Twitchcon Discovery Feed, Twitch Stories, and Chat Ad Timer, plus Kick's API Timeframe

Zach Bussey -

Twitchcon Paris weekend just wrapped up, and we got a lot of expected announcements (most of which were previously announced in the blog earlier this year.) Though, they offered more insight into how and when they will launch. Naturally, all of those details are available below.

I also wanted to let you know that I'm on both Bluesky AND Threads. I'll be using Bluesky to offer similar content to my Twitter (just the news!), while on Threads, I intend to explore content I've not done much - entertainment, drama, memes, from the streaming space. We'll see how the experiment goes, but I think that kind of content will offer better value for that demographic. And with that, let's get into the news!

Twitch News

  • Discovery Feed. ᵀ A mobile-based clip discovery experience that will pull in clips likely to encourage people to watch live content. Creators will also be able to Feature Clips they want to show in the Discovery Feed. The critical thing to note is they want it to drive people to watch live, not just to look at clips. Experiments launch soon, full launch in Autumn.
  • Ad Chat Timer. ᵀ Sometime this month, Twitch will launch a notification in chat for Streamers to see if their Ad Scheduler Ads are about to play.
  • Twitch Stories. ᵀ A mobile-based follower or sub-only communication tool allowing creators to send updates like Clips, Pictures, Text, and Polls. The content lives for 24 hours publicly. This launches in October.
  • Clip Editor Updates. ᵀ The Clip Editor is getting a Trim function. It will also be available on Mobile, and Channel Editors will be able to use it for your channel. Perhaps best of all, starting in August, you can export edited clips to TikTok directly.
  • Shared Mod Comments. ᵀ The Shared Ban system is getting an update to add context to bans that are shared with other users. This will come in the form of sharable Mod Comments. We'll see that in September.
  • Birthday + First Stream Anniversary Events. ᵀ Streamers will soon be able to celebrate their birthday, the anniversary of their first stream, and their Partner/Affiliate anniversaries.
  • Twitch Alerts Updates. ᵀ The recently launched first-party alerts are getting updated with Channel Points Support, Alert Randomizer, and Emote Customization. Shield Mode is being linked up with the Alerts system as well, such that activating that mode will pause all alerts.
  • Official numbers from Twitchcon Paris have not been announced, but from my sources, ticket numbers may have been ~20% less ᵀ than Twitchcon Amsterdam's 14.5K. Floor traffic from photos and event attendees confirmed it was a bit sparse. (But likely more than the 8000 stated by mega German Streamer MontanaBlack. ᵀ)
  • CEO Dan Clancy says they couldn't do Twitchcon 2023 in San Diego because the venue was already booked. He also isn't thrilled that it's being held in Vegas.
  • The help article on Hype Trains was updated ᵀ - nothing too consequential; however, they have removed reference to updating emotes. It likely signifies further updates to come.
  • Twitch is opening beta requests for their new Stream Together Live ᵀ function for Guest Star.
  • Forbes notes that Twitch's Artifact category is still being used to stream movies.
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