Growing your Twitch stream from those first lonely days of 0 viewers to a broad and engaged audience is not as simple as getting behind a webcam and playing the most popular game on the market. Just like how up and coming YouTubers struggle to break through the sea of content that is constantly expanding on the platform, new Twitch streamers need to be doing all they can to draw attention to their stream. The top streamers on Twitch take up the majority of the viewers who flock to the platform, so how do you get eyeballs on YOUR content?

One such way that can immediately add value to your stream is by adding in custom overlays, other added graphics and Twitch alert sounds. In the case of CJPAT (an Australian Twitch streamer), this was a natural progression for his stream. The big plus was that he saw some seriously positive results once he jumped on his next stream with all the bells and whistles now in place.

Here’s how Cjpat grew his stream and is now just a whisker away from becoming an affiliate on Twitch. 

The rise of a Twitch streamer 

Starting out as most people do, Chris Paterniti (or CJPAT as he’s known on Twitch) had a love for video games and decided to give the world of streaming a crack. Having only been streaming for 4 months now, Cjpat started streaming internally through his Playstation. But as time progressed, he realised that if he was going to give himself the best chance on Twitch, he’d need to make the switch to a streaming PC to get everything set up on.

Although the Twitch platform tends to be dominated by US streamers, CJPAT found that it’s actually a nice environment being an Aussie on Twitch. He’s found that other Australians tend to help each other out and there seems to be a tightknit community that has embraced him.

This is definitely an important part of finding your path through the scary and unpredictable world of Twitch, as having a support group and community can make all the difference in those initial few months. 

Deciding on the right game 

There’s no “right” answer for deciding on what game to stream, as there’s not one game that will skyrocket you to success. CJPAT exclusively plays the Warzone game mode of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, having been a long term fan and player of the global juggernaut COD series since COD 3. 

It’s no surprise that he was hooked on Warzone from the first time he played it, with the streaming industry being dominated by battle royale game types. It was a happy marriage of CJPAT’s interests and a game that happened to be very popular amongst the viewers and top streamers on Twitch. 

Adding graphics and sounds to the stream 

Once he’d been streaming Warzone gameplay for a little while, the move to a streaming PC opened up a world of possibilities for CJPAT. He could now experiment with interesting overlays, alert sounds and more creative assets for his stream. Here’s how to add an overlay in OBS.

Here are the Streamplay products that CJPAT has added to his stream with great effect:

• The Gridline Stream Overlay package 
• The Aussie Sound Pack

One of the big praises that CJPAT had for Streamplay was how easy and affordable the one-off purchases of these products were. Platforms such as Streamlabs OBS charge you on a subscription basis, so having Streamplay’s one-off purchases is a much-needed resource for up and coming streamers looking to stay thrifty with their money. 

CJPAT noticed almost a significant improvement in the growth of his stream almost immediately after implementing the overlays and alert sounds. Previously his stream was receiving a few followers here and there, with a couple of people popping in and out. Now he’s been seeing consistent growth, resulting in him doubling his followers in a few weeks. The stream production quality has had a massive boost and he’s now happy that he’s set up with what he needs to start really growing his stream. 

Check out the additions CJPAT made to his stream with the help of Streamplay Graphics & Sounds. 

Becoming an affiliate on Twitch 

With CJPAT literally days away from becoming an affiliate (most likely has already hit the requirements since this blog has been posted!) let’s have a look at what you need to do to become an affiliate on Twitch. 

The road to becoming an affiliate can be filled with lots of potholes and roundabouts, so it’s important to stay patient and focused as you make your way up the ranks. Quite simply the minimum requirements to achieve the Twitch affiliate status are: 

1. Broadcast at least 500 total minutes in the past 30 days. 
2. Stream on 7 unique broadcast days in the past 30 days. 
3. Achieve an average of at least 3 concurrent viewers in the past 30 days. 
4. Reach at least 50 followers. 

CJPAT explained that by far the most difficult criteria to fulfil is reaching at least 3 concurrent viewers in the past 30 days. So what becomes even more important is once you’ve attracted the audience, how do you get them to stay? This is where your overall personality, gameplay and production quality of the stream all come into play and will influence whether someone deems your stream as entertaining or not.

Advice to up and coming streamers

Still considered a toddler finding his feet on the platform, CJPAT recommends that other up and coming streamers always engage with their audience. As the key to building a true community, you’ll want to show yourself on camera, interact with your viewers and make them feel welcome if they start watching your stream. 

Cjpat encourages others who are looking to get into streaming and offers this bit of advice: 

“Don’t spend a bunch of money if you don’t need to, but get yourself a decent setup and build up slowly from there. As long as your intentions for streaming are pure and you aren’t just looking for a quick money grab, you’ll be laying the foundations for a solid stream.”
See our guide on how to start streaming for everything you need to know to get involved in the streaming space. If you’re already set up and ready to grow your Twitch stream today, have a look through our diverse selection of affordable Twitch overlays, graphics and sounds. Trust us, you’re gonna find something that matches your stream, and if you don’t, we’re happy to customise some to suit your needs!