Best Times to Go LIVE on TikTok
Maximize your LIVE stream viewership and gift earnings with optimal scheduling. Data from thousands of streams reveals when audiences are most active and generous.
Quick Reference: Universal Peak Times
Morning
6-9 AM
Commuters and early risers. Lower competition.
Prime Time
7-11 PM
Highest viewership. Best for most niches.
RECOMMENDEDLunch
12-2 PM
Break-time browsers. Good secondary slot.
Peak Times by Timezone
Optimal streaming times vary by where your audience is located. If your analytics show a specific region dominates, prioritize those times.
| Timezone | Peak Time | Secondary | Best Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| EST (Eastern) | 7-11 PM | 12-2 PM | Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday |
| PST (Pacific) | 6-10 PM | 11 AM-1 PM | Wednesday, Friday, Sunday |
| GMT (UK) | 7-10 PM | 12-2 PM | Monday, Wednesday, Saturday |
| CET (Europe) | 8-11 PM | 12-2 PM | Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday |
| AEST (Australia) | 7-10 PM | 12-2 PM | Thursday, Saturday, Sunday |
Best Times by Niche
Different content types attract audiences with different schedules. A fitness stream at 6 AM makes sense; a gaming stream at 6 AM does not. Match your timing to your niche.
Gaming
8 PM - 1 AM
Core gaming audience is online after work/school. Late night sessions have dedicated viewers.
Beauty & Makeup
6-9 PM
Get ready with me content. Viewers applying makeup for evening events.
Fitness
6-8 AM, 5-7 PM
Morning workout warriors and post-work exercise crowd.
Cooking & Food
5-8 PM
Dinner prep time. Viewers cooking along or getting inspired.
Music & Performances
8-11 PM
Evening entertainment time. Concert-like atmosphere.
Educational/Business
12-2 PM, 7-9 PM
Lunch break learning and evening professional development.
ASMR & Relaxation
9 PM - 12 AM
Bedtime relaxation content. Wind-down audience.
Comedy & Entertainment
7-11 PM
Evening entertainment seekers. Weekend afternoons also strong.
Best Days to Stream
Not all days are created equal. Thursday and Saturday consistently outperform, while Monday tends to be slower.
Slower start to week. Good for building habits.
Strong engagement. Less competition than weekend.
Mid-week peak. Excellent for regular scheduling.
Best weekday. Pre-weekend energy.
Varies. Early evening good, late competition.
Peak day overall. More competition but larger audience.
Strong early/mid day. Drops late evening.
How to Find YOUR Optimal Time
Generic best times are a starting point, not a destination. Your specific audience may have different patterns. Here is how to find your optimal schedule.
Analyze Your Analytics First
Before following generic advice, check your own TikTok analytics. Go to Creator Tools → Analytics → LIVE to see when YOUR specific audience is most active.
Action Items:
- • Review last 28 days of LIVE data
- • Note peak concurrent viewer times
- • Identify patterns in gift-giving times
- • Compare weekday vs weekend performance
Test Different Time Slots
Run a 4-week experiment streaming at different times. Track metrics for each slot before committing to a schedule.
Action Items:
- • Week 1: Morning slot (6-9 AM)
- • Week 2: Lunch slot (12-2 PM)
- • Week 3: Early evening (5-7 PM)
- • Week 4: Prime time (8-10 PM)
Consider Multi-Timezone Strategy
If your audience spans multiple timezones, schedule streams that overlap peak times. 7 PM EST hits both East Coast evening and West Coast afternoon.
Action Items:
- • Map your audience geography
- • Find overlapping peak windows
- • Alternate times to serve different regions
- • Use analytics to track regional engagement
Build a Consistent Schedule
Consistency beats optimization. Viewers remember and plan for regular stream times. A Tuesday 8 PM regular stream builds loyal viewers.
Action Items:
- • Pick 2-3 consistent weekly slots
- • Announce schedule in bio and videos
- • Set reminders and notifications
- • Stick to schedule for at least 8 weeks
Viewer Behavior Insights
Understanding how viewers behave during streams helps you optimize not just when to stream, but how to structure your streams.
Gift Giving Peaks at Stream Start
The first 15-20 minutes of a stream sees the highest gift activity. Regular viewers often send welcome gifts. Start strong with engaging content.
Recommendation: Open with something interactive or exciting, not setup/small talk.
Longer Streams Earn More
Streams over 60 minutes earn 3-4x more in gifts than 30-minute streams. Viewers need time to settle in and feel connected.
Recommendation: Aim for minimum 45 minutes. 60-90 minutes is optimal for most niches.
Weekend Afternoon Competition
Saturday/Sunday afternoons have high viewership but also high streamer competition. Your visibility depends on your ranking.
Recommendation: If under 10K followers, weekday evenings may yield better per-viewer engagement.
Late Night Loyalty
Streams after 10 PM have fewer total viewers but higher engagement per viewer. Night owl audiences are loyal and generous.
Recommendation: Consider one late-night stream weekly for superfan engagement.
Notification Impact Timing
Going LIVE sends push notifications to followers. Too early (before 9 AM) or too late (after 11 PM) notifications may be ignored or annoying.
Recommendation: Sweet spot is 11 AM - 10 PM for notification-friendly streaming.
Common Scheduling Mistakes
Only streaming when you feel like it
Impact: Irregular schedules kill viewer habits. Followers forget about you.
Fix: Set 2-3 fixed weekly times and stick to them for 2+ months.
Copying other creators times exactly
Impact: Their audience is not your audience. What works for them may flop for you.
Fix: Use generic times as starting points but let YOUR data guide decisions.
Streaming too short
Impact: Streams under 30 minutes never gain momentum. Algorithm does not promote them.
Fix: Minimum 45 minutes. Build stamina gradually if new to streaming.
Ignoring timezone differences
Impact: You might be streaming at 3 AM for your core audience without realizing.
Fix: Check analytics for audience location. Adjust times accordingly.
Never streaming on weekdays
Impact: Missing consistent habit-building with core fans who are free evenings.
Fix: Tuesday or Thursday evening streams build loyal weekly viewers.
Sample Weekly Schedule Template
Here is a proven schedule template for building consistent LIVE streaming habits. Adjust times based on your analytics and audience.
Standard Week
Growth Week
Calculate Your LIVE Earnings Potential
Now that you know when to stream, find out how much you could earn. Use our LIVE Gifts Calculator to estimate your income potential.
Disclaimer: Optimal streaming times are based on aggregate data from creator surveys and platform analytics. Your specific audience may have different patterns. Always verify recommendations against your own TikTok analytics data. Results vary based on niche, audience demographics, and content quality.