Twitch is planning a redesign which will see a huge overhaul of how the platform operates. A huge shift into growth will see creators able to grow even while they’re not live.
Twitch, the go-to platform for livestreaming, is shaking things up this year with a major app overhaul. After sticking with the same design for five years, they’re switching gears to focus on a new feed layout inspired by TikTok. This means users can scroll through bite-sized content.
Allowing them to discover fresh streamers. Although Twitch hasn’t announced the exact launch date for the revamped app yet, this move signals a shift towards ensuring long-term sustainability for both the company and its streamer community.
Jeremy Forrester, Twitch’s VP of Community Product, explained that the goal is to provide creators with tools to keep engaging their audience even when they’re offline. This shift comes amidst a challenging year for Twitch, marked by significant changes and uncertainties.
The platform faced leadership changes when Emmett Shear, one of its original founders, stepped down as CEO a year ago. Since then, Twitch has had to navigate through rounds of lay-offs, cutting down its workforce by an additional 35% just last month.
Moreover, they made the tough decision to pull out of the South Korean market due to high operating costs. Twitch also faced community backlash over updates to revenue sharing and branded content rules, leading to reversals on those decisions.
With lay-offs and business uncertainties looming, 2024 is a critical year for Twitch. They need to streamline operations while reassuring their streamers that the platform remains a worthwhile investment of their time and effort.
Moving beyond live-streaming
While live-streaming remains Twitch’s core offering, they’re exploring new ways to package content that doesn’t depend on live interaction. About a year ago, Twitch introduced a tool allowing streamers to easily export video clips to platforms like YouTube and TikTok.
The plan was to add Instagram soon. This move highlights Twitch’s recognition of the need for collaboration with other social networks to boost content discoverability and help new creators grow their audience. They can’t do it alone.
Forrester emphasised Twitch’s goal to increase content sharing across social platforms, stating, “We want to drastically increase the amount of content that’s exported from Twitch into other social networks.” He pointed out the advantages of offline content going viral more easily.
Adding it will offer more opportunities for creators to reach a wider audience and draw them back to Twitch. In essence, Twitch’s evolution reflects a broader shift in how online content is consumed and shared. Something all companies should be reflecting on.
By embracing new formats and distribution channels, Twitch aims to stay relevant and resilient in an ever-changing digital landscape. Perhaps this type of change is something more platforms could achieve. However, for Twitch, it’s been a long time coming.
