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How To Allow and Set Up Donations Through Your Twitch Channel

Introduction

Accepting donations through your Twitch channel is a great way to earn additional income as a streamer. With the right setup, enabling donations is quick and easy. This article will walk you through everything you need to know to allow donations on Twitch.

Benefits of Accepting Donations

Here are some of the key benefits of accepting donations on Twitch:

  • Additional revenue stream – Donations provide a way for supportive viewers to contribute financially to your channel. Over time these small donations can add up.
  • Engages viewers – Having the option to donate makes viewers feel more invested in your channel. It gives them a way to actively participate.
  • Lets viewers support your work – If fans really enjoy your content, donations give them a way to help support the work you put into your streams.
  • Unlocks channel growth opportunities – The income from donations can allow you to invest back into improving your channel, like upgrading equipment, purchasing games, etc.

Popular Donation Methods

There are a few popular platforms that Twitch streamers use to accept donations:

Twitch Bits

  • Twitch’s built-in virtual currency
  • Viewers purchase Bits then “Cheer” them in your channel’s chat
  • Only available once you become a Twitch Affiliate or Partner

PayPal

  • Add a PayPal donation link directly on your Twitch channel
  • Viewers that click the link will be taken to PayPal to complete the donation
  • Works for all channel sizes

Streamlabs

  • Third party service that integrates with Twitch
  • Provides customizable donation pages and alerts
  • Works for all channel sizes

Step-by-Step Setup Instructions

Enabling Twitch Bits

  1. Navigate to the “Bits & Cheering” section of your Twitch Affiliate/Partner dashboard
  2. Toggle the switch to enable Bits and Cheering
  3. Customize your Cheermotes and Bit options

Once enabled, viewers will be able to purchase Bits and Cheer them in your chat.

Adding a PayPal Donation Link

  1. Click the “Edit Panels” button on your Twitch channel’s About page
  2. Click the “+” icon to add a new panel
  3. Select “Text/Image” and give the panel a title like “Donate”
  4. Paste your PayPal.me donation link into the panel’s text box
  5. Click “Submit” to save the panel

Setting Up Streamlabs Donations

  1. Create a Streamlabs account
  2. Click “Donation Settings” and link your PayPal account
  3. Customize your donation page design, alerts, etc.
  4. Add the Streamlabs browser source into OBS or Streamlabs OBS

Streamlabs provides customizable alerts and widgets for displaying new donations.

Encouraging Viewers to Donate

  • Occasionally mention the donation option during streams
  • Create donation goals and on-screen trackers
  • Thank new donors verbally and on-screen after receiving the alert
  • Offer donor incentives like naming characters after supporters

Being subtle but consistent about the availability of donations leads to the best results.

Managing and Using Your Donation Income

As the donations start coming in, you’ll want to properly manage and make use of the income:

  • Withdraw donations from PayPal/Streamlabs to your bank account
  • Track donations received for tax purposes
  • Reinvest some of the income into improving your stream setup and content
  • Save a portion for future expenses like travel to gaming conferences
  • Thank your donors and show them the impact of their support

Managing donations wisely will maximize the value streamers get from this revenue channel.

Conclusion

Enabling donations through platforms like Twitch Bits, PayPal, and Streamlabs unlocks an excellent additional income stream for your channel. With the right setup, on-screen alerts, and community engagement, viewer donations can become a major component of your channel’s monetization strategy.

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