How Twitch affiliate requirements actually work
Twitch's first rung of monetization asks for 50 followers and 500 broadcast minutes. The math is easy. The payout mechanics are the part worth reading.
Platforms
YouTube, TikTok, Twitch and Substack read through their terms: revenue splits, enforcement patterns, eligibility rules and what changes for creators.
How YouTube's revenue split actually works
YouTube pays creators 55 percent of long-form ad revenue and 45 percent of the Shorts pool, with eligibility set at 1,000 subscribers plus watch hours or Shorts views — splits the platform publishes and dates.
How YouTube's Partner Program eligibility rules work — and what changes in 2027
YouTube is doubling the watch-hour and Shorts-view bar for new monetization applicants starting February 1, 2027. Here's how the current rules work, what's changing, and who the update actually affects.
Snapchat Spotlight payments, explained
Spotlight paid from a fund that started at a million dollars a day in 2020 and was scaled back from 2022, with Snap deciding individual payouts through an undisclosed formula.
Kick versus Twitch: the streamer deal math
Kick's 95 percent sub split pays nearly double Twitch's default 50 percent, and the on-record signings of 2023 showed what that gap was worth to platforms and streamers.
Patreon versus YouTube Memberships math
Patreon's 8 to 12 percent fee plus processing beats YouTube's flat 30 percent cut on rate, but YouTube converts better inside the app, and the right pick depends on format.