Update: As of April 24, the Affiliate Program officially launched and invites started rolling out.

Update: As of April 24, the Affiliate Program officially launched and invites started rolling out. See the announcement here.

And now, something for our non-partnered streamers!

Let’s give some love to all the streamers who make Twitch the amazing place that it is.

Streaming can be difficult, especially when you’re doing it full time, or trying to. When you tune in for a stream, you become part of the epic moments and inside jokes. But when the camera is off, you won’t see that same person working a second job or troubleshooting equipment for hours. We have so much respect for these hard-working streamers and the dreams they pursue.

That’s why we’re committed to being the leading platform in the world for content creators to make a living from their passions. To date, that commitment has extended only to streamers accepted into the Twitch Partner Program. But for every streamer that achieves partnership, there are thousands more striving toward that goal, many of them sharing amazing content with strong, passionate communities, but without access to on-platform tools that would allow their viewers to help support them. To those emerging streamers: we see your consistent work, and we think you deserve a leg up!

Introducing the Twitch Affiliate Program, which helps us expand that commitment to include tens of thousands of non-partnered creators. The program allows eligible streamers to start earning income on Twitch while building their audience, and provides a stepping stone to bridge the gap between emerging streamer and Twitch Partner. At launch, Affiliates will be able to start using Cheering with Bits on their channel so their communities have an on-platform choice for showing support.

In the coming months we will continue to invest in both our Affiliate and Partner programs to better support creators at all stages of their development. While Affiliates will eventually have access to basic versions of our tools including Subscriptions, Game Commerce and Advertising, we will continue developing additional features just for Partners that are tailored for nurturing the larger communities they manage. For example, when we launch Subscriptions for Affiliates in the future, Affiliates will have only 1 subscriber emote, whereas Partners will be able to unlock a full set of 50 subscriber emotes.

Verified Chat Badge for Partners

To give our Partners an extra mark of distinction on Twitch, we are introducing a new Verified Chat Badge that will be granted to Partners on the same day we launch the Affiliate Program.

Affiliate Invitation Process

When we launch, we will begin sending invitations to streamers who qualify via email, notification in the upper right corner of twitch.tv, and in the dashboard. Invitations will roll out gradually over several weeks, so for those that are hoping to join the program, please be patient and allow several weeks for all the invitations to go out.

The Affiliate Program is launching very soon, so stay tuned for more news!

Burning Questions

When will the Affiliate Program launch?

A. Very soon! When it launches, we’ll announce it on Twitter from @Twitch and on our blog.

How do I apply for the Twitch Affiliate Program?

A. There is no application process. We will invite streamers who qualify for the program to sign up.

How do I qualify to become a Twitch Affiliate?

A. The criteria is likely to change over time as the program develops. At launch, we’ll be inviting non-partnered streamers who have:

• At least 500 total minutes broadcast in the last 30 days

• At least 7 unique broadcast days in the last 30 days

• An average of 3 concurrent viewers or more over the last 30 days

• At least 50 Followers

How will I know if I qualify and if I do, where will I see an invite?

A. When we launch, qualified streamers will be notified via email, Notification, and an announcement in the upper left corner of your dashboard. Also, once a streamer is invited, a message will appear in their dashboard on the Settings tab where they can sign up to join the program. The initial wave of invitations around launch will be staggered over a several weeks. New invitations will continue to go out every few weeks after launch as new streamers qualify for the program. Invitations will not be instant as soon as a streamer meets the criteria. It will take a few weeks, so please be patient!

Will Affiliates receive revenue from Bits on their channel?

A. Twitch will provide participating Affiliates a share of the revenue Twitch receives from Bits equal to 1 cent per Bit used to Cheer for them, subject to certain terms and conditions such as our Bits Acceptable Use Policy.

I have a question that isn’t answered here!

A. Try this article in our Help Portal.

What is the difference between a Partner and an Affiliate?