US live streaming giant Twitch is adding a video stories format to its Stories feature, allowing streamers to post brief, time-limited clips via the mobile app.
The new function is expected to work similarly to the short-form videos created and uploaded on social media platforms such as ByteDance Inc.’s TikTok, Meta Platforms Inc.’s Instagram, and Google LLC’s YouTube. The videos will have a Snapchat-like expiration lasting up to 48 hours.
The feature provides users with more ways to maintain audience engagement within the platform. Streamers often opt for other social media, such as Instagram Stories and TikTok, to share their 60-second, behind-the-scenes videos.
Stories on the Amazon.com Inc.-owned video game streaming service previously released photo and text stories exclusively for mobile devices, but access to the features has been expanded to the web app, as the company saw most viewers logging on to the platform through the web.
Twitch’s Video Stories to Boost Streamer-Viewer Interaction
While Twitch’s adoption of video stories barely demonstrates innovation, the format has gained massive attention and interest since Snapchat’s founding.
Such popularity has prompted other major social media platforms to develop their versions of the feature, aiming to tap into the potential of ephemeral online messaging.
The move has benefited Instagram and YouTube, while other well-known social networks, including TikTok, WhatsApp, Facebook, and Telegram, have also enabled support for stories.
The live streaming service provider looks to see streamers shifting to its own video stories to promote their streams and update the audience instead of relying on other platforms for such actions.
Twitch also expects the additional function to help streamers connect with their viewers further through activities such as question-and-answer (Q&A), poll participation, or welcoming new subscribers using the @mention tool.
Still, the switch might happen gradually, considering the feature is entirely new, which reduces the odds of an immediate pivot from the platform’s top streamers.
