Ultimate Guide on how to Become a Twitch Streamer

Jan 20th 2022

If you’ve ever watched a live stream on Twitch, then you know it can be pretty addicting. You might have even thought to yourself, 'I want to do this! How do I become a Twitch Streamer?' This article will go over everything you need to know about how to become a Twitch Streamer. We will cover the best streaming software for your computer or laptop, talk about what kind of PC requirements are needed for running live streams, and much more!

What is Twitch, and how does it work?

Twitch, formerly known as Justin.tv, was launched in June of 2011 by co-founders Kevin Lin and Emmett Shear. Even though the site had many sorts of content, the gaming category exploded in popularity. It wasn’t until August 2013 when Twitch decided to focus on video game live streams.

Twitch is now the world’s leading social video platform and community for gamers that averages 100 million visitors per month. How does Twitch work? Viewers can watch live streams of other gamers playing their favorite games, listen to gaming-related podcasts, or watch gaming-related videos. Viewers can also interact with other viewers by subscribing to a channel, leaving comments, or talking directly into the live chat window that is displayed on-screen.

What Do Twitch Streamers do?

Twitch streamers are basically digital entertainers and entrepreneurs who live broadcast their gaming sessions to viewers on the website. How much money can you make by being a Twitch Streamer? The average employee salary for a full-time Twitch streamer is $74,985 per year. However, some people have made a fortune off of live streaming.

How to Get Started with Twitch

When becoming a successful streamer, there are many things to consider, including creating an online persona or brand for yourself and having solid content that attracts viewers to your channel.

First things first, you’ll need some essential equipment such as videos. You will also need a gaming PC and some type of streaming software.

How to Get Started-with- Twitch

Best Streaming Software for Twitch

There are many different types of streaming software to choose from, but we’ve narrowed it down to the three best options for Twitch streamers.

OBS Studio (Open Broadcaster Software) – OBS is free and open-source software popular among Twitch streamers for its flexibility and wide range of features.

Streamlabs OBS – Streamlabs OBS is a streaming software specifically designed for live streaming on Twitch, YouTube Gaming, or Mixer. It has many built-in tools that make streaming easier such as alerts for followers and donations, automatic video encoding, and a built-in overlay.

XSplit Broadcaster – XSplit is another popular streaming software, but it is not free to use like OBS or Streamlabs OBS. It has advanced features that are frequently updated by the developers such as instant replay functions, chroma-key color tracking, live audio mixing with voice detection, and direct revenue sharing with popular streaming websites.

How to Choose the Best Streaming Software for Twitch

You should choose your streaming software based on what you want it to do and how much money you’re willing to spend. If you are an aspiring live streamer but don’t have a lot of cash lying around, I would recommend going with OBS Studio or Streamlabs OBS.

They are both free to use and have a wide range of features that will get you started on your streaming journey. If you are looking for more advanced features and already have some money saved up, then I would recommend XSplit Broadcaster. It is not free like the other two options, but it does have a lot of features that will make your live streaming experience much better.

How Can You Become a Twitch Streamer?

Now that you have the basic equipment and software, it’s time to start streaming! The best way to get started is by finding other Twitch streamers who are similar to you and watching their streams. This will give you an idea of what type of content people want to see on your channel and how to engage with your viewers.

Once you have a general idea of what you want your stream to look like, it’s time to start creating some content! This can be anything from gaming sessions to vlogs or just hanging out with friends. The most important thing is to make sure that your content is exciting and engaging for your followers.

The final step is to start promoting your channel! Tell your friends and family about it, post about it on social media, and create graphics that you can use to promote your stream. The more people who know about your channel, the more viewers you will have!

How TO Become a Twitch Streamer

The Benefits of Being a Streamer

The benefits of being a Twitch streamer are many, and some of them may surprise you. Here are just a few of the benefits of streaming on Twitch:

You can make money from streaming! There are various ways to make money as a Twitch streamer, such as through paid subscriptions, donations, affiliate links, and merchandise sales.
You can connect with other gamers around the world – being a Twitch streamer allows you to meet people from all over the globe who have similar interests as you! How awesome is that?
It’s fun - broadcasting your gameplay live for everyone to see creates an adrenaline rush like no other!

How Long does it Take for Your Channel to Grow on Twitch?

You may wonder how long it takes for your channel to grow on Twitch. Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. It depends on various factors such as the type of content you are streaming, how often you stream, and how much effort you put into promoting your channel. However, with enough hard work and dedication, you can see steady growth on your channel over time.

The Importance of Branding on Your Channel

One of the most important things to do when starting a Twitch channel is to create a strong branding strategy. This includes coming up with a catchy name for your channel, choosing a corresponding logo and color scheme, and developing a voice for your stream. Creating a unique brand for your channel will make it easier for viewers to identify you and remember you as time goes on.

Monetizing Your Stream

After your channel has established itself, monetizing it becomes an important issue to consider. How you make money streaming is by no means limited to the following four methods, but these are some of the most common ways:

Twitch Subscriptions
Donations
Sponsorships
Affiliate Links/Merchandise Sales.

We've talked more about how to make money on Twitch here.

Tips for Beginners

A lot more goes into streaming than just showing up and pressing a few buttons. How you interact with your viewers, the way you engage them is all just as important. These tips will help guide you on how to be successful in live streaming:

Be Yourself - Don’t try acting like someone else or something that it's not, because people can see right through such attempts, and it will only make you look bad. Just be yourself, and let your personality shine through!
Be Engaging - When streaming, always try to keep the conversation going with your viewers. Ask them questions, get their opinions on things, and generally just interact with them. This will help keep them engaged and coming back for more.
Make Your Channel Stand Out - How you come across on camera is essential. Try to create a unique brand for your channel, including coming up with a memorable name and logo that people will associate with you as time goes by.
Promote Yourself - Letting everyone know about your Twitch stream is vital if you want it to grow in size. How do you promote yourself? There are many ways, but one of the most effective is interacting with other Twitch streamers on social media and forums like Reddit.
Keep it Fresh - Don’t fall into a routine or become stale. Always strive for variety in your streaming content so that people always have something new and fresh to look forward to.
Don’t Give Up!

Necessary Equipment

Now that you know all about the basics of becoming a Twitch streamer, it's time to get down to business! To start streaming, you will need the following items:

PC or Laptop
Webcam
Microphone (you can use a headset with a built-in mic)
Capture Card - If you want to capture HD footage of your gameplay. You will need this if you plan on streaming at high quality and/or resolution, which is an absolute must if you are going to be successful as a Twitch streamer.
Streaming Software - This is the software that you will use to broadcast your gameplay and chat to your viewers.

Conclusion

So, now you know everything there is to know about how to become a Twitch Streamer! We hope this article was helpful, and we look forward to seeing your live streams in the future.

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