LAS VEGAS, NV - Twitch, the world's leading live streaming platform, made waves at this year's TwitchCon in Las Vegas with a slew of exciting announcements and updates, aiming to enhance the streaming experience for both content creators and viewers.
These developments showcase Twitch's commitment to constant innovation, keeping the community engaged and providing more tools for streamers to connect and grow. Here's a breakdown of some of the most noteworthy changes coming to the platform:
Updates Coming to Stories on Twitch
Twitch is introducing a new feature that promises to keep the community engaged even when streamers are not live on the platform. Initially available exclusively on the Twitch Mobile App, Stories will receive several significant updates. These include the ability to upload and film short videos, tag other streamers, add links, gifs, and polls. The added bonus? Better analytics to help streamers understand how their community engages with their stories.
Improvements to Featured Clips and the Clip Editor
In a bid to promote user-generated content, Twitch is enhancing the functionality of Featured Clips. Streamers can now feature clips directly from the creation flow, and a new button in the Clips Manager allows for easier management of featured clips. Moderators also get in on the action, as they can now select featured clips.
Stream Together - The Evolution of Guest Star
Guest Star is undergoing a transformation, reemerging as "Stream Together." This feature allows up to six streamers to seamlessly collaborate on their channels simultaneously. Upcoming additions include shared viewership statistics, and the option to merge chat from the participating streams, fostering a more interactive and inclusive streaming experience.
Twitch’s Alerts: More Ways to Customize
Customization reigns supreme in the world of Twitch. Now, content creators can add their custom animated emotes to Alerts, offering viewers a personalized touch to their notifications.
More Control and Insights for Ads
Twitch is giving more control and insight into advertising. Moderators will now have a Chat Countdown Timer to alert them when an ad break is imminent, allowing them to snooze it if necessary. Additionally, the Ads Manager will receive new insights to help streamers understand when to run ads and how they perform on their channels, empowering them to make informed decisions about their advertising strategy.
New Holiday Promotions
Viewers and streamers alike have reason to celebrate with Twitch's holiday promotions. Following the success of SUBtember, Twitch has plans for a second event this year in December. This exciting holiday promotion is bound to bring joy and engagement to the Twitch community.
Updates to the Off-Service Conduct Policy
Twitch is cracking down on problematic behavior by adding doxxing and swatting to its list of Off-Service Conduct behaviors. The platform is committed to creating a safe and enjoyable environment for all users.
Introducing Channel-Level Chat Warnings
In early 2024, Twitch will introduce Channel-Level Chat Warnings. This feature will grant streamers the ability to send anonymous warnings to chatters, reinforcing the importance of maintaining a respectful and inclusive atmosphere.
Staying Safe with AutoMod and Smart Detection
Safety and moderation are top priorities at Twitch. To further protect the community, a new AutoMod category called Smart Detection has been introduced, tailoring AutoMod to each channel by learning from the moderation actions taken by both streamers and their mods.
Twitch Embeds on 3rd Parties Get an Update
Twitch is enhancing its integration on third-party websites. To ensure a better user experience, autoplay will be restricted unless the Twitch stream is a substantive or meaningful component of the page. This change aims to create more seamless interactions between Twitch and external platforms.
Simulcasting Policy Updates
Twitch is making it easier for streamers to simulcast on other live streaming services. The guidelines, however, emphasize maintaining a high-quality experience on Twitch and encourage streamers to engage with the Twitch community, keeping users within the platform.
In summary, Twitch's latest announcements at TwitchCon Las Vegas show their dedication to improving the streaming experience for both content creators and viewers. These updates, ranging from enhanced features to improved policies, underline Twitch's commitment to fostering a vibrant and inclusive community while continuing to lead the way in the world of live streaming.
