(Read the article here.)
Long story short: there’s been…a lot to discuss around monetization on Twitch. With a recent “miscommunication” on sponsorship guidelines for creators (which was apparently meant for 3rd party advertisers looking to Twitch for ad space) and the whiplash coming from their correction coming just a few hours after the initial announcement, it’s one too many straws on the camel’s back for streamers who use Twitch as means for a career.
I wanted to write this because, now that we’re getting to a point where our financial security is feeling less and less…well, secure, and that Twitch is no longer on the side of creators, brand loyalty has now gone out the window. A lot of us have family to provide for, rent to pay, healthcare to fund, and so on and so forth. The bells and whistles of Twitch are nice, and help it stand out from other livestreaming platforms, but it doesn’t help when we don’t feel that we can make a living off of a platform that originally was so creator-focused.
I don’t want to leave the platform. This platform feels like a second home, coming around just in time to help me cope with my mother’s passing. It became a place where I’ve not only created a community of kind, caring, individuals creating a safe space for LGBTQIA+ individuals, but also a place where people recognize me for the work I’m doing. I feel seen and heard by the community on this platform, but if there’s my bill-paying abilities continue to feel threatened by those that make the most money off of Twitch, I will have no choice but to take my livestreams elsewhere if this is an industry I want to succeed in.
Thanks in advance if you decide to read the article. At bare minimum, I want them to provide more security for us creators, no matter how it goes down. It’s becoming harder and harder to have faith in the platform, but there are key figures who do have hope in the platform, and my hope currently lies with them.
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