Twitch streamers have been vocal about wanting to be paid more consistently. The Ads Incentive Program, which gives users a guaranteed payout from ads to help them have a “predictable monthly income,” is the Amazon-owned streaming service’s solution.
Users must be Affiliate or Partner-level streamers to be eligible, according to an Amazon-owned Twitch blog post announcing the program on Wednesday. Certain Twitch users will receive an “incentive offer” detailing the monthly rates they are eligible for. Then they must stream the required number of hours as specified in the offer.
According to an example image in the post explaining how the program works, possible incentives include $100 for 2 minutes of ads per hour, $300 for 3 minutes of ads per hour, and $500 for 4 minutes of ads per hour for streaming 40 hours minimum per month. After completing the required streaming hours, users will be paid at their normal ad payout rate for any additional hours broadcast.
The standard advertising offer for Twitch creators is a variable revenue split based on the number of views. Streamers used to make money from ads based on their audience, with revenue rising in tandem with viewership. Even if audience levels fluctuate, the new program appears to offer an incentive for consistent streaming.
This is the latest move by a social media company to assist creators in receiving payment. Facebook recently announced the global expansion of Reels, its TikTok competitor, which added the ability to monetize videos with banner and sticker ads. YouTube also introduced new tools, such as brand partnerships, shopping, and gifted memberships, to help creators make money from their short-form content.