The magic of music is the deeply emotional, human connection it forges between the musician and the listener. And some of the biggest moments in music are happening on Twitch right now.

Sure, the service is known to be one of the most popular places for gamers to livestream. But the number of hours viewers spent watching content beyond gaming is on an upward trajectory, climbing 63% YoY in 2021 (and that’s on top of the quadrupling in 2020, compared to 2018).

At any given moment, some 2.5 million viewers are watching streamers on Twitch, where music is one of the fastest growing categories on the service.

What are they watching? Music fans are tuning into intimate studio sessions with their favorite artists—both established and emerging—as well as live concerts and epic music festivals, all of which are tailored to the livestreaming experience on Twitch.

For brands, this is an unparalleled opportunity to connect with a millions-strong community of avid music fans in highly immersive settings. After all, millennials and Gen Z, who have collective billions in disposable income, largely make up Twitch’s audience. Scroll on to discover what myriad music experiences on Twitch look like and how your brand can take the stage as well.

Everyone remembers the first band they loved. That emotion and sense of connection you felt to your music idol. It was deep and meaningful. But there was a huge gulf between you and the musicians. The closest you got was a poster on your wall or a CD in your stereo. Or, for those fortunate enough, attending one of their concerts if your hometown was a stop on their tour. Social media has brought fans closer to their favorite artists, but even those experiences can be static.

Twitch helps close the gap between musicians and their fans. Its native interactivity provides fan communities with a direct connection to musicians during livestreams and other fans to feed off one another’s energy. Fans can even help their favorite streamers launch their careers and release new albums by showing their support with Bits, Twitch’s virtual goods that allow viewers to celebrate big moments during a stream, and Subs, channel subscriptions that unlock exclusive perks. The number of music streamers on track to make more than $25,000 per year has grown nearly 90% in 2021, compared to 2020. That’s the power of fandom today.

“People crave community. On Twitch, fans feel a part of something greater. We create new traditions, memories and inside jokes in our livestreams, which lets our fans get to know us on a personal level,” explains Annelle Staal, a queer Nashville recording singer/songwriter who built their music career on Twitch.

“How?” you may wonder. Livestreams on Twitch aren’t your typical linear broadcasts. They blur the line between digital and IRL by enabling viewers to chat and actively participate in livestreams with musicians who are doing more than just performing songs. They’re actively engaging with the audience: chatting, answering questions, explaining the magic behind their music, sometimes taking song requests and always being in the moment with their fans. The result is an experience that feels more real and authentic for everyone.

Another draw: Twitch is home to every conceivable type of music, from hip-hop and rock to pop and EDM. Viewers, themselves multi-genre fans, can search the music directory for exactly what they’re in the mood for, and if they like what they hear, they can join a streamer’s community.

“Livestreams are intimate because viewers want to be there with the artist. When you play in a bar, you’re in competition with that bar, you're competing with people having conversations. With a Twitch stream … [fans] seek you out for your genre, your style, your personality, specifically,” Staal shares.

Music fans understand that Twitch is where they can go to support their favorite music artists and experience the biggest live moments in music, and they’re not going to miss out on this massive transformation of the music industry. Because of this, livestreaming on Twitch is a huge opportunity for both independent and established musicians to connect directly with their fans and cultivate passionate communities.

When the distance between musician and audience is eliminated, a new set of rules inevitably emerges. In today’s music scene authenticity is mandatory, and the fans’ emotional response to a streamer is a critical component of the experience. “People love to see other people being themselves because it's empowering to them,” explains Staal.

Raquel Lily, a singer-songwriter with a unique blend of R&B, jazz, pop, indie pop and funk, started on Twitch as a gamer. During her streams she would sing along as she played, much to the delight of her followers, who then encouraged her to livestream her own music. She agrees with Staal on the importance of authenticity. “I think people are attracted to livestreaming because they’re sick of all the perfection, the airbrushing of people in advertising. There's this craving for authenticity, for genuine interactions.”

The authenticity is a two-way street, and no streamer succeeds without a community of fans who genuinely love and support their work. “My community is my record label, my executive producers. I owe it all to them,” Lily explains.

Matt Heafy, lead singer and guitarist for the metal band, Trivium, echoes that sentiment. “Twitch has done so much for me. It has helped support my family better, made me better at singing. I’m so thankful to have discovered it and to be here.”

Streamers have emerged as a new breed of influencer. Streamers bring their fans into their creative processes and recording studios, unafraid to show their mistakes and get feedback. “Streaming is really where I home in my craft, and my followers allow me to do that,” explains Heafy. When a song or album is released, it’s a celebration for the entire community, not just the streamer. In many cases, it’s fans who pay for the album artwork and the music tour, and when they show up for a live gig on that tour, it’s a joyous occasion.

That homegrown authenticity permeates the service. Of the 50 million creators and streamers in the world, just 2% are professionals; the rest are talented individuals willing to bare their soul and build a following in the process. While fans come to livestreams for the music, they end up staying for the relationships they form with the musicians, as well as with other fans.

Heafy has even witnessed some of those inter-fan relationships on livestreams jump to IRL. “I've seen people in my channel get married, fly in from different countries to meet up, start bands, form gaming squads and even fundraise for my fundraisers.”

Unlike the “airbrushing” that Lily eschews, relationships between brands and streamers occur and grow organically. Typically, new streamers start their Twitch channel with equipment they have on hand. As their following and earnings grow, they upgrade their equipment and brands come calling. The result is a brand partnership that is wholly authentic. “I just finished filming a commercial with AT&T, and it felt completely natural to me because I use AT&T Fiber,” explains Staal.

Streamer endorsements carry a lot of weight within their fandom, as 69% of Twitch viewers say they are more likely to consider brands that streamers use themselves, and 66% say they are more likely to consider brands that streamers recommend. This isn’t surprising, as viewers often watch the streamer use the guitar, microphone or internet service of the brand with whom they partner. No airbrushing here.

Twitch is keen to provide brands with the opportunity to tap into the $100 billion creator economy, and will often introduce them to emerging artists. For their part, Twitch viewers are open to—and even welcome—brand experiences, but only if those brands share the Twitch community’s sense of purpose and commitment to inclusivity.

When a brand gets it right, it leads to a virtuous cycle: Streamers make live music and engaged viewers tune in and form communities around their favorites. And when brands support these musicians, they empower them to reach and engage more fans.

Along with providing a stage for rising stars, Twitch also makes live music accessible to more people by streaming performances from the country’s most iconic venues. Twitch works with top promoters, labels, festivals, media organizations and venues worldwide to bring curated programming to the service.

What makes these livestreams unique is the high level of interactions between performer and audience. Live interviews and the chance for fans to ask questions and receive responses deepens the Twitch viewer’s connections with their favorite artists.

Brands that are interested in sponsoring music on Twitch have multiple categories of premium events to choose from, including:

• Intimate studio sessions: These sessions highlight a single artist and give viewers a chance to ask questions and get to know them better through interviews and discussions following their live performances.

• Livestreamed concerts: There are multiple livestreamed concerts on Twitch each month, including performances on The Relix Channel, which serves as a launchpad for emerging artists to gain access to bigger stages, and a new platform for established musicians to reach even bigger audiences.

• Music festivals: Twitch livestreams more than 10 music festivals each year, streaming eight or more hours of music each day. For example, Outside Lands—which celebrates the cultural vibrancy of its host city, San Francisco—streamed the entirety of Halloween weekend in 2021 with an average of 19,000 concurrent viewers. Based on that success, the festival returned to Twitch in the summer of 2022.

Brands can support all this programming—and more—in ways that are only possible on Twitch, letting them be a part of the excitement and earning some major cred from music fans.

Now that you understand what music on Twitch looks like, how do you get your brand involved? While there’s always the opportunity to advertise across Twitch with video and banner ads, brands that want to take it to the next level can explore a variety of bespoke advertising and sponsorship opportunities.

Sponsorships let you reach fans in the most intimate of settings, such as sponsoring a streamer’s live performance or full concert series. “I wonder how many brands understand that I perform concerts for 500 people, two to three times each week?” asked Staal. Or you can serve as a presenting sponsor for some of the biggest music festivals—helping viewers at home experience the magic of festival season—through Twitch’s Festival Pass. The Festival Pass enables brand sponsors to leverage festival partnerships, explore on-site activations, align their brand with performances, and even create custom content in conjunction with the festival such as behind the scenes interviews, chat-driven Q&As, merch drops and more.

Think of sponsorships as an all-access pass to mingle with Twitch communities in highly immersive and authentic environments, with all the excitement and emotions such events evoke. It’s a chance for brands to connect to fans by helping their favorite artists produce more music, as well as support them as they navigate the music industry, hone their streaming skills and build communities around their passions.

Sponsorships offer a great deal of flexibility and creativity. Let’s look at how some brands leveraged Twitch events to build their audience.

AT&T

Last year, AT&T launched a collaboration with Twitch called the "AT&T Class Of" program to provide streamers with a unique opportunity to elevate their careers. These opportunities include mentorship with other streamers who had turned their passion for streaming into sustainable careers, as well as upgrades to streamers’ equipment and studio setups, including AT&T Fiber or 5G wireless devices and services. Additionally, AT&T sponsored streams that helped unlock additional pathways for streamers to financially support themselves as streamers, and more.

The program has continued, inducting more up-and-coming streamers into the program. The Class of 2022 includes Staal, who, as an AT&T Fiber customer, was more than happy to share their genuine appreciation for AT&T with their dedicated fans. And, through the relationship AT&T built with this program, the brand was able to help support and amplify Staal's career on Twitch.

Levi’s

Levi’s served as a presenting sponsor for some of the biggest festivals on Twitch this year, including Outside Lands. As such, Levi’s was integrated into the Twitch livestreams in a variety of ways, including clickable branding and overlays on the live broadcasts, shoutouts from hosts throughout the weekend, social posts from the festivals and branding on the festival website.

The brand also showed up on festival grounds. As a sponsor of the Early Risers segments at Outside Lands, Levi’s helped present interviews with up-and-coming artists live from its dedicated artist lounge creatively outfitted in Levi’s denim.

Levi’s helped present over 30 hours of live music throughout the weekend, and, during these broadcasts, Levi’s engaged with viewers through chatbot integrations. The brand was also seen during countdown timers in between performances and commercial breaks featuring its 501 campaign—giving a boost to the brand’s awareness and affinity with the Twitch community.