SLEEP EASY
Twitch streamers ‘are making £4,000 overnight’ by filming themselves SLEEPING
SLEEPING on the job is normally a fireable offence – but not for these cheeky Twitch creators.
Some users of the hugely popular streaming site have resorted to recording themselves catching Zs overnight to make a bit of extra cash.
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The new trend was recently explored by an investigation from .
One US video-maker told the tech site that he made $5,600 (£4,200) in one night filming himself asleep in bed.
Streamer Matthew "Mizkif" Rinaudo joked with viewers that his Mum would be fuming if she found out he'd made cash while dozing.
"She thinks I do nothing now," Matthew said. "Wait until she finds out I literally slept and made money."
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Twitch, the world's most popular streaming site, is owned by Amazon and boasts 15million daily users.
Streamers mostly play video games but some create artwork and music or just film themselves having a natter.
They rake in cash via a mix of paid subscriptions, advertising revenue and voluntary donations from viewers known as "tips".
In a bid to make money outside of their waking hours, some creators have turned to "slumber party" streams.
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Streamers point their webcams at their mattresses as they doze off and users give them cash via small online donations.
Some offer incentives for tips, such as allowing them to submit videos in exchange for their donations, which then play at the top of the stream.
Twitch streamer and model Kaitlyn "Amouranth" Siragusa recently ran a sleep stream for her 1.4million followers, Wired reports.
Every 20 new subscribers to channel she gained – that's someone who pays a monthly fee to watch her content – the 26-year-old's alarm was pushed back an hour.
Twitch – the world's biggest streaming site explained
Here's what you need to know...
- Twitch is a website dedicated to hosting livestreams watched by millions around the world
- The platform is owned by Amazon and largely focusses on video game livestreams
- However, content creators also upload clips of themselves creating artwork or music, or simply having a chat
- Twitch boasts more than 15million daily active users watching clips streamed by around 3million creators
- Its creators make money through a mix of paid subscripions, advertising revenue and donations from viewers
- Some of the site's biggest earners make millions every year, largely through sponsorship deals with big brands
- Twitch is worth an estimated £3billion
- Its biggest competitors are Microsoft-owned streaming platform Mixer, YouTube (which is owned by Google) and Facebook Live
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In the chat accompanying the stream, one viewer asked: "Do people actually watch her sleep all night?"
Another responded: "I wanna watch her sleep every night. I’m in love with her."
After Kaitlyn had slept for eight hours, she woke up, got dressed and sat down to stream a marble-racing game.
It's not clear what Twitch's policy is on sleep streamers.
Legendary game speedrunner Narcissa Wright told Wired she had been scolded in the past by the site for taking a short "recharge" nap on stream.
"It was innocent, and I simply didn't want the stream to end," she said.
When asked about Twitch streams becoming a trend, she said she felt "a bit vindicated".
The Sun has reached out to Twitch for comment.
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