Utilizing Discord to create a community outside the stream

Discord is a voice, video, and text chat service initially designed for gaming communities but later expanding to study groups, school classes, and others. It uses a channel-based navigation system similar to Slack and is the primary form of community building for streamers outside the stream itself.

Many streamers have their own Discord servers for their viewers to communicate more closely with the streamer (than other social media platforms at least), and to find people with similar interests. They usually post their Discord links on a Twitch panel (see Channel Design).

The Welcoming Nature of Discord Communities 🚪

According to our observations, streamers' Discord communities often reflect the streamer's content.

Mayuko ("hellomayuko") often posts videos on mental health in the technology industry, and encourages her viewers to take care of themselves. Discord members also heavily encourage this.

Longtime community members are usually extremely welcoming to newer members, and engaged often when we took part in conversation.

I (judgejudes) suddenly just jumped into this convo about nonfiction, and was treated as an equal, surprisingly.

Channels 🌎

There are different channels dedicated to different interests depending on a streamer's audience. Members often regularly use multiple channels.

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hellomayuko's channel: She makes content about software engineering on Youtube, does co-working streams on stream, occasionally games, and enjoys stationary.

FeliciaDay's channels: She's a longtime content creator who streams gameplay. Note the "#parenting" channel: despite Twitch attracting younger audiences in general, a lot of her audience has grown up with her.

Some of jinnytty's many channels: She has an international audience, so she has separate channels for her English/Chinese/Korean-speaking viewers.

Common Channels 👩‍💻

Across the board, Discord servers usually have some variation of these channels:

• #introduction/welcome

  • A place to introduce yourself

  

• #announcements

  • Pinged when the streamer is live
  • Streamers also post their weekly schedules here

  

• #rules

  • Usually the first channel that a Discord server member is directed to
  • Sets up the expectation that the streamer's rules on engagement on Twitch carry over on Discord

  

  From jinnytty's Discord server

• #feedback

  • The streamer is open to feedback to make their Discord or Twitch better

  

  There's even feedback on getting better juicers and cooking quesadillas on jinnytty's Discord (for more context, she's a lifestyle streamer)

• #general

  • Exactly what it sounds like: any conversation goes!

  

  A couple days after Thanksgiving, community members in FeliciaDay's discord are talking about leftovers.