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On Twitch, you can never log off

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Re: On Twitch, you can never log off

#61

Post by fulltimeloser »

mscdex wrote: post #41

Every time I see articles talking about this subject, it's always completely focused on Twitch streamers that stream for a living. I would be more interested in hearing the contrast with streamers who stream for fun/not for a living. Which problems are the same between the two groups and which are unique?

Small streams are great when you want to interact with chat and the streamer. Once a stream grows bigger than a couple hundred viewers, interaction suffers and the stream becomes something else.

Bigger streamers are more like watching regular TV where you just passively watch.

Re: On Twitch, you can never log off

#62

Post by [deleted] »

Semaphor wrote: post #59
imtyler wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"...she’s also scared of taking days off, mainly because she knows it’s a job..." At risk of sounding cold, why would anyone think YouTube/Twitch is a job? Honestly confused. Is there money there? Like, for an average person, aside from the platform celebrities?

It pays for all their food expenses, plus some extra stuff. As I said, the stream has a higher amount of people who donate than usual. Several years ago, I watched a gaming streamer, even smaller. She lived in Croatia, and just the subs and irregular donations were enough to pay for most of her daily expenses.

[deleted]

Re: On Twitch, you can never log off

#63

Post by nigamanth »

vimwizard wrote: post #53

I think a more interesting story would be about the people that grind for years and years and never make it. You're left without a useful skill and no money, and probably a deficit on your mental health because you didn't go out and talk to people in real life for years. I think its not at all worth getting into as a career because making it big is like starting out as an actor, you have to know people. If you hit it…

This smart way to have cash and follow your passions is what needs to be inculcated in the future of tomorrow. Just by chasing and grinding on something with no results after several years then the chances are you (or whoever) won't make it.

Re: On Twitch, you can never log off

#64

Post by bakugo »

mscdex wrote: post #52
bakugo wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Every time I see articles talking about this subject, it's always completely focused on Twitch streamers that stream for a living. Because, for the most part, those are the only people affected by these problems. If you don't stream with the intent to maximize your viewer counts and profits at all costs - stream when you feel like it, play what you want, don't chase trends, don't encourage parasocial relationships…

I recognize that, but surely there could be overlap in some areas or problems unique to streamers who don't stream for a living. For example, I could see streamers who stream for a potential social benefit may feel the need to chase trends, play the more popular games, and other similar things in order to increase/maintain viewership for more socializing opportunities. However they may also have a unique set of probl…

> streamers who stream for a potential social benefit may feel the need to chase trends, play the more popular games, and other similar things in order to increase/maintain viewership for more socializing opportunities

I've never heard of any streamers like this, but if any do exist, they are effectively no different than people who stream for profit because the intermediate goal of maximizing viewership is the same.

Re: On Twitch, you can never log off

#65

Post by [deleted] »

vimwizard wrote: post #53

I think a more interesting story would be about the people that grind for years and years and never make it. You're left without a useful skill and no money, and probably a deficit on your mental health because you didn't go out and talk to people in real life for years. I think its not at all worth getting into as a career because making it big is like starting out as an actor, you have to know people. If you hit it…

[deleted]

Re: On Twitch, you can never log off

#66

Post by koromak »

This is also true for the other 99% of full time streamers who average less than 300 viewers and make a bit more than a cashier at Chick-Fil-A. Most of them leave the industry after 4 years and have to find a new life for themselves with nothing to show from it.

I get that its an emotionally demanding job, and I get that the people who get to the top are likely to be the kind of people who will work themselves to death to stay there, but like, its not actually "competitive" when you're worried about making 2 million dollars a year instead of 15.

Re: On Twitch, you can never log off

#67

Post by imtyler »

Semaphor wrote: post #59
imtyler wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"...she’s also scared of taking days off, mainly because she knows it’s a job..." At risk of sounding cold, why would anyone think YouTube/Twitch is a job? Honestly confused. Is there money there? Like, for an average person, aside from the platform celebrities?

It pays for all their food expenses, plus some extra stuff. As I said, the stream has a higher amount of people who donate than usual. Several years ago, I watched a gaming streamer, even smaller. She lived in Croatia, and just the subs and irregular donations were enough to pay for most of her daily expenses.

So, an average person can make a living wage on income from YouTube/Twitch royalties?

Re: On Twitch, you can never log off

#68

Post by Semaphor »

imtyler wrote: post #67
Semaphor wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It pays for all their food expenses, plus some extra stuff. As I said, the stream has a higher amount of people who donate than usual. Several years ago, I watched a gaming streamer, even smaller. She lived in Croatia, and just the subs and irregular donations were enough to pay for most of her daily expenses.

So, an average person can make a living wage on income from YouTube/Twitch royalties?

Neither of those mentioned is on YouTube, and neither of them could survive on that alone. The Croatian streamer didn’t have to pay rent (her parents owned the apartment), and the Australian one has a partner with a job (but his job alone would not be enough). The Australian one would be closer to make a living wage, though (again, unusually high donations).

Re: On Twitch, you can never log off

#69

Post by whateveracct »

Semaphor wrote: post #40

I watch a streamer (cooking) with a bunch of autoimmune diseases. She has a lot fewer people watching than anyone mentioned here (30-100, but a far higher percent than normal donate), but she’s also scared of taking days off, mainly because she knows it’s a job. It makes me sad when I see her stream while one of her diseases is flaring up, but unlike the rich streamers, they need the money.

Feels like YT is a better fit? Cooking seems better suited to VoDs than streams.

Re: On Twitch, you can never log off

#70

Post by RJIb8RBYxzAMX9u »

Semaphor wrote: post #60
RJIb8RBYxzAMX9u wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

At her size, unless she needs to take ~weeks off per month, and more importantly, at unpredictable intervals, she can afford to stream fewer days. Too many of them are incorrectly assuming that they need to stream daily, when (e.g.) MWF will suffice. What many viewers value over long streaming hours is predictable streaming hours[*]. I've observed many promising streamers stream daily and for too long, burn out, then…

She doesn’t stream every day (and she has been doing it for 4 years by now), but the schedule is still hard when you are sick.

Sorry I was being imprecise when I said daily in my original reply, when my main point was that consistency's more important than duration. IMHO, once a viewer base is established, one can be sustainable streaming ~3 hours twice a week. If that's still too strenuous due to her illness, then I'm even more sorry for her, and perhaps she should instead -- if not already -- focus her energy on applying for disability benefits / grants, and only treat streaming as a hobby.
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