The ability to stream content in 2021 ranges across multiple genres, activities, and platforms. Fans have never had so much access to content at one time, and streamers have found innovative ways to create and produce on new services. This includes a rising popularity in the production of livestreaming video content on competing sites like YouTube, Twitch, and Facebook Gaming. While this mainly started with video games, streaming has evolved into a way for all kinds of artists and creators to produce new and interesting media, that can be accessed by audiences all over the world. With all the platforms out there to stream on, it can be hard to figure out which is best.
There are many services on which content creators can go live, but the two most popular are Twitch and YouTube. YouTube has always had a loyal base, as it served as the main online video platform for quite some time. However, it wasn’t until 2015 that YouTube would launch YouTube Gaming to compete with Twitch’s supremacy on the game streaming market. In the six years since, streaming has only grown, and other brands have tried to enter the livestream gaming market with little to no avail. Currently, it’s a battle between the two powerhouses, but one has to wonder where success lies for creators.
Twitch was launched in 2011 and primarily focused itself around livestream gaming and gaming culture. It quickly proved to be a popular idea, as the service would grow to 45 million unique viewers in 2013. This meteoric rise made Twitch one of the leaders in peak internet traffic in the United States in 2014. Twitch allows players to connect to their specific channel through a streaming app and their unique Stream Key. Creators can customize their stream via various livestream software as well as on Twitch’s Creator Dashboard. If streamers gain enough viewership, there’s options for content creators to make money on the platform through ads and subscriptions.
YouTube Gaming, as previously mentioned, was launched when it became apparent that Twitch’s popularity wasn’t going anywhere. As the cornerstone of long-form video content on the internet, YouTube also decided to throw its hat in the ring. Monetization of YouTube Gaming livestreams comes from similar ad systems to Twitch: with pre-roll ads, mid-roll ads, as well as display and overlay ads. Streaming on YouTube also gives the added benefit of having an audience be a few clicks away from a backlog of videos, taking advantage of YouTube’s proven systems. According to YouTube Gaming’s 2020 stats, it was a good year for the streaming service.
Choosing whether or not to use Twitch or YouTube for game streaming relies primarily on what the focus is in content creation. If one is more interested in livestreaming than they are in spending the time recording videos, then Twitch has a lot of systems and add-ons that have proven to enhance streams and interactions. However, for someone who’s more interested in creating gaming videos as well as streaming, then having a channel on YouTube and using that to stream would give viewers access to both. This has the chance to increase their subscriber count and monetization from the views on their videos, as well as maintain stream viewership.
While creators can’t be monetized if they stream to both services at once, they can still change up which sites they use and get the best of both worlds. Each site has its benefits and communities, and creating good content will always get noticed in due time. What is most important is to be consistent and give viewers a unique experience they couldn’t find on any other platform.
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