Just Chatting category becoming most popular on platform

How the "Just Chatting" category on the Twitch directory is becoming the top viewed and most watch hours then any other.

So it has been recently reported that for the past couple of months the "Just Chatting" category is getting the most watch time vs other directory slots on Twitch.

Here is a fresh look at some of the metrics on that from streamelements:

• Just Chatting
  
  • Hours Watched 86 million
    
    • Jan 2020
  • Hours Watched 167 million
    
    • June 2020
• League of Legends
  
  • Hours Watched 94 million
    
    • Jan 2020
  • Hours Watched 135 million
    
    • June 2020
• Grand Theft Auto V
  
  • Hours Watched 41 million
    
    • Jan 2020
  • Hours Watched 96 million
    
    • June 2020
• Fortnite
  
  • Hours Watched 47 million
    
    • Jan 2020
  • Hours Watched 95 million
    
    • June 2020
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
  
  • Hours Watched 7 million
    
    • Jan 2020
  • Hours Watched 76 million
    
    • June 2020

What exactly is happening in this directory to yield such growth vs the other gaming categories?

From my point of view is pretty simple, some streamers are purposely mis-categorizing their channels to be in "Just Chatting" vs the more correct category because it has more floating viewership and bigger potential to attract audience.

Here is a clip of Hikaru a popular chess streamer making a comment about another popular chess streamer and how it effects chess directory.


Back in 2018, Twitch created new tags & categories to better enable IRL channels to self categorizes and tag into more proper niches. Twitch's community guidelines state the following:

"Content Labeling

You are expected to accurately label your content to the best of your ability. When choosing a category or tag, please choose whichever best describes your content. Deliberate or extensive misuse of titles, tags, games/categories, or other metadata are prohibited." - source

Content mis-labeling is happening on mass, and is even being promoted by big influencers on Twitch as a way to gain more viewers.

Comment from discussion Hikaru's take on Botez streaming in Just Chatting over Chess categories.

This is a big problem, only getting worse as time goes on. Now the question is if Twitch is going to make any changes or start to enforce their community guidelines.

Can affiliates run ads

Can Twitch affiliates run ads?

Twitch affiliates have the opportunity to monetize their streams by running ads on their channels. Running ads can help generate additional revenue and support the streamer's content. In order to trigger an advertisement to run on your channel, you have to press one of the ad break buttons on the dashboard.

As a Twitch affiliate, there are different ad block options available to you, including:

• Run 30-Second Ad Break
• Run 60-Second Ad Break
• Run 120-Second Ad Break
• Run 150-Second Ad Break
• Run 180-Second Ad Break

It is recommended to run a 120-second ad break at least every 30 minutes of your stream session. This can help ensure that your viewers are not bombarded with ads while also maximizing your revenue potential.

Twitch affiliates also have the option to automate running ads via a chat robot with the command /commercial (time). However, it's important to make sure that your chat bot has the correct permissions to perform this action.

In addition to chat bots, there are third-party tools that can help automate running ads on your channel. One of these tools is called Chatty, which is a chat program that has admin tools that can auto run ads every x minutes. This can be a helpful option for streamers who want to focus on their content without manually triggering ad breaks.

It's important to note that while running ads can help generate revenue, it's important to balance this with the viewer experience. Too many ads or ads that are too long can turn off viewers and negatively impact your stream. As a result, it's important to use ad breaks strategically and ensure that they don't disrupt the overall flow of your content.

In conclusion, Twitch affiliates can run ads on their channels by pressing the ad break buttons on the dashboard. There are different ad block options available, and it is recommended to run a 120-second ad break at least every 30 minutes of your stream session. Automating ad breaks via chat bots or third-party tools can also be helpful. However, it's important to balance revenue generation with the viewer experience and ensure that ad breaks don't negatively impact your content.

Can you see who is watching?

Can twitch streamers see who is watching?

As a Twitch viewer, you may be wondering if the streamer can see who is watching their stream. The short answer is no, the only identity a streamer can see is the chat viewers who are logged in with a Twitch account. If you are not logged in, the streamer has no way to know it's you!

Twitch channels do receive some geographic location data in their analytics dashboard, which shows what country the viewers are from. However, this data is very general and doesn't provide any specific information about the viewer's identity.

In addition to location data, Twitch channels also receive some referral URL data from embedded players. This data provides information about how viewers arrived at the stream, such as through a link on social media or a search engine.

It's important to note that some streamers may include custom URL links in their profile section, which can potentially track a viewer's IP address. This is why it's essential to be cautious when clicking on panel links or URLs listed on the page to safeguard your privacy.

However, Twitch does offer streamers the ability to set up subscriber-only streams or channels, which require viewers to have a subscription to view. This means that the streamer would be able to see the identities of their subscribers who are watching the stream.

It's important to note that as a viewer, you have the ability to remain anonymous while watching streams on Twitch. You can choose to not log in with a Twitch account or use a username that doesn't reveal your true identity.

In conclusion, Twitch streamers cannot see the identities of their viewers unless the viewer is logged in with a Twitch account and participating in the chat. While some general location and referral URL data is available to streamers, this data does not reveal any personal information about the viewer. However, viewers should be cautious when clicking on custom URL links as they may potentially track their IP address. It's important to remember that you have control over your privacy as a viewer and can choose to remain anonymous while watching Twitch streams.

Are twitch mods paid?

A majority of the channels on Twitch that utilize moderators for their chats are not paid. Chat mods are usually long time viewers and supporters of the channel.  Some people view becoming a mod for a channel as a reward.



Due note their are special events and some channels that do paid moderators or give perks such as free game keys. It is recommended that some form of compensation is given to long term moderators of your channel. For my channel I have given games to a couple of my mods during the holiday season.

Twitch moderators, or mods, are typically volunteers who help to manage a streamer's chat and community. They are not paid by Twitch, but they may receive compensation from the streamer they are moderating for.

In some cases, streamers may choose to compensate their moderators for their time and efforts, either with a flat fee or a percentage of the streamer's revenue. However, this is entirely at the discretion of the streamer, and there is no set standard for how much mods should be paid.

It's important to note that being a Twitch moderator is typically a volunteer position that requires a lot of time and effort. Mods are responsible for enforcing chat rules, managing user behavior, and maintaining a positive and welcoming community. While they may receive compensation from the streamer they are moderating for, most mods do it because they enjoy the community and want to help the streamer succeed.

Are donations taxable?

Are twitch donations taxable?

Many streamers mix up "donations" wording with tips.  A streamer isn't a registered charity so using the wording "donations" is not correct, use "tips" instead. Make sure to consult with an accountant for all tax related issues and questions to get the best answer for the state you live in.

If you are a content creator on Twitch, you may be wondering if the donations you receive from your viewers are taxable. The answer is yes, any income you receive, including tips or donations, is generally considered taxable income by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

The IRS treats tips as taxable income similar to wages. This means that if you receive any income from Twitch donations, you are required to report it on your income tax return. This applies to all types of income, whether it is earned through traditional employment or self-employment.

It's important to note that many streamers confuse the wording of "donations" with tips. It's important to use the correct language and refer to tips as tips, not donations. A streamer is not a registered charity, so referring to it as a donation can be misleading.

When it comes to reporting your Twitch donations, it's best to consult with an accountant or tax professional to ensure you are properly reporting and paying your taxes. Tax laws can vary depending on the state you live in, and a professional can help you navigate any potential issues.

If you receive Twitch donations through a third-party tool or platform, such as PayPal or Streamlabs, it's important to keep track of all of your income and expenses. This will make it easier to report your income and ensure you are paying the appropriate amount of taxes.

In addition to income taxes, self-employed individuals are also responsible for paying Social Security and Medicare taxes, known as self-employment taxes. This means that as a Twitch streamer, you may be responsible for paying both income and self-employment taxes on your Twitch donations.

It's also important to note that if you receive non-cash donations, such as gifts or merchandise, these items may also be considered taxable income. You should consult with a tax professional to determine the value of these items and how they should be reported on your tax return.

In conclusion, any income you receive, including Twitch donations, is generally considered taxable income by the IRS. As a streamer, it's important to use the correct language when referring to tips, keep accurate records of all of your income and expenses, and consult with a tax professional to ensure you are properly reporting and paying your taxes.

Streamers served with DMCA notices for copyright music

Over the past weekend a big influx of DMCA requests have been served to Twitch.tv.  Many streamers both large and small have been given notices that they have clips on Twitch that contain copyrighted music.

📢 This week, we've had a sudden influx of DMCA takedown requests for clips with background music from 2017-19. If you’re unsure about rights to audio in past streams, we advise removing those clips. We know many of you have large archives, and we're working to make this easier.

— Twitch Support (@TwitchSupport) June 8, 2020

Here is a recap of events around this issue from the past to the present:

1. In 2014, Twitch created audio fingerprinting filters using a 3rd party to mute out copyright related issues from videos to protect Twitch, which also protects streamers engaged in using audio that they shouldn't be using.
2. Streamers who engage in using audio they shouldn't be using, thought they were safe.
3. The copyright agencies that use monitors found out twitch clips past a certain year didn't filter out audio such as videos do. So they used automation to scan old clips and find audio fingerprints that match their music database.
4. DMCA for old clips where then triggered based on fingerprint matching and sent to Twitch.
5. Twitch notified all channels of the DMCAs.
6. Many streamers who have been using copyright music are now deleting all their clips. Other streamers who are not up to date on all of this are just deleting all their clips as a safety precaution.

What is the take away from this weekends event for streamers?

It is pretty simple, do not use copyright content, music or audio that you do not have permission or license to use.

• Majority of all games have settings to disable music, get in the habit of doing this before you start any new game for streaming on the platform.
• Check with the games EULA/Youtube Policy/Video Policy to see if they have sections for streaming the game and monetizing it. Most games have this already inserted, but its always best to verify.  Also note, that EULA's can change, one day it maybe ok and another day maybe removed.
• Do not follow on what others do on the platform and think its ok since "everyone" is doing it. 
• Do not use any sort of main stream music in your broadcasts with out licenses or permission.
• DO NOT THINK JUST BECAUSE TWITCH AUTOMATICALLY MUTES YOUR VIDEOS THAT YOU ARE SAFE TO CONTINUE TO USE MAIN STREAM MUSIC OR OTHER COPYRIGHT STUFF IN YOUR BROADCAST. Read this line 3 times to get it saved in your head!

Need more info on copyright law? Check out this past Twitchcon panel that goes over all the basics formatted for streamers.

Additional Information from djWHEAT interview with Noah Downs:


Quote: "There is a company out there that is monitoring most streams on twitch" - "They have the ability to issue live DMCA's but just havent done it yet."

 

---

Update 11/6/2020

A lot more issues with DMCA and clips have been occurring on the platform. Many additional streamers are getting banned for clips from long ago stream sessions. And there is additional issues with clips supposedly not totally being deleted from the system that maybe getting detected even though streamers have been mass deleting clips and videos.

How to watch twitch on Roku, 3 methods available!

If you have a Roku device for your tv and want to watch twitch streams, here are 3 possible solutions to that problem! In this short guide we will be using unofficial apps that allows you to watch twitch channels.

First Method using access code

1. Open up your web browser, and go to the following url:
   
   • https://my.roku.com/account/add
     
2. Sign into your Roku Account
3. Then a text box will be available where you can input a channel, write the channel named Twoku
4. Warning window will appear, press OK to continue.
5. Press Yes to add channel to your Roku account.
6. Restart your Roku and you should then see Twoku channel which is a basic interface showing the Twitch directory, live stream list and streamer search.

Second Method via manual developer install

1. Enable developer mode for Roku
   
   • Full detail guide on how to enter developer mode can be found here: https://blog.roku.com/developer/developer-setup-guide
     
2. Login to your Roku via private IP address listed in step 1, example http://192.168.x.x
3. Use this repo zip and upload it into the Roku Development application installer
   
   • Repo file is from https://github.com/worldreboot/twitch-reloaded-roku
     
4. Press install
5. Once installed, you should be able to find a channel with a black roku dev graphic at the end of your channel list. Click on that and it will start up the UI that shows the Twitch directory, live streams and search function.

Third Method via Web Video Cast app

1. Start up google play in your Roku and search for web video cast
   
   • https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.instantbits.cast.webvideo
     
2. Install that app and then use it to browse twitch.tv