Streaming has become an incredibly legitimate way to make an income as a content creator.

Yesterday I was talking to my housecleaner and she mentioned her friend (a middle-aged man) who was making an extra $500 a month streaming himself playing mobile games on YouTube. It blew my mind. I always thought that you needed a HUGE audience to make money streaming but that’s just not true.

So today I dove into the world of streaming to see if it’s something that should be on your radar for making money as a content creator.

Choosing a Platform 💻

If you want to start streaming (which you should) the first step is to choose your platform.

I would recommend going with one of the main three; Kick, YouTube, or Twitch.

There are pros and cons to each so let’s go over the advantages and disadvantages of these platforms.

Kick 🦶

Kick is a new platform, still in its beta, but rewards creators better than any other major live-streaming platform.

Kick Website Link

Pros:

• Streamers keep 95% of the revenue they earn

• Less restrictive than other platforms allowing for more creativity and expression

• Streamers keep 100% of tips

• Kick allegedly pays $16 USD per hour to qualifying streamers

Cons:

• Not as many viewers as its competitors

• It’s a new platform which means technical issues will be more common

• Brands will be more hesitant to sponsor Kick streamers because of the platform’s age

YouTube 📺

YouTube is a great place to stream especially if you already have an audience on their platform.

Pros:

• Established platform

• Streaming can help build your long-form YouTube audience and vice-versa

• Advertiser-friendly for brand deals

Cons:

• YouTube takes 30% of earnings

• More restrictions compared to Kick

Twitch 👾 

Twitch is what most people think of when someone says “live stream”, and for good reason.

The company was bought back in 2014 by Amazon for close to $1B dollars, meaning that they have a huge amount of resources to dump into their team and development of the platform.

Twitch Website Link

Pros:

• Large user base

• Good server infrastructure (less technical issues)

• Advertiser friendly

Cons:

• Twitch takes 50% of earnings

• Heavy restrictions on content

Key Takeaways 📝

Earnings from streaming vary depending on both the creator and the platform, but even an average of 100 viewers can net you $1500+ in earnings every month.

Live streaming is a great way to make some extra income and connect on a deeper level with your audience, so I would recommend giving streaming a go if you haven’t already!

Note: If you are a streamer, feel free to reply to this email and let me know how it’s going for you, I’d love to hear your story!

Best of luck!

-Noah