Hosting on Twitch is a feature first introduced back in 2014. Interestingly, according to the official blog post regarding the feature, not even Twitch staff were sure exactly how it would work out or the potential dangers it could bring to the platform.
In time, hosting became one of the most popular and signature features on Twitch, used by hundreds of broadcasters daily.
On Twitch, there are two main types of channels. There are established broadcasters, followed by thousands or even millions of people, and smaller streams looking to make a name for themselves and expand their popularity.
But what does this have to do with hosting? Keep reading to find out.
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The Key Reasons For Hosting On Twitch
Before we go into greater detail, it’s important to know that hosting on Twitch is different from raiding. If you are interested to learn more about raiding, our helpful Twitch Raid guide thoroughly covers that topic.
Where hosting is concerned, here’s some of what you can achieve by using this popular Twitch feature.
- Creating a slightly more private environment with your community while watching content together on your channel.
- Providing free exposure to another channel or broadcaster who you want to help grow.
- Continuing to grow your community even while you are not online and broadcasting on Twitch yourself.
For more information on how hosting can help you grow your channel, take a look at the official article published by Twitch.
Hosting On Twitch In A Few Simple Steps
Now that you know more about hosting, its purpose, and how you can use it to grow your channel and community, it’s time to learn about the process itself.
Hosting is relatively simple, and you can do it by following the steps below.
- Type “/host CHANNELNAME” in your chat, replacing “CHANNELNAME” with the name of the real channel you want to host. Do not use quotation marks.
- When you want to stop hosting, type “/unhost” in your chat, and you will see a notification saying you have exited host mode.
Important Things To Note
Keep these points in mind if you frequently host or get hosted on Twitch.
- You can switch the channel you’re hosting up to three times in thirty minutes.
- Your viewers will see advertisements from the channel you’re hosting.
- The channel being hosted will still receive all its revenue if it’s a Twitch Partner or Affiliate.
- The channel hosting will not receive ad revenue while in host mode.
- Users may see a pre-roll advertisement during the transition to host mode.
For more answers to frequently asked questions, you can check out Twitch’s Hosting FAQ section on their blog. If you can’t find an answer to your question, we encourage you to contact Twitch’s support team.
Configuring Twitch Auto-Host
Twitch’s Auto-Host tool is really useful. It helps you back your preferred channels when you’re not online.
Auto-Host is on by default for Twitch Partners, but it is also accessible for all streamers on the platform.
To begin Auto Hosting on your channel, follow the steps provided below.
- Open Twitch on your browser and sign in to your account.
- Navigate to the channel settings panel and select Featured Content.
- In the “Auto Hosting” section, turn the Auto host channels setting on.
Auto Hosting is now enabled on your channel. There are a few other things you should know about this feature.
- The Auto Hosting feature will never interfere with your live content. This means your viewers will never have their live viewing experience interrupted by an auto host while you are broadcasting.
- Auto Hosting begins after your channel goes offline. If you go online again, auto hosting will immediately stop, and your live broadcast will resume.
There’s a three-minute grace period before the auto host feature starts.
This means that if you are experiencing technical difficulties and end up going offline briefly, your audience won’t be surprised by an unexpected auto-host before you return.
If three minutes pass and you don’t go back online, the auto host will begin.
Conclusion
Now you know how to host additional channels and the potential reasons for doing so. Strategic use of this feature can lead to an increased following and greater long-term success for your channel.
You can also host smaller streamers to help them achieve their goals, so use this feature selflessly, and someone may return the favor in the future.