Photo Credit: SoundCloud
SoundCloud and Twitch are partnering to help indie musicians monetize their live streams.
Gigs and tours are canceled nationwide until further notice. It has put indie musicians and performing artists in a hard spot – their livelihood is live performances.
Some musicians are turning to the gaming platform Twitch as a way to perform ‘live’ for a different audience. Twitch viewers are typically gamers looking to watch other people play games. But non-gaming activities like singing, playing music, or DJing have skyrocketed on the platform.
This new SoundCloud and Twitch partnership allows artists to receive Affiliate status much faster.
Affiliate status for Twitch accounts unlocks monetization tools. It allows those accounts to collect money from subscribers and viewers who donate ‘bits’ – a virtual currency that can be converted to cash. The channel can also show ads to non-subscribers to monetize the channel further.
Twitch usually has strict criteria for which accounts can quality for affiliate status. Those criteria include 500 total minutes broadcast in the last 30 days and at least 50 followers.
This partnership essentially allows new artists to bypass those criteria to start earning money right now. SoundCloud Pro, SoundCloud Premier, and Repost by SoundCloud artists can participate in the new program.
One caveat – SoundCloud doesn’t define “fast track” – just that it will happen “within a matter of days.”
SoundCloud also notes that access is not guaranteed to all artists. Those who are interested should at least be using Twitch already and establish a following. If you are an indie musician looking to get started with Twitch, SoundCloud provides some valuable advice.
To start, you’ll need a PC or Mac with a webcam and a microphone. Twitch Studio or OBS must be installed and set up to customize your broadcast. Twitch even has a guide for how to monetize your sets using the platform in a getting started guide.