What does "clip farming" mean? Streaming terminology explained

Live streaming has become an integral part of mainstream media these days. Some of the biggest online personalities are from this particular industry. With its burgeoning growth, there has also been an influx of a wide range of Gen Z terminology that not everybody might be familiar with. For example, 'rizz' (deriving from the word 'charisma') was declared as the Oxford Word of the Year 2023.

One of the words (or phrases) that have come up in recent times has been 'clip farming.' This is something that many people practice, or is used to describe other streamers' antics. But what exactly is 'clip farming'?

Firstly, the word 'clip' typically means any kind of media (could be a video or a photo). Secondly 'farming' here refers to someone sharing a photo or video clip with the sole purpose of garnering attention (or generating 'clout' as Gen Z would describe it). Let's look at how the Urban Dictionary defines it:

"The act of purposely messing up on camera in the hopes it will be re-uploaded online to get clout and attention."

The definition of 'Clip Farming' on Urban Dictionary (Image via Urban Dictionary)

In simple terms, 'clip farming' is typically the practice of uploading (or re-uploading) a clip (or photo) that features something that's click-bait-worthy or features an individual who is displaying exaggerated reactions or antics. Its main aim is to generate as many views or 'clicks' from the streaming audience.

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What are some examples of "Clip Farming"? Streaming terminology explored

Clip farming has become a widely popular term in the past couple of years, especially with the advent of streaming. This phrase has frequently appeared in headlines on multiple occasions.

It's worth noting that clip farming is typically seen as a desperate move on the part of the streamer. There are, of course, examples that help better understand this practice. Twitch streamer Nicholas "Jynxzi" was accused of clip farming by allegedly faking a chat message to attract attention:

Jynxzi himself has accused another streamer (Cody "Clix") of 'clip farming.' This was when Clix had used a suggestive image of himself with Jynxzi's present girlfriend Breckie Hill. This naturally provoked a strong reaction from Jynxzi, who said:

"That's literally all it is, bro. Clix is clip farming, that's it. Bro, I'm all for a good clip farm, you guys know that, bro. But, like, that type of clip farm - that's like next level."

Twitch streamer and FaZe Clan member Josh "YourRAGE" recently discussed this streaming issue, mentioning his departure from the FaZe house due to what he described as a "clip-farming f**king disease" among the creators there. He said:

"There's a disease spreading in FaZe rapidly! Before the only clip-farming a**, like, cringe-lord was my dog Lacy, and then my dog Ron (Stable Ronaldo). Why the f**k did I pull up to Davis? I mean, to Vegas with that infection? And also Max (FaZe Plaqueboymax) and motherf**king Silky?!"

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'Clip farming' isn't, of course, the only phrase that has attained internet virality recently. The streaming community is known to produce unique terminology that can leave people scratching their heads. Another example is 'Fanum Tax.'

For those unfamiliar with the term Fanum Tax, it was first used by AMP member and Twitch streamer Roberto "Fanum." It essentially means 'taxing' a certain proportion of food items that your friends would eat.