Hey guys, MonoDex here – This post is actually not written by me (it was edited a bit by me), but by Mehdi, who runs GamingVisuals. I did not accept any money from them to have this post written for me. GamingVisuals is focused on providing you guys with art resources for your streams, such as logos, overlays, etc. They have a pretty cool panel maker that you can use to create some basic and consistent panels, available for free, that you can find under the Streamer’s resources tab above. Anyways, that’s all from me – Who wins in the battle of Twitch vs Glimesh? Enjoy the article!
When it comes to streaming, everybody knows Twitch is the go-to platform. In fact, streaming is getting so big that some Netflix shows have mentioned Twitch a few times from my memory. Whether we’re talking about gaming, talk shows, art, or just chatting, the majority of live content creators turn to the Amazon-owned platform for all their streaming needs.
However, with great popularity come some significant drawbacks, particularly for the newer generation of creators looking to get their foot in the door. See, on a massively popular platform, budding content creators get lost in a vast sea of channels, all vying for viewer attention, and there are only so many viewers to go around within the platform itself (key phrase!).
It’s these shortcomings that the up-and-coming live streaming platform Glimesh aims to address. This upstart streaming site aims to tackle the very issues that plague Twitch; They intend to do this by making the viewcount metric valueless in their stream navigation browser.
In other words, they value what the viewer is searching more than the total traffic the streamer gets – kind of like how a Google search works, though, there is no ultra-advanced algorithm at play at this time.
It’s a tall order to fill, but everything has potential – they need only keep at it and see it through.
In this article, I’m going to be taking a look into what Glimesh has to offer you to help you decide if you want to give it a shot. Should you play it safe and choose Twitch, or join an exciting new and open-source platform that focuses on increasing discoverability?
Table of Contents
Community & Networking Opportunities on Glimesh
In the battle of Twitch vs Glimesh, there are a lot of factors to consider carefully. Being a Twitch streamer is like being a drop in the ocean, and like the ocean, streamers tend to follow what the guy next to them does. If there is a big splash, you might get pushed up and away, or you might get shoved down a few feet under others from the impact. Many of you are still doing the same things that everyone else is, including networking with other creators.
On Glimesh, it’s less of an ocean and more of a pond. As a result, fewer factors in play influence your decision-making and less area to float about. This means that you can interact with other Glimesh Streamers and get to know them at an early stage of the platform’s life.
What all of this means is there are more opportunities to connect with your peers on Glimesh than there are on Twitch.
What all of this means is there are more opportunities to connect with your peers on Glimesh than there are on Twitch. As they’re not continuously bombarded by requests for collabs or help with the platform, which often happens on Twitch, Glimesh streamers are more than happy to network and stay in touch with creators.
In fact, the official Glimesh Discord Community server is loaded with streamers who are hungry for collaborative efforts. If you are struggling to create a schedule with one of these streamers, check out this tool that MonoDex made. It will help you collaborate a stream schedule across a maximum of 6 streamers.
Now, Twitch does still have the upper hand when it comes to community-building tools and extensions, such as loyalty systems, emotes, viewer leaderboards, minigames, polls, etc. It is however important to note that Glimesh is in its very early days, and intends on rolling out many similar, and some unique extensions of their own in the future.
Finally, Glimesh is a platform where the developers are putting a lot of time into listening for feedback, and given its open-source nature, this is to be expected. It would be a mistake not to do so, after all. An established platform like Twitch has very little reason to focus on what the little guy needs since they don’t make them money. However, Glimesh is still heavily in development, and feedback is a vital part of their process.
Twitch vs Glimesh on Discoverability – Glimesh Wins
The hottest topic amongst streamers on big platforms like Twitch is discoverability. Unfortunately, even though they’ve retooled their content discovery tools several times, finding somebody new to watch on Twitch is tough for viewers, resulting in newer streamers languishing at the bottom of endless channel lists. By virtue of its size and the fact that their stream browser isn’t organized by viewcount, Glimesh is a platform that will, at the very least, level the playing field on the stream browser.
Because there aren’t that many channels on Glimesh at the moment, finding your channel would be incredibly straightforward. Potential viewers won’t need to scroll endlessly to find your channel. Naturally, this comes with a bit of a caveat. The pool of potential viewers is still low, especially since it is in its Alpha stage of development.
That said, the possibilities of you being found faster than Twitch are high.
Glimesh states on their site that they’re aware of how discoverability suffers the more a platform grows. They aim to address these issues as they move forward, instead of blowing up and then doing something about the problem when it’s too late. This is a breath of fresh air, in my opinion. Twitch has wanted to do something about discoverability, but it seems like a tall order considering its size. If Glimesh can nail the scaling aspect of discoverability, it will be a home run.
Features that Make Glimesh Enticing
I’m not going to beat around the bush here. Glimesh doesn’t even come close l to Twitch when it comes to the number of features. At least not yet.
However, it’s something to be expected from a new platform in its infancy – it is still in its alpha, after all. By streaming on Glimesh, you’ll be foregoing a lot of tools, extensions, integrations and other cool stuff. This is understandable though when you factor in how new the platform is.
What Glimesh does offer, though, is shaping up to be a far better deal for getting your foot in the door as a live streamer.
Here is a quick list of notable features on the Glimesh Platform:
- Monetization is available from Day 1 – No need for 50 Followers and 3 concurrent viewers on Twitch, or 1,000 subs on YouTube
- A Return of FTL-like stream latency from Mixer – As low as 1 second delays between your viewers and live.
- Browsing streams through their categories are not organized by Viewcount – This makes it a more even playing field for all streamers, and not just the giants.
Day 1 Monetization – Access to a Sub Button from Day 1
Perhaps one of the most enticing features that Glimesh offers is Channel Subscriptions without the need to lock yourself into an exclusivity agreement.
Let that sink in – You can monetize your streams on Glimesh, AND utilize Restream to put your streams on other platforms, such as YouTube, or Trovo, at the same time.
Another key difference is that you don’t have to reach a follower threshold to get access to monetization. That’s right. From the moment you make your account, you can monetize your channel with subs.
At the moment, there is a 50/50 split on every sub, but this is subject to change in the future as the development team learns more about the platform. Twitch’s share is the same, actually, so there is nothing new in this regard.
What is different, though is their chargeback protection service is entirely free to all streamers. Twitch has similar splits with possibilities of giving you more revenue when you’re “a Partner in good standing,” but there are fees attached that you need to carry yourself.
The Return of FTL Latency – Near-Zero Latency Audience Interaction
Glimesh is also making use of FTL-style streaming technology to produce low latency streams at high quality. For those of you who remember this feature on Mixer, who was the first to use the FTL tech, It is back, thanks to open source technologies. Glimesh uses the cutting edge tech while also refining it for their platform. The advantage here is that your stream can be more interactive than ever, with responses to chat happening as close to real-time as possible, with distance and signal integrity being the only factors of consideration.
Accessible-First Design – A Easy-to-Use interface designed for Everyone
Finally, Glimesh has an open commitment to creating a site that is accessible and inclusive to all. This includes their channel pages and web players. The importance of this can’t be understated. With the entire internet embracing accessibility, having a stream that allows for more people to enjoy them will play a massive role in bringing a new audience to the space.
This is definitely a win for Glimesh, seeing as how you can’t access the Creator Dashboard on a Mobile Device for Twitch by normal means. Doesn’t help that the layout isn’t designed with mobile devices in mind either.
Glimesh Supports Brandable Channel Pages
One cool feature that Glimesh offers is the ability to upload pictures that will serve as the backgrounds for your chat window. This can be good, or bad, depending on what kind of image you end up utilizing.
I advise that you keep the image simple, and not too distracting. Bonus points for seamless tile-ability. After all, you want your audience to be able to read what people are saying, no? That said, it’s your channel, do what you will with it.
Opt-in to be on the Home Page
Tucked away at the very bottom of your channel Settings page is a little checkbox labeled “Show on Homepage”. This is probably something you’ll want to enable as soon as you create your channel.
Wrapping Up – Glimesh is a Platform With Potential
Who wins in the battle of Twitch vs Glimesh? Well, it’s a bit of a tossup.
Besides the points mentioned, Twitch is currently the superior platform. However, taking in consideration on how long Twitch has been around, that is to be expected.
Just remember, Glimesh has it’s competition scoped out, and With it being Open Source, there is a chance that many innovations can be created that set it apart from Twitch in ways we can’t even imagine yet. There is no corporate overlord at the reigns that can axe features because they are out of budget
I can’t stress enough how important getting in on the ground floor of a new platform is when it comes to growth. By being one of the first streamers on Glimesh, you’ll have plenty more opportunities to attract new followers from the stream browser.
On top of that, you’ll have a more engaged and genuine community to interact with. There are many reasons to choose Glimesh over Twitch, but before you do, make sure to consider all the risks.
Moving onto a new platform is quite risky. There’s no guarantee it will take off, which means you’ll end up having done all the work with little return. If you’re already a decently sized streamer on Twitch, I don’t think it’s worth making the jump to Glimesh yet. On the other hand, if you’re a small streamer with nothing much to lose, Glimesh has all of the makings of a platform that could give Twitch a run for its money if it plays its cards right.
And remember, never rely on the platform as your main source of potential viewers – if you have any ambition to grow into something that can sustain yourself, start a YouTube channel.