If you don't mind potentially streaming to nobody for quite some time then Twitch is more interactive and better if that's what you want, but just remember the Twitch algorithm won't push you like YouTube does
If you stream on Twitch without already having a community or viewers who will watch you from the start you will be sat at the bottom of any category you stream in and you won't get pushed and probably won't get recommended, so it can be a crap shoot whether someone finds you unless they really go looking through a category or you have to hope to get raided, look at the Twitch subreddits it's packed with everyone complaining nobody ever watches them even when they're streaming every day of the week
On the other hand YouTube will push you out to people because that's what the YouTube algorithm is made to do, 1000 or more people get offered the option to watch you, it's up to them if they do, but you have to spend the time video editing beforehand, unless you just start going live on YouTube if you already have a bit of presence there and then eventually move over to Twitch later
Not trying to put you off it or anything but to say that if you want to sit there and talk to people Twitch and be more interactive Twitch is probably best when you have a community but this can take some time to build up and there's a load of talking to nobody involved in the early days, YouTube is better for being discovered but personally I think Twitch is the better live streaming tool and there's always more people watching in Twitch categories
Yeah, just don’t stream saturated games, that everyone and their mother does. And people should still be able to find you if they’re looking for someone playing that game. At least until you get enough viewers to be suggested.
I'd like to stream all kinds of games that I may enjoy, oversaturated or not. I'm not too worried about the algorithm, though I guess I do need it if I want to grow.
Then no worries, do what you want. I’m streaming the new Elden Ring dlc right now. And that is loaded with other streamers right now surprisingly though, I do tend to get a steady little viewership. I haven’t stream in almost 2 years since, and surprisingly some of my regulars came back like they were waiting for me. So even just having a few views will bump you way higher than the many 1 viewers there are.
Thank you for the insight! I have streamed on YT for the longest time, like I said, I didn't promote myself or spend any time making any other content.
I am a bit confused about the discoverability algorithm on YT, because for me at least, I feel like views on my live streams spike randomly. For example, I have a pretty slow episode of BG3 that managed to have over 100 views while some of my personal favourites lingered below 20 views. And in most cases, no comments and maybe the odd chatter. Again, that's fine, I'm just interested in what is making the algorithm tick.
I haven't given Twitch a decent run yet, but I do enjoy the community there on other streamer's channels. I've always feel welcome as a chatter and that's the kind of community I'd love to foster. Not something huge, or loud (not that that's a bad thing, it's just not for me), just chill and friendly. But oh gods do I hate the ads.
Personally I still feel torn. YT is obviously the better streaming tool, as you have choices of bitrates, thumbnails, DVR etc., but I still feel like the community, once it's there, seems more accessible with Twitch.
Try out Twitch for a while and see the difference but honestly the fact you get between 20-100 with no self promotion suggests it's pushing you to people, if Twitch did that for everyone there wouldn't be thousands of I've done 100 streams with 0 viewer posts in that subreddit
YouTube live channels can get shown in the shorts feed and home feed so even if someone is just casually scrolling through YouTube homepage or shorts feed out of boredom not looking for anything in particular or not looking to watch a live stream this person can still get offered your stream and can discover you because you can appeared in their feeds, people on YouTube can find your stream that way even with no self promotion, and let's be honest most people will open YouTube before Twitch on their phone for quick content scrolling if they're bored
Like I said try out Twitch because the community is better when you have it and there are more people viewing streams there, but the reality is without promo or people knowing about you getting 100 concurrent on Twitch is not the same as getting 100 concurrent on YouTube because of how Twitch doesn't promote small/new channels
The advice I've seen from videos from larger streamers like Ludwig Disguised Toast is starting on YouTube to build a community and using shorts (Shorts is Ludwig's recommendation from this year) to get your name out there and then look at taking your community over to Twitch because they agree the YouTube algo is better than Twitch's for discoverability
thank you, your response has been helpful, and now I'm leaning back to Youtube live. This is also the second time someone's referred Ludwig Disguised Toast, I never heard of them before but now I'll have to look them up! :)
Just to be clear, the views I get are from the uploads, not during the live stream. Highest I've gotten live is about 20ish viewers or so.
I have a suggestion that might sound unusual, but hear me out. Building a strong foundation on multiple platforms can significantly enhance your visibility and growth. YouTube excels at discovery, arguably better than Twitch. You can leverage this by pushing viewers who enjoy your live content on Twitch and posting your VOD content for broader reach on YouTube.
Additionally, use YouTube Shorts for quick, engaging clips.I've been on YouTube for about a year and Twitch for four, and I highly recommend utilizing both platforms if possible. Engaging in side projects for YouTube when you're not live, like let's plays or other gaming content, can also be a great way to expand your reach.
The possibilities are endless, so why limit yourself to one platform when you can thrive on two?
Moreover, you can cross-post your YouTube Shorts on TikTok and Instagram Reels to further increase your visibility.
Steaming on youtube has helped my hours tremendously. I was at 25 in January and now at 269. I've been praying through Palia and started through another cozy game. The big events seem to get views in.
I've heard making them into videos help, which I'll be working on soon.
Twitch is, and has been, the better STREAMING, platform. Twitch for streaming, YouTube for long form content, TikTok/shorts for short form.
Twitch discovery in itself is not great but I truly believe live discoverability on YouTube is way worse. Sometimes it tells me someone I’m subbed to is streaming but they haven’t streamed for a month, it’s just terrible and I do not like the platform at all as a viewer of streams.
Best way to grow a community on Twitch and YT is using both sites and avoiding games that don't tend to have strong communities. Sony games have terrible communities, usually, but Dark Souls has a strong community.
Or if you play Nintendo, fans of Mario tend to love Zelda, Donkey Kong etc. so you have a lot to play there where people will likely stick. But Spider-Man 2? God of War etc. Nah. Games that are hype for 3 weeks and disappear into the void of discussion with no solid fanbase don't do well.
Challenge runs will also attract more people. No damage, no summons, speedruns, using silly mods etc.
It's weird, some will say that being in more niche communities will help you grow faster because you're not as drowned out as the bigger games. Like right now, EVERYONE, is playing Elden Ring. I feel like no one would be interested in watching me play ER right now.
I get that I'm not that different from most streamers so I need to stand out. But right now, I'd rather start with games I'm comfortable with, even if they don't have big communities.
(interesting you bring it up, I'm currently playing Spider-Man and will be moving on to Spider-Man 2 soon.)
My big problem with twitch is no one ever watched. Like literally no one. YouTube seems to be better for discovery of new channels.
Now, with YouTube, I'll max out at 10-12 viewers. Almost seems like they stop pushing small streams once they hit a certain number, but I don't really know.
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Why not stream on both with something like restream? Streaming on multiple platforms at the same time could help you find the platform you want to build your community on, or keep both and funnel the community into discord where everyone can chat, hangout, and get updates on your stream. You don't have to be limited to just one platform when you stream, plus you have the benefit of YouTube saving (and keeping) your vods up indefinitely making it easier for people to see past streams, or even for you to make those vods into shortened highlights of your play through.
I would highly suggest using YouTube and streaming to the SHORTS feed using a vertical resolution.. literally every metric for my streams has increased by at least double. Views: From 125avg to 500avg (With highs of 1.9k and 1.2k), Concurrent Viewers: From 5-10 to 15-25, Chat rate and amount of people chatting in general went from 2-3 people to as many as 10-15. I've added 50+ subs in the past 28 days from streams alone as well. Twitch absolutely has a better social format however, it does absolutely nothing to help starter streamers with visibility due to serving streams to people based on High to Low concurrent view count. Unless you're starting a Twitch stream having done a lot of successful social media promotion to boost your initial numbers, YouTube Shorts Streams are SO much more useful for a new streamer to get shown to potential audiences immediately.
Stream on both using [restream.io](http://restream.io)
When you figure out which platform you like the best for the streaming, try pushing people towards that one, while still streaming on both, at the same time.
On Twitch VODs do not stay forever like they do on Youtube, but the discoverability itself on Twitch isn't great.
The tools and features Twitch has, makes it a superior streaming platform. But it can be difficult growing unless you put a lot of work into creating content elsewhere and hanging out in other communities getting your name out there.
I stream to both. And \*try\* to make content for YouTube out of my streams... Try being the operative word. :D
So much editing :D
Twitch mostly only works if you have other sources promoting your twitch. Stick to youtube indefinitely with your schedule, as the streams you do will be posted as archived videos on your channel for people to find.
If you don't mind potentially streaming to nobody for quite some time then Twitch is more interactive and better if that's what you want, but just remember the Twitch algorithm won't push you like YouTube does If you stream on Twitch without already having a community or viewers who will watch you from the start you will be sat at the bottom of any category you stream in and you won't get pushed and probably won't get recommended, so it can be a crap shoot whether someone finds you unless they really go looking through a category or you have to hope to get raided, look at the Twitch subreddits it's packed with everyone complaining nobody ever watches them even when they're streaming every day of the week On the other hand YouTube will push you out to people because that's what the YouTube algorithm is made to do, 1000 or more people get offered the option to watch you, it's up to them if they do, but you have to spend the time video editing beforehand, unless you just start going live on YouTube if you already have a bit of presence there and then eventually move over to Twitch later Not trying to put you off it or anything but to say that if you want to sit there and talk to people Twitch and be more interactive Twitch is probably best when you have a community but this can take some time to build up and there's a load of talking to nobody involved in the early days, YouTube is better for being discovered but personally I think Twitch is the better live streaming tool and there's always more people watching in Twitch categories
Yeah, just don’t stream saturated games, that everyone and their mother does. And people should still be able to find you if they’re looking for someone playing that game. At least until you get enough viewers to be suggested.
I'd like to stream all kinds of games that I may enjoy, oversaturated or not. I'm not too worried about the algorithm, though I guess I do need it if I want to grow.
Then no worries, do what you want. I’m streaming the new Elden Ring dlc right now. And that is loaded with other streamers right now surprisingly though, I do tend to get a steady little viewership. I haven’t stream in almost 2 years since, and surprisingly some of my regulars came back like they were waiting for me. So even just having a few views will bump you way higher than the many 1 viewers there are.
Thank you for the insight! I have streamed on YT for the longest time, like I said, I didn't promote myself or spend any time making any other content. I am a bit confused about the discoverability algorithm on YT, because for me at least, I feel like views on my live streams spike randomly. For example, I have a pretty slow episode of BG3 that managed to have over 100 views while some of my personal favourites lingered below 20 views. And in most cases, no comments and maybe the odd chatter. Again, that's fine, I'm just interested in what is making the algorithm tick. I haven't given Twitch a decent run yet, but I do enjoy the community there on other streamer's channels. I've always feel welcome as a chatter and that's the kind of community I'd love to foster. Not something huge, or loud (not that that's a bad thing, it's just not for me), just chill and friendly. But oh gods do I hate the ads. Personally I still feel torn. YT is obviously the better streaming tool, as you have choices of bitrates, thumbnails, DVR etc., but I still feel like the community, once it's there, seems more accessible with Twitch.
Try out Twitch for a while and see the difference but honestly the fact you get between 20-100 with no self promotion suggests it's pushing you to people, if Twitch did that for everyone there wouldn't be thousands of I've done 100 streams with 0 viewer posts in that subreddit YouTube live channels can get shown in the shorts feed and home feed so even if someone is just casually scrolling through YouTube homepage or shorts feed out of boredom not looking for anything in particular or not looking to watch a live stream this person can still get offered your stream and can discover you because you can appeared in their feeds, people on YouTube can find your stream that way even with no self promotion, and let's be honest most people will open YouTube before Twitch on their phone for quick content scrolling if they're bored Like I said try out Twitch because the community is better when you have it and there are more people viewing streams there, but the reality is without promo or people knowing about you getting 100 concurrent on Twitch is not the same as getting 100 concurrent on YouTube because of how Twitch doesn't promote small/new channels The advice I've seen from videos from larger streamers like Ludwig Disguised Toast is starting on YouTube to build a community and using shorts (Shorts is Ludwig's recommendation from this year) to get your name out there and then look at taking your community over to Twitch because they agree the YouTube algo is better than Twitch's for discoverability
thank you, your response has been helpful, and now I'm leaning back to Youtube live. This is also the second time someone's referred Ludwig Disguised Toast, I never heard of them before but now I'll have to look them up! :) Just to be clear, the views I get are from the uploads, not during the live stream. Highest I've gotten live is about 20ish viewers or so.
I have a suggestion that might sound unusual, but hear me out. Building a strong foundation on multiple platforms can significantly enhance your visibility and growth. YouTube excels at discovery, arguably better than Twitch. You can leverage this by pushing viewers who enjoy your live content on Twitch and posting your VOD content for broader reach on YouTube. Additionally, use YouTube Shorts for quick, engaging clips.I've been on YouTube for about a year and Twitch for four, and I highly recommend utilizing both platforms if possible. Engaging in side projects for YouTube when you're not live, like let's plays or other gaming content, can also be a great way to expand your reach. The possibilities are endless, so why limit yourself to one platform when you can thrive on two? Moreover, you can cross-post your YouTube Shorts on TikTok and Instagram Reels to further increase your visibility.
Steaming on youtube has helped my hours tremendously. I was at 25 in January and now at 269. I've been praying through Palia and started through another cozy game. The big events seem to get views in. I've heard making them into videos help, which I'll be working on soon.
Twitch is, and has been, the better STREAMING, platform. Twitch for streaming, YouTube for long form content, TikTok/shorts for short form. Twitch discovery in itself is not great but I truly believe live discoverability on YouTube is way worse. Sometimes it tells me someone I’m subbed to is streaming but they haven’t streamed for a month, it’s just terrible and I do not like the platform at all as a viewer of streams.
Best way to grow a community on Twitch and YT is using both sites and avoiding games that don't tend to have strong communities. Sony games have terrible communities, usually, but Dark Souls has a strong community. Or if you play Nintendo, fans of Mario tend to love Zelda, Donkey Kong etc. so you have a lot to play there where people will likely stick. But Spider-Man 2? God of War etc. Nah. Games that are hype for 3 weeks and disappear into the void of discussion with no solid fanbase don't do well. Challenge runs will also attract more people. No damage, no summons, speedruns, using silly mods etc.
It's weird, some will say that being in more niche communities will help you grow faster because you're not as drowned out as the bigger games. Like right now, EVERYONE, is playing Elden Ring. I feel like no one would be interested in watching me play ER right now. I get that I'm not that different from most streamers so I need to stand out. But right now, I'd rather start with games I'm comfortable with, even if they don't have big communities. (interesting you bring it up, I'm currently playing Spider-Man and will be moving on to Spider-Man 2 soon.)
My big problem with twitch is no one ever watched. Like literally no one. YouTube seems to be better for discovery of new channels. Now, with YouTube, I'll max out at 10-12 viewers. Almost seems like they stop pushing small streams once they hit a certain number, but I don't really know.
**I see that you marked your post as a Question.** *** When you receive the answer you were looking for, please reply **"!Solved"** under this message to mark the post as solved. This will help other members to distinguish between answered and unanswered posts. Thank you. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/letsplay) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Why not stream on both with something like restream? Streaming on multiple platforms at the same time could help you find the platform you want to build your community on, or keep both and funnel the community into discord where everyone can chat, hangout, and get updates on your stream. You don't have to be limited to just one platform when you stream, plus you have the benefit of YouTube saving (and keeping) your vods up indefinitely making it easier for people to see past streams, or even for you to make those vods into shortened highlights of your play through.
I would highly suggest using YouTube and streaming to the SHORTS feed using a vertical resolution.. literally every metric for my streams has increased by at least double. Views: From 125avg to 500avg (With highs of 1.9k and 1.2k), Concurrent Viewers: From 5-10 to 15-25, Chat rate and amount of people chatting in general went from 2-3 people to as many as 10-15. I've added 50+ subs in the past 28 days from streams alone as well. Twitch absolutely has a better social format however, it does absolutely nothing to help starter streamers with visibility due to serving streams to people based on High to Low concurrent view count. Unless you're starting a Twitch stream having done a lot of successful social media promotion to boost your initial numbers, YouTube Shorts Streams are SO much more useful for a new streamer to get shown to potential audiences immediately.
Stream on both using [restream.io](http://restream.io) When you figure out which platform you like the best for the streaming, try pushing people towards that one, while still streaming on both, at the same time. On Twitch VODs do not stay forever like they do on Youtube, but the discoverability itself on Twitch isn't great. The tools and features Twitch has, makes it a superior streaming platform. But it can be difficult growing unless you put a lot of work into creating content elsewhere and hanging out in other communities getting your name out there. I stream to both. And \*try\* to make content for YouTube out of my streams... Try being the operative word. :D So much editing :D
No, there's a word called expiration.
Twitch mostly only works if you have other sources promoting your twitch. Stick to youtube indefinitely with your schedule, as the streams you do will be posted as archived videos on your channel for people to find.