Twitch Streaming Glossary
Every term you need to know as a Twitch streamer, from raids to affiliates and beyond.
A
The mean number of concurrent viewers across a stream session, calculated by Twitch. Used for Affiliate and Partner requirements and category ranking.
B
The amount of data transmitted per second in a stream, measured in kbps. Higher bitrate means better video quality but requires more bandwidth.
Twitch's virtual currency that viewers can use to cheer in chat. Streamers earn $0.01 per bit. Available to Affiliates and Partners.
BetterTTV — a browser extension that adds extra emotes, chat features, and customization options to Twitch. Widely used across the Twitch community.
C
A loyalty rewards system on Twitch where viewers earn points by watching and can redeem them for custom rewards set by the streamer.
An automated program that performs moderation and engagement tasks in Twitch chat. Popular bots include Nightbot, StreamElements, and Moobot.
A short highlight (up to 60 seconds) captured from a live Twitch stream. Clips can be shared on social media and embedded on websites.
The number of people watching a stream at any given moment. Differs from average viewers, which is the mean over an entire session.
D
A community space on Discord organized into text and voice channels. Most streamers use Discord servers as their primary off-stream community hub.
E
Custom images used in Twitch chat to express reactions and emotions. Streamers unlock emote slots through Affiliate and Partner status.
F
A one-click action that lets Twitch users subscribe to a channel's go-live notifications and add it to their followed channels list. Following is...
G
An alert sent to followers and subscribers when a streamer starts broadcasting. Notifications can be customized and appear on Twitch, email, and mobile.
H
A deprecated Twitch feature that allowed a channel to broadcast another streamer's content while offline. Replaced by the raid feature in 2022.
A community engagement event triggered when a channel receives a burst of subscriptions, bits, or gift subs in a short period. Completing levels...
L
Being present in a Twitch stream without actively chatting. Lurkers watch and contribute to viewer count but don't participate in chat.
M
A trusted community member given permissions to manage chat, timeout or ban users, and enforce channel rules. Identified by a green sword badge.
O
Open Broadcaster Software — a popular, open-source application for live streaming and recording. Used by most Twitch streamers.
A graphical layer displayed on top of a stream that includes elements like webcam frames, alerts, chat boxes, and branding.
R
An organized event where multiple streamers raid each other in sequence, creating a chain of audience movement across channels.
S
A Twitch command (/shoutout) that displays a promoted panel in chat highlighting another streamer, including their last stream category and a link...
A group of Twitch streamers who band together under a shared team page. Stream teams are created by Partners and provide cross-promotion and...
The practice of building genuine relationships with other streamers through community participation, raids, Discord engagement, and collaboration.
A viewer who pays a monthly fee ($4.99/$9.99/$24.99 for Tier 1/2/3) to support a streamer. Subscribers get ad-free viewing, custom emotes, and badges.
T
The first tier of the Twitch Partner Program that allows streamers to earn revenue through subscriptions, bits, and ads. Requires 50 followers,...
The game or activity label assigned to a stream that determines which browse page it appears on. Formerly called "Games" in the Twitch directory.
The highest tier of the Twitch Partner Program, offering verified badges, more emote slots, priority support, and higher revenue shares. Requires...
A built-in Twitch feature that sends all of a streamer's viewers to another channel when they end their stream. Initiated with the /raid command.
V
A special chat role granted by streamers to valued community members. VIPs can chat during subscriber-only or slow mode and have a distinctive badge.
Video on Demand — a recording of a past Twitch broadcast. VODs are stored on your channel for 14 days (60 days for Partners) and can be...
W
A private message sent between Twitch users. Whispers appear in a separate chat interface and are not visible to other viewers.
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