Allow overlay extensions to overlay the video on the Twitch Mobile App and Website
With Twitch Extensions, the Twitch community can interact in ways that were never thought possible. Additionally, it also frees creators to stream from non-traditional devices, while still maintaining the quality we have come to expect on the Twitch Platform.
Traditionally, creators use powerful desktop computers to encode video in real-time and stream to Twitch. With broadcasting software, such as Open Broadcasting Software or OBS, creators can produce a unique experience for their community through a video overlay that represents their personality and brand, and most importantly, helps them differentiate themselves from other creators on the Platform. Differentiation is crucial to a creator’s success, but unfortunately, powerful desktop computers are expensive, and this is often a financial barrier most creators on the Twitch Platform cannot overcome.
In contrast to desktop computers, gaming consoles and mobile devices are considerably more affordable, and we are seeing a growing number of creators streaming from these non-traditional devices. These devices free creators from the shackles of “the desk” and allows them to stream from anywhere, creating truly unique experiences for their communities and for the Platform. Creators are not the only ones being freed; more viewers are watching conveniently from their mobile devices too.
While these devices represent the next frontier of content creation, as seen with the rise of TikTok and YouTube Shorts, there is currently one drawback: it is difficult for creators to create experiences that differentiate themselves through branding and personality because the broadcasting software does not support it or the device itself is not powerful enough to encode video and embed an overlay at the same time. There are several cloud-based solutions, but these also present a significant financial barrier and produce streams of higher delay and of lower quality compared to what the Twitch community have come to expect from the Twitch Platform.
The Twitch Extension Platform is uniquely positioned to bridge the gap between freeing creators to stream from non-traditional devices and, with extensions such as Overlay Expert, maintain the quality of content the Twitch community have come to expect from the Platform. The Overlay Expert Twitch Extension allows a creator to stream from any device with an overlay that represents their personality and brand. Overlay Expert also allows a creator to offer a unique overlay experience per viewer; something that will forever be impossible with traditional broadcasting software.
I have created a proof-of-concept of what the Overlay Expert Twitch Extension experience might look like on mobile devices here at https://overlay.expert/w/overlayexpertreview, and any Overlay Expert user and their community can access this experience by going to https://overlay.expert/w/TWITCH_USERNAME.
In addition to pushing the boundaries of what is possible with respect to community engagement and interaction, the Twitch Extension Platform offers something TikTok, YouTube and Instagram cannot, the ability for content creators to offer a completely unique experience to their communities, but it cannot do this effectively without the support of overlay extension on the Mobile App and Website. Until the Mobile App and Website supports overlay extensions, platforms such as TikTok will continue to threaten the success as a whole of the Twitch Platform.
This UserVoice follows https://twitch.uservoice.com/forums/904711/suggestions/40301335 that has 6,983 votes, over 2,000 comments and was in the top-5 of all requests on UserVoice. While the response was greatly appreciated, it failed to address the financial barrier inherent to streaming from desktop computers, supporting creators streaming from non-traditional devices, supporting communities watching from mobile devices, maintaining the quality of content the Twitch community has come to expect, or the threat from competing platforms such as TikTok and YouTube. As a passionate developer helping Twitch creators get started, love streaming, and grow communities on the Twitch Platform since 2015, please Twitch, listen to your community and bring overlay extensions to the Twitch Mobile App and Website.
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strmtroope5880 commented
Yo
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1aua commented
real
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Official_Magic_Fetus commented
Overlay Expert has been such a fun and EASIER experience for console streamers like myself.
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solo_alchemist commented
Overlay Expert has been such a fun and EASIER experience for console streamers like myself.
The freedom to customize and manage your own theme is amazing.
I just really wish everyone can see it on mobile and NOT JUST through a PC.
Most of my friends are using the mobile app to watch Twitch and I'm sure a lot more people use their phones too.
Would truly like the world to see the overlays and not be left out of an experience because they don't have a computer
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Benbrytaren commented
Help then make their dream come true!
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cute_water_melon commented
i did it?
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cute_water_melon commented
im a fairly new streamer and im just now trying to do it more and i saw a video on YouTube on how to use overlays so here i am
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hl2bby commented
works now
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hl2bby commented
i have activated it but it doesnt pop up on mine
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wxlf_spxzzii commented
It won't let me activate it
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etc_ninja9000 commented
hope it works
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exaFH commented
just add it to mobile mf
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HatlessString79 commented
voted
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dbz_loaded commented
It’s good
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Kathrin_the_Kitsune commented
Voted
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biodiverse6784 commented
my overlay is not on i did everything
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StealthyMuzza commented
My overlay doesn't pop up when I activate it
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jvhnnzz commented
My overlays doesn’t active
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xruuz commented
I need to engage viewers.
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xtbabyy commented
Voted