Live streaming has revolutionized the way creators engage with their audiences and share their content. With the growing popularity of live streaming, there are now several platforms available for creators to choose from. In this article, we will review the top live streaming platforms and compare them based on various factors important to creators. Whether you’re a gaming enthusiast, a vlogger, or a musician, finding the right platform can make a significant impact on your success.
1. Twitch: The Pioneer in Live Streaming
Twitch is undoubtedly one of the most popular live streaming platforms, especially in the gaming community. It pioneered many features that have become essential for creators, such as live chat and gifting subscriptions to viewers. Let’s take a closer look at what Twitch has to offer.
Incentives
Twitch offers a gift subscription service that allows viewers to support their favorite creators in exchange for higher status in their streams and various incentives. However, it’s important to note that Twitch takes a 50% cut of all subscriptions, which can be discouraging for smaller creators. It’s worth mentioning that Twitch regularly reviews this percentage and may make changes in the future.
Platform Moderation
Twitch is known for its strong community and platform moderation. Creators can appoint trusted viewers to help keep their chat friendly and prevent any violations of Twitch’s terms of service. Violations can result in temporary bans and strikes, and repeated offenses can lead to a permanent ban.
Creator Communication
While larger creators have a direct line of communication with Twitch, smaller creators often struggle to have their voices heard. They need to put in extra effort to communicate their concerns and suggestions to the platform.
Discoverability
Twitch has categorized streams, which helps with discoverability to some extent. However, streams with larger viewership tend to dominate the top spots in most categories, making it challenging for smaller streams to gain visibility.
2. YouTube: The All-in-One Video Content Platform
Although YouTube is primarily known for pre-recorded videos, it has also embraced live streaming and made significant improvements to its live streaming experience for creators. Let’s explore what YouTube has to offer.
Incentives
YouTube offers a generous 70/30 revenue split in favor of creators, which is a great motivator to continue producing content. The platform also has a membership program that allows viewers to support creators with different tiers at varying prices, providing additional benefits.
Platform Moderation
YouTube has a long history of content moderation and has developed automated systems to ensure creators adhere to their terms of service. Channels that violate these terms receive strikes, and repeated offenses can lead to the termination of a channel.
Creator Communication
YouTube prioritizes its creators and provides support to both larger and smaller creators. While larger creators have direct lines of communication with the company, smaller creators receive regular emails with helpful tips and suggestions. Creators also have the option to contest strikes if they believe their content was wrongly flagged.
Discoverability
One area where YouTube falls short is in live stream discoverability. Unlike Twitch, YouTube does not have a dedicated section to promote live content. To improve discoverability, creators need to focus on using relevant tags and keywords when setting up their streams.
3. Kick: The Twitch Competitor
Kick is a live streaming platform that directly competes with Twitch. It offers attractive incentives for creators and aims to provide a platform that rewards hard work. Let’s dive into the details.
Incentives
Kick boasts one of the most competitive revenue splits in the market, offering a 95/5 split in favor of creators. This is made possible through the platform’s collaboration with Stake.com and the involvement of influential creators like Trainwreckstv. Additionally, Kick supports channel plugins that enhance viewer participation, such as the Streamlabs chatbot and Stream Elements.
Platform Moderation
Compared to its competitors, Kick has relatively lax moderation policies. The platform believes in free speech to an extent, but it also heavily advertises gambling content and platforms, which may not align with the preferences of major companies.
Creator Communication
Kick ensures that creators have a voice by maintaining an open line of communication with developers. Trainwreckstv, one of the platform’s prominent creators, actively listens to suggestions from other creators, ensuring that necessary features can be added in the future.
Discoverability
While Kick faces similar discoverability challenges as Twitch, the platform has a smaller creator base, which improves the market for newer creators. This means that new creators have a better chance of standing out and gaining traction.
4. Facebook Gaming: The Social Media Giant’s Foray Into Live Streaming
Recognizing the potential of live streaming, Facebook launched Facebook Gaming as its dedicated live streaming platform. Let’s explore why creators might consider streaming on Facebook.
Incentives
When Facebook Gaming was initially launched, creators earned 100% of their membership fees, making it a highly attractive platform. However, this split is subject to review and may change in the future. Additionally, Facebook Gaming shares features with the main Facebook platform, allowing creators to interact with their audience more creatively.
Platform Moderation
Facebook places the responsibility of platform moderation in the hands of creators. They can create a personal word filter to keep interactions in the chat friendly and positive. Creators can also age-restrict their content and limit access to certain countries if desired.
Creator Communication
While it’s difficult for Facebook to communicate directly with all creators due to its size, the platform makes efforts to listen and implement requested changes. Creators have access to a support line that connects them with live agents who can address their concerns.
Discoverability
Facebook Gaming has dedicated categories that creators can tailor their live streams to fit. Unlike YouTube, even creators with a relatively small audience can be featured on the homepage, providing a valuable opportunity for exposure.
5. TikTok Live: Short-Form Content Meets Live Streaming
TikTok, known for its short-form videos, also offers live streaming as an additional feature. While TikTok Live has its own unique offerings, it may not be the ideal platform for all creators. Let’s dive into the details.
Incentives
TikTok operates on a 50/50 ad revenue split with creators and has implemented live subscriptions similar to Twitch. However, the creator split is currently the lowest in the market, with only 35% going to creators. The remaining 65% is split between TikTok and either Apple’s App Store or Google’s Play Store. Additionally, TikTok’s live streaming community has minimal viewer interaction, leading to lower viewer retention.
Platform Moderation
TikTok has strict community guidelines that all users must adhere to. Content that violates these guidelines is taken down, and repeated offenses can result in a ban from the platform.
Creator Communication
TikTok tends to favor marketable creators and may communicate with creators they deem as such. However, the majority of creators do not have a direct line of communication with the platform, leaving them without a voice.
Discoverability
Despite being primarily known for short-form content, TikTok has a dedicated live section that promotes various live streams. This provides an opportunity for all creators to gain exposure and grow their communities.
Conclusion
As a creator, choosing the right live streaming platform is crucial for your success. Each platform has its strengths and weaknesses, and it’s important to consider factors such as incentives, platform moderation, creator communication, and discoverability. Whether you prefer the established community of Twitch, the all-in-one platform of YouTube, the competitive revenue split of Kick, the convenience of Facebook Gaming, or the unique features of TikTok Live, there is a platform out there that will cater to your specific needs. Explore your options, experiment, and find the platform that aligns best with your content and goals. Happy streaming!
