Top 5 Tips for Live Streaming

I’m excited about today’s article! I’ve been streaming for a couple years and I’ve really enjoyed getting to have conversations with people about streaming and how we can all do better. Today, we’re talking about the top tips that I have for streaming as I reflect on the last couple years. Are there tips that I’ve missed? What have y’all found to be helpful as you’ve grown as a streamer? Let me know! And let’s get into it.

5. Start with what you love

Sometimes streamers have the tendency to want to play what they think will be really popular and get them viewers. The problem with this is that sometimes you might not be super excited about that game or that game will be over saturated with people who thought the same thing and it’ll be difficult for viewers to find you. So, even though you may not see a lot of viewers at first, play something you love. If you can talk about a game, or craft, it’ll encourage viewers to engage with you because they see you care about the game. People are drawn to watch streamers who care about what they’re streaming. Play what you love and care about because that will come across on stream!

4. Don’t invest too much money at the beginning

All of us see the setups that big streamers have. It’s really easy to feel like we have to immediately have similar gear so that our streams can be as good as theirs. That’s not the case. The most important thing to have in the beginning is good audio. If people can’t hear you or can’t hear the game, it’s unlikely that they’ll stick around to see if they like your personality. There are gaming headphones that have come a long way for microphone quality, Logitech and SteelSeries to name a few, that would be good places to start if you can’t afford a USB or XLR mic. This is a good option if you also just don’t have the space for a desk set up. If you’re starting on console gaming, a good headset mic is really important!

Don’t feel like you need to invest a lot of money in streaming right away. Honestly, only upgrade when you really need to and have the money to do so. I’ve been in a position where I’ve been jealous of some of the tech that other streamers have and felt like my stream wasn’t enough because I didn’t have the fanciest of things. For context, I started streaming on a 15inch MacBook Pro. Yes, it was as frustrating as you think it would be. But, it’s still possible. So I’d buy things that I didn’t need and not see a value return. Remember that your goal is to get viewers to return because of you, not because of the tech that you can show off to them. Work on your content before you buy the latest tech.

3. Be as consistent as you can

Consistency is going to be one of the most important pieces for growth. I would say that I was a very casual streamer for the first year and a half of streaming. I went live when I felt like it and saw that my numbers were pretty much sitting at around 10 people (if 10 people even came through). In the last six to eight months, I started being more intentional with my schedule and letting my community know when I would be live. I saw my numbers slowly increase as people found out that they could see me at a consistent time on certain days. It grew trust in my community and we started creating our own rhythms in the streams that made people really feel part of the community. I wouldn’t have started growing the way I did if I hadn’t committed to being consistent with my streams.

2. Incorporate Your Out of Stream Hobbies

You might think that your hobbies don’t have a place in your streams. This is especially the case if your hobbies don’t have anything to do with the games that you play. But, remember that your viewers are coming to see you just as much as they’re coming to see the game you’re playing. So don’t be afraid to talk about the things that you care about that aren’t video games. It’ll bring more opportunities for conversation in your streams and will help you fill the lulls in chat when they inevitably happen.

Also, it’ll help remind your viewers that you’re more than just someone who plays game. You’re a human being with interests and a life. Talking about your other hobbies will help you connect with your community and the conversations that come up might surprise you!

1. Cultivate Your Community

This is maybe the hardest part of streaming in the early days. When you’re just getting started, we all get excited about the couple of people who will stop by the stream just to say hey. Sometimes, these people will not bring the vibe that you want for your streams. In these moments, every streamer has a decision to make. Do you care more about the view count or the community that you want to create? This could be anything from jokes that you don’t appreciate, people coming in to backseat while you’re playing a game, or as bad as racism, homophobia, or ageism. It can be hard to set firm boundaries when you’re growing. I cannot stress how important it is.

I want to re-emphasize that this can be difficult. It’s sometimes uncomfortable to stand up for your space on stream because you never know how people will react online. But I’d encourage you to continue to develop ways that you, and your mods, can moderate the community so that people understand what’s allowed and what isn’t. This is something that I’ve become more bold about the longer that I’ve streamed. I don’t tolerate a lot of things that I would have when I was getting started. Particularly when it comes to backseat gaming. It’s just simply not allowed, people get one warning and then they get either timed out or banned. I’m not here for people wanting to show that they’re “better than me” on my stream. I don’t have the time.

Those are the tips that I offer for people just getting started with streaming, but also people who have been streaming for a minute. This was helpful for me to write because it reminded me of how I want to move forward with streaming. It’s not my main focus anymore because I recently got a full time job. Streaming is still something that I love. So I’m looking forward to what it’s going to look like in 2021 and beyond! If you wanna hang out with me on stream, you can check me out at twitch.tv/pizza_yeti. We play a lot of really cool indie games and just have a chill time. We’d love to have you stop by!