- The popular streaming service has implemented a drastic new change
- It will now allow Twitch Partners to produce live content on other platforms as well
- This change, however, comes with an important caveat
Twitch is starting to recognize that content creators often want to diversify their ways of communicating with their audience.
Twitch Implements New Changes for Its Partners
Being a Twitch partner is the holy grail for many aspiring streamers as it is seen as an important milestone in one’s career and it gives some financial security in what is an everchanging market. However, as part of their contract, Twitch partners have not been able to produce live content on other platforms. With Twitch’s latest update that changes, sort of.
According to an email circulating current Twitch partners, the Amazon-owned streaming service will now allow content creators to stream on different platforms. “Starting today, you are now allowed to create live content on other platforms,” the announcement reads. “This means you have more flexibility to explore how to use different, off-platform features to further build your community and interact with streamers off Twitch.”
The email continues to explain that the company still thinks its service is the best one on the market, but it also recognizes the many changes that have happened since Twitch created its partnership program. “Many of you engage with your communities in many different places,” said the email from Twitch, “so we are updating our policy”.
What’s the Catch?
Although on the surface this change may seem great for both streamers and their viewers, Twitch has a caveat to its new policy changes. Although Twitch affiliates will be allowed to livestream on other platforms like YouTube or Facebook Gaming, simultaneous broadcasting will not be allowed.
This is because the company believes that engaging with two streams at once can lead to a “suboptimal experience” for viewers. However, even this rule has some exceptions, namely TikTok and Instagram. Twitch says it’s aware that some partners want to use other services to grow their community, so simultaneous broadcasting on these two platforms is allowed. TikTok and Instagram are likely allowed because they are not focused on gaming content, like YouTube Gaming and Facebook Gaming, thus they don’t pose direct competition to Twitch.
Twitch explained on a FAQ page that the change applies to the vast majority of partners on its platform. If streamers are able to view their Partner Agreement on their dashboard and have not received any notice of additional agreements from Twitch, then the new change applies to them. The company also asks partners to reach out if they are unable to view their agreement or are unsure if this change applies to them.
The main reason why Twitch has implemented this change is to likely prevent some of its biggest creators from leaving the platform. Recent months have seen many popular faces leave the Amazon-owned company in favor of other services like YouTube and Facebook Gaming.
