Game Streaming: Basic Tips You Must Know

You hear more and more stories of people playing video games all day long and earning 5, 6, and 7 figure salaries from it. — But how do they get started and how do they grow their audience? 

Now live streaming is gaining more and more popularity across social media, game streaming is becoming as popular as other live sports. 33% of active users watch live streaming on the Internet several times a year. 7% of users watch and stream themselves, and another 5% just stream. Streaming includes live broadcasts of concerts, master classes, everyday life, travel, passing video games, etc.

At present, the most popular form of streaming is video games. 53% of viewers are periodically watching it. The most popular platform among video game streamers is Twitch (80% of viewers), and only then is a YouTube channel.

How To Stream Games?

Live streaming isn’t a new thing at all. However, video game streaming on Twitch is experiencing a real boom. Thousands of channels dedicated to any topic can be found on this platform — from Dota or Resident Evil 6 stream to expensive e-sports events. Despite the huge competition, there are still seats for newbies.

Let’s take a look at what a beginner needs to know about how to stream games.

Select a topic

Content creators of all kinds (media, TV, and even streamers) are constantly competing for every second of their viewers’ free time. The competition in all areas is phenomenal, and this is the first thing to think about when deciding to start organizing live streaming. Just playing the most popular video games and commenting on them somehow isn’t enough. It was worth taking this path at the appearance of streaming. Today this niche is completely occupied, and there is no way to break through there.

To choose a topic for game streaming, you should initially think about what is interesting to you and what fascinating content you can present to the audience? 

Improve your diction

Be sure to practice your diction before the start. In oral speech, it’s the same as excellent and understandable handwriting in writing. Correct pronunciation enables you to communicate effectively with your viewers.

Avoid expletives, learn to quickly and clearly formulate your thoughts, try not to make ridiculous comments. The best way would be to practice with relatives and friends. Stream just for them, show and tell them about any video game that interests you, and then collect feedback and compare it. Did you manage to convey the idea? Was it interesting and informative for them? Review the video, pay attention to the pauses in your speech.

Prepare live streaming equipment

It’s not enough to choose a topic and improve diction to attract the viewers and make them stay on your channel. It’s essential to buy the best equipment for your streaming goals.

Game streaming from a PC requires a good processor and a powerful graphics card, not to mention a stable and fast internet connection. 

Furthermore, take care of other live streaming equipment — headphones, microphone, comfortable gaming chair, webcam, and other additional accessories for your convenience and high-quality streaming. If viewers like not only the content but the whole image, they will come back to you again and again and donate many times more.

Install and test software

When you have already decided on a platform for streaming (Twitch, YouTube, or something else), you need to choose live streaming software. Why is it so important? Using only proven software and properly configuring it, your viewers can see not only what is happening on your monitor screen but your face, live chat, and donation alerts. And all these are of good quality.

Moreover, it won’t be superfluous to check in advance other software that takes part in the game streaming process. If you stream some exclusive, you can show your audience how to record and save the stream using a screen recorder for Windows. It will help them rewatch your stream later.

Design your channel

It doesn’t matter if you are streaming video games on Twitch or a YouTube channel, then you need to create its design. We won’t talk about the design techniques, styles, and how to perform them better. You can find the info on the net. However, stick to a uniform style and come up with something (some special design) that would distinguish you, if not from all others, but most video game streamers. Don’t forget to describe yourself.

Promote your channel

To become famous on Twitch or promote your YouTube channel, you need an interesting idea and a large number of viewers. But even with the most original idea, no one may ever know about a new game streamer. 

When launching a new channel, all streamers find themselves in a rather difficult situation — when there is an idea, content, and even excellent live streaming equipment, but the audience is friends and relatives only. In the before-mentioned cases, streaming promotion services come to the rescue.

Such services advertise the streamers, promote their activities, expand the audience and bring them to the top. There are free and paid platforms that boost promotion. Be sure to think over your strategy, choose the best service, and do it!

Monetization

As you have already understood, you need to do a lot of preparation work to organize your stream. And the streaming itself takes a fair amount of effort, time, and energy. Your videos, if you did everything right, should be paid. Fortunately, the audience understands that as well. They are ready to financially support your efforts.

The first part of the income comes from paid subscriptions. 

The second part — from contextual advertising. 

The main income is donations. Streamers write details in the channel description, and grateful viewers donate as much as they can. Everything is simple here.

The choice of the profession of a game streamer or blogger is becoming more and more attractive for young people in the modern world, especially for creative individuals with charisma.

Today, becoming a streamer is as easy as going shopping. But it can be hard to make your way and truly gain popularity because of numerous competitors. Follow all the points mentioned above, continually improve yourself and develop the channel — then you will definitely be successful. Good luck!