Between the two, YouTube is undoubtedly a much more popular platform. It also has more types of content. For example, you can find videos about online casino games here, but not on Twitch.
YouTube is also the home of recorded videos, which people can rewatch over and over again. Twitch, however, has more focus on live streams. Today, we will compare these two to help you decide which platform is better for your business.
Contents
Viewer Size
YouTube has 2.1 billion monthly active users. The estimate is that more than 122 million people use the website on any single day. Twitch, on the other hand, only has 26.5 million daily users. Each month, the platform averages a total of 93 billion minutes of watch time.
Between these two, YouTube has better user count and stats. Why? It is because it has more types of content than Twitch. Even news channels and magazines use YouTube. In addition to this, Twitch has a demographic of younger people. About 72% of its users are between 16 and 34, most of whom like gaming.
However, YouTube has penetrated all demographics because both adults and toddlers enjoy it! As such, there are more potential viewers who are ready to absorb the video content.
Usefulness
The primary purpose of Twitch is to allow gamers to stream their content while they are gaming. You can indeed upload pre-recorded videos on the streaming service. However, you can only do this if you have already reached the Partner or Affiliate Status. Twitch, basically, is a live-streaming website. Before you become a partner there, you must have at least 50 followers.
YouTube, on the other hand, is primarily a recorded video hosting service. There is no prerequisite to uploading a recorded video. More importantly, there is no limit to the number of videos you can upload.
It was only recently that YouTube released an update where people can go live. Now, people can stream their live content, similar to what they can do on other live streaming services. Because of this, content creators became more flexible there.
Monetization
As far as making money goes, there are several ways by which you can monetize your Twitch channel. Here is a list:
- Twitch bits – these are token donations that you can encash.
- Twitch Subscribers – these are people who pay you a monthly fee.
- Twitch ads – there are ads you can run while streaming; you get a percentage of money from these ads.
- Donations – people can donate money to your account if they like your content.
- Affiliate marketing – you can put your affiliate links in your stream; if anyone buys, you get a commission.
- Sponsorships – you can publish content to promote a product or a service; the company that owns that product will sponsor you or pay you.
- Merchandise – you can sell merchandise by telling people to go to your website. Most streamers who use this create a print-on-demand store where they sell their merch.
- Patreon subscribers – you can open an account with Patreon and then tell your followers to donate to you through that platform.
There are also many ways by which you can monetize a YouTube channel. You can monetize it in the same ways as Twitch. However, there is no donation option as on different live stream websites. If this is the monetization strategy you want, you can do it with Patreon.
YouTube, however, has a better advertising platform and algorithm. Much more companies prefer advertising there. As such, you can expect to show more ads relevant to the viewer’s demographic.
Growth and Browsing
YouTube has a better browsing experience than Twitc because the algorithm suggests relevant content to a user, regardless of the channel size. On Twitch, a new channel is likely to suffer because the algorithm will not promote it. As such, growth is a tad difficult on the streaming platform. On YouTube, you have a better chance of getting attention because the system will show your content to people who may be interested in your video.
Since YouTube has more users, it also goes to show that you can grow faster. There are more potential viewers and audiences who seek different types of content. Almost all your friends and relatives have a YouTube app. If you share your video via Facebook, people will find your content easy to access. If you do this on Twitch, many people you know may not have access to the platform. YouTube is, therefore, better for growth.
By far, YouTube is better than Twitch in many different ways. However, Twitch is the leading platform for gamers and live streamers. If your business falls under these categories, then you should use the streaming platform instead. However, if it is not, YouTube is definitely the platform to use.
