How to Find the Next Big Thing in Streaming
Even if you’re not planning on changing up your content any time soon, it can be good to know where to look for the new trends and metas as you try to grow on Twitch. It may seem like these movements come out of nowhere (and sometimes they genuinely do!), but if you want to avoid FOMO, here are a few places to keep an eye on for the next big thing.
Grow on Twitch using top game lists?
You can access a huge amount of data about Twitch from places like Twitchmetrics, Twitchtracker and Sullygnome. It’s a little intimidating at first, but here are two tips to help you get started figuring out what might be ready to pop off.
Firstly, when looking at ‘trending games’ on any of those platforms, toggle between 90 days, 30 days, and 7 days for the search ranges. This lets you start with a list that has a lot of data attached to it (90 days), and then get narrower and narrower with your view. Keep an eye on what games pop on and off the list. If something jumps up in the rankings when you switch to ’30 days’ and it’s still there when you switch to ‘7 days, you’ve found something that people are getting interested in, and it’s probably worth taking a closer look.
Secondly, don’t forget to look at the change in the number of channels streaming the game as well as the hours watched. If you see a massive jump in the number of people streaming something over the last thirty days or week, you might have found a game that’s ready to see explosive growth. And this can be a key to helping you grow on Twitch!
Following the leader
It seems strange to pull one name out of a platform that has eight million active channels as of writing, but the influence that Félix ‘xQc’ Lengyel has on Twitch is undeniable. He’s the person most responsible for GTA V’s ascension to one of the most-watched games on Twitch, and he had a notable effect on the rise of both Among Us and Fall Guys as well. The choices he makes with content ripple through the rest of the platform.
This advice also applies to many of the top creators on Twitch. It can even apply to the circles you’re in of other streamers. If someone who frequently raids you is playing a certain game and you think you might enjoy it, it wouldn’t hurt to try it out! This is because the audience coming over already knows or likes seeing that game. When it comes to growing on Twitch, keeping an eye on what is being played is important!
Become a master of the release calendar
Our last tip probably sounds the most boring, but knowing the release calendar like the back of your hand can give you a leg up on understanding what the next meta could be. What games are coming out that could refresh a genre the way Valorant juiced the team-based shooter and became a top-10 watched game overnight? Maybe an older title is getting an update, DLC, or even a re-master that could pull it back into the mainstream. Knowing what’s on the horizon is a good way to see the next wave coming, and be ready to catch a ride.
Games and metas rise and fall: if you keep your eyes open, you’ll be ready to take advantage of opportunities when they arise. If you’re having trouble figuring out what to stream, check out our guide to streaming things that aren’t games to help get your creative juices flowing! Learning how to grow on twitch isn’t easy, but it can be rewarding!