Twitch Vs YouTube Streaming: Best For Streamers

Which is a Better Platform for Streaming between Twitch & YouTube? Check out this guide to know.

Are you a content creator looking to make yourself popular through Video Streaming? Well, you got backed up by 2 major Streaming Giants, Twitch and YouTube. Both of these platforms attract a majority of viewers and are ideal for making a career out of it. Although, each of these two platforms has its pros and cons. So, how would you choose a better option? Check out this guide to know about Streaming on YouTube vs Streaming on Twitch in detail.

Twitch Streaming vs YouTube Streaming Comparison

Streaming on Twitch vs Streaming on YouTube has been a topic of debate for years now. New Content Creators are struggling to establish a name for themselves. Which platform can help them create the goodwill they seek? Here are some important points a Streamer should know before starting his/her career on either of the Streaming platforms:

YouTube Streaming Vs Twitch Streaming

YouTube vs Twitch – General Overview

There is no doubt that YouTube is a much older company than Twitch, however, the latter is still a well-known platform for streaming. This is because most users visit a platform like YouTube to watch pre-recorded and edited videos. On the other hand, Twitch’s main focus was always live content streaming.

Further, speaking of content display, Twitch will always put forward a live stream video first. Whereas, YouTube will fetch the most relevant content for the user, may it be a pre-recorded video or live streaming video. Speaking of the viewership, YouTube has a 15-20% more audience size than Twitch. So this makes Twitch a much more competitive place for long-term survival.

Streaming Options

On your way to becoming a successful Streamer, your video must stand out in the vast Ocean of content. One of the ways to do so is by making high-quality videos with less buffering. There are a few important terms that you should know as a Streamer on both, YouTube and Twitch:

  • Quality – On both the Streaming Giants, you have the option to Stream on certain video quality. While YouTube allows you to Stream at 4K (2160p) at 60 frames per second, Twitch allows you to Stream at a maximum (1080p) streams at 60 frames per second.

YouTube Streaming Vs Twitch Streaming

  • Transcoding – There are different viewers with different internet connections and computers. Not a single viewer would want their video to buffer in the middle of streaming. While Streaming, the Transcoding feature automatically creates video outputs according to the internet connection of the viewer. On Twitch, Transcoding is only allowed for the Streamers with Partner Programme. Whereas, on YouTube, this feature is available to all Streamers.

Where can I Earn more Money?

Although YouTube has a huge audience, streamers on Twitch have a chance of making more money. This is because streamers on Twitch have multiple options to get paid such as Subs, Gifted Subs, Bits, and Donations. Whereas, on YouTube, Streamers have comparatively lesser options to get paid that usually come from Super Chats, Ads, and Channel Membership.

YouTube Streaming Vs Twitch Streaming
Image Source – PROD (Twitch) & haiVaan (YouTube)

According to me, YouTube audiences generally don’t have a mindset of paying for what they are watching. On the contrary, the audience on Twitch always supported the Streamers by Subs and Gifted Subs to get access to special emotes and much more.

Anyways, To make your content monetized and be able to cast advertisements, Streamers on YouTube and Twitch need to come under the Partner Program. Here are the eligibility criteria for both YouTube and Twitch Partner Program:

  • On YouTube
    • Get 1,000 subscribers with 4,000 valid public watch hours in the last 12 months
    • Get 1,000 subscribers with 10 million valid public Shorts views in the last 90 days.
  • On Twitch

Note – You are eligible for the Partner Program if you are a part of the Affiliate Program beforehand. After that, here are the requirements you need to fulfill:

    • Stream for 25 hours
    • Stream on 12 different days
    • Average of 75 viewers (concurrent viewership excluding views from suggested, raids, and embeds)

Should you Stream on Twitch or on YouTube?

According to me, Twitch is a much better option for Streamers in terms of making a career. In the meanwhile, you can post and edit highlights of your live stream on YouTube to attract more viewers. In the end, the decision on where you Stream your content is totally up to you.

That covers everything on the better platform for Streaming between YouTube & Twitch. While you are here, make sure to check out our other Twitch Category on Gamer Tweak.