Learning how to become a streamer doesn’t have to be hard.
I mean, you’re already a gamer.
You’ve already been playing games since you were old enough to hold a controller.
You already love gaming, and now you simply want to share that with the world.
But how do you go from being just another person who plays games on their computer or console to becoming a full blown streamer?
Well, here are a list of tips that will help you do just that:
1. Be passionate about what you’re streaming
You’ll need to love the game that you’re playing, otherwise it’s just not going to be fun for anyone watching.
If you don’t want to play the game, then why should they?
That could lead to unneeded negativity and people not wanting to watch your stream.
2. Stick to a schedule
It’s important to have a schedule of what times you’ll be streaming every day/every week of the month.
You can stream on any day of the week, but try not to stream on days that special events happen, like midnight release parties or conferences.
The best time to stream is from 5 p.m. until 12 a.m., but you can still be just as successful streaming from 10 a.m to 1 p.m.
Oh, and don’t keep changing when you stream, because it will make it harder for people to find your channel and get used to what time they can expect you on!
3. Don’t be afraid of live feedback
You’ll get a lot of advice and criticism from people as you start streaming, so you should take it in stride and learn how to regulate it!
If someone is being negative towards you then don’t lose your cool.
Being calm and collected is the best way to handle negative feedback.
4. Have a strong, catchy streamer name
A good name is going to attract people to your channel and will help you get subscribers.
If you have a weak or boring name then it can turn away viewers from finding out more about you and what happens on your channel.
5. Choose the right game
Sounds obvious, but you should make sure you’re playing a game that suits your viewers – otherwise they will get bored of watching!
Make sure the game is popular enough so that there are plenty of people who want to watch other players play it too.
6. Be yourself on stream
If you’re not being yourself then there really isn’t any point in streaming at all.
Streaming is about sharing your personality with viewers.
If you’re not being yourself then all the viewers are going to be able to see is a fake version of you.
That’s All Well and Good, But What Do You Need to Become a Streamer?
7. A good headset
The first thing you need to become a successful streamer is a good headset.
Sometimes people balk at the price, but it’s essential!
You don’t want any feedback because that means the microphone is picking up what you’re hearing and playing it back over the speakers.
The best headsets are the HyperX Cloud, Steelseries Siberia and Razer Tiamat (earbuds).
8. Broadband internet with at least 500 kbps upload speed
Your internet needs to be fast.
If you don’t have this, it’s time to upgrade!
You want at least 500 kbps upload speed, but the higher you can go (up to 30 – 50 mbps download speed) the better.
9. A good looking gaming logo
Your channel’s gaming logo is how people are going to judge your stream.
It’s the brand identity that you present to everyone who visits your channel.
And, of course, you’re going to add it to your social media accounts and any merchandise you produce.
10. A webcam that records in 720p or higher
You may not feel the need for one, but it is an important tool to help people connect with you.
It allows your viewers to see your face and helps them to engage more with you as they aren’t just watching your gameplay, they’re also being able to see what’s going on around you.
Oh, and make sure your webcam records in a minimum of 720p!
11. A good microphone for streaming and voiceovers
A microphone is one of the most important pieces of equipment you need to have, since it is how people are going to hear your voice.
It’s important that it can record in a clear manner without any noise or fuzziness – this way your viewers will be able to enjoy listening to what you have to say.
Okay, So How Do I Start a Career as a Streamer?
12. Start small with games you’re already good at
Don’t try to start out by playing the most difficult game you can think of.
Games like Dota 2, League of Legends or Counter-Strike: Global Offensive require hours upon hours of learning and practicing before you can even think about entertaining people with them.
It’s better to start with something like Minecraft or Terraria so you don’t feel out of depth and overwhelmed.
13. Start streaming on Twitch
Twitch is the biggest streaming site available, and it’s where most of your viewers will be watching from (not to mention it’s the site that most streaming software will advise you to use).
14. Make sure your personality is on show
You need to make sure your personality comes across when you start streaming.
Make sure you’re being yourself – there are plenty of games out there with very little personality involved, so you don’t want to add yet another one to the list, do you?
15. Talk to your viewers regularly
As you stream, it’s important that your viewers feel like they’re part of the action.
There’s no better way to do this than by talking about what they’re up to and asking them questions.
This creates a great sense of community.
16. Don’t play games that are buggy or broken
Not only will this make you look unprofessional, it can also lead to your game crashing or otherwise not working properly.
Your viewers should never see you struggle with the game, because that’s what they’re there for – to watch you play a video game.
If the gameplay is buggy or broken, do not play it. Simple as that.
And, How Do I Make Money Streaming?
17. Setup a PayPal account
You’re going to want to get yourself setup with a PayPal account and link it up with your streaming software (such as XSPLIT).
This way, when you receive donations from viewers, you can then transfer that money into your bank!
18. Setup affiliate links for the products you use
There are plenty of people out there who make money streaming games – and they’ve done it by becoming an affiliate for some of the products they use.
You can do the same, whether that’s through Amazon (if you’re using their game capture card), Elgato (for your streaming software) or any other piece of equipment that you use to stream.
19. Link your Twitch channel to a Patreon account
If you have a loyal fanbase that really enjoys what you do (and appreciates it), then why not reward them by giving them access to exclusive content on your Twitch channel?
This will engage viewers and help build up their loyalty, which is always a great thing.
20. Sell your own branded merchandise
You can make use of something like Printful to create t-shirts, bags, stickers or any other type of product you want.
By making these yourself and using them as giveaways during streams, you’ll be able to generate extra revenue. For example, if someone buys a t-shirt from your store, you can either use that money for giveaways or to pay off the cost of making the shirt in the first place.
21. Join a partner program
There are plenty of video games streaming websites out there – and joining a partner program will allow you to receive a percentage of revenue they make on advertisements.
You will need to stream frequently and have a loyal fanbase to be accepted, but it can be very lucrative for smaller channels.
In conclusion
So to sum up:
- Find out what games your audience watches and plays
- Pick a game that you enjoy playing and stick to it
- Start streaming on Twitch, YouTube or Facebook (the major sites)
- Make sure your personality comes across when you stream; be yourself
- Talk to your viewers as much as possible; build a sense of community
- Make sure your stream is set up correctly, without any bugs or other problems
- Don’t play broken or buggy games
- Get an affiliate link for your equipment if possible
- Use PayPal to take donations from viewers and then convert them into money through bank transfers
- Sell your own branded merchandise and make use of affiliate programs
If you follow these steps and stream frequently, then it’s likely that people will notice and you’ll start getting donations – which in turn can lead to making money doing what you love.
How cool is that 🙂
Oh, and as always, have fun gaming!
-The Zombie Writing Team