Twitch Launches Incubator Program and “Livestream Playbook” to Reinvest In Music Creators

Amid an embattled relationship with creators and music industry stakeholders, Twitch is looking to reset the clock with The Collective. 

According to the Amazon-owned streaming platform, The Collective is aimed at coaching artists to get the most out of livestreaming in the midst of what it calls a paradigm shift in music.

According to Music Business Worldwide, the program has three distinct segments: “The Livestream Playbook for Music,” “Invite-Only Collectives,” and “Ongoing Backing From Twitch.” Acceptance into The Collective is based on Twitch’s decision regarding each artist’s application.

Those accepted will receive hands-on support from Twitch in a variety of disciplines. First, Twitch’s music team will lead creators through virtual workshops explaining best practices when it comes to building lasting communities and sustainable monetization strategies on the platform.

Second, Twitch will split its creators into cohorts based on complementary backgrounds, genres, and stages of their careers. Twitch says this part of the process is designed to allow creators the opportunity to build peer-to-peer connections with their fellow artists and share ideas.

After progressing through the instructional pieces of the program, Twitch says it will prioritize graduates of The Collective for “discovery, promotion, and activations.” To that end, the company has garnered a lineup of attention-grabbing partners, including DistroKid, TuneCore, United Masters, Amazon Music, Discord, and Rolling Stone to join in the effort.

The Collective is hopefully the start of a favorable reversal in trend when it comes to Twitch’s relationship with musicians. The platform has spent the better part of last year entangled in controversy first over insufficient music licensing agreements, and then more recently over leaked documents highlighting the wide gulf between streamer and artist compensation on the platform.

Find out more about The Collective here.