Do You Have to Be a Gamer to Use Twitch?
I remember back when Twitch was Justin.tv. Since then, a lot has changed on the platform. For one thing, it grew to broadcast more than just gaming content. Nowadays, you can find a wide scope of interests on Twitch. Some of them should be relegated to OnlyFans, but that’s a rant for another day.
While gaming is still the major staple of Twitch, you don’t have to be a gamer to build an audience. However, a lot of niches don’t seem to perform exceptionally well on Twitch compared to platforms like YouTube.
Then again, success also depends greatly on your personality and the audience you’re trying to build. A strong community, even if only 50 viewers, can do wonders for a channel and generate revenue.
Going Beyond the Games on Twitch
Although Twitch originally focused on the gaming community, they saw the power of incorporating more than just gameplay. Like any other company, it’s all about increasing numbers and keeping people on your platform for as long as humanly possible.
As such, a lot of additions were built into the Twitch platform to accommodate others who didn’t necessarily want to engage in gaming. And although the only other category that generates as much interest in gaming is the “Just Chatting” section, a few streamers do other things to build an audience.
The IRL Section of Twitch
The IRL section (In Real Life) is full of various channels that are outside the scope of games. You’ll find areas such as Just Chatting, Sports, Talk Shows, and even Politics.
Oddly, Chess is lumped into this section as well despite most of the streams displaying the digital versions of the game. I mean, playing Chess is still gaming, right?
In any case, the IRL section is mostly for those who share their real-life situations and streams. If it doesn’t happen in a digital environment, it usually goes into this section. You can even watch live earthquake monitors from around the globe.
The Pools, Hot Tubs, and Beaches section is usually for the most horny of teenagers and lonely gentlemen. But there are a lot of women who make some decent money showing off their…bikinis.
Music & DJs Area
The Music & DJs section is just as it sounds; for those who make music or practice their abilities using a mix table. However, it goes a bit deeper than that as you can choose from subcategories such as Piano, Singing, Acoustic videos, and more.
Essentially, the category is broken down into a lot of genre and style sections.
You’ll also find quite a few streamers who simply use music as a background for various purposes, such as studying or relaxing. The broadcaster isn’t shown and he or she doesn’t speak. It’s nothing but music playing as an ambient background noise.
So, if you make any kind of music, you may find several people who’ll watch every stream. The Music and DJs category in Twitch is quite popular as a lot of folks share their talents with a fairly receptive audience.
Being Creative
If you’re a creative person, there’s even a category for that on Twitch. The Creative section is full of people sharing art, crafting and painting miniatures, Lego and Brickbuilding, and code development.
One of the subcategories that piqued my interest was the Writing & Reading section. I manage a growing YouTube channel for writers of all kinds, and I have been considering expanding into multistreaming to see if I can gain an audience on Twitch as well.
Another subsection that might be of use to you is Co-Working. This is where others hang out during a stream to help each other focus on various tasks. This is not only helpful for others who may be watching, but it’s a great way to keep yourself accountable for various projects.
For example, you can use an audience to keep you focused and productive if you work from home.
Joining eSports
Although most of eSports is technically gaming, this category is more focused on the team aspect of online play. It’s where the professional eSport players often categorize their streams, and these are some of the best players in the world.
It’s kind of like watching ESPN for video game players.
Some of the most popular competitive games are in this section as subcategories, such as CS:GO, Rocket League, and League of Legends.
I want to point out, though, that a lot of eSports are displayed in the general Games category of Twitch for their respective titles. If you try the eSports category and it doesn’t seem like you’re getting a lot of views, you might want to try simply streaming to the Games section.
Is YouTube Better for Non-Gaming Streams than Twitch?
Twitch is perhaps one of the largest and most successful platforms online when it comes to live streaming. Although YouTube has been implementing a few things here and there to compete, it’s still not at the powerhouse level of Twitch.
With that being said, Twitch isn’t well known for its non-gaming video content. That is, outside of the Just Chatting section and hot tub streams, which often spark controversies.
Nonetheless, there are people who are willing to watch non-gaming content, and a lot of real-life streams are quite popular. That has mostly to do with the personality of the streamer and the type of content he or she makes.
That’s also true on YouTube. If you have the personality of a soggy noodle, no topic is going to help you generate tons of views. You might get a handful here and there, but it won’t be anything like some of the most popular streamers on either platform.
Regardless, YouTube is mostly geared for its video-on-demand system. Uploaded videos generate the most views whether they are 10 minutes long or a 60-second Short.
And let’s not forget that a lot of popular streamers have stated how they just don’t generate the same number of concurrent viewers during a live stream on YouTube as they get on Twitch. Of course, most of them are gaming streamers to some capacity.
That’s not to say YouTube is useless when it comes to live streaming certain types of content, though. Marketing plays a massive role in live streaming success. No one is going to watch if they don’t know it exists.
In reality, everyone is going to have a unique experience as a streamer. Some of you might gain far more viewers on Twitch while YouTube will be the bread and butter for someone else. The best thing you can do is to try out both systems to figure out which is the one that works best for you and your type of content.
Multistreaming is Always an Option
Since Twitch changed its policies in 2023, a lot of streamers will multistream. This is when you can livestream to both Twitch and YouTube simultaneously. It helps you double your audience while offering another separate revenue stream.
Multistreaming is also a great way to determine what platform garners the largest audience. Using tools like Streamlabs, you can share the number of viewers from either platform. If you notice one is far heavier than the other, that’s probably where you should focus more attention.
In any case, there are a variety of ways you can multistream online. Some will require your computer to have a bit of power behind it with a great Internet connection while others will distribute the video for you, reducing the need for high-end equipment.
For instance, Streamyard is a popular choice among many. It’s an easy-to-use platform that connects your most popular social sites together in one stream.
Another option for multistreaming is Restream. It’ll broadcast your stream to over 40 social sites, allowing you to connect to your audience regardless of what they like to use most.
Just keep in mind that a lot of these online systems require subscription payments and can run anywhere from $100 per year to almost $500, depending on the platform. But it’s the price you pay if you don’t want watermarks and want to provide the best experience possible when watching your content.
Sure, there are free accounts you can create. Unfortunately, they are often less appealing from a viewer standpoint.
What Kind of Channel Will You Create?
When all is said and done, you don’t need to be a gamer in order to live stream on Twitch. Although gaming is the backbone of the platform, a lot of people will use Twitch to show off their writing, political positions, or skills with a paintbrush.
I’m seriously considering adding my live shows from the writing channel to Twitch. I often interview authors of all kinds, and it might pique someone’s interest. Perhaps it could bring a few viewers from Twitch to the YouTube channel.
Anyway, when you create your channel, don’t forget marketing. Even if it’s just sharing links on social media, any marketing to get your name out there is worth the time.
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