Alex Reed
Covers platform rules and the creator economy on Twitch, Kick and YouTube — monetization tiers, payouts, terms changes, bans and enforcement, and what each policy shift actually costs a streamer.
82 news articles · 13 guides
Guides
- Kick vs Twitch (2026): Pay, Rules and Audience Compared
Kick vs Twitch decided in the first paragraph: $4.75 of a $5 Kick sub vs about $2.50 on Twitch's default split, the KICK Partner Program vs Twitch Plus Points, gambling and multistreaming rules, quality caps and VOD storage — plus why the '$16 an hour' Kick claim is out of date.
- Kick vs Twitch by Language (2026): Where Each Platform Wins
Kick carries 95% of Arabic and 93% of Turkish Twitch-plus-Kick watch time but only 17% of English; Portuguese was Kick's big mover in Q3 2026. Every major language compared, with the reasons where they are documented.
- How to Make and Edit Twitch Clips (2026): Clip, Cut, Repost
The Alt+X hotkey and the 90-second capture buffer, the 60-second limit, Twitch's built-in captions and portrait crop, where clips live in the Creator Dashboard, how to cut them into vertical TikToks and Shorts, what Twitch's new CapCut partnership actually gives you, why you cannot upload a clip as a clip, and the 100-hour storage cap that deletes old highlights.
- TikTok LIVE Subscription Is Now Super Fan (2026): Price, Payout
Super Fan replaced LIVE Subscription on September 15, 2025: $9.99 a month, up to 50% of TikTok's net revenue to creators. How it differs from the non-LIVE Subscription, who can offer it, perks, tools and setup.
- Twitch Emotes Explained: Meanings, How to Add Them, and 7TV vs BTTV
What every big Twitch emote means (KEKW, LUL, PogChamp, Sadge, monkaS, COPIUM and more), the most used emotes in Twitch chat this week from Streams Charts data, how to upload your own, and why half the emotes in chat are invisible without 7TV, BetterTTV or FrankerFaceZ.
- How to Withdraw Money From Twitch (2026): Methods, Thresholds, Taxes
Every route out of Twitch: payout methods and their thresholds, the $50 minimum, when Twitch really pays, the tax interview and the 30% withholding that a completed treaty section removes, plus country notes for the US, Europe, Brazil and Ukraine — and the Spendable Balance, which spends earnings on Bits and gift subs before you can withdraw them.
- Twitch Affiliate Requirements 2026: The Four Numbers (Updated in June)
Twitch cut the bar in June 2026: 25 followers, 4 hours streamed, 4 broadcast days and 3 average concurrent viewers in a rolling 30-day window. What each number means, why only one of them is hard, where to track progress, what Affiliate is worth now that subs and Bits are open to everyone, and how Partner compares.
- Streaming Platform Revenue Split 2026: Which Platform Pays Creators the Most?
Kick 95%, YouTube 70%, Twitch 50–70%, TikTok ~50%, Rumble 60% — the complete 2026 breakdown of what creators actually keep per sub, gift, and ad view across every major platform.
- How to Download Kick VODs and Clips (2026): Free Kick Downloader
Kick clips have a Download button; Kick VODs have none. The free downloader Kick's own help center recommends (full VOD or a time range, MP4/TS up to 1080p), the m3u8-into-VLC route, and how long Kick keeps VODs (7 or 30 days, plus pinning).
- How to Download Twitch Clips and VODs (2026): Free Downloader
Download any Twitch clip as an MP4 up to 1080p with the free Streams Charts downloader, save your own clips and VODs from Clips Manager and Video Producer before they expire (7, 14 or 60 days), and the honest options for other people's VODs.
- What is Club.com and How to Join — Creator Monetization Guide
Learn what Club.com is, how to create an account, and start earning from exclusive content. The new invite-only creator platform from the team behind Kick & Stake.
- Monetization Strategies for Streamers
Learn how to earn income from your streams through multiple revenue channels
- Best Affiliate Programs for Streamers
Discover high-paying affiliate programs for streamers across gaming gear, VPNs, energy drinks, and more
News
- Twitch Is Offering Partners 80% of Cameo Booking Fees
September 24, 2026
- Looksmaxxing Influencer Clavicular Charged With Rape in Massachusetts
September 23, 2026
- Livad Launches Virtual Product Placement for Livestreamers
September 19, 2026
- The CLARITY Act Vote Pulled 69K Live Viewers — Just Not on Twitch
September 16, 2026
- 40,000 Twitch Streamers Listed for Sale — and the Extension Story Underneath It
September 16, 2026
- Kai Cenat Put a Streamer Fashion Line on the New York Fashion Week Runway
September 15, 2026
- Ironmouse Is Getting a Fortnite Icon Series Skin — September 18
September 15, 2026
- N3on Defends the AI Version of Himself That Keeps Streaming While He Sleeps
September 9, 2026
- Kick Blocks Its Slots & Casino Category in Japan — the Ninth Country to Lose It
September 7, 2026
- Who Has the Most Subs on Twitch? Cinna Is Now #1 With 127K Active Subs
September 3, 2026
- Twitch Pokémon Chat Badges: How to Get Every Badge Before October 1
August 24, 2026
- Club App Is Live on iOS and Android — Invite-Only Gate Is Gone
August 21, 2026
- Twitch Opens Sponsorships to Affiliates — and Wehype Is the New Partner
August 20, 2026
- Twitch SUBtember 2026: Dates, Discounts & What Doesn't Qualify
August 19, 2026
- Twitch Trains Amazon's AI on Your Streams by Default — How to Opt Out
August 12, 2026
- YouTube Doubles YPP Requirements: 8,000 Watch Hours or 20M Shorts Views from February 2027
August 11, 2026
- Riot's Creator Partner Program: VALORANT Applications Close August 28, LoL and TFT Next
August 4, 2026
- Ludwig Reveals the Full Streamer Games 2026 Roster: All 8 Teams, 40 Creators
July 30, 2026
- Poland Signs World's First Anti-Trash-Streaming Law — Up to 5 Years in Prison
July 21, 2026
- Twitch Names Official Jersey Partner for 2026 Streamer University Championship
July 19, 2026
- Twitch Summer Drops Fest 2026: 45+ Games, Free In-Game Rewards (July 10–24)
July 12, 2026
- Kick Beat Max: Win a Share of $100,000 Playing PUBG: Battlegrounds
July 12, 2026
- YouTube Launches Seasons & Episodes Feature — Looks Just Like Netflix
July 11, 2026
- 8Bit Creatives Becomes Kick's First Creator Agency Partner in India — 48 Streamers Join
July 9, 2026
- Kai Cenat Goes Multiplatform: Streaming on Both Twitch & YouTube From Now On
July 5, 2026
- Kai Cenat Returns July 6 — Streamer University 2 Student & Professor Reveal Live on Twitch and YouTube
July 4, 2026
- Inside Kick 2026: 100M Users, $1B Investment, Still Not Profitable — Key Facts from SMH Interview
June 30, 2026
- Twitch EU Subscription Refund: New "Withdraw from Sub" Option — 14-Day Full Refund
June 19, 2026
- UK Bans Under-16s from Social Media & Livestreaming: Twitch and YouTube at Risk
June 15, 2026
- Twitch Creator Sponsorship Certification: 12-Hour Early Access for Partners & Affiliates
June 15, 2026
- MrBeast 500 Million Subscribers Livestream: First Creator in YouTube History
June 12, 2026
- Stake Ranked Drops: Watch CS2 on Kick & Win a Custom Gaming PC
May 27, 2026
- PewDiePie Is Ending His YouTube Vlogs to Protect Son Björn's Privacy
May 26, 2026
- Eleven All Stars 2026 Results: France Wins 4-3 — 1M+ Peak Viewers
May 24, 2026
- Kick Reimagines Its Front Page — New Homepage Layout Rolling Out
May 22, 2026
- NYC Mayor Mamdani Launches 'Talk with the People' — First Recurring Twitch Show by a US Official
May 21, 2026
- StreamElements Shutdown Rumored — Platform Confirms Acquisition Talks, Kick CEO Responds
May 16, 2026
- Twitch Opens Monetization to All Streamers Globally — No Affiliate Required
May 13, 2026
- Brand Risk 14: Full Fight Card, Date, Time & How to Watch — Adin Ross & Dana White
May 13, 2026
- Twitch Tests Streamer Shouts: Personalized Post-Stream Messages to Viewers
May 8, 2026
Other desks
- Mira Okonkwo — Esports & Live Events
- Dan Whitfield — Gear & Production
- Sofia Vance — Short-Form & Growth
- Kenji Arai — Data & Tools