Starting a Stream Career the Right Way: a 3-Step Guide

streaming Jul 28, 2021

 

Thanks to the advent of platforms like Twitch, Facebook Gaming, and YouTube Live, the world of streaming is far more alive than ever, with millions of streamers broadcasting.

In the past few years alone, the popularity of video game streaming has skyrocketed far past the point of being merely relegated to a purely geek niche. In fact, some regard it as a close rival to spectator sports like basketball. With mainstream media and the growth of eSports shedding more light on video games as an exciting spectacle to watch, starting a career as a streamer can now be more lucrative than a standard desk job! 

At this point in your life, it may seem like the thousands of hours that you’ve spent playing your games and unleashing your inner geek have led up to this moment where a possible streaming career lies ahead of you. Considering that you’ve got the gaming skills and personality to make it big with enough hard work and persistence, there’s no better time to start than today.

With all this talk about becoming a streamer and the success stories of personalities like Shroud, NickMercs, and PokiMane, you may have one question in mind: how do you start?

Steps to starting a streaming career 

Now that you’ve decided to start your streaming career, it’s time to move on to the most important stages of getting everything up and running so that you can grow an audience. To help you make the best possible early decisions, let’s look at the necessary steps you’ll need to follow so that you can hit the ground running: 

Step #1: Know what you want to do

Streaming smart is something that begins by being particular about what you want to do if you want to have fun, grow without hurdles, and get the best view rates.

When we talk about knowing what you want to do as a streamer, we’re referring to figuring out the niche you want to reach. Think about what kind of activities you have, and who your ideal viewer is. Whether you’d like to be more kid-friendly or cater to a more adult-heavy fanbase, it’s vital that you figure out the stream theme or style that you want to follow, as doing so will act as a guide for the next steps! Will you be a loud and gregarious streamer, or will you become a home for chilled chat sessions? Most people fall somewhere between the two, and knowing who you are, and what you stand for, will aid you in your growth on Twitch. 

Step #2: Choose what game to play

The most unique part about streaming today is that games each have their own loyal audiences and expected interaction rates — making it easier to expect what comes next.

Generally, it’s recommended that you stick to one main game and play new ones every once in a while to keep viewers engaged, because most viewers start off following personalities based on the games they like. Regardless of whether you want to play more popular games like Warzone or Valorant or go with more niche yet still popular titles like Sea of Thieves or Escape from Tarkov, it’s important to play with something that not only has more viewers but is something you also enjoy! Tools such as SullyGnome can help you figure out what might work for you.
 

Step #3: Arm yourself with the right equipment

Compared to regular gaming sessions that you’re used to, streaming puts a larger amount of stress on your PC and might require you to invest in additional pieces of equipment. This is why it’s important to test your system before starting.

If your computer is around the low or mid-low range in terms of specs, you may want to consider upgrading to a mid-high or high-level setup that can handle more stress from both the games you play and the streaming software you run. On top of PC upgrades, ensuring that your streams are of the utmost quality also requires investing in items like a decent camera, lights, and a good microphone. Always start with the microphone. If you have poor audio, nobody’s going to be tuning in.


However – it’s better to just get started with what you have before indulging in expensive kit. Give it a go and make sure you enjoy streaming before spending a bunch of money and investing in the likes of a StreamDeck

Conclusion

There has never been a better time to get started on a streaming career, thanks to the advent of the gaming industry as both a competitive and spectator sport. If you want to dip your toes into this world and become a streamer-content creator, then be sure to follow the three tips mentioned above that will help you get started in the best way possible! 

If you want to learn more about growing an audience in the UK and the US and how you can turn your passion into something that puts food on the table, we’ve got you covered. Get in touch with us at Coaching for Geeks to learn more about how we can help!

 

 

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