Last Updated on 11/21/2022 by Dean
So you want to get a sub button on Twitch…?
Just because you’re a streamer on Twitch, doesn’t mean you will have the sub button, there is no way to just turn this on in your Twitch settings!
If you want to have a sub button, you will have to either become a Twitch affiliate or Twitch partner.
THERE IS NO WAY AROUND THIS.
Twitch Partnership has rough requirements:
- Stream on 12 unique days over a 30 day period
- Stream for more than 25 hours over a 30 day period
- 75 average viewers per stream over a 30 day period
While you can easily achieve the first two with some effort, achieving 75 average viewers is not an easy feat.
Luckily, there is also the Twitch Affiliate program, which is a lot easier to get into!
The requirements to become a Twitch affiliate are as follows:
- Stream on 7 unique days over a 30 day period
- Stream from more than 500 minutes over a 30 day period
- Achieve at least 50 followers
- 3 concurrent viewers on every stream over a 30 day period
Once again, with some effort, you can easily achieve the first two. Gaining 50 followers and having 3 concurrent viewers per stream will be a bit more challenging as a small streamer.
But then again, there is no point in having a sub button if you don’t have more than 3 viewers watching you at all times, right?
Because let’s face it, a single subscriber only gives you $2.50, do you really need a subscribe button because there is a slight chance you might convert 1 of your 3 viewers into a subscriber?
$2.50 is not a whole lot of money. Subscribers are not the best way to make money for smaller streamers, donations are far better!
💰 This article is part of our how to make money on Twitch series.
5 tips to quickly get a sub button on Twitch
To get a sub button, you will need to have at least 3 average viewers over a 30-day period. Here are 5 tips to get you there ASAP!
👉 Invite friends and family
One easy way to get more viewers on your stream so you can get the sub button is to invite your friends and family members to hang out in your stream.
They can join on their tablet, laptop, or phone. Your family members will help you boost your viewership to meet the affiliate requirements. They don’t have to actively watch your stream, they can lurk your Twitch stream instead!
Additionally, additional viewers will boost you in the Twitch directory and you might get a couple of real (non-related) viewers in the meantime!
👉 Collaborate with other streamers
Growing on social media is all about collaborating with other people. Twitch is no different. Big streamers are always increasing their exposure by playing games or hosting calls with other streamers.
You should recreate that, even if you are just a small streamer. Sure, you won’t be able to lure xQc into collaborating with you, but you can find streamers with a similar viewer count as yours.
For more info 📚 Learn how to collaborate with other streamers
👉 Join Twitch Communities
If you want to collaborate with other streamers, you will have to find streamers with similar interests and viewer counts first.
The best place to find other streamers is through Twitch communities.
Twitch communities exist on Reddit, Discord, Facebook, and so on. They are free to join and a great way to meet other streamers, exchange tips, share experiences, network, and much more!
📚 Here is a list of the top Communities for Twitch.
👉 Play a niche game
One big reason why you might not get any viewers on Twitch and therefore don’t have a sub button is that you simply aren’t being discovered.
Discovery is rough on Twitch (our last tip will focus exclusively on that).
The only way to get discovered on Twitch naturally is to play a game that very few streamers are playing.
This means no Fortnite, no Valorant, and no League of Legends. Try something new! Instead, play an Indie title that just came out.
Who knows you might have fun and even become good at the game at which point you can start making videos.
Read also: how to find a niche on Twitch
👉 Gain exposure on Social Media
Due to the lack of discovery on Twitch, streamers have to gain viewers on other platforms.
Two platforms are great for growing on Twitch: YouTube, and TikTok.
Both of these platforms have a built-in algorithm that will help show your content to the right people who could turn into viewers for your Twitch stream. Remember, you only need 3 consistent viewers to get that sub button!
What should you post on these platforms? Highlights!
You can upload fun highlights from your Twitch stream to YouTube Shorts and TikTok. Additionally, you can upload longer-form videos to YouTube as well.
Don’t take their algorithms for granted though. They are hard to master! You will have to learn to edit (or hire someone to do it for you). And you will have to post a lot before something sticks.
But don’t give up. Keep uploading highlights. Keep improving your content and before you know it, you will have that sub button on Twitch.
Conclusion
If your subscribe button is missing, this is likely because you’re not either a Twitch affiliate or Twitch partner.
So you will first have to beat the requirements for either program (listed above) and apply before you can get a sub button on Twitch.
Again, you can NOT have a sub button without being a Twitch affiliate first.
Don’t worry too much about getting the subscribe button, focus on your stream first, money will eventually come down the line.
Below I will answer frequently asked questions concerning the missing sub button. If you have a question not listed here, don’t hesitate to ask away!
Sub button missing? FAQ…
Twitch affiliate sub button not showing
Are you a Twitch affiliate and your sub button is missing? That is because you cannot see your own sub button. Try opening your stream in incognito mode of your browser, it should show up. Sub buttons are always active on Twitch by default as long as you are a Twitch affiliate.
If the button does not show on incognito either, and not even your friends can see the button on your stream, and you’re sure you’re a Twitch affiliate, contact Twitch support to have the case investigated as this is likely a bug.
You didn’t answer how to get the sub button on Twitch…
Yes, I did, you have to become a Twitch affiliate first. Once you become a Twitch affiliate, you will automatically have the subscribe button enabled. You cannot see your own subscribe button when logged in. If it’s not showing up, this is why.
How many followers do I need to get a sub button on Twitch?
In order to apply for the Twitch Affiliate Program, you need at least 50 followers. So once you’ve achieved 50 followers + the other requirements such as stream to 3 concurrent viewers per stream, you can have a sub button on Twitch.
How long does it take to get a sub button on Twitch?
In order to become a Twitch affiliate, you need to beat the requirements over a 30 day period, so you’ll need to be a streamer for at least 30 days. However, being a small streamers and gaining your first followers and viewers isn’t easy so it will likely take a bit longer than that! For this reason, expect for it to take anywhere from 2 – 6 months of streaming before you will be able to get a sub button on Twitch.
How to put a sub button on Twitch
Twitch sub buttons are reserved for Twitch affiliates and Twitch Partners, you will first have to beat the requirements for either program in order to turn on the subscribe button on Twitch.
How many followers do I need to get subs on Twitch?
Followers and subscribers definitely aren’t a 1-1 ratio on Twitch. Following is free and subscriber, well, it costs $4.99 a month so not everyone is likely to go through with it.
Here is a table with some big streamers and their average followers/subscribers:
| Streamer | Followers | avg Subscribers | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| xQc | 5.5m | 59k | 1.07% |
| Ludwig | 3.6m | 60k | 1.66% |
| Shroud | 9m | 13k | 0.14% |
| Pokimane | 7.6m | 10k | 0.13% |
| Fuslie | 877k | 7k | 0.79% |
According to this table’s average, 0.758% of followers, turn into subscribers. This means that you would theoretically need 132 followers to get your very first subscriber.
Obviously, these are average numbers taken from huge streamers, your odds are likely a bit higher as a smaller streamer.
Can you subscribe to a non Affiliate on Twitch?
No, a Twitch streamer needs to at least be an affiliate in order to get subscribers on Twitch. Alternatively, they can be a Twitch partner as well but that program holds higher requirements.
Do Twitch Affiliates get a sub button?
Yes, Twitch affiliates get a sub button. They can have bit donations and enable advertisements on their stream as well!
