Schlagwort: new-features

  • Squad Stream: The next way to play and watch together

    Squad Stream: The next way to play and watch together

    Reading Time: 6 minutes
    Go to the profile of Hubert Thieblot

    Co-op Contra on the living room floor. D&D in the blanket fort. Four-player Goldeneye after school. Rock Band rock-offs. Watching your friends’ in-house Smash tourney. Building a castle together in Minecraft… No matter which games we started with, no matter where we trace our nerdy roots back to, we’ve always played together.

    And now there’s a whole new way to keep playing together on Twitch: Squad Stream.

    Squad Stream is a fast and easy way for up to four creators to go live and stream together in one window. It’s perfect for showing off every awesome moment in a battle royale match, saving a virtual seat at the table for tabletop streams, catching every second of speedrunning head-to-heads, and so much more that we can’t wait for all of you to show us.

    Unlike hosting or Raids, which are excellent but more hands-off ways to collaborate, Squad Stream lets streamers actively team up with other creators to benefit everyone in a channel. Creators can join forces right from the dashboard, stream content they wouldn’t normally stream, and grow their communities all at the same time. Viewers get more angles on the action, a way to support more of their favorite streamers with ease, and a chance to chat with several great communities at once — or join a new one.

    We’re celebrating the launch of Squad Stream with a variety of four-person streams over the next few weeks featuring a variety of partners and content. Check out the full schedule (in PST):

    Squad Stream is available for Partners first. If that’s you, you can start a Squad Stream now right from your dashboard. Your viewers will be able to opt-in to the Squad Stream right from your channel page.

    If you want to see Squad Stream in action, use the Squad Stream tag on the Browse page to see which squads are live right now.

    FAQs

    Q: How do I start or join a squad?

    A: To start your own squad or join an existing one, go your dashboard and look for the Squad Stream widget. From there, you can either start your own squad by inviting other streamers or accept an invite to join another squad. Note: Squad Stream is rolling out to Partners first, so you are only able to invite Partners to a squad at this time.

    Q: How do I change permissions for who’s able to invite me to a squad?

    A: You can manage your permissions settings for Squad Stream from your channel settings page. By default, channels you follow, is your friend, or on the same team will be able to send you an invite.

    Q: How are viewer counts calculated during a squad stream?

    A: Any viewership you receive when your video player is in the primary slot will count towards your channel stats and be reflected in your channel analytics and stream summary.

    Q: Why is Squad Stream only available to Partners?

    A: We are rolling Squad Stream out to Partners first because of the need for video quality options (also known as transcodes) in order to ensure the best experience for viewers. Currently, all Twitch Partners receive video quality options on their streams by default, while Affiliates receive them as they’re available, with priority access. Our plan is to make Squad Stream available to Affiliates and all other streamers as we continue expanding our transcodes capacity.

    Q: Why are video quality options (transcodes) important for Squad Stream?

    A: We want to ensure the best Squad Stream experience for everyone. To do that, Squad Stream relies on video quality options to display the channels in non-primary slots in lower quality modes like 480p. Most streamers stream in 720p or above, so without video quality options, the squad viewing experience can be taxing since it would display up to four 720p+ streams at once.

    Q: How do I Follow, Subscribe, Cheer with Bits, and Chat in Squad Stream?

    A: Viewers can chat or Cheer with Bits in whichever channel that is in the primary slot. Options for following or subscribing appear by either hovering over the squad member’s avatar at the top of the screen or over the video player for that squad member.

    Q: How do I change which channel is in the primary slot?

    A: Simply click on any of the other channel’s video player and it will swap into the primary slot.

    Q: Do ads appear in Squad Stream?

    A: Yes, viewers are able to see both pre-roll and manually triggered mid-roll ads while watching a Squad Stream. However, ads will only play in the channel that is in the primary slot. Viewers will be unable to switch views while an ad is playing. On mobile, ads will play in full screen.

    Q: Can viewers watch Squad Streams on mobile?

    A: Yes, viewers are able to watch in squad mode via the latest versions of the Twitch mobile app on iOS and Android. Viewers are able to watch up to 3 channels at once. For squads with 4 channels, viewers will be able to select which 3 of the 4 are displayed. Squad viewing is limited to 3 on the mobile app because of the need to be able to provide a consistent, optimal experience for all audiences.

    Q: How do Clips work with Squad Stream?

    A: When a viewer clicks the Clip button on a video player from a Squad Stream, a clip of only that specific channel is created. There is currently no native way to capture a clip of the entire squad view, but it’s something we’re into for future development.

    Q: How do Past Broadcasts (aka VODs) work with Squad Stream?

    A: Past Broadcasts of a squad stream will not display multiple streams. We are exploring solutions to enabling Squad Stream-compatible Past Broadcasts, but in the meantime, Past Broadcasts for channels that participate in a squad stream will only feature content from that individual channel.

    Q: How do Extensions work with Squad Stream?

    A: Extensions will be disabled for viewers who watch in squad mode. However, Extensions will continue to function for those viewers who watch in non-squad mode.

    Q: How do Hosts and Raids work with Squad Stream?

    A: When a channel Hosts or Raids a channel that is currently in a Squad Stream, it will only Host or Raid that single channel. Streamers who are in a Squad Stream cannot initiate a Host or Raid via the chat in squad view. However, they can still initiate a Host or Raid through the Dashboard widget or chat command from the channel page.

    Q: What’s the best way to ensure that video and audio is synchronized as much as possible?

    A: We recommend that all streamers participating in a Squad Stream have low latency settings on (found in the Dashboard under Settings > Channel) and use a third-party voice app to communicate.

    Q: What happens to my viewers when I leave a squad stream?

    A: When a streamer leaves a squad, their viewers will remain in squad mode. If you plan on leaving during a live Squad Stream, make sure to let your viewers know. If you are the squad leader, the first streamer you invited will become the new squad leader.

    Website: LINK

  • Improving the Offline Experience for Viewers and Streamers

    Improving the Offline Experience for Viewers and Streamers

    Reading Time: 2 minutes
    Go to the profile of Tom Robertson

    Every day, millions of people come to Twitch to watch and find new channels. To help streamers be more discoverable, and to provide viewers with better recommendations, we’ve been working on tools like tags that help connect people.

    We know that people hear about new channels from sources all over the web, which means that sometimes when they arrive the streamer isn’t online or hosting. Starting today, we’re testing new ways to improve the experience viewers have when they stop by a channel and the streamer isn’t live. We want to help introduce new viewers to the channels they find and make channel pages work smarter for streamers.

    The first set of tests we’ll be launching are intended to let viewers know that the streamer is offline, provide viewers with information about the channel and types of content they’ll find, and encourage them to view VOD content they might enjoy, like a past broadcast or Highlight.

    Our plan is to test and adjust to ensure that we’re making changes that work for every channel on Twitch as we continue to invest in new ways to improve discovery and support streamers in growing their channel.

    We hope that these new features aid in streamers’ growth and we look forward to getting everyone’s feedback as we continue to test these ideas. If you have ideas for us, please tell us here.

    Website: LINK

  • New channel moderation tools are now live in chat

    New channel moderation tools are now live in chat

    Reading Time: 2 minutes
    Go to the profile of Noreen ™

    Channel Mods, let’s chat.

    The work you do — from moderating chat to helping new viewers get up to speed with a channel — plays a crucial role in making Twitch a more welcoming place. We see you and everything you do to support the communities you love.

    Your skills are top notch, but we want to give you the support you deserve to do your jobs even better and more easily. Today we’re doing that by introducing new moderator tools built right into chat. You might remember that we announced this at last year’s TwitchCon — and it’s available now! On your channel, or on channels you moderate, you’ll now see channel-specific details about each user in chat that will help you make more informed moderation decisions without leaving Twitch.

    How Does It Work?

    Starting today, you can click a username in chat or use the new /user chat command to open a person’s profile card. From there, you’ll be able to:

    • Share channel-specific comments about your moderation choices: you can explain why you did or didn’t take a moderation action and collaborate with your fellow mods without leaving Twitch.
    • See when they made their account: you’ll know at a glance if someone has been around for a while or if they’re using a brand new account.
    • View the user’s channel-specific chat, timeout, and ban history: when you’re on the fence about taking moderation actions, you can check whether someone generally brings a positive or not-so-positive attitude to the channel.

    And we’re just getting started. We’re going to continue supporting channel moderators by making updates based on your feedback, so let us know how to make these tools the most useful for you. Last December we updated chat so you can delete a single message without timing out the user who sent it, and earlier this month we put all the settings that channel moderators can control on a single settings page. Keep an eye out for more updates throughout 2019.

    We’re inviting the entire Twitch community to join us in thanking all the channel mods who give back to their communities every day. To kick things off, check out what these streamers had to say about their channel mods.

    Website: LINK

  • Introducing Tags and New Categories: New Ways to Discover Streamers on Twitch

    Introducing Tags and New Categories: New Ways to Discover Streamers on Twitch

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    New Categories: The Creative and IRL categories have exploded in growth since they were introduced in 2015 and 2016, respectively. We’ve heard from many viewers that these categories have such a wide variety of content that it’s difficult for them to find streamers around the topics they’re interested in. Starting today, we’re replacing IRL and Creative with 10 new categories designed to help viewers find streamers around things they love from Art, to Science & Technology, to Talk Shows and Podcasts, and beyond. These new Categories will appear in the Browse directory, which shows gaming and non-gaming in a single view as well as in search results.

    Streamers who previously streamed under IRL or Creative will need to select a new category when they broadcast in order to appear in the Browse directory and in search results. To learn more about the categories streamers can choose, please visit the Discovery Updates Site.

    We know that introducing Tags, replacing IRL and Creative with new Categories, and discontinuing Communities impacts streamers and their workflow. We’ve received a lot of feedback since we announced these changes in early August. Based on those conversations, we’ve broadened the Tags available in this first release, included descriptions with Tags to make them clearer for streamers, and renamed the ”Hobbies & Crafts” category to “Makers & Crafting” to better reflect our professional makers. We also recognize that streamers were using our Communities feature to find others who shared their identity and interests, and we are working with those communities to build solutions for them.

    Our plan is to continue to adapt these tools to ensure that Tags and Categories work for everyone on Twitch. If you have feedback for us, please let us know here. We’re continuing to invest in new ways to improve discovery, and if you want to follow along, visit the Discovery Updates Site.

    Website: LINK

  • Show your colors and earn rewards with the Overwatch League on Twitch

    Show your colors and earn rewards with the Overwatch League on Twitch

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    You all know those fans. The ones covered in face paint who cheer louder than the rest. Who bleed their team colors and want everyone to know it. Fandom is an awesome thing, and we can’t think of any reason why showing your colors should be limited to IRL events.

    When Overwatch League Season 1 began, we promised to reward viewers who catch all the action on Twitch. Now that Stage 2 is kicking off, it’s the perfect time to reveal just how that works.

    Get League Tokens: Collect League Tokens just for being in the (virtual) stands. All you have to do is connect your Blizzard Battle.net and Twitch accounts, which you can do super easily right here. You’ll get one League Token at the end of every live map finish¹. And some lucky viewers will get 100 tokens for every final map they watch per match — enough to get your favorite Overwatch League team skin in the game.²

    Unlock Twitch Emotes & In-Game Skins: In any Overwatch League game, Cheer with Bits to show off your fandom, hype up your favorite teams, and unlock exclusive loot. Here’s how it all works.

    • Everyone watching can work together by Cheering with Bits to unlock Overwatch League skins not yet available in game
    • Your own Cheering progress unlocks Overwatch exclusive hero emotes to use in chat and team-branded loot as well
    • Cheering leaderboards show how your fandom stacks up against the rest

    Coming Soon: Get ready for your VIP pass to the best of the Overwatch League. You’ll be able to unlock even more in-game items, behind-the-scenes video content on Twitch, and tons of other perks which we’ll reveal soon(™).

    The inaugural season of the Overwatch League is underway at /OverwatchLeague, and Stage 2 begins today! Don’t forget to link your accounts before tuning in so you can start Cheering and earning League Tokens today!

    Website: LINK

  • Twirp: a sweet new RPC framework for Go

    Twirp: a sweet new RPC framework for Go

    Reading Time: 4 minutes

    Why not gRPC?

    This code generation approach is not a novel idea at all. Google provides a framework, gRPC, which does a very similar thing, and gRPC has grown to be pretty prominent. In fact, we started out at Twitch using gRPC. It didn’t gain a lot of traction, though — we had some problems with it, and these problems spurred us to create Twirp. There were four core problems in gRPC for us which Twirp solved:

    1. Lack of HTTP 1.1 support: gRPC only supports http/2, because its protocol relies upon HTTP Trailers and full-duplex streams. Twirp supports HTTP 1.1 and http/2. This is important because many load balancers (both hardware and software) only support HTTP 1.1 — including AWS’s ELBs, which sit in front of EC2 instances. The downside is that Twirp doesn’t support streaming RPCs, but those are rare at Twitch — we’ve found that pretty much all of our services have request-response workloads.

    2. Large runtime with breaking changes: gRPC is very complex, so the Go generated code is relatively thin and calls into a large runtime called grpc-go. The generated code and the runtime library are tightly linked and need to match closely. Unfortunately, that runtime has seen breaking changes, sometimes without warning or explanation. This would be merely annoying, but becomes a real pain when you have a large network of services communicating amongst themselves, importing each others clients.

    Breaking changes in the runtime mean that old client code no longer compiles; this means that clients need to use the same gRPC runtime version as that of the services they depend on. The same is true for those services dependencies, and quickly this means that all of us at Twitch need to use the same version of gRPC in lockstep. Go dependency management is famously rough, so in practice this means we could never upgrade without everyone stopping work and coordinating an upgrade together, even in the face of bugs.

    To make matters worse, the grpc-go runtime requires a particular version of the Go protobuf library, github.com/golang/protobuf, also enforced at the compilation level — so we had the same problem ever upgrading protobuf. In practice, we almost never really upgraded, even in the face of severe bugs.

    In contrast, Twirp sticks almost everything into the generated code, so it’s fine for different services to upgrade at their own pace. We’ve taken compatibility-breaking changes extremely seriously and helped legacy systems continue to work.

    3. Bugs due to the complex runtime: grpc-go includes a complete http/2 implementation, independent of the standard library, and introduces its own flow-control mechanisms. This stuff is very difficult to understand quickly and can lead to confusing, counterintuitive, and even totally-broken behavior (that last bug caused several outages at Twitch). Leaks are not unheard of because of the internal complexity of the project, which is a complete deal-breaker for long-running, high-availability services.

    Twirp, by contrast, can use plain old HTTP 1.1, which might not be blazingly efficient but at least it’s simple and we know how to work with it, and the standard library’s HTTP 1.1 implementation is rock-solid. And if you do need the extra boosts of http/2, Twirp can use it too — it doesn’t ditch the efficiency, just the complexity.

    This isn’t meant as a bash on the grpc-go team. They do terrific work. But the reality is that the standard library’s HTTP implementation is always going to be better-tested and more broadly used than the custom one in grpc-go.

    4. Difficulty working with binary protobuf: gRPC only supports binary protobuf payloads. Twirp supports the binary encoding, but also supports protobuf’s JSON encoding for payloads, using the official JSON mapping spec.

    Allowing JSON has two advantages: for one, makes it easier to write cross-language and third-party clients of Twirp servers — getting the protobuf right by hand is really hard, but getting JSON right by hand is doable.

    Second, it makes it easier to write quick command-line cURL requests to debug a running server on the fly. This is the sort of small quality-of-life thing that really can make a difference in the long run, and can especially help when first setting a service up — gRPC felt completely opaque, while it’s clear how to quickly check your new Twirp service.

    That said, gRPC does have some benefits. It might be worth the costs for you. In particular, gRPC supports bidirectional streaming RPCs, sending flows of uninterrupted data back and forth between client and service. Twirp has nothing like this — just plain old request-and-response. We haven’t really missed this at Twitch, but it might be important for your problems, and if so, gRPC is pretty much the only game in town.

    And Twirp takes a minimalist approach (the server is just a http.Handler, the client is nothing special), grpc-go is practically overflowing with ambitious add-ons and extras, from a load balancing library to a name resolution framework to let you plug in your own DNS alternative, if that’s your thing. We’ve preferred Twirp’s modular approach, letting dedicated load balancing software handle load balancing, but grpc-go’s all-in-one system might interest you.

    Website: LINK

  • Support streamers (and get a gift!) by Cheering this holiday season

    Support streamers (and get a gift!) by Cheering this holiday season

    Reading Time: 4 minutes

    Bust out those ugly sweaters, celebrate the holidays, and spread joy on Twitch by Cheering to support streamers. Cheering already has plenty of benefits on Twitch, like celebrating special moments with streamers, amplifying your voice in chat, and earning Bit badges, but from now through December 26th, Cheering will do even more. Let’s break it down.

    If you Cheer 1 to 249 Bits to support streamers during this time, you’ll also receive a Holiday Gift containing a full set of seven seasonal emotes.

    If your favorite streamer is on the Nice list and you Cheer 250 Bits or more, you’ll instead receive a Gold Holiday Gift containing a different complete set of seven seasonal emotes and share a special gift for a number of the other viewers in chat: one of the holiday emotes!

    We also have a brand new Holiday Cheermote that’s perfect to use this holiday season.

    Once you receive the holiday emotes, you’ll find them in the emote selector for Chat, Pulse, Feeds, and Whispers so you can truly spread joy all across Twitch.

    If you need to fill your gift-giving hands with Bits, load up here.

    Questions? We’ve got answers.

    Q: When exactly is this happening?

    Starting now and ending 12PM PDT on December 26.

    Q: Do streamers still receive the same revenue share from Twitch for the Cheer/Bits?

    Yes.

    Q: How long can I use the seasonal holiday emotes?

    Until the end of January 2018.

    Q: What exactly is in the Holiday Gifts?

    All regular Holiday Gifts contain all seven of the first set of seasonal holiday emotes. Similarly, all Gold Holiday Gifts contain all seven emotes of the second set.

    Q: Are the emotes I receive randomly selected?

    No, all regular Holiday Gifts contain the same first set of seven seasonal holiday emotes and all Gold Holiday Gifts contain the same second set of seven.

    Q: How are the holiday emotes awarded?

    • Cheer between 1–249 Bits and you will receive a regular Holiday Gift containing the first seven seasonal holiday emotes.
    • Cheer 250 Bits or more and you’ll receive a Gold Holiday Gift, containing another set of seven seasonal holiday emotes. You’ll also activate a gift for a number of other viewers in chat who will receive one of the 14 emotes.

    Q: Can I Cheer 125 Bits now and 125 Bits later and receive a Gold Holiday Gift?

    No, you have to cheer with at least 250 Bits in one single Cheer to be able to receive a Gold Holiday Gift. If you did the above, you’ll receive a regular Holiday Gift for the first Cheer only. You won’t receive another regular Holiday Gift for the second Cheer but it will still support the streamer and contribute towards Bit Badges as normal.

    Q: If I Cheer with 500, 1000, 1500, 2000, etc. Bits in a single Cheer, do I receive multiple Gold Holiday Gifts?

    You’ll receive one Gold Holiday Gift for the single Cheer which contains all seven of the second set of holiday emotes.

    Q: If I Cheer 250 Bits and receive a Gold Holiday Gift and then later on Cheer another 250 Bits, will I receive a second Gold Holiday Gift containing duplicate emotes?

    You only receive the Gold Holiday Gift containing the seven seasonal holiday emotes for the first Cheer. You won’t receive another Gold Holiday Gift for the second Cheer but it will still support the streamer and contribute towards Bit Badges as normal.

    Q: I received one of the holiday emotes from another person’s Cheer and afterwards received a duplicate holiday emote from one of the Holiday Gifts, did something go wrong?

    This is expected since the holiday emote you received is from the pool of 14 holiday emotes of which the Holiday Gifts are guaranteed to have their respective seven emotes.

    Q: Where do I find my Holiday Gifts if I don’t open them right away?

    On your Inventory page at twitch.tv/inventory.

    Q: Where do I get more Bits?

    Bits.twitch.tv

    Q: What are Bits and Cheering?

    Visit the help article here.

    Q: Naughty or Nice?

    Nice.

    Website: LINK

  • “Alexa, open Twitch”

    “Alexa, open Twitch”

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    Kappa, meet Alexa.

    Alexa, meet Kappa.

    We’re super excited to announce the launch of our Twitch Skill on all Alexa-enabled devices in the U.S. Now your dream of controlling Twitch with your voice (you’ve had that dream, right?) can become reality. The Twitch Skill lets you play your favorite channels, discover new streamers, get notified when your favorite channels start streaming, and get a reminder when your Twitch Prime subscription is available to use.

    So, how do you make this magic happen? Simply enable the notifications permission for the Twitch skill in your Alexa app to start receiving them. Alexa will let you know anytime a followed channel you have notifications enabled for starts broadcasting. To manage notifications on channels you follow, just go to https://www.twitch.tv/settings/notifications.

    Other features supported in this version of the Skill include:

    • If you’ve linked your Twitch account, say “Alexa, ask Twitch for followed channels” or “Alexa, tell Twitch to show me channels I follow.”
    • Discover a new channel for your favorite game or Twitch category by requesting, “Alexa, ask Twitch who’s playing World of Warcraft” or “Alexa, ask Twitch to suggest an IRL channel”.
    • Get some of the most popular live channels by saying, “Alexa, ask Twitch for popular channels” or “Alexa, ask Twitch which streams are popular.”
    • Find out the most popular games and categories currently streaming by asking, “Alexa, ask Twitch for popular games” or “Alexa, tell Twitch to suggest a game for me.” You’ll hear a list of popular games/categories and you can select one to hear the most popular channels for it.
    • Play a channel directly by name with “Alexa, ask Twitch to play [Channel Name]” or “Alexa, ask Twitch to start [Channel Name]”. If Alexa isn’t understanding the channel name correctly, try following the channel and then asking “for followed channels” instead.

    Have an idea for a feature? Having a problem with the skill? Let us know at twitch-skill-feedback@amazon.com.

    Website: LINK

  • #SUBsale — Save 20% on all new subscriptions, including gifted subs!

    #SUBsale — Save 20% on all new subscriptions, including gifted subs!

    Reading Time: 3 minutes

    Now it’s even easier to support the streamers you love and give the gift of Twitch for the holidays! Starting now through January 6, get 20% off the first month of a new subscription to any channel offering a recurring subscription on Twitch.

    For the first time ever, gifted subs are also discounted by 20%! Whichever option you choose, streamers will still receive the same amount of support from your subscription as if it was bought at the regular price.

    Gifting a subscription to someone is super easy. Just click their name in chat, and when their user card pops up you’ll see a Gift a Sub button. Or you can click the Subscribe button at the top of a channel page, select Gift a Sub, and then type their username into the search field to select your lucky recipient.

    Get in the holiday spirit this year by supporting streamers, and spread the love by gifting subs, all at a sweet 20% discount!

    Burning (Freezing?) Questions

    What do you mean ‘new’ subscription?

    It means you can only get this discount on a channel you have not been subscribed to for at least 32 days.

    Is there a limit to how many subscriptions or gifted subs I can buy at the 20% discount?

    Nope! As long as they qualify as new, you’re good to go.

    Does this apply to both Partner and Affiliate channels?

    Yes to both as long as they offer a recurring subscription.

    Does this apply to the $4.99, $9.99 and $24.99 Subscription options?

    Yes to all three.

    How long will a subscription be 20% off?

    Only the first month of a new recurring sub is 20% off. After one month, it will return to normal price. Gifted subs only last one month, and that month is 20% off during this sale.

    What about tax and VAT?

    The 20% discount is on the base price of the subscription before any taxes are applied. Taxes are applied on the discounted price.

    When exactly is this happening?

    Starting now and ending 11:59PM PDT January 6.

    Where can I receive the 20% off discount?

    20% off the first month of any new subscription is available on the desktop web browser (www.twitch.tv), an Android mobile web browser (m.twitch.tv), and the subscriptions landing page (subs.twitch.tv). This discount is not available on the Twitch Mobile App nor the Twitch Desktop App.

    20% off gifted subscriptions is available on the desktop web browser (www.twitch.tv). This discount is not available on a mobile web browser, the subscriptions landing page, the Twitch Mobile App nor the Twitch Desktop App.

    Can I buy a subscription to a channel for which I was gifted a sub?

    Yes, you can. When you have an active gift subscription to a channel, you can purchase a subscription either using the subscription button in the upper right of the video player, or on your subscription management page. You will not be charged until after your gift subscription ends.

    Can I buy someone an upgraded sub as a gift? My friend has a $4.99 sub and I want to gift him an upgrade to a $24.99 sub for a month.

    Upgrades are not currently available through Subscription Gifting.

    Can I decline to receive a gifted subscription?

    When someone gifts you a sub, you will automatically receive the subscription, and the Partner or Affiliate subscribed to will receive the support from that subscription. You may choose to disable the subscription benefits if that channel does not suit you, but we want to make sure the support still goes to that streamer, as the gifter intended. You can disable Gift Subscription benefits from your Subscriptions management page.

    Are gifted subscriptions refundable?

    No. All purchases are final.

    How about team subscriptions?

    Subscription Gifting is not available for team subscriptions at this time.

    Can I gift a subscription through my Twitch Prime free subscription

    No, Twitch Prime subscriptions can not be used to gift a subscription to another user.

    Website: LINK

  • Profile pic updates are now live

    Profile pic updates are now live

    Reading Time: < 1 minute

    We’re adding some (literal) character to the default profile pic.

    Today we updated the default lightning bolt profile image with some new personalities. These characters have made a cameo or two on Twitch before, and now they’re here to spruce up the old default profile pic. You can choose one of seven new image options under the Profile Picture section of your profile settings.

    Of course, you can still upload your own photo. We increased the maximum file size limit from 3MB to 10MB, so you can be 3.33x more creative.

    As always, we’d love to hear your feedback. Let us know what you think @twitch!

    Website: LINK

  • PayPal, meet Bits

    PayPal, meet Bits

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    Shortly after TwitchCon we began introducing new features that make it easier for you to show love to your favorite streamers with Bits and Subs. Today, we’re happy to announce the next: starting now, you’ll be able to buy Bits with PayPal in the US and the EU (see the full list of countries in the FAQ below).

    We think this one will open the door to Bits for many of you who, until now, weren’t able to participate in glorious Cheer hype moments like these…

    FAQ

    Where will I see the option to buy Bits with PayPal?

    A. If you are in the US or one of the EU countries listed below, you can buy Bits on any Twitch channel that has Bits enabled by clicking the ‘Get Bits’ button above the video player. Once you select the bundle you want to buy, you will be able to choose PayPal as a payment method. PayPal may be an option when purchasing bits on iOS and Android devices if you reside in a country where Apple or Google offer PayPal for in-app purchases.

    Do Bits still include protection from chargebacks for the streamer, even if they were bought with PayPal?

    A. Yes, Bits still provides chargeback protection for the streamer whether they were purchased via PayPal or another method.

    I bought Bits thru Amazon in the past, but I’d like to switch to PayPal. How do I do that?

    A. Begin your Bits purchase as usual. Once you reach the confirmation screen shown below, click on “Change payment service” in the upper right, and then you will see the option to choose PayPal for your purchase.

    In which countries is Bits purchase with PayPal available?

    A. We will offer PayPal for Bits purchase in the US, and the following countries in Europe: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom

    Website: LINK

  • Give the gift of Twitch with Subscription Gifting!

    Give the gift of Twitch with Subscription Gifting!

    Reading Time: 4 minutes

    If you watched the TwitchCon Keynote, you might remember which announcement got the loudest cheer from the crowd: Subscription Gifting. We said it would be here in time for holiday shopping, and now we’re here to deliver! Starting today, you can gift 1-month subs to anyone on Twitch!

    Since TwitchCon, we’ve been on a mission to launch new features that make it easier for you to show love to your favorite streamers. With the launch of Sub Gifting, we’re 66.7% of the way there! Next up: Purchasing Bits with PayPal. So stay tuned.

    How does Subscription Gifting work?

    We all know someone that deserves a gift sub. Maybe they are especially kind or encouraging to others. Maybe they have the best memes. But for whatever reason they haven’t been able join the party and sub. Now you can open the door and invite them in with a 1-month gift sub at the $4.99, $9.99, or $24.99 level.

    Just click their name in chat and when their user card pops up you’ll see a Gift a Sub button. Or you can click the Subscribe button at the top of the channel page, select Gift a Sub and then type their username into the search field to select your recipient.

    After you’ve completed your purchase, you can choose to show a message in chat that you’ve just gifted a sub to someone. We’ll let your recipient know they’ve received a gift via Notifications in the upper right corner of twitch.tv. You’ll see any subscriptions you’ve been gifted on your subscriptions management page.

    Now you can support the streamers you love, and make someone’s day who deserves a sub with Subscription Gifting. Give the gift of Twitch for the holidays, birthdays, or just because.

    Partners and Affiliates: Create a Sub Gift Wishlist with Heroes, by GameWisp

    As a perfect compliment to Subscription Gifting, we have a brand new Extension for Partners and Affiliates called Heroes, by GameWisp.

    Heroes lets streamers shine a spotlight on the people who make Twitch incredible every day. Through Heroes’ Sub Gift Wishlist, Partners and Affiliates who install the Extension can call out viewers they feel are most deserving of sub gifts. Fans can then gift those lucky viewers a subscription right from the extension. Install it here.

    FAQ

    Can I gift someone a $9.99 or $24.99 sub?

    A. Yes, you can gift a subscription at all three price points: $4.99, $9.99 or $24.99.

    Does a gifted sub count towards sub tenure? In other words, would a gifted sub extend my sub tenure if I canceled my sub but were still within the grace period for sub tenure?

    A. Yes, a gifted sub will preserve/continue your sub tenure.

    If I receive a gift sub to a channel I’ve never subbed to before, and after the gifted month I decide to continue the sub, does my tenure start at month one or month two?

    A. Your tenure would start at month two, because gifted subs count toward sub tenure.

    Can I buy a subscription to a channel for which I was gifted a sub?

    A. Yes, you can! When you have an active gift subscription to a channel, you can purchase a subscription either using the subscription button in the upper right of the video player, or on your subscription management page. You will not be charged until after your gift subscription ends.

    I tried to give someone a sub, and the Gift a Sub button is greyed out. Why?

    A. If someone is already Subscribed or Banned in the channel, they cannot receive Gifts Subs in that channel. Banned users cannot send Gifts in channels where they are banned.

    Can I buy someone an upgraded sub as a gift? My friend has a $4.99 sub and I want to gift him an upgrade to a $24.99 sub for a month.

    A. Upgrades are not currently available through Subscription Gifting.

    Can I buy someone a recurring sub?

    A. Not at the moment. Gift subscriptions last one month.

    Can I decline to receive a gifted subscription?

    A. When someone gifts you a sub, you will automatically receive the subscription, and the Partner or Affiliate subscribed to will receive the support from that subscription. You may choose to disable the subscription benefits if that channel does not suit you, but we want to make sure the support still goes to that streamer, as the gifter intended. You can disable Gift Subscription benefits from your Subscriptions management page.

    Are gifted subscriptions refundable?

    A. No. All purchases are final.

    How about team subscriptions?

    A. Subscription Gifting is not available for team subscriptions at this time.

    Can I gift a sub from the mobile apps or from subs.twitch.tv?

    A. Gifting is not currently available from our mobile apps nor from subs.twitch.tv.

    Can I gift a subscription through my Twitch Prime free subscription

    A. No, Twitch Prime subscription can not be used to gift a subscription to another user.

    Website: LINK

  • Twitch creators, get ready for Achievements and Stream Summary

    Twitch creators, get ready for Achievements and Stream Summary

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    “Creators first” isn’t just one of Twitch’s values; it’s at the center of everything we do. And this year at TwitchCon we announced three new features for creators like you.

    The first feature, Raids, launched shortly after TwitchCon. And today we’re so excited to tell you more about Achievements and Stream Summary, and how they’ll help you grow.

    Our goal is to set up creators for success, so we listened to you about your biggest roadblocks and requests: more transparency when striving toward Affiliate or Partner status, and faster and better stream analytics. The following tools tackle these issues head on. Big or small, new or veteran, from gaming to baking, all creators can enjoy these new benefits.

    These are the two exciting new features ready for you today:

    Achievements: For many creators, becoming an Affiliate or a Partner is the dream. But the requirements to get there, and your progress along those steps, haven’t always been clear. Built with that in mind, Achievements are milestones that encourage creators to learn streaming best practices and interact with their communities. Following these milestones will give creators a clear roadmap to grow toward and apply for Affiliate or Partnership status.

    Some of the achievements available to streamers starting today.

    Stream Summary: Stream Summary shows you the information you’ll want to know about your past streams, all on one page. The page includes per-stream performance stats, top clips, top traffic sources, achievement progress, streaming tips and more.

    Stream summary highlights top information about your last stream.

    Want to learn more? Visit our help portals for all the information you need on Achievements, Stream Summary, and in case you missed it the first time around, Raids.

    This is just the start of what’s to come. As always, your feedback is essential in showing us how best to move forward. Let us know how we’re doing on achievements, stream summary and raids.

    Website: LINK

  • Customize your Go Live Notifications

    Customize your Go Live Notifications

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    Ever thought about what you’d say to your viewers if you could customize the message your followers see when you start a stream? If not, the time is now: custom Go Live Notifications are here!

    You can now personalize the way you announce your stream is live. So, no more generic “[Insert your name] is live…” Instead, your fans will get custom messages like “Sup fam? Come watch my stream!” or whatever you want it to be. This new feature lets you connect with your viewers in a way that’s much more you.

    Just keep it clean.

    Please note: You can only access this customization feature on desktop web. It will be available in all countries, languages, and web browsers. For more information, check out this help article.

    How do I customize my Go Live message?

    1. Go to twitch.tv on desktop web and log into your Twitch account.
    2. Go to your Profile and click on ‘Dashboard.’
    3. Once you’re on your dashboard, click to the ‘Live’ tab.
    4. Under the ‘Stream Information’ section, you’ll be able to add custom text for your Go Live Notification.
    5. Ensure your custom text is 140 characters or less (in any language).
    6. Scroll down and click ‘Update Information’ once you’re done.
    7. Then head over to OBS or any other broadcasting software and go live. The custom Go Live notification will then get sent to all of your followers.

    Burning questions:

    Q: Is there moderation for these custom Go Live Notifications?
    Yes. Automod is enabled to ensure you follow the terms of service, e.g. no profanity. If your viewers find any of the custom Go Live Notifications offensive, moderation reporting tools will be available for them to report the notification.

    Q: What if I want to send a second custom Go Live message?
    There is a four-hour cool down period, which means you can only send one Go Live Notification every four hours. In order to send a second custom Go Live Notification, you will have to go offline, update the text in the Go Live section on your dashboard, and then go back online.

    Q: Where can my followers see my custom Go Live messages?
    Your followers will be able to see your custom Go Live message on-site as well as on iOS and android devices via mobile push. It is not yet available through the desktop app or browser notifications.

    Website: LINK

  • Show Love to streamers all season long

    Show Love to streamers all season long

    Reading Time: 4 minutes

    Launching today: buying Bits in our mobile apps. Coming Soon: Subscription Gifting and Bits purchase with PayPal.

    Hey, Twitch community. I don’t think we say it enough: we love all the streamers out there who make Twitch the amazing place that it is. We know you do too. Many of us show that love by subscribing to support our favorite streamers month after month. Others Cheer with Bits to show love when we feel inspired in the moment. Lots of you do both!

    Some of you haven’t joined the party, and we totally get it. Maybe you’re watching Twitch on your mobile phone where buying Bits is hard. Maybe you want to Cheer but you don’t have a credit card. Maybe you want to welcome friends into your favorite community but you’re not sure how.

    Starting today, all of that changes.

    Over the next couple of months, we’re making it easier for you to support your favorite streamers by launching three new features that build bridges, give you more freedom, and allow you to extend a hand to your fellow community members. So, what are they?

    Launching today: buying Bits in our mobile apps. Coming Soon: Subscription Gifting and Bits purchase with PayPal.

    Over the next couple of weeks, in-app Bits purchase will roll out gradually to our iOS and Android mobile app users in about 40 countries across the globe (check the FAQ for the full list). If you don’t see the purchase option right away, do not despair. It may take a couple of weeks to reach everyone. Also, make sure you have the latest version of our mobile app installed.

    Once you have this feature, you can tap the Bits gem at the bottom of chat to see a new “Buy Bits” button. Tap it to see the Bits bundles and select one.

    Next you’ll go through your iOS or Android purchase flow to buy the bundle you choose. Bits pricing in our mobile apps is higher to account for the fees associated with in-app purchases, but desktop pricing will still be available on mobile devices at bits.twitch.tv.

    We’re excited to offer you the freedom to choose where, when, and how you buy your Bits in order to celebrate great moments on Twitch and show love to your favorite streamers.

    Remember, this is the only the first of three features we’re launching. Still coming soon are Bits purchase with PayPal and Subscription Gifting!

    FAQ

    Why do Bits cost more in the mobile apps?

    A. There are costs associated with selling items on mobile platforms. We want to offer you the option to buy Bits in our apps, while preserving the same 1 cent per Bit that is paid out to streamers when you Cheer with Bits in their channels, and in order to do that, the price has to reflect the added costs. You always have the option to buy Bits at desktop prices on your mobile device by going to bits.twitch.tv in your mobile web browser.

    I was already able to buy Bits on my Android device for the past few months. What changed?

    A. Once we launched bits.twitch.tv, we connected Android app users to that page, but it was not a native mobile app purchase. We wanted to provide our Android users the same seamless experience we are offering our iOS users, so we’ve updated the Android app to include native in-app purchase. Unfortunately, due to tax reasons, some countries like Canada are not supported with this new integration. If your country is not supported with our new in-app purchase flow, you can still buy Bits at bits.twitch.tv by using a mobile web browser.

    In which countries will we be able to purchase Bits using Twitch’s mobile apps?

    A. iOS —Albania, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States.

    A. Android —Albania, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, United Kingdom, United States.

    Website: LINK

  • You made Raids. We’re making them even better

    You made Raids. We’re making them even better

    Reading Time: 2 minutes

    Raids were invented by creators as a fun way to help each other support and grow their communities. If you haven’t had the chance to start or join one yourself, here’s what you’re missing out on.

    Embiggen!

    We’re so proud of what you’ve done with Raids, and now we’re making Raids official so it’s even easier for everyone to join the party, grow their channels, and support other creators and communities they care about.

    Here’s how it works:

    1. Creators type /raid in chat followed by the channel name they want to raid.
    2. Viewers see a chat message with a countdown and can click to join the raid.
    3. When the countdown ends, the creator and all viewers who joined will be sent over to the other channel. The raided channel will be hosted automatically as well, so no more manual work is required!

    Creators and moderators can see a list of channels that recently raided them in their chat gear settings. They can also moderate raids from this menu by using follower-only mode, or by adjusting their dashboard settings.

    Got that? Great! Here’s how it all looks in action.

    We’ve begun rolling out Raids today, and within the next two weeks it will be available for every user on Twitch. For all the info you could possibly want to know about Raids, check out our help page.

    Happy raiding! We hope to see you, all of you, soon.

    Website: LINK

  • The full Twitch experience, now available as an embed

    The full Twitch experience, now available as an embed

    Reading Time: < 1 minute

    We’re making it easier to share your content beyond Twitch.

    You can now embed your streams and VODs in an all-in-one iframe that lets your viewers watch video, chat, follow, and subscribe to your channel, all without leaving the embedded experience. While you can still use the standalone video and chat embed tools, the combined option is the only way to bring Twitch engagement and monetization to your own site.

    The combined embed lets you share the Twitch experience anywhere you want to embed your content, whether that’s a live stream, a recorded video, or a collection of videos. Use the combined embed to reach members of your community who aren’t yet on Twitch, or grow your audience by creating your own branded destination.

    Get started by checking out our guide to embedding Twitch on your website.

    Website: LINK