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Kick Streaming Platform, Twitch’s New Competitor
Since 2011, Twitch has closely followed YouTube as the leading live-streaming platform, especially for video game live-streaming, esports competitions, and music broadcasts.
Amazon’s subsidiary, Twitch, has gotten so popular, that some influencers and top streamers have turned their hobbies into careers. It seemed that Twitch and YouTube were the lone leaders in live streaming, until now. Kick enters the chat in December 2022.
So, what is this Kick streaming platform all about? Will it compare to Twitch? Let’s dive in.
What Is The Kick Streaming Platform?
After seeing the success of Twitch, angel investors Bijan Tehrani, Ed Craven, launched their own live-streaming platform.
This platform imitates Twitch’s interface and basic features but has a different business motive. The focus of this platform is to loosen moderation and increase revenue shares for streamers.
Compared to Twitch’s 50% and YouTube’s 70% revenue split, Kick’s revenue sharing is 95% in favor of the streamer and only 5% of the platform. This is amongst the highest revenue share percentage, and thus a huge allure for streamers.
However, due to the lack of moderation, users have had consistent feedback that the Kick streaming platform doesn’t have the same safe space that say Twitch and YouTube have.
In addition, this platform is supported by a cryptocurrency casino, meaning gambling is a free-for-all on the network. Considering the majority of streaming platform users children and young adults, this is concerning and dangerous.
However, for only being active less a little over a year, Kick already has 12 million active users.
How Does Kick Work?
Upon first glance, Kick’s interface looks almost identical to that of Twitch. On the Kick homepage you will see lists of streams, including Featured Streams, Top Live Categories, TopL Live Group, and Recommended Channels.
There are a variety of categories where you can stream videos, which includes:
- Games: Video games, esports, etc.
- IRL: Vlogs, travel, ASMR, etc.
- Music: DJ sets, acoustic and covers, dance, etc.
- Gambling: 18+ section, slots, roulette, etc.
- Creative: DIY crafts, art, drawing, etc.
- Alternative: Watch parties, miscellaneous content, etc.
How to Create a Kick Account
If you are looking to get started on this new streaming platform, you can do so in just a few minutes. Head to the Kick website or download the app on iOS and Android.
Click on “Sign Up” in the top right corner. You need to enter some basic information such as email, birthdate, username, and password.
By signing up, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. There are also a series of rules that need to be followed such as no forms of hate speech, discrimination, violence, or sexual harassment. You can find the list of Community Guidelines here.
Kick users must be at least 13 years old. If a user is until 18, they must have additional permission from a parent or guardian.
How to Subscribe to Kick Channels
To follow streamers, simply find the channel you want to follow and click on “Subscribe.” You don’t need to be a subscriber to watch streams. However, gambling streams and channels will be restricted to 18+.
How to Stream on Kick Streaming Platform
When it comes to actually streaming, it is once again very similar to streaming on Twitch. Before streaming, you must have software that supports RTMP, suchas OBS or XSplit. In order to create a live stream, follow these steps:
- Head to Kick.com and login to your account.
- Go to the Creator Dashboard and click on Settings.
- Find the “Stream Key” tab and copy this key.
- Open your streaming software.
- Paste the stream key into the program.
- Go back to Kick and press “Edit Stream Info.”
- Add the information and press “Save.”
- Go back to the streaming platform and press “Start.”
You cannot live stream from the mobile app, however you are able to watch other streams, chat with other users, access exclusive content, subscribe to channels, and send donations to streamers.
Who Is On Kick?
One of the first large streamers to join Kick was Trainwreckstv, who helped get the company up and running. He would help fix bugs during Beta testing, and informed his social media audience about this platform.
After Trainwreckstv, Adin Ross was quick to follow. With over 11 million subscribers, streamer xQc added an account to Kick, where he already has over 400k subscribers.
How To Get Paid on Kick
Now, you may be wondering, how do streamers get paid and how much do they make? As mentioned earlier, streamers receive 95% of the income generated from their streams. Plus, Kick streamers can keep 100% of the tips they earn from viewers.
There are a few different ways to make money on this platform. Here are a few ways you can make cash via Kick:
Join the Kick Creator Program
This is a program that rewards creators on the platform. There are two requirements: have at least 75 followers, and have at least 5 hours of streams.
As promised, you will receive 95% of the subscription revenue, and 100% of any donations. Kick also promises an hourly wage for every eligible streamer based on the total hours of streams, a flat rate from Kick’s advertising CPM’s, average viewer number, viewer demographics, and engagement.
Create Memberships
To create exclusive content that viewers can purchase, you can make money via memberships. As a Kick Creator, you can choose the exclusive content you create, and even different tiers of your membership program if you want.
This is a great way to grow a community, and create stronger relationships with your followers.
Try Adding Your Own Store
If you already have an e-commerce store, or want to create one, you can Kick to promote your store. Inside your Kick profile, you can customize your account to include links, graphics, and information about your channel.
Use this section to link your other social media accounts, to raise more awareness about your brand and start to build a following.
Affiliate Marketing
By promoting products or services, you can receive a commission for every sale you make through your streams. This a way to not only build relationships with your followers, but help other brands boost their business.
You can build trust with your audience by giving honest feedback and reviews. Therefore, promote brands that you already trust and pertain to your niche.
Conclusion
Thus far, Kick still lags behind Twitch. Many streaming fans are skeptical to join and users have described the environment as “toxic” and more prone to harassment. Since there is looser moderation on this platform, it will be hard to stop without tighter restrictions.
But on the other hand, making money on Kick is much easier than on Twitch. Streamers are in a tough spot right now, but the future of Kick is still unknown.
I guess we will just have to follow and see!