How To Stream On Twitch In 4 Steps, With Photos

Key Points

• In May 2023, Twitch had over 6.8 million active streamers and an average of 2.4 million concurrent streamers.
• Twitch offers a platform to connect with a community of like-minded gamers and viewers.
• Streaming on Twitch can lead to income opportunities through subscriptions, donations, and ad revenue, with amateur streamers earning up to $3,000-$5,000 per month.

Do you have a favorite video game live streamer? Odds are, they use Twitch to broadcast their game and commentary. In May 2023, the platform had over 6.8 million active streamers and an average of 2.4 million concurrent streamers. That’s a seriously massive platform! Watching our favorite streamers make a living playing video games, cracking jokes, and interacting with fans makes us wish we could do the same. So, how do you stream on Twitch? Just follow the steps in our guide below.

Why Stream On Twitch?

As a would-be user, you might be asking yourself, why Twitch in the first place? It’s the #1 streaming platform for gamers. Since launching in 2011, Twitch has grown from a small general-interest streaming site to a massive hub for live entertainment. While Twitch is best known for video games, it encapsulates everything from comedy to music, theater, and other interest areas. From the sense of community to the size of the platform to the user benefits, here’s why streaming on Twitch might interest you.

Find a Community

Another reason to stream on Twitch? You can connect with like-minded gamers and viewers. Twitch lets you share your gameplay footage live with commentary to an audience of viewers who can chat with you as you play. It’s a fun, easy way to make new friends, interact with an audience, and foster a supportive gaming community. While you can explore other live-streaming platforms, none can compete with the Twitch community.

Show Your Skills

In addition to finding a community, Twitch also allows you to showcase your gaming skills and unique personality. Not only that, but you get to show these skills to an audience that genuinely appreciate your offering. Whether your focus is on speed runs, walkthroughs, or funny commentary, Twitch is among the best video game live-streaming platforms. Need proof? So many esports competitions are broadcast on Twitch. It’s optimized for showing off top gaming talent.

Earning An Income

Not to mention, knowing how to stream on Twitch can even help you unlock opportunities for income and growth. As you get better at streaming, you may see followers flowing in. Building a loyal audience could make you eligible for Twitch’s Partner or Affiliate programs. This would allow you to earn money through subscriptions, donations, and ad revenue. It’s a very lucrative endeavor: Even amateur streamers can make as much as $3,000-$5,000 monthly. (Not to mention, top streamers might even see a lot more than this.)

How To Stream On Twitch

Twitch offers streamers different ways to broadcast. You can use your phone, console, or desktop. For this guide, we’ll focus on your desktop. Anyway, you can still apply your newfound knowledge of Twitch streaming to other broadcasting channels.

Step One: Log Into Twitch

First, log into your Twitch account on the Twitch desktop site. If you don’t have a Twitch account, you can set one up by clicking the “Sign Up” button beneath the “Log In” button. Once you’ve entered your username and password, click “Log In.”

Step Two: Go To Creator Dashboard

Next, click your profile icon in the top right-hand corner of the screen. Third, from the top, you should see a heading labeled “Creator Dashboard.” This heading features a graph icon to the left of the text. Click this to head to the Creator Dashboard home page.

Step Three: Download Twitch Studio

Once you find your way into the Creator Dashboard, click the button that reads “Download Twitch Studio.” It’s the only way to begin a Twitch stream on a desktop site. Once downloaded, follow the on-screen installation guide to complete the steps.

Step Four: Start Streaming

Once you install the Twitch Studio, you can finally begin streaming. Click “Start Stream” at the bottom of the page to get started. You can tweak your display, chat settings, and scene layout. With luck, you’ll soon see hundreds (or maybe even thousands?) of viewers pouring into your stream.

To review:

1. First, log into your Twitch account.
2. Then, go to the Creator Dashboard using the drop-down menu on the right.
3. Third, click “Download Twitch Studio” and follow the installation guide.
4. Last, configure your stream and begin broadcasting from the Twitch Studio desktop app.

YouTuber Cpaws Music goes over how to start a Twitch channel in the video below. If you are a mobile, PC, or console streamer, his quick ultimate guide will get you started streaming on Twitch in no time.

Summary Table

The image featured at the top of this post is ©amirraizat/Shutterstock.com.