You’ve got all your ducks in a row to start your streaming journey: the game selection, your channel set-up, the overlays you spent way too long designing.
But there’s still one detail left to determine. You need to find the perfect time to stream.
You know it exists—you’ve scoured Google and Reddit for more information on the mythic “Golden Hours” of Twitch streaming. There’s only one problem: the Golden Hours “window” is more like an ocean.
How are you supposed to narrow down the specific hours that work for you? And what if you pick the wrong hours at the cost of your streaming success?
There has to be a more strategic approach.
Today, I’m here to dismantle the theory of “Golden Hours” for Twitch streaming.
I’ll concede that there are hours in which viewers are more active, or when the “big streamers” are out of office. But activity (or the lack thereof), doesn’t necessarily equal more opportunity.
Let’s talk about how to strategically determine the best times to stream on Twitch.
When Are the Twitch Golden Hours?
First, let’s address the elephant in the room: we’ve all read about the magical 23:00 – 8:00 window.
The theory behind streaming at this time is that though there will be fewer active viewers, there will be fewer active streamers to compete with. And as a result, less active popular streamers.
In other words, you’ll be able to take advantage of idle viewers with popular streamers out of the way. But this theory is flawed for several reasons:
- Big streamers may occasionally decide they want to stream during these times.
- If these times don’t work with your schedule/time zone (you have to wake up early for work, it’s the middle of the night for you, etc.), you may not be able to game/commentate to the best of your ability, costing you viewers.
- If you’re a relatively small streamer (under 10k), we’re talking about maybe a couple of extra viewers during these times. If that.
- Because Golden Hours are popular times for new streamers, it’s becoming the status quo rather than a secret hack. Everyone’s doing it.
Hourly Global Average Viewers for Twitch Games
Source: TwitchStats
Hourly Global Average Streamers for Twitch Games
Source: TwitchStats
Take a look at these graphs from TwitchStats. According to their measurements, we see a significant decline in average Twitch viewers (first graph) from 23:00 – 8:00.
The second graph outlines the average online streamers per hour.
Interestingly there’s only a significant decrease in streamers from 3:00 – 7:00, at which point the average number of viewers has dropped from a peak at four million to one million.
From this data, we can determine that the Twitch “Golden Hours” are between 3:00 – 7:00.
However, though one million online viewers are nothing to scoff at, we have to consider the division of these viewers between streamers, games, and their time zones.
I can tell you from experience that streaming during these times did not work for me.
I saw significantly fewer viewers on average than streaming during peak viewership times, and I was completely exhausted from going live in—what for me—was the middle of the night.
That doesn’t mean Golden Hours won’t work for anyone, but they’re not a guarantee for everyone.
So what times are?
As you might have guessed, the answer contains a lot of nuances depending on the game you’re playing, the timezone you’re in, and the audience you’re targeting.
We’ll touch on those later. But I do want to go ahead and give you the key for when to stream on twitch. And it’s not an hour.
The golden rule is consistency.
How to Determine the Best Time for You to Stream
The fact of the matter is, streaming during the alleged “Golden Hours” just isn’t maintainable for every streamer.
You may be able to keep it up temporarily, but you’ll want a streaming time that you can stick to in the long run.
The real goal should be to form a loyal fan base that knows when to tune in.
If you’re streaming at random hours of the night (or day) just to poach unsuspecting audiences, chances are those viewers won’t hang around for a second stream.
So let’s walk through a tried-and-true process to determine the best time for you to stream.
- What Does Your Schedule Look Like?
You might be tempted to adjust your schedule to your streaming rather than the other way around.
This is a bad idea for a couple of reasons: you’ll want to maintain a balance between Twitch/the rest of your life, and while you’re still getting your channel off the ground, you’ll need to keep your job/school/hobbies.
So first, write down your daily schedule with all of your regular routines. Then look for open windows of time.
You’ll want around 2-3 hours to stream freely since that’s the recommended block of time for new streamers.
Don’t worry too much right now about peak hours—we’re just looking for free time.
- What Game(s) Are You Playing?
Determine the selection of games you want to play. Then, head over to TwitchTracker and search for the views/live channels over 7 days.
You’re looking for a time with plenty of viewers but not many channels active.
Find the time that best fits into your open windows determined in the last step. If there isn’t one, just pick a time that’s closest to the ideal time for your game.
Again, the goal isn’t to stream during the best possible time—it’s to choose a time that allows you to be consistent.
Note: If you’re playing a super popular game—such as Minecraft or League of Legends—it’ll be difficult to find a time when enough channels aren’t active to affect your views.
- What Audience Are You Targeting?
It’s important to consider the age and overall demographics of your audience.
Are your streamers geared towards younger viewers? If so, you may want to pick a time before/after kids are in school.
If your streams are targeting older viewers, you may want to pick a time before or after the workday in your area.
This is one of the problems with Golden Hours. More than likely, the location of your general audience is going to reflect your location.
If you’re streaming during the middle of the night, and you don’t already have a large following, the chance of attracting awake viewers is slim.
Additionally, if you build your viewership around a time that you can’t realistically maintain, changing your streaming times may affect your viewership.
This is why you’ll want to ensure you pick a time that accommodates your schedule.
- Best Days to Stream on Twitch
The best streaming days are slightly more objective.
Naturally, there will be an increase in viewership during the weekends. People have more free time during the day to watch streams Friday-Sunday.
But you’ll still want to apply the same questions above to the days you choose to stream.
What days work for you? Do certain days work better for your audience? What days see the most viewership for your game on TwitchTracker?
You’ll want to pick 3-4 days at the minimum to stream. If you can stream daily, that’s great, but that kind of schedule won’t work for everyone. Especially if you’re just getting your channel off the ground.
- Post Your Schedule
Hopefully, by now you have an idea of the streaming times that work for you.
The next step is to let your audience know what times you’ll be streaming. This is ultimately what will increase your view count.
Let’s say you’ve decided to go live on Tuesday and Thursday at 7 PM CT, and Saturdays at 2 PM CT. You’ll want to post this in your about section on your channel, and any other relevant platforms.
Tell your viewers exactly when and what they can expect from you.
The viewers who are available during this time will find you, not the other way around.
Tips For Beginner Streamers
Find your audience. To attract more viewers, you need to understand who they are and what interests them.
Be consistent. Stream at the same time every day or every week so your viewers know when to expect you.
Be yourself. People want to see real individuals, not actors.
Don’t give up. It takes time to build a successful broadcast. Don’t give up if you don’t see results immediately.
If you need help with content for your stream or assistance with your homework assignments, you can turn to the services of Papertyper at https://papertyper.net/. This website offers academic writing services that can be useful for teenage streamers looking to create quality content for their audience or to free up more time from their college assignments.
Conclusion
The popular belief with Twitch is that there’s a proven formula for success.
All you have to do is stream during the right hours, play the right game, target the perfect audience, etc.
It can be extremely stressful to navigate as a new streamer. The truth is, there’s no secret key to streaming that will make you blow up.
There’s just experimentation, passion, and dedication—those ideals will take you farther than any “Golden Hours” will.
Use the steps above to determine the right times to stream for you. Then be consistent and trust the process.
And if you’re looking for more tips, check out our post on How to Get More Viewers on Twitch.
Savannah Sellers is a content creator who started a successful Twitch stream and TikTok channel from scratch as a personal project under the name flarity_.