You’ve probably heard of Channel Points if you watch or stream on Twitch. How are channel points set, and what exactly are they?
What are Channel Points on Twitch?
As their name suggests, these are virtual points that streaming users can acquire in exchange for any rewards the streamer chooses. They are an excellent method to thank your audience for their support.
The channel points are unique to each channel, thus they cannot be transferred to another profile from where they were obtained. Additionally, since the streamer has the option of having this functionality, the opportunity to accrue points is not always active.
You as the streamer must specify the benefits that channel points give to your viewers. The reward should increase as more points are used to redeem it. Examples of advantages include:
- Unlock an emoticon
- Star my message
- Choose the next host
- 1vs1 in a game
- Free subscription
- Channel VIP
Since they must be distinct and each have a unique value, it is crucial for streamers to distinguish between the advantages of channel points and subscriptions. If you can’t provide your followers more than that, they won’t actually benefit from this “relationship,” thus you can’t give them exactly the same rewards for both.
How to Earn Channel Points on Twitch?
Using Channel Points is a good way to try to engage your audience because viewers can accumulate more Channel Points based on their interactions and viewing time. As a streamer, your objective is to provide genuine and worthwhile rewards in order to keep your audience interested for as long as you can.
At the bottom of the chat window, you can see how many points you have earned. Additionally, you can view the various rewards that the streamer is offering from the same tab.
Channel Points Earn Rates
This is the general table on how channel points are earned , although Twitch advises that these rates may vary:
| Earning Action | Description | Points Earned |
|---|---|---|
| Watching | Non-subscribed viewers receive points each 5 mins of live watch time. | +10 |
| Active watching | Non-subscriber viewers receive points each 15 mins of live watch time. (Click to redeem) | +50 |
| Participating in a Raid | Viewers receive points for joining a raid. | +250 |
| Follow | Viewers receive points upon new follow. These points can be earned only once. | +300 |
| Watch Streak 2 | Viewers receive points for returning for 2 consecutive streams. Each stream must be at least 10 minutes long and it must have been at least 30 minutes since the last stream ended. | +300 |
| Watch Streak 3 | Viewers receive points for returning for 3 consecutive streams. Each stream must be at least 10 minutes long and it must have been at least 30 minutes since the last stream ended. | +350 |
| Watch Streak 4 | Viewers receive points for returning for 4 consecutive streams. Each stream must be at least 10 minutes long and it must have been at least 30 minutes since the last stream ended. | +400 |
| Watch Streak 5+ | Viewers receive points for returning for 5 consecutive streams. Each stream must be at least 10 minutes long and it must have been at least 30 minutes since the last stream ended. | +450 |
| 1st Cheer | Viewers receive points for their first Cheer on the channel per 30 days. Anonymous cheering will not earn points. | +350 |
| 1st Subscription Gift | Viewers receive points for gifting their first subscription on the channel per 30 days. Anonymous sub gifting will not earn points. | +500 |
Consecutive broadcasts have the condition that each stream must have a minimum duration of 10 minutes and start at least 30 minutes after the previous one has ended.
To redeem channel points, simply go to the bottom of the chat window, where you will see your point count and all available reward options. You select the one that interests you the most and you can take advantage of it. 🙂
You now know how to gain channel points on Twitch by watching a little bit of their streams every day and giving them support.
How To Setup Channel Points On Twitch?
Being an affiliate or partner of the platform is the first requirement if you are a streamer and want to activate channel points for your viewers. These are the prerequisites in order to enable this functionality.
We remind you that to be a Twitch affiliate, you will have to meet the following requirements:
- At least 500 total minutes broadcast in the last 30 days.
- Minimum 7 unique days of streaming in the last 30 days.
- An average of 3 concurrent viewers or more during the last 30 days.
- Must Have 50 Followers.
If you meet this first requirement, then you will simply have to go to the creator control panel and activate or deactivate the Channel Points option.
As you’ll see, you must first upload the emotes from the Customize points view that correspond to the channel’s points. You can upload customized emoticons to them from the same tab, and your audience can unlock them by using their channel points.
It is important that you upload the emotes in PNG format with a transparent background and in the three different sizes requested by Twitch: 28x28px, 56x56px and 112x112px. If you’re hiring a designer, you’ll need to pass this information on to them.
Returning to the Channel Points screen, select Manage rewards. From here, you can set the advantages you’ll offer your audience and how many channel points they can be redeemed for.
As you will see, there are two blocks: on the one hand, the rewards that Twitch already provides by default. You can also modify these rewards by changing the price of the points or by activating or deactivating them.
On the other hand, we will have personalized rewards that you can fill out however you like: select the following host, engage in a 1v1 match, pose a private query, and so on. You will be more aware of your audience’s preferences because you are more familiar with them.
Each reward will require a new addition of the accompanying emoticon (the same one, in three sizes, with a transparent background), a name, and the channel points required to carry out this action.
In this example, the selected reward can only be used every 20 minutes, a maximum of 8 times per broadcast and once per user:
And that’s it, once we have configured all our rewards, our audience will be able to start earning points from the channel and redeeming it for these prizes.
