Even though we are still not at a stage where our avatars are living instead of us, we are definitely living in a world where virtual reality and digital life are taking over. The numbers and general popularity of streaming services, where people are sharing their skills, opinions, and lives, confirm it. Taking that into consideration, along with the fact that the world has taken a giant digital leap forward in the last year, should you really drop everything, join Twitch (for instance), and never look back, since digital and virtual space is where we’ll live from now on? Well, let’s reiterate.

What You Must Know If You Would Like To Join Twitch

First of all, you would have to be interested in this kind of job, because it may look simple and fun, yet there is much more to it. But, let’s assume you wouldn’t be here if that wasn’t the case. Secondly, if you’ve already dabbled in streaming, you’ve probably encountered the new age dilemma every aspiring streamer dreads: which platform to use?

Of course, there are several prominent ones on the market, but let’s keep things clean and focus only on the two giants, Twitch and YouTube. Their rivalry is unparalleled, and there were so many changes at the top that no one really keeps track anymore, making the decision even harder for someone just starting to play around with streaming.

Who’s Winning, Twitch, or YouTube?

Nevertheless, the most recent numbers go in Twitch’s favour, at least when it comes to live streaming. According to the latest reports, Twitch has doubled its viewership in the last year, with 6.3 billion hours watched, which is their new record. Interesting fact, but also something very expected if you’ve been following what’s going on on the platform: the meteoric rise is largely due to a category called Just Chatting, which has been so popular lately that almost every piece of news coming from Twitch basically comes from there.  Of course, that alone shows how Twitch definitely isn’t “just” a niche gaming streaming service.

On the other hand, YouTube, who also registered growth in 2021 (we see you, Covid), but their numbers don’t even come close to Twitch: they’ve had 1.37 billion hours watched in 2021, as opposed to 1.07 billion hours watched in 2020, when it comes to live streaming. One interesting piece of information regarding YouTube is that its streamer Valkyrae is the most watched female streamer of 2021 so far.

Of course, that brings up an elephant in the (cyber) room: you must take into consideration more than just sheer numbers when choosing the streaming service. There are many other factors that should be taken into consideration, but you should be able to find the best option for your niche once you decide what kind of streaming content you would like to produce.

Is There Room For You Online?

Which brings us to one other very important point: is it even possible to succeed in this line of job or is the market already too saturated? Well, if we tell you that there are approximately 9.5 million active streamers currently on Twitch, that doesn’t sound promising. There are also around 3.3 million viewers who consume that content each day, so that isn’t overly optimistic either. But, you have to take into consideration that not all streamers are equal (aka monetized).

That would be the next logical step for you to take if you are heading in this direction: before you join Twitch do research on what requirements are needed for someone to start making money off of it. To get you started: you’ll need at least 50 followers, 500 minutes broadcasted,7 unique broadcast days, an average of 3 or more concurrent viewers.

We have barely scratched the surface, but it is enough to get you to start thinking and to be aware of the fact that everything is doable if you set your mind to it, no matter how challenging it seems.

Hold Off On Quitting Your Job

Do you think you have what it takes? You are good at gaming or always have something to say? Do you think you can easily connect with large numbers of people? Do you think you can find a way to differentiate yourself from currently popular people on streaming services? If you do, circumstances work in your favour, so maybe it really is time to join Twitch and become a streamer (but hold off on quitting your job just yet).

Before you become an avid streamer, you can practice your gaming knowledge by playing our Pick6 for free.