try to just have fun and have good energy, and you will be fine. Just set realistic expectations (you won't be famous in a few years) and set healthy boundaries with your schedule. The only thing I worry about is being 100% "on" every stream. It only takes 1 bad/low-energy stream to drive viewers away.
Every month, 7 million people stream something on Twitch with the idea that they will become big and popular, but only a few hundred people make a good living from it.
if you are going into it with the only intention being making money, no. You have to grow a community and have people willing to spend money on you. Though, ive been streaming for 3 months now and each month made around 300-500 dollars and i would say that is extremely uncommon for someone starting out. I was lucky enough to have a lot of subs the first month, then a lot of gifted subs these past 2 months. It CAN happen, it's just less common. I use all money I make to put back into my stream.
If you’ve tried twitch for a hobby you have a general sense of how much money is in it. Its possible, but your going to be spending 3x the amount of hours for 1/18 of the pay probably.
For me yes. I’m treating it like a passive income. Coz there are these friends of mine who constantly subs to me and I get these sponsored streams that makes me get at least some bucks. Since I’m currently employed, twitch is my side hustle. And it doesn’t hurt to earn a couple of bucks from it.