Twitch is taking a leaf out of TikTok’s book as they officially roll out a new discovery feed to all users this week.
The streaming company announced on Tuesday (April 30) that the feature is ‘finally here.’ The launch highlights another platform that has adopted short-form content which has seen TikTok rise to huge heights and popularity.
The likes of Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, LinkedIn, and even UberEats have involved some sort of short-form video feed to their platforms, with Twitch now being the latest to be added to the list.
In a blog post on the company website, they describe the feature as being a “scrollable feed in the Twitch mobile app that shows users a personalized mix of clips and live streams to help viewers find content to enjoy quickly and help streamers get discovered, even when they’re not live.”
The discovery feed is finally here: the quickest way to find content you love on Twitch. Preview dozens of live streams & clips without pre-roll ads to find something to watch in minutes.
Update your Twitch mobile app to see the new Feed tab, rolling out to everyone this… pic.twitter.com/bI704lgYAB
— Twitch (@Twitch) April 30, 2024
The discovery feed is available within the Feed tab of the Twitch mobile app, but developers say the location may move as they continue to experiment with changes.
For streamers looking to utilize the new feature, note that you cannot directly upload any content as all live streams and clips will be automatically eligible to appear if they adhere to content guidelines.
How does Twitch’s feed work?
The content on the discovery feed will be personalized to what users already love watching and new communities the algorithm thinks people will enjoy.
The feed will include two tabs – a live feed, and a clips feed. Just like with TikTok, people can scroll vertically through preroll-free previews of live streams in the feed. When a stream catches the eye, simply click the person’s avatar to enter theater mode and join the live stream.
Viewers can vote with a thumbs up and thumbs down button to let Twitch know what content they’re enjoying and what they want to see more or less of in their personal feed.
The company says “this data will not be shared with the streamer or other viewers and only impacts the viewer’s individual feed experience. We may continue to experiment with these feedback signals over time.”
Featured Image: Photo by Caspar Camille Rubin on Unsplash
