Prerequisites
- A Twitch account and something you can stream regularly
- Two-Factor Authentication enabled on the account
Twitch has two monetization tiers, and the distance between them is much larger than most people expect. One is reachable in a fortnight. The other requires a genuine audience.
Affiliate: Four Requirements, All Small
Twitch states you must meet four requirements:
| Requirement | Threshold |
|---|---|
| Followers | 25 |
| Total streamed | 4 hours |
| Different days streamed | 4 |
| Average viewers | 3 (across those 4 different days) |
You must also enable Two-Factor Authentication before onboarding can begin — Twitch requires it for all Affiliates and Partners.
ℹ️ Good to Know
An average of three viewers. Not three hundred. This is the genuinely accessible tier, and it is why "become a Twitch Affiliate" is achievable for almost anyone who streams consistently for a couple of weeks and tells a few friends.
Twitch also notes that streamers aged 13–17 may join with parental or guardian consent and supervision.
Partner: A Different Order of Magnitude
Twitch's Partnership criteria:
- Complete the Path to Partner achievement
- For the two consecutive months before applying, have at least 6 individual streams meeting a minimum of 75 average viewers per 30-day period
- Broadcast content conforming to the Community Guidelines, Terms of Service and DMCA Guidelines
- Twitch also considers suspension history when evaluating applications
Twitch adds that it may accept applications outside these criteria in certain circumstances, including exceptional viewership growth.
⚠️ Warning
Note the jump: 3 average viewers for Affiliate, 75 average viewers for Partner — twenty-five times more, sustained over two consecutive months rather than four days. Anyone treating Affiliate as "nearly Partner" has badly misjudged the gap.
One detail worth knowing before you plan around it: Twitch states that viewership from front-page promotions or embeds does not count toward viewership requirement calculations. A burst of borrowed attention will not carry you over the line.
What Each Tier Actually Pays
Bits. Twitch states it provides participating Partners a share of Bits revenue equal to 1 cent per Bit used to Cheer for them. So a viewer cheering 500 Bits is worth about $5 to the streamer.
Subscriptions. Viewers subscribe at Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3, or free via Prime. Twitch notes that revenue from a subscription may vary depending on the country the subscriber lives in, since local subscription prices differ.
Ads. Partners earn a share of revenue from ads on their channel.
Emotes. Partners can unlock up to 60 channel emotes — not revenue directly, but a real retention tool.
ℹ️ Good to Know
Twitch does not state a single standard subscription split on its Partner overview page. What it does publish is the Plus Program, offering two levels of enhanced subscription net revenue share for qualifying Affiliates and Partners: Level 1 at 60/40 and Level 2 at 70/30. Those being described as enhanced tells you the default sits below them.
How This Compares to YouTube
Worth setting side by side, because creators often choose between them:
| Entry requirement | Creator share | |
|---|---|---|
| Twitch Affiliate | 25 followers, 3 average viewers | Bits at 1 cent each; subscription share |
| YouTube Partner Program | 1,000 subscribers + 4,000 watch hours (or 10M Shorts views) | 55% of ad revenue, 70% of memberships and Super Thanks |
Twitch's entry bar is dramatically lower. YouTube's is higher but its published shares are clearer, and its content keeps earning long after upload — where a stream's value is mostly consumed live.
💡 Pro Tip
The two aren't mutually exclusive, and the sensible pattern is obvious once you see the thresholds: stream on Twitch where the monetization bar is low, and publish the edited highlights to YouTube where the content keeps working. One session, two channels, two revenue models.
A Realistic Reading
Affiliate is a milestone, not an income. Three average viewers cheering occasional Bits is not a living. What it does is switch monetization on, which matters because you cannot build subscriber habits on a channel that has no subscribe button.
Partner is where the economics change — and 75 average viewers sustained for two months is a real audience, typically representing many months of consistent streaming.
Live is unforgiving. Unlike a blog post or a YouTube video, a stream earns while it's happening and very little afterwards. That makes consistency of schedule matter far more than it does in other online income routes.
Income is taxable. Bits, subs and ad revenue are self-employment income. In the US, self-employment tax alone is 15.3% of net earnings before income tax applies.
✅ Action Step
Check your Achievements Dashboard on Twitch rather than guessing where you stand — it tracks progress against all four Affiliate requirements directly. If you are close, the missing one is usually the 3-viewer average, which is a scheduling problem more than an audience problem.
Where to Verify Any of This
Every threshold and rate above comes from Twitch's own Help Centre, linked below. Programme requirements and revenue shares change, so confirm current terms there rather than relying on any summary, including this one.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Twitch Affiliate requirements?
Four things: reach 25 followers, stream for 4 hours, stream on 4 different days, and reach an average of 3 viewers across those 4 days. You must also enable Two-Factor Authentication before Affiliate onboarding can begin.
What does it take to become a Twitch Partner?
Twitch requires completing the Path to Partner achievement, plus at least 6 individual streams meeting a minimum of 75 average viewers per 30-day period, for the two consecutive months before you apply. Content must conform to the Community Guidelines, Terms of Service and DMCA Guidelines, and suspension history is considered.
How much is a Twitch Bit worth to a streamer?
Twitch states it provides participating Partners a share of Bits revenue equal to 1 cent per Bit used to Cheer for them. So 100 Bits cheered is about $1 to the streamer.
What is the Twitch Plus Program?
It offers two levels of enhanced subscription net revenue share for qualifying Affiliates and Partners: Level 1 at 60/40 and Level 2 at 70/30. These are improvements on the standard rate rather than the default.
Sources & Further Reading
Every factual claim in this guide is drawn from primary, authoritative sources. Figures reflect the referenced pages at the time of our last review and can change — always confirm current terms on the official site.
- 1Joining the Affiliate Program — Twitch Help
- 2Twitch Partner Program Overview — Twitch Help
- 3YouTube partner earnings overview — YouTube Help
- 4Self-Employment Tax (Social Security and Medicare Taxes) — Internal Revenue Service
EarnRoutes Editorial
Researched and fact-checked against primary sources
Compiled from Twitch's published Affiliate and Partner programme documentation. Every threshold and rate quoted here is stated by Twitch in its own Help Centre, linked in the source list below.
Last reviewed on September 10, 2026