INTERVIEW: Full-Time M’sian Twitch Streamers Tells Us How They Made Bank During The Lockdown

By Quinny Tan  •  in Features
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As restrictions tighten around the seemingly never-ending pandemic, Malaysians are looking towards pursuing a Twitch career, regardless of being a gamer or not.

Twitch has predominantly been a video game-live streaming platform for the 10 years it has been live. Only recently has the site been flooding with other creative content, and Malaysians are taking a liking to this. 

JUICE recently interviewed two budding Malaysian Twitch full time streamers and here’s what they have to say…

“Many fresh graduates are finding it difficult to find jobs in the market. Most folks from the entertainment industry are starting up Twitch as well since their usual work environment has closed down,” says local Twitch streamer Daniel Chin, who goes by the moniker AnehChan123.

With the lack of physical socialisation, Twitch offers an interactive space where streamers have formed communities of their own and made connections with Malaysians all over who are constantly looking for more content to absorb and fill their time with. 

As Daniel describes, Twitch isn’t just about gaming. It’s all about interacting and connecting with viewers all over the world, producing various types of content to keep people entertained.

“I initially started to make friends and fill my time during Covid season, and to explore this line as a potential money maker. Over time, I’ve been blessed by so many generous people via donations, subs and bits. I was then able to afford way more equipment. As I do not have many financial commitments at the moment so I’ve been able to sustain my lifestyle with the income I earn from Twitch.”

Charity streams and ‘donothons’ have become more common, with streamers staying up 24 hours providing a constant flow of content and donating the profits to charity organisations and movements of their choice. Daniel used his platform to organise a 24-hour live stream featuring singing, cooking and of course, gaming, which raised RM5,848.55 for charity in July. 

Twitch streamers usually have a community of supporters standing by them. Loyal subscribers and supportive friends are the true foundation of what motivates streamers to switch on their webcams and be welcomed by a flood of friendly faces, or rather, usernames. 

“Building the community took a lot of time. The process included creating and fostering relationships with viewers via every stream and also off stream. We have a discord that we frequently hang out in. I also interact with them on other social media apps sometimes to keep up with each other’s lives. I’ve learnt to accept that in Twitch, people come and people go, it’s a completely normal occurrence.”

Daniel provides a bunch of fun features to redeem using channel points, which are built up over time from watching a streamer. This was inspired by multiple successful streamers that he follows. 

Keeping himself involved, Daniel is one of the team leaders to participate in the Gooderlympics, a 2-week-long virtual competition hosted by a group of 4 enthusiastic streamers called the Gooder People. Gooderlympics consists of multiple games, ranging from online games such as Heave Ho, Pummel Party, to games in real life, such as Circle of Death. Be sure to check out the last few games of Gooderlympics, tune in to upcoming streams, and support Team Aneh!

However, it’s not always all fun and games. Full-time Malaysian streamer and former engineer Jaiyanthraaj Manian, better known as VerifiedPsycho on Twitch mentioned, “There have been ups and downs and it’s not always a bed of roses.” 

“There are genuine people out there, but there are also people who try to get on your good side to piggyback off of your success.”

In terms of growth, some gamers have alternated between Facebook Gaming and Twitch, with the latter being admittedly more viewer friendly and less exclusively centred towards gaming content. 

Twitch allows you to grow your channel to hit a status of ‘affiliate’, which then allows you to monetise your content after a combined total of 8 hours of streaming throughout the month, spread out across 7 days and at least 3 concurrent viewers with a requirement of 50 followers. The revenue generated is then split equally between the streamer and Twitch. 

A higher rank of ‘partner’ would mean that the streamer would get paid via sponsorships and brands. The requirements for this is to stream a total of 25 hours spread across 12 streams within a month, while averaging on 75 viewers. 

Yet due to Twitch being more public and globally connected, there are bound to be a few hiccups and challenges to overcome when maintaining the peace and avoiding conflicts. 

“The issue with creating a community is establishing rules regarding Twitch’s terms of service and making sure the audience abides by them. A community is based on trust and mutual respect. Streamers should not feel entitled to know everything that’s going on with the members or intrude on their private space. It’s always best to handle issues amicably and respect your viewers.”

To all the aspiring streamers reading, Jaiyanthraaj offers his advice on growing a channel: “There is no fast-track method that is a surefire way to the top. Focusing too hard can affect your personal life, but I find integrating it with the right schedule helps with balancing both.”

The general consensus on who viewers subscribe to is either their friends to help support growing careers, or other interesting streamers with engaging personalities. Subscribers can also unlock new features like ‘emotes’ to use in stream chat. Audiences love connecting with them and watching the gameplay to look out for interesting games to add to their collection.

So, what are you waiting for? Start your Twitch career now and you just might be the next Corpse Husband or Pokimane!

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