Streaming on various sites like YouTube, Twitch, and Facebook has now reached heights that no one could have even imagined. Even going back to just ten years ago, there were few people out there that ever imagined themselves as a future content creator, let alone being able to make a fully-fledged salary from their efforts.
Well, this is the case no longer, and in the present day, anyone with the desire to become a streamer can do so at their earliest beck and whim. That isn’t to say that streaming is easy; without some essential knowledge about how to get started, streaming can easily become a complex task for the uninitiated. Let’s dive straight into it and tell you a few steps on how you can begin live streaming your gaming content.
Get The Essentials
Before you even begin to think about live streaming, you will first need to invest in a few key pieces of essential equipment. There are a ton of different options out there for live streaming equipment in the modern day, and more likely than not, you will be able to find something that fits into your budget.
Of course, high-quality equipment will come at a premium price, and if you are truly set on becoming a live streamer in the long term, then it may be a good idea to invest in these higher-end alternatives now. However, by no means is expensive gear necessary, and you will be able to get by with just the bare minimum.
There are a plethora of content creators that started out with terrible equipment, and as can be seen by their current success, said equipment was no barrier to growth.
When it comes to what equipment you need, it depends both on your budget and what type of streamer you would like to be. If you just plan on creating content without showing your face, then the only thing you need would be a good quality microphone. Alternatively, if you plan on showing your face as well as doing commentary, it may be necessary to get both a camera and a microphone.
If you can not afford any of the previously mentioned equipment or do not want to take live streaming too seriously, you could always get by with just a mobile phone. You could always upgrade later into your venture when you amass a larger following, and in reality, most modern phones are good enough to provide more than just a pleasant viewing experience.
Getting streaming equipment is the first and most important step in your journey. Without the ability to actually record your gameplay, you will not get very far.
Decide What Type Of Gaming To Focus On
After getting your equipment and set-up all taken care of, it’s time to think about what type of content you’d like to focus on. Of course, there is nothing wrong with being a variety streamer, and this form of content creator is more popular than ever at present. However, despite this, it would still be a good idea to pick some sort of niche in order to build your following.
Luckily, this isn’t too hard to do. In reality, you can just stream whatever you may be into, and no matter how niche the subject is, there will always be an audience. Whether you like to drop by outstanding live casinos from time to time and are an avid gambler or perhaps you happen to think of yourself as some sort of chess master and want to focus your content around that, there will be people willing to watch, and you will be well on your way to building a following.
One thing that is important to note about this point is that while you may be able to switch to a different form of content later on down the line, this may not be very feasible to do. If you build your audience primarily around one niche or type of gaming and then try to switch, it would not be a surprise to see a myriad of unhappy fans, and there is no doubt that this would hamper your progress.
This gives you all the more reason to pick something that you actually like and enjoy, and if you just pick a genre/niche that is popular at the moment in order to grow quickly, it is highly likely that you will get bored later down the line. The age-old notion still rings true; just be yourself. There is only one you, and trying to copy someone else is more likely to be a barrier to your success rather than a boon.
The Dos & Don’ts Of Streaming
The last step you need to take in your streaming journey is simply learning the ropes, and there is no better way to do this than just getting started. You can look up all of the streaming tips in the world and research endlessly on how you should present yourself on camera, but if you don’t actually take to starting this endeavour, you will not make much progress at all.
You will learn what you should and shouldn’t do whilst streaming, and any extra time spent on learning how to stream will just be wasted time. So, as long as you just get started and try your best, you can’t go wrong.
We hope that after you have read this article and fully digested its contents you have a much better understanding as to exactly what streaming entails. Sure, there may be a lot of aspects you need to master in order to fully realise your potential as a streamer. However, the first and most important step is to just get started.
Do not waste any more time debating whether or not you should take the plunge; just do it. You can figure out all of the extras in the aftermath, and in reality, all the tools you need to become a fully-fledged steamer are contained in this article. Good luck.
