What are the differences between YouTube and Twitch?

The world of streaming has grown by leaps and bounds in recent times, fuelled by the emergence of leading platforms such as Twitch and YouTube. These platforms have opened up a world of possibilities for content creators and broadcasters, making it easier for them to connect with large audiences in ways never before possible.

But how do these two social networks differ?

If you're thinking of getting into livestreaming and don't know which platform to choose, this article will help you understand the key differences between Twitch and YouTube. From user experience and target audience to monetization opportunities, we reveal the key criteria to consider when identifying the platform best suited to your brand.

Introducing Twitch and YouTube

Before comparing Twitch and YouTube, it's crucial to understand what each platform has to offer.

Launched in 2005, YouTube is a video-sharing site that lets users view, like, share, comment on and upload their own videos. Although the platform is best known for its pre-recorded content such as tutorials, vlogs, video essays and sketches, it also offers a live streaming service: YouTube Live. This service offers creators the chance to broadcast content in real time, while their subscribers can interact via live chat.

Since 2021, livestreaming has become increasingly important on YouTube. According to BusinessofApps, more than 5 billion hours of live content were viewed on YouTube in 2021 alone. Statista also notes that 5% of Twitch viewers also watched a livestream on YouTube during the same period.

As for Twitch, this more recent platform, which appeared in 2021, quickly focused on live streaming, particularly in the gaming sector. Today, Twitch dominates the livestreaming market, with over 18.5 billion hours of content viewed so far this year. Although other types of content have emerged on the platform, gaming remains predominant, attracting a large part of the Twitch community.

What are the main differences between Twitch and YouTube?

If you're on the fence between YouTube and Twitch when it comes to positioning your brand in the livestreaming world, there are several things to consider. Despite their similarities in terms of live streaming, advertising and partnerships, these two platforms offer distinct experiences and growth prospects.

Here are the key differences between Twitch and YouTube:

The browsing experience

Twitch and YouTube, although both search engines, have different approaches to recommending content to their users.

Twitch, primarily designed for live streaming, tends to focus on the most popular streamers. Its interface is optimized for discovering new streamers, with a search function based on games or specific types of content such as speedrun or IRL (In Real Life) content. However, the platform does not allow users to customize their thumbnails.

On the other hand, benefiting from Google's support, YouTube makes search more accessible for beginners thanks to a customizable thumbnail feature, which gives creators more creative control and opportunities to promote their content. Its navigation function is designed to search for videos, creators or branded YouTube accounts brand accounts on specific topics. When it comes to content recommendation, YouTube prioritizes content relevance based on the user's viewing habits.

As such, the two platforms offer distinct experiences in terms of content search and discovery, with Twitch favoring popular streamers, and YouTube emphasizing content relevance to the viewer.

Content rules

When it comes to content regulation, Twitch and YouTube have different requirements.

Twitch, although less strict than YouTube on the type of content broadcast, still imposes certain limits. Because live streams are harder to moderate, Twitch doesn't impose the same level of validation on its pre-recorded videos as YouTube does. However, this doesn't mean that anything goes on Twitch. The platform strictly prohibits nudity, sexually suggestive content, violence and hate speech.

YouTube, on the other hand, has stricter content rules. The platform has zero tolerance for suggestive or violent content, even if it's not explicitly graphic. In the event of a breach of its rules, YouTube applies a system of three warnings before taking action, while Twitch has a reputation for banning its creators without notice, whether they have contracts or not.

All in all, the two platforms show notable differences when it comes to content guidelines, with YouTube being stricter, while Twitch is sometimes stricter in the application of its rules.

Audience and growth 

When it comes to growth and audience, YouTube and Twitch offer unique opportunities and challenges.

Thanks to an efficient algorithm, YouTube facilitates the rapid growth of smaller creators' channels. However, Twitch, with its focus on popular content streamers, offers more limited growth opportunities for newcomers.

Nevertheless, in terms of audience and viewing time, Twitch takes the lead, with 3.3 million simultaneous viewers in 2022 and an impressive 21 billion hours of content viewed. Much of this growth has been fuelled by the pandemic. By comparison, YouTube, in its Gaming category, recorded 705K simultaneous viewers and 10 billion viewing hours over the same period.

In terms of demographics, YouTube attracts an audience predominantly aged between 25 and 44, with 80% having viewed at least one video during the month. On Twitch, the audience is younger, with 75% of users aged 16 to 34.

As for growth opportunities, YouTube, thanks to its algorithm, favors the discovery of smaller creators by new users, while Twitch tends to favor streamers who already have a sizeable community. However, Twitch requires greater commitment from its users, requiring regular live streams and interaction with subscribers to develop a channel.

Monetization and partnerships 

Twitch and YouTube present a variety of options for their content creators to generate revenue. These options include advertising revenue, brand partnerships, subscriptions, donations and even the sale of merchandising.

Twitch has developed a range of monetization options including paid subscriptions to certain creators via the Twitch Prime service, live donations during livestreams, sponsored advertising and even affiliate programs. Twitch also makes it easy to become an affiliate or partner. Its eligibility criteria are less stringent than YouTube's in terms of number of subscribers and viewing hours. This two-tier system makes it easier for streamers to start monetizing their channels.

YouTube allows creators to benefit from contextual advertising through Google Adsense, which can significantly improve conversion rates. What's more, YouTube passes on 55% of advertising revenues to its creators, a significant advantage. The platform also offers features such as Super Chat and Super Stickers, which enable viewers to support their favorite creators by sending highlighted messages during lives. Unlike Twitch, YouTube only offers the YouTube Affiliates program for youtubers wishing to monetize their content.

Which is better: Twitch or YouTube?

There's no absolute answer to the question of whether you should opt for YouTube Live or Twitch for your live broadcasts. Indeed, both platforms offer undeniable advantages. While YouTube boasts a higher number of daily active users, Twitch reigns supreme when it comes to livestreaming, especially in the field of video games.

If your aim is to reach a young audience and create a passionate community around your brand, then Twitch could be the best choice. This platform is entirely dedicated to livestreaming and offers many opportunities to interact with your audience.

As for YouTube, although its growing commitment to live formats is notable, the platform remains primarily geared towards the distribution of pre-recorded and edited videos. It is widely appreciated by content creators for the numerous monetization opportunities it offers. What's more, YouTube can be a valuable ally for brands. Indeed, thanks to search engine optimization (SEO), a brand canincrease the visibility of its channel on Google's search engine, ensuring greater reach.

{{cta}}