If you’ve spent any time on gaming news sites, social media, or podcast programs over the last few years, you’ve probably come across the word “streamer.” These are people who broadcast their gaming sessions to an audience online using services like YouTube, Twitch, and other video-sharing websites. A game streamer is a person who plays video games for entertainment purposes; they aren’t professional gamers trying to make it big as eSports competitors.
In fact, most game streamers have no intention of becoming professional gamers themselves. Instead, they broadcast their gameplay sessions to entertain friends, family, and followers in order to monetize through advertising revenue. As the demand for streams has increased over recent years thanks to the advent of streaming services such as Twitch, more and more people have started game streaming as a hobby. The good news is that you can start doing this with very little money or investment capital. Here’s everything you need to know about getting started in game streaming on Twitch.
What is Twitch?
Twitch is a live video platform that has revolutionized the way we can watch video games streamed online. It’s like YouTube for gaming where users can connect with each other and watch other people play games of all types. You can watch live streams of people playing games like League of Legends, Call of Duty, and Minecraft.
Twitch also hosts streams of music performances and other types of live content. In fact, Twitch was originally designed as a streaming platform for games. The platform is owned by Amazon and offers a free service to streamers. Users connect via the Twitch website, mobile apps, the Xbox One console, the PlayStation 4 console, and Roku devices. Twix is also a Twitch partner. It’s like YouTube Red, but for Twitch. Anyone who signs up for Twitch’s premium service receives a month free. With this, you can get more channel views, more viewers, and more money.
How to Stream on Twitch
To begin streaming on Twitch, you’ll first need to sign up for an account with Twitch. After you’ve created an account, head over to the Twitch website and select the “Start Streaming” option from the top menu. On the next page, you’ll be asked to select your preferred language and choose a Twitch name for your channel. It’s recommended that you choose a name that’s relevant to gaming or that relates to your Twitch channel. You can also choose a custom title for your channel. Twitch viewers will see this when they visit your profile page.
Next, you’ll have to set up your streaming software and hardware. You’ll need a computer that has the latest video streaming software and hardware. This will allow you to record and stream gameplay. You can either rent computer hardware from a hardware store or purchase a pre-built computer with the necessary hardware installed. To ensure that your computer has the latest video software, be sure to check with the manufacturer to make sure that it has Windows Media Encoder and DirectX.
Set up your streaming software and hardware
Now that you have your streaming setup and your computer ready, you’ll need to set up your Twitch account and create your Twitch channel. First, head over to Twitch and click the “Sign In” link at the top of the page. Next, click on “Account,” then “Settings.” On the settings page, you’ll need to enter your Twitch username and password. You’ll also need to enter your email address. This is to help Twitch send you notifications of when new messages or friend requests come through.
Next, click on the “Account” tab, then select “Channel.” From here, you’ll want to make sure that you’re named as the channel owner. This means that the channel name will be listed as the channel name and that you’ll get the majority of the ad revenue from the channel.
Grow your audience by promoting your stream
Twitch has a powerful tool that you can use to grow your audience and monetization potential. This is called Follow Feed. Basically, this tool allows you to follow other Twitch channels, but it also follows you. This means that all of the content you create is also displayed on your Twitch channel page. Follow Feed is a great way to grow your following and connect with other Twitch streamers. To get started using Follow Feed, all you have to do is follow another Twitch channel. When someone clicks on your account and sees the other channels you follow, they’ll be able to click on the link and view your content. You can follow other Twitch channels by clicking on the “Following” tab and then selecting “Following” from the dropdown menu.
Editing your Twitch offline screen is also a great idea as in doing so, you’ll make your account more attractive!
Get paid to stream through advertising
Twitch is best known as a platform for live streaming gameplay, but it’s also a great place to advertise products and promote brands. Some of the main ways to monetize on Twitch include advertising campaigns, sponsorship deals, Amazon product reviews, affiliate marketing, and product giveaways. Twitch ads are just regular YouTube videos that are 30 seconds long. They play before the video starts and have a transparent overlay on them that shows the channel name, logo, and ad duration. Twitch hosts thousands of advertisers, so you can choose from a variety of brands, products, and themes when creating your Twitch ad. For example, you can create an ad for a game that you’re streaming, or create an ad for a product that you’re endorsing.
Bottom line
If you’re looking to get started in game streaming, Twitch is a great platform to begin with. It’s easy to set up, free to use and has a huge following. And best of all, it’s free to sign up. Once you’re set up on Twitch, all you have to do is start streaming games. With Twitch, you can put your games on display and connect with new audiences. You can also use your Twitch account to promote your other online content such as YouTube videos and Facebook posts to help grow your social media following. Once you’ve got your Twitch account set up, all you have to do is start streaming games, and you’ll start growing your audience and making money.
I'm a published author and proud US Army veteran who happens to be a gamer, so I decided to combine the two and love every minute of it! Feel free to contact me with any questions or comments and I'll be sure to get back to you.
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