How much do streamers make on Twitch and YouTube?

In the last decade, streaming and video editing tools have become more accessible than ever. This accessibility has led to a whole new generation of content creators who want to entertain and inform audiences while also making revenue. But it’s not always easy to pull the viewership numbers required to make a fortune.

YouTube and Twitch are the two biggest streaming platforms. Twitch is home to more than 8 million unique streamers each month. YouTube sees 500 hours of content uploaded per minute. In terms of the financials, YouTube paid out more than $30 billion to creators between 2018 and 2021, according to Fortune. Twitch, on a similar note, purportedly paid some creators up to $10 million over three years, according to payout leaks.

With numbers like that, it raises the question: how much money can streamers make on these platforms?

How much money do streamers make on YouTube?

YouTube streamers make money based on advertisements and views. YouTube pays the content publisher just over half the revenue from the advertiser, according to Business Insider. The rates it pays out can range from $0.10 to $0.30 USD per ad view. 

If a starting YouTube streamer had 500 ad views on a stream, it could translate to something between $50 to $150. For a creator with a bigger audience who pulls 50,000 ad views, this would be between $5,000 to $15,000.

For reference, Business Insider reported in 2019 that famous YouTubers like Markiplier and Jacksepticeye made over $1,000 per minute from their videos. Similar numbers would apply to streamers.

How much money do streamers make on Twitch?

Twitch, on the other hand, offers more variety in how streamers can earn money. To make money, however, streamers need to qualify for Twitch’s Affiliate or Partner program. These two tiers have different opportunities and payouts, with Partner being much more exclusive than the Affiliate program.

Twitch income is mostly accumulated through ad revenue, subscriptions, bits, donations, and sponsorships. Streamers receive 50 percent of revenue earns from subscriptions purchased on their channel, which can be $4.99, $9.99, and $24.99 (all USD) depending on the duration.

Streamers also receive $0.01 for every bit used on their channel. Bits are a currency fans use to cheer and interact with streamers. Fans can also donate to streamers directly if a streamer has a third-party website.

Streamers who pull around 10 views a day can earn anywhere between $50 to $100 a month. More well-known creators like xQc, however, can make millions each year—and that’s in addition to additional money earns from exclusivity contracts.