How To Become A Video Game Streamer: 10 Steps

This article covers how to get started, what you need to do to become a streamer, and multiple tips related to the gaming setup!While not the primary motivation for every streamer, some gamers are interested in the potential to earn income through streaming. Successful streamers can monetize their content through various avenues, including Twitch subscriptions, donations, sponsorships, affiliate marketing, and ad revenue.

This article covers how to get started, what you need to do to become a streamer, and multiple tips related to the gaming setup!

Is being a streamer a viable career?

While the landscape has been changing drastically in the last decade and every year or so it seemingly goes through an overhaul, it's arguably the most lucrative it has ever been to make a living streaming video games. A lot of people grind it out to become streamers while some find the perfect niche and community, and become stars overnight. All in all, though, it is very much a viable career that can change what you already love into a way to earn your income.

When you are a professional Twitch streamer, there are things you do live but also offline. When broadcasting, you play your favorite game while providing entertainment, insight, or preferably both. You interact with the audience and create a great space for everyone to spend time in.

When offline though, you should have a plan for every stream. Such plans range from basic (open up the game, play ranked for 8 hours), intermediate (switch the character or deck you play every hour, pre-prepare those decks), to advanced (plan interactions with viewers, have special events every couple of hours, do live chats, have guests on). You can mix and match. Daily streams could be tiring for you and the audience if they were all meticulously packed with action. On the flipside though, they can't all be super basic as you won't stand out.

Last but not least, take care of your workstation and the software you use. There are a couple of key points to remember if you want to become a top streamer:

• Make sure your microphone and camera are set up well,
• Update your drivers,
• Always improve the stream quality,
• Patch all the games and software before you go live,
• Have the snacks and drinks ready and crucially...
• Stay hydrated and well-fed! You need to take care of the audience but you can't forget about yourself in the process

5 Steps for starting as a video game streamer

There are numerous steps you should take before fully starting. Not all of them have to be done in a strict order, but it's best if you do most anyway.

First, you need to choose the game you want to stream. It can be a shooter, an RTS, a trading card game, or anything in between. Make sure you love the game, as you'll be spending hours upon hours playing it. If it's a competitive game, do a retrospection of whether it frustrates you sometimes - this might become an issue later on. You don't have to limit yourself to one game only but the more games you play, the harder it is to have an engaged audience.

You also need to choose your streamer name that will be visible on all the live streaming platforms like Twitch. This nickname can be your actual full name, something you were called at school, a game-related pun - a lot of possibilities to choose from. You can always go for something simple like YourName_Game such as Victor_MTG or Kathy_CoD.

Then create an account on a live streaming platform of choice. It's a relatively simple process but one that you can't do without.

The next natural step is to use some streaming software that will allow you to have full creative control over what you're broadcasting. The most popular include StreamLabs or OBS. You will also have to set it up. You'll need to input your streaming key, set up the delay, output quality, and many other.

Once you get started, make sure to create one consistent schedule so your viewers know when to expect you. Being regular is arguably the most important factor in becoming a streamer. If people know they can always catch you live when they have breakfast, it'll become their routine!

5 More Steps - a game streaming setup

To start streaming, on top of digital assets, you also need physical tangible equipment that will allow it to happen. Let's take a look at a couple of steps that you need to take care of to ensure superb quality.

Let's start with the most obvious - your computer. You need to make sure that your PC can withstand the high requirements of the games you play. In order to ensure the best viewing experience, you should be able to play those games on High or ultra-graphic settings while not compromising performance. Streaming, and potentially rendering videos later, also takes up a lot of processing power.

Moreover, people want to see your face while you smile and laugh. A great webcam is definitely in order. For starters, you can get a lower-range cam like Logitech c920 but as you continue finding success, you should consider leveling it up to a proper camera with 4k quality.

What is video without the accompanying narration? Your microphone is arguably the most important part of the puzzle. A lot of people will forgive lower resolution but will be hard blocked when the mic quality is subpar. You don't have to fork out a fortune. Start with a USB microphone like Blue Yeti or Elgato 3. Later on you can upgrade it to a mic like Shure.

Speaking of audio, you need to get an awesome audio mixer to be able to manipulate the sound output. You want to remove any echo, minimize your plosives (sounds you make when saying consonants like p or b), avoid picking up background noise.

A great internet connection is without a doubt super high on the list as well. There are few worse things than a lagging game. It makes it both hard for people to watch but also for you to play and enjoy the process. You should avoid WiFi and use a cable to ensure speed but also *stability* of your connection. Most common routers are compatible with a classic Ethernet cable.

Should I start?

YES! Remember that you're not signing a contract with the devil. You're not selling your soul. You can try it out, see if you like it - if you do, you might just find the most fun way to spend time and earn money! If you'd like to find likeminded people, make sure to check out our Metafy community.