Twitch begins testing a TikTok-like clip channel to boost discoveries

 

Twitch begins testing a TikTok-like clip channel to boost discoveries

The previously announced Twitch Discovery Feed is now available for live testing following the July feature announcement. The new channel will display short snippets of streams in a TikTok-like section of the Twitch app, giving offline creators the opportunity to connect with new viewers without spending hours going live.

 

  The test is now available in Limited Experience, so only part of the Twitch base can try it. The company says it will use the testing phase to train the algorithm and collect user feedback before fully releasing the Discovery Feed in the fall.

  creators on Twitch can now choose which clips they want to mix with the new Discovery Channel and other "Discovery Surfaces" e.g. B.Volume. new sections of the site designed to direct new viewers to the channels that might interest them. Twitch will also upload regular clips to the channel, but says it will prioritize clips selected by streamers (there is no cap on the number of clips selected) and ultimately only use recommended clips to maximize creator control.

 

  The Discovery Feed will be part of the Twitch version of the Stories feature, launching in October. The platform also recently added a tool that quickly exports videos vertically for sharing on social media apps like TikTok. (The new Clips channel currently includes horizontal videos, but Twitch says more vertical videos will be added "as the channel evolves.)

  Wizards has long urged the company to build more features to engage fans and to reach a new audience. Unlike a fully algorithmic platform like TikTok, Twitch streamers have relatively few opportunities to gain new followers and subscribers. Without a robust detection system like TikTok's For You page or YouTube's recommendation engine, small and medium-sized Twitch streamers often struggle to grow their audience without heavily relying on cross-platform advertising. The platform's drive to build a steady following is notorious, not to mention how difficult it is to make any meaningful income on a live streaming platform.

  The more time Twitch streamers spend streaming, the better for Twitch, but ultimately the company knows that creator burnout and mental health are issues that can threaten the long-term health of the community platform. While other social media sites encourage endless engagement and frequent posting, there's little that lives up to the demands of Twitch, where streamers spend hours every day building and retaining followers. Twitch's

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  Categories sorting individual streamers by game and content type (Baldur's Gate 3, Chat Only, Music, etc.) and recently added tags encourage users to find new streamers, but don't collect all those who are alive at the moment. This system encourages streamers to spend more time live to increase the chance of being caught, and gives offline streamers few opportunities to connect with people who might enjoy their streams.

"Since Twitch is only focused on live interactive channels, our goal is not for viewers to spend hours on the Klipy channel," the company wrote in a blog post announcing the Discovery Feed. Our investment in Clips is to help viewers discover your channel so they can connect with you and your community as they stream.