Frequently Asked Questions about Streaming - Page 7 of 8

Twitch has a myriad of tools on offer to its content creators to provide their community with some rewards, be it emotes and badges next to their names in chat. One of the most sought after badges outside of a moderator is the VIP (very important person) badge. This is a diamond icon on a purple/pink background that tells everyone on the stream who their best supporters are. If you're new viewer to Twitch or you are a new content creator and want to know how to best utilise this award then read on. What is Twitch VIP? A Twitch VIP is a channel specific role for the most favoured users - they are handpicked by the content creators and it can be done for any reason whatsoever, although they are typically handed out to those who were there as supporters in the channel's early days, winning a giveaway or by being a standout, outstanding members of the community. Some view a VIP as prestigious and others may see it as a little hardcore. If you like to watch a variety of streamers it can be difficult to get VIP from one channel as there will be others who will be totally dedicated to a specific small set of creators. There are only a finite amount of VIP roles a creator can give out (more on this later) which adds to their attractiveness for fans. Either way, a VIP badge is available for creators to give to users they feel are deserving. What does VIP do on Twitch? The first thing a VIP role does is give them a very obvious and visible badge next to their name. Which looks like this: Twitch VIP icon, very discrete It's not discreet at a all but then again that's probably the point. So, this is the first thing that Twitch VIP gives a user. Secondly, Twitch VIP does give some genuinely sought after perks in a streamer's chat. Here's a list. A user given the VIP role can chat normally if a chat is in slow mode, sub-only or followers-only mode. Can post links on the chat even if the links are disabled.VIP'd users are not affected by rate limits and can chat continuously with people. All in all, a VIP user has extended abilities on the stream chat, and nothing else. For users who watch a small number of streamers this can be achievable, for lurkers or people like me who don't necessary follow a single streamer it can be unobtainable. Then again, those people wouldn't be that bothered about VIP anyway. How many VIPs can a creator give out? Are you a content creator and want to know how much you can assign? There is a set number of VIPs a creator can give out based on certain metrics. However, a first step is required to be completed before any of the other metrics come to play. That step is to complete the Build a Community achievement. To do this you need to have 50 followers and 5 unique chatters in a stream. When this achievement is complete, you will be given 10 VIP slots. To earn more slots, you need to increase your unique chatters. They scale like this: Unique ChattersVIP slots1020153020402550506010080200100 Once you have hit 200 unique chatters you have reached the maximum number of VIP slots Twitch currently offer which is 100. How to make someone VIP on Twitch Only the channel owner can make someone a VIP and there are two ways to dit: Using chat commands Content creators can use chat commands to quick assign a VIP role. Simply type /vip (username) and it will be done instantly. To remove them from being a vip the command is /unvip (username). From the dashboard To make someone a VIP from the dashboard, head to the roles manager tab. If the user you want to give the VIP badge to already has another role they will appear in the list, just click on the '+' icon to give them a new role. For a user who has no existing role click add new. How to become a VIP on Twitch? Content creators are in sole control of who gets a VIP badge and why, there are no two ways about it. With that being said, the goal is to convince the content creator that you really are a very important person for their channel and bring a lot of positivity to the community. Every channel owner will have their own rules on who gets the coveted badge so making a 100% accurate guide on how to get a VIP badge is impossible. However. Here are some tips on how to significantly increase your chances of getting one. Follow the channel rules at all times Most streamers will have written some chat rules in their about page. Generally it will consist of stuff like: No backseatingNo hate speechNo politicsEnglish onlyNo self promotion You should be aware of these rules at all times and stay within them. Streamers can see your chat history in their logs which includes mod comments. By having a spotless record you will improve your chances of being assigned a VIP role. Watch a lot (channel points) Watching a lot of streams gives you more opportunities to chat and get to know the creator and their community. On top, you also start to earn channel points and various rewards that the creator has set. Some creators set VIP as a very high end reward (100,000+) so you can slowly earn it without doing much. But, even if they don't have VIP as a channel point reward you can still use them wisely and get noticed on the stream. Small little steps to being a positive force on the channel. Be active and positive in chat It should go without saying that being active (but not to the point of spamming) and and positive in the chat is crucial on the road to VIP. Pro tip 1: Watch how the existing VIPs and moderators interact in chat to get a feeling of what the content creators like - watch for things like their tone, frequency of messages and how they respond to others. Pro tip 2: Welcome new viewers into the chat. Keep an eye on members with no badges and give them a reason to want to stay in the stream. A content creators goal is to grow their twitch and if you are actively helping them then it will certainly add to your VIP application CV. Gift subs Gifting subs to other users gives the creator money (50% of the cost of the sub) and helps build their community. Often, creators would rather $100 of gifted subs than just a $100 donation. Regularly gifting subs will cost you but it help you be seen by the community, you will appear on leaderboards and you will help the creator grow their Twitch and definitely get you on the right path to becoming a VIP. Donating, tipping, cheering, buying merch We've left this till last because we don't want to discourage viewers from the reality of VIP badges. Users who regularly give money to streamers are more likely to gain a VIP badge, it's as simple as that. Streamers who may notice this kind of behaviour will want it to continue and what better way to do that than giving them the VIP role. This does not mean that someone can't earn it by working hard, they absolutely can, but those with deeper pockets can 'pay to win' in the real world. But, those users who donate but don't really get involved in the community can always lose it and they may find themselves having to blindly keep donating just to hold on to the title. We believe great content creators deserve the extra financial help but no user should do it for the wrong reasons. Twitch VIP FAQs Do VIPs get ads?Yes, unless they are also a subscriber or have Twitch Turbo.Can you change the VIP badge?No, the VIP badge is the same on every channel - a diamond on a purple/pink background. It's possible Twitch will change this in the future but it is unlikely.Can you be a subscriber and a VIP?Yes. Most VIPs are also subscribers.Can you be a moderator and a VIP?Yes. A moderator can be a VIP.