In response to its creators' requests for more growth opportunities, Twitch is launching a Discovery Feed and a host of other new features. Announced at TwitchCon Paris, these features are centered around supporting short-form video content, a tactic many creators have had to resort to on platforms like YouTube Shorts and TikTok to draw viewers to their Twitch channels.
Unlike TikTok, Twitch's Discovery Feed, a scrollable vertical feed in the app, will serve users with clips from creators’ streams when they aren't live. Despite this new feature, the platform asserts that it doesn't aim to prioritize short-form content over streaming. The Discovery Feed will be launched in the fall after running some limited versions to test its algorithms.
New editing features are also being introduced, enabling creators to convert their streams into a vertical format directly on the platform. Twitch will support direct exports to YouTube and TikTok from August and will make the clip editor available on mobile.
Also, Twitch will join other social media platforms by launching stories in October. These can either be public or exclusive to paying subscribers and will appear on the Following page of Twitch's mobile app.
Twitch's stance towards ad breaks, a contentious point among users, is shifting. To prevent ads from interrupting content abruptly, streamers will be able to activate a chat countdown timer starting this month.
Another promising feature is the ability for streamers to collaborate under Guest Star, allowing them to invite guests onto their channels and stream simultaneously. This "streaming together" feature is scheduled to roll out for select channels in August, eventually becoming accessible to all, regardless of partner or affiliate status.
Twitch CEO Dan Clancy emphasized the need for continuous innovation to meet the evolving needs of the Twitch community.
