Twitch is expanding its horizon to include more than just livestreams. As the competition in the livestreaming industry grows, Twitch is making an effort to find a balance that benefits both the company and its streamer community.
“People can’t be live all the time, right? So we want to give tools to creators, to help them continue to engage their community while they’re offline,” explained Twitch VP of Community Product, Jeremy Forrester.
In an open letter released on Wednesday, Twitch CEO Dan Clancy shared the company’s plans for 2024. One of the main focuses is helping streamers reach a wider audience even when they’re not streaming live.
This year, Twitch plans to revamp its app for the first time in five years. The new design will feature a scrollable feed similar to TikTok, allowing viewers to easily discover new streamers by hopping between bite-sized content. While there’s no official launch date yet, this redesign shows that Twitch is prioritizing changes to sustain both its business and the streamer community for the long term.
A Critical Year for Twitch
Twitch has had its share of ups and downs in the past year. Co-founder Emmett Shear stepped down from his role as CEO and the company underwent multiple rounds of layoffs, leading to a 35% reduction in its workforce. Twitch also announced its withdrawal from the South Korean market due to high operating costs. To add to the turmoil, updates to revenue split and branded content rules sparked community-wide controversies, resulting in reversal from the company.
With all these challenges, 2024 is a crucial year for Twitch. The company needs to tighten its operations while assuring streamers that Twitch is the right platform to invest their time and energy into.
Going Beyond Livestreaming
Livestreaming has been the core focus of Twitch, but in the past year, the company has been open to exploring other ways of presenting its content that don’t require streamers and viewers to be online simultaneously.
One year ago, Twitch introduced a tool that allowed streamers to easily export video clips to other apps like YouTube and TikTok. The company plans to add the option to export to Instagram soon, showing that Twitch acknowledges the need for a collaborative rather than competitive relationship with other social networks for increased discoverability and easier audience building for new creators.
- Twitch is drastically increasing its exported content to other social networks, as VP of Community Product, Jeremy Forrester explained. “The goal is to have more people viewing Twitch content every time they’re on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube Shorts.”
Another step towards improving discovery on Twitch is through Stream Together, previously known as Guest Star. Twitch is planning to streamline the setup process and create a way for streamers to spontaneously collaborate with other streamers on the platform, rather than relying on an existing community. While this may come with its risks, it highlights the company’s efforts to drive viewers to channels beyond its top personalities.
Twitch also introduced its own version of Stories, similar to Snapchat or Instagram, last year. The feature appears at the top of the app and showcases temporary posts from channels that users follow. In the coming updates, Twitch plans to introduce improvements such as the ability for streamers to upload their own original short videos, pinch-to-zoom for photos and the option to share vertical stream clips.
Engaging the Community Beyond Live Streams
“The purpose is to allow creators to engage with their community when they’re not live,” Forrester said. “We want to provide them with opportunities to take breaks while still connecting with their fans and bringing them back to future live streams.”
Traditionally, Twitch’s focus has been on its desktop experience, given the long viewing sessions and streamer’s reliance on powerful PCs. However, the company is working towards creating an equally engaging mobile app experience. This includes enhancing tools for moderators who play a vital role in keeping the platform’s communities safe. In his open letter, Clancy acknowledged the lack of mobile tools for moderators and announced plans to introduce a mobile mod view for iOS, allowing mods to do their work on-the-go.
The Challenges Faced by Twitch
Unlike other social media platforms that primarily focus on short, punchy content, Twitch’s content is mainly long-form, with streamers regularly broadcasting for several hours. While viewers eagerly follow these lengthy sessions, the long-running format presents its own set of challenges that Twitch is attempting to address in 2024.
One major challenge is the high cost of sustaining the infrastructure needed for long livestreaming sessions. Additionally, Twitch needs to adequately incentivize streamers, who are the driving force behind these sessions, to continue broadcasting for hours without burning out.
With viable alternatives like YouTube available, Twitch needs to offer products that complement and enhance its traditional long-form live streaming. The ultimate goal is to give streamers the opportunity to take a break and invest time in other aspects of their career while still being successful on the platform.
In conclusion, Twitch has recognized the need to evolve and adapt to a changing livestreaming landscape. 2024 will be a defining year for the company as it continues to prioritize its business and its streamer community, making it a sustainable and successful platform for all.
