Everything you need to know about our new subscriptions beta

We’re introducing two additional ways for communities to support their favorite partnered streamers: $9.99 and $24.99 subscriptions. These new subs allow you to support streamers you love, while Partners are able to reward their super fans with perks like special emotes.

This program will be launching soon as an opt-in beta, so Partners can try it out and give us their feedback.

So, what can you expect?

Our new subscription options let Partners reward and interact with their most passionate fans (that’s you!) in new ways:

• Send a message to the community upon first subscribing.
• Access to additional emotes for $9.99 and $24.99 subs, if provided by a Partner.
• Help a Partner unlock new emotes faster, as $9.99 subs are worth two subscriber counts and $24.99 subs are worth six subscriber counts. Combined with our revamped emote tiers, this means new emotes will be rolling out for communities even quicker!
• Participate in new $9.99 and $24.99 subscriber roles based within the Twitch App, if offered by a Partner.

What’s coming next?

As we build this program, our goal is to provide partnered streamers with a better way to earn a steady income and to give viewers more options to support streamers on Twitch. This includes long-requested features like the ability for a user to gift a channel subscription to another non-subbed user, which will be coming to Twitch later this year. We’re already working on it, and expect to start testing this within the next few months.

FAQ (For viewers)

When will the beta launch?

A. Very soon.

Will the $9.99 and $24.99 subscriptions be available on all channels?

A. Initially, these new subscriptions will only be available on Partnered channels who opt into the beta. This will be a rolling beta with new channels added weekly. If you are a Partner, please check your email for opt-in info.

When will $9.99 and $24.99 subscriptions come out of beta?

A. Our new sub options will be available universally (across all Partnered channels) over the next several weeks.

Will the $4.99 subscription still exist?

A. Yes, you will still be able to support a streamer with this option.

Will the new options auto-renew like the $4.99 subscription?

Yes, it will be similar to our existing monthly subscriptions.

How does this apply to Twitch Prime?

A. Twitch Prime members can continue getting a $4.99 subscription at no additional cost every 30 days with their Prime membership.

Do the new subscriptions support proration?

A. We do not currently support the proration of subscriptions. This means if you upgrade before the end of a billing cycle you will not receive credit for the remaining amount until the end of the billing cycle. If this is a concern, we recommend upgrading at the end of the billing cycle. For more info on purchase support, see our FAQ.

FAQ (For Partners)

Are additional emotes for $9.99 and $24.99 subscription required?

A. No, it’s optional. We encourage you to do what’s best for your community.

I’ve heard about permanent emote unlock — how will that work during the beta?

A. When the beta launches, the emote slots you gain will start to be yours permanently. However, you will not be able to switch your emotes freely if you fall under the required active sub count right away. We’ll be adding this feature once the new subscriptions come out of beta, and will carry over the peak emote slot count you reached starting from the beta.

How and when can I upload additional emotes?

A. When our beta launches, you will be able to upload all your emotes (including new emotes for $9.99 and $24.99 subs) via your dashboard. We anticipate an influx of new emotes and required approvals, and are working to ensure that your new emotes are live as quickly as possible.

How will this work with existing overlays & notifications?

A. We’ve partnered with developers like StreamLabs, Bit Boss Battles, and Muxy to ensure support for this feature upon our beta launch.

Are there any changes to the API to allow to us to access more info about subscription status?

A. Absolutely! We’ve updated the existing subscriber APIs to include subscription types, tenure, and more. A PubSub topic for subscriptions was added to make it even easier to integrate with the system. For more info, visit dev.twitch.tv/docs.

I have additional questions. Where can I learn more?

A. Please check your email for more details. In that email, there’s also a registration link for a Partner-only webinar we’re hosting, which will go over this info plus address some top questions.