Founded in America, Twitch is a live streaming service that allows you to watch video games being live-streamed as well as esports competitions. It also offers broadcasts of online poker, creative content, and music broadcasting.
With so much to choose from, how do you know where to begin? Read on to find out more about some of the most popular categories streamed on Twitch and why you should stream them too.
Most Popular Twitch Categories
1. Just Chatting
Most streamers are huge talkers, and luckily for them, there are lots of people around the globe who want to tune in and listen. Recent industry reports have shown that “Just Chatting” is the most-watched category on Twitch, with 2.983B streams. On any random weekday afternoon, you could look and see about 500k viewers at a time. Similar to podcasts, people like to work and have some chatting in the background. One of the top superstars of the category is ‘Asmongold,’ who gets 100k viewers a pop. In this category, people talk about anything and everything. Some streamers will engage with their viewers before heading to a game. There are comedic duos and even tarot card readings. It will be easy to find your niche quickly in this category.
2. Music
When the pandemic hit, live music events quickly became a thing of the past. But this is where Twitch came through. Thanks to Twitch, musicians from across the globe can broadcast music straight from the comfort of their bedrooms. This phenomenon is still very much a thing for popular and emerging artists alike. You can play instruments, sing and create digital music in the music category.
3. ASMR
ASMR, otherwise known as autonomous sensory meridian response, is a trend that was popular on YouTube a few years ago and has stuck around ever since. Most people enjoy the sounds of streamers tapping on things with their nails, chewing crunchy foods, and whispering. It is meant to produce tingles similar to tickling sensations across the head and spine. If you don’t know which one you would enjoy, there are plenty of options to explore on Twitch to find which one your body reacts to.
4. Art
It is unfortunate that not all of us can be talented in painting or drawing. Still, it doesn’t mean we can’t appreciate something being made. Thankfully, there are plenty of artists who do just that on Twitch. There is a section called Streamlabs where lots of artists paint, draw and do all sorts over there, perfect for a rainy day when you want to just watch something beautiful being created.
5. League of Legends – Gaming
We could do a whole other article on the most popular games streamed on Twitch, but for now, we will just mention LoL. It is easily one of the most popular streamed games on the platform. Its popularity can be stemmed back to its developer, Riot Games, for creating battle royales from the beginning. This method was adopted by Fortnite in later years. League of Legends is played and appreciated all over the world, with many esports competitions annually taking place based on it alone. The main place to watch all LoL action is on Twitch, where many premier content players can be found. The viewership is just as popular as traditional sports, as millions of people tune into Twitch to watch LoL like they would ESPN or NBA.
6. Talk Shows/Podcasts
This category differs from ‘Just Chatting’ as it usually features streams with more than one host. Here, you can find people discussing various topics like religion, sports, and relationships. If you are trying to learn a new language, this is a great place to get into some listening practice.
There are so many debates on Twitch about how you can strategically choose certain categories to get more views, but really, it should be used as a platform where you can enjoy things. Selecting a game or particular category that you aren’t really interested in means that you won’t be enjoying your stream, and the viewers will be able to tell that from the offset. Instead, stream what you enjoy, whether it is a popular category or an empty one, it shouldn’t matter. The viewers will always come.
