As social gaming industry into an increasingly lucrative business, more and more people spend time on watching gaming video and consider to be a gaming streamer. Streaming sites such as Twitch and YouTube are the world's leading live streaming platforms for gamers. People live stream their video game play as a hobby or a profession.
However, streamer may confront with a question: Twitch vs YouTube, which is the best place to put videos and live stream? And gaming video viewer may want to know which site provides better user experiences and quality contents. In the following part, we'll briefly introduce you to both of the live stream platforms for gaming, which may assist you to find the best that meets your needs.
Twitch VS YouTube: User Experience
User experience is often overlooked in a website. Websites with strong user experience provide you the content you want to stream in an efficient way and make you satisfied when browsing the page. Both Twitch and YouTube are household names for streamers and viewers with clean user interface. But they differ slightly from each other.
For streamers, quality options on Twitch are provided with 6k bit rate maximum bitrate. In contrast, YouTube allows streams using up to 9k bit rate at 1080p 60fps. Therefore, for those who place a high value on resolution, YouTube takes a great care of it. As to associability, Twitch supports PC, PlayStation4, Xbox One, Android smartphone and iOS devices. However, YouTube Gaming is more limited because it does not offer direct streaming from Xbox One or iOS devices.
For viewers, both YouTube Gaming and Twitch offer an interactive experience, which allows viewers chat in real time on the comments section on the right of the video. Twitch Prime members also enjoys exclusive chat options including changing colors and using emotes. The big advantage of Twitch is the AutoMod tool which is able to block or flag inappropriate messages.
What makes YouTube Gaming preferable is that YouTube has a in-stream DVR. This enables users who miss a live stream that has already started to go back in time for up to three hours. But on Twitch, viewers can only watch the complete live stream after the content has been archived.
Twitch VS YouTube: User Base
From the perspective of user base, Twitch is currently the most popular platforms for streamers. Purchased by retail giant Amazon in 2014, Twitch now has more than 15 million active daily users. That said, Twitch has the highest potential for reach. Streamers not only can live game streaming but also share content including tips and tricks and tutorials. With its focus on creators, Twitch is now armed with a fantastic creator community as well as a loyal following.
When it comes to YouTube Gaming, it certainly has a smaller viewership than Twitch. Still, it's catching up. YouTube is the more popular choice for streaming mobile titles. With a streaming functionality built in, YouTube makes streaming mobile games much easier, although the site's biggest focus is still recorded and edited videos.
Twitch VS YouTube: Potential Revenue
Take a look at making money on Twitch or YouTube Gaming, the methods are similar. You will begin with ad revenue or to make money by joining a partner program. Both Twitch and YouTube Gaming provides you with chances to become a partner, which allows you to earn from ads. But Twitch will have a potential to earn more than on YouTube Gaming. Streamers who becomes a partner on Twitch may earn money through merchandise and paid subscription.
Besides, Twitch features an affiliate program that allows streamers to generate revenue with different monetizing tools such as cheering with bits, and game sales.
Twitch VS YouTube: Content Guideline
The rules of each site are different as well. Twitch tends to be much stricter than YouTube. For example, people are likely to be banned from Twitch for inappropriate donations sent from viewers. Luckily, most bans on Twitch are temporary, lasting only a couple weeks.
The chances to be banned from YouTube is much lower than from Twitch. The most significant problems on YouTube are demonetization of ads and copyright infringement. YouTube seems not so care about what you say on your stream if you are not against the rules.
Which is the best: Twitch or YouTube Gaming?
Live streaming services provided on Twitch and YouTube Gaming are subtly different to viewers as well as streamers. It depends on what you are focused on.
If you have built a following on YouTube, then you don't have to change the place. In truth, though, Twitch is the top destination for streaming. It has a large potential audience pool as well as many popular streaming celebrities. And as a viewer, I find Twitch to be more aesthetically pleasing for I can easily find the content I prefer on the "Browse" section. And the chat room experience on Twitch is also great for those who are concerned with interactive experience.
YouTube does a better job on uploading the streams, or highlights of your streams for back up. And if you have already established an audience on your standard YouTube channel, you can try to get a foothold in the game streaming world, because YouTube Gaming content will appear in the search on the standard YouTube site. Therefore, you may have an easy audience transition.
In the End…
There's no right or wrong platform for streaming. After all, it's all about preference. What matters is that you can have passion on what you're doing and have persistence in creating quality content for your audience. Taking the first step is not always that difficult, figure out your needs and then compare them to what each site offers, then you will have the answer.
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