Twitch made major announcements at TwitchCon 2023 in Paris. These announcements included introduction of new features to improve user engagement and community building. It plans to roll out the features in phases, with some scheduled for release later this year.
One of the most notable additions to the platform is the Discovery Feed, a feature reminiscent of TikTok and Instagram feeds. The Discovery Feed aims to grab viewers’ attention by showing a personalized mix of video clips from live streams.
Because Twitch is all about live, interactive channels, it’s not our goal for viewers to spend hours in a Clips feed. Our investment in Clips is to help viewers discover your channel so they join you and your community when you stream.
Furthermore, Twitch introduces Stories to its platform in a move similar to other social media services. Streamers will be able to share ephemeral content that can only be viewed by their followers or subscribers. This feature, familiar from platforms such as Snapchat, Instagram, and even LinkedIn, will give creators an additional way to engage with their community.
Recognizing the popularity of TikTok, Twitch has also revealed improvements to its built-in clip editor. This feature will allow content creators to export vertical videos directly to TikTok, allowing them to reach a wider audience beyond the platform.
Twitch also unveiled the Guest Star feature, designed to facilitate collaborations and creative endeavors that require multiple streamers. With this feature, up to five streamers can join forces and co-stream on their respective channels.
Twitch has addressed concerns about advertising by giving creators more control over when commercial breaks play during their streams. Streamers will now have access to a chat countdown timer, allowing them to delay ads if necessary to avoid disruption.