Influenced by digital technology's impact on rural economic and social development, live streaming has emerged as a novel driver for rural revitalization and farmer income growth. Using data from a survey of 924 rural households in Sichuan Province, 2SLS and LIML methods were applied to analyze the effects of live streaming on household income. Empirical results indicate that rural live streaming significantly increases farmer income. Further examination of income composition reveals that live streaming enhances wage, property, and operational income through employment creation, entrepreneurship opportunities, and land transfer facilitation. Differential effects are observed across content types and participant categories. Specifically, e-commerce livestreams demonstrate strong income-positive outcomes, while cultural-entertainment livestreams show limited effects. Regarding participant types, internet celebrities amplify income impacts in both e-commerce and cultural-entertainment formats. Government officials significantly enhance income effects in e-commerce livestreams, whereas ordinary farmers rely more on personal resources and community networks. Income gains from livestreaming increase with village-level adoption scale. Policy recommendations include strengthening rural e-commerce infrastructure, promoting integration with local industries, implementing differentiated support for participant categories, and replicating successful livestreaming models.