Wondering if Twitch actually allows users to stream privately? Or maybe you’re not aware of the method that can help you with private streaming sessions to some extent. Whatever might be the case, this article is crafted to resolve all the queries you might have right now about streaming privately on Twitch.
Live streaming provides us with the opportunity to interact with a large audience base from anywhere in the world. However, the same chance that might connect us with our friends and followers may come as an invasion of privacy or a source of uneasiness for many streamers because live streams can be viewed by anyone.
- Can I Stream Privately on Twitch?
- How to Make a Private Twitch Stream
- Can VIPs and Moderators View a Subscriber-only Twitch Stream?
- Alternative Platforms to Stream Privately
Table of Contents
Can I Stream Privately on Twitch?
If you’re planning to go live on Twitch and wish to keep it private, then you might be surprised to find out that Twitch doesn’t offer any feature to keep your stream private or invite-only.
The platform lacks dedicated settings to let you limit the reach of your live streams in a flexible manner. But that shouldn’t let you down, as the world of the internet always has a way around. The piece of good news is that there indeed are a few ways that can eventually help you limit your stream to the desired audience.
In this guide, we’ll show you some of the ways in which you could set up a private live stream on Twitch.
How to Make a Private Twitch Stream
1. Use an Alt Account
One of the easiest ways to stream on Twitch without getting any significant notice is by creating a new account for yourself with an unimposing name, also known as an alternate (or alt) account. The main reason is that a newly created alt account will have no followers or subscribers who will be notified when you go live.
Here’s how to get started:
1. First off, register a new account on Twitch which you will be using to stream “privately”. Make sure to choose a name that won’t be similar to your original account so that your subscribers or followers won’t find it by chance.
2. Begin the live stream without setting any title, tags, and category. These serve search optimization purposes only so starting a stream without providing any of these details will ensure your stream won’t be found by anyone through the platform’s search functionality.
3. Now share the link of your live stream with people whom you want to join. Sharing the links of your Twitch stream to only the desired individuals is essential when you’re looking for a private online session. This will help restrict others from getting involved.
2. Set Up a Subscriber-Only Stream
The second trick to streaming privately is by making it available to subscribers only. You’ve probably heard of this before; subscriber-only mode is a promising way to stream on Twitch with a limited and desired audience.
As the name suggests, the mode signifies a way to interact wholly and solely with subscribed followers. However, there are some requirements that you’ll actually need to follow before initiating one. These usually include:
- You must be part of the Twitch Affiliate or Twitch Partner program.
- You must have streamed on Twitch at least 90 unique times in 90 unique days.
- Your account must have not violated the platform’s Terms of Services.
If you meet these requirements, then you’ll find an option in the creator dashboard to limit a stream to subscribers only. Once you do this, only people who have subscribed to your channel will be able to watch the live stream.
Can VIPs and Moderators View a Subscriber-only Twitch Stream?
Unfortunately, yes. Whether they are subscribed or not, moderators and VIPs can access your stream even when the preferences are set to subscriber-only. However, you can revoke their access by unchecking their respective checkboxes on the Audience page.
Alternative Platforms to Stream Privately
Applying a few tricks and filters will allow you to stream privately on Twitch. Still, honestly, the stream doesn’t hold on to the nature of being private in every considerable aspect. Luckily, there are other alternatives that can actually let you carry out private streams in a promising manner.
1. YouTube
Just how simple video sharing and viewing works on YouTube, you can also seamlessly continue with private streaming. All that is needed from your side is an account and a channel. The platform bags a dedicated filter called “unlisted” for restricting your stream’s visibility. This means only the individuals with the corresponding link can get themselves into the stream.
2. Discord
Discord is another efficient social media platform that has gained quite a bit of popularity in recent times. The platform also offers a great way to share your screen only with the people you want to.
Wrapping Up
And with that, we’re done with discussing the ways in which you can stream privately on Twitch. Although the platform lacks the appropriate approach to it, there are a few ways that can help you achieve the private streaming goals to some extent. One of the easiest ways is to create an alternative account. Also, the subscriber-only streaming mode is a promising one, but it has a couple of requirements that have to be fulfilled before you can access this feature.
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