All businesses / Live streaming

Fingerprint: capital · hours · speed to income · margin · ceiling. The dashed line is mid-scale.

Start a live streaming: the real numbers

Twitch or YouTube live, income from subs and tips. Below is what it actually costs, how long before money arrives, and the part most guides leave out.

Startup capital

€800–€4,000

Hours / week

20–45

First income

~36 wks

Net margin

90%

Saturation

high

Realistic ceiling

€100–€3,000

What nobody usually tells you

The most winner-takes-all model in this database. The top fraction of a percent take almost all the money; the median streamer earns close to nothing in year one and quits in year two. Enter only if you'd do it unpaid for a year.

The route, in five steps

  1. Pick a fixed schedule and never miss it — it's the whole job
  2. Stream a game or topic with an audience, not one you merely like
  3. Clip your own highlights for short-form every single day
  4. Build a Discord from day one: that's what you actually own
  5. Add a second income stream before you need it

What you'll need to buy

These are the categories every live streaming pays for in the first month. We break down what each one actually costs at this size on the tools page.

capture cardmicrophonestreaming softwareoverlay pack

Does it hold up for you?

These numbers are the average case. Whether this business clears your target depends on your capital, your hours and how long you can wait — put them in and see.

Run my numbers → See the tool stack