home Translator Where is the best place to start streaming? A complete guide for beginner streamers

Where is the best place to start streaming? A complete guide for beginner streamers

Two monitors and their implementation.

For broadcasting, the most valuable acquisition will be a second monitor. Streaming without an additional monitor is very inconvenient. You can use a super widescreen monitor, laptop, tablet, and other options, but it's most convenient to just connect another monitor. In addition to the main 24 inch monitor, I use two other monitors, 19 and 23 inches. The brand and size of the additional monitor do not matter; you can get some kind of box from Avito for 1000 rubles. I have a game on my main monitor. On the second there is Chat, OBS, Donations and additional software. On the third monitor is a communication program (Discord) and music that viewers order (TwitchDJ). When you have everything before your eyes, you can control all the information related to your stream, at first it’s not so critical, but if you reach a serious level, then you need to notice everything and react to it in a certain way.

To connect a second monitor you do not need any additional software or wires. You just need to connect both monitors to the graphics card and adjust the screen resolution on your desktop. There is a small program DDMM, it allows you to configure the conditions for moving the mouse between screens. You can make a free transition between both screens (problems may arise in games), you can set a transition at a certain amount of time when the cursor is at the border of the screen, and you can also make a transition from screen to screen when you hold down a certain button on the keyboard (my choice).

By the way, if you want all your monitors to be at the same level, you can purchase special monitor arms that cling to the edge of the table. True, they are not particularly cheap, I bought one for 4000 rubles. I couldn’t find them in regular stores, so I ordered them online.

An example of what a stream looks like from three monitors

Computer for streaming.

If your computer runs most games without problems, then there should be no problems with streaming. If you already play on low settings, then most likely your computer will not be able to stream. Computer requirements depend on the quality in which you plan to stream and what games. Some games can be streamed even from a regular laptop (for example, the currently very popular HearthStone). Although at the same time, other games can lag even on the most powerful PC. Internet for broadcasting requires at least 5 MB, but this is very little and I think there will be problems.

I have never used several computers for streaming, so I don’t know how they are connected to each other. This is most likely done using a capture card, but I'm not sure. Of course, 2 computers (1 for the game, 2 for OBS) is an ideal option with which you can achieve maximum broadcast quality.

I watched videos on Youtube about capture cards and streaming through them in order to unload the processor and realized that this was a bad idea. Most likely there will be severe losses in quality. You should buy a capture card primarily for streaming from a game console. It is necessary to remember that there are 2 types of capture cards, those that encode the data themselves and those that simply serve as intermediaries, and the computer still encodes. As far as I understand, those cards that encode themselves require a huge bitrate for good picture quality (which is not available on Twitch).

What do you need for streaming besides the standard kit? Web Camera, Microphone, Additional Monitor, Headphones, Chroma Key (plus stand) lighting (plus softboxes), non-mechanical keyboard. Many stream without a camera, so see for yourself what format you will have. A microphone is required. A second monitor is very necessary, but you can start without it. Headphones are required, you will not be listening into the microphone from the speakers. Chroma key and lighting are already a higher level of streaming. You need to use a keyboard that is as quiet as possible, and it is advisable to use a mouse, otherwise all the clicks will be heard on the stream.

My config at the time of writing this article

Frame - Cooler MasterHAF 932 Full Tower Chassis.
Power unit - Cooler Master 750w Bronze RS-750-ACAA.
Motherboard - MSI X370 GAMING PRO CARBON ATX
Processor - AMD Ryzen 7 1800X
Video Map - GeForce GTX 1070 Palit Super JetStream 8gb
Audio Map - ESIProdigy X-fi NRG High Quality 24-bit 96kHz 7.1.
LAN card - TP-Link TG-3468 1000mbps.
Memory - CORSAIR Vengeance 32GB DDR4 2400mhz
Hard disks - SSD 128gb Kingston (windows), SSD 240gb Kingston (games) + 2TB hard and 150GB hard.
Monitors - Main BenQ XL2420T, additional LG 19 inches and DELL 23 inches.
Mice/Pad — Razer Deathadder Chroma, Razer Naga Hex (Red), Razer Mamba 2012 / Razer Scarab, Razer Goliathus Speed Edition/Control Edition.
Keyboards - Razer Anansi, A4Tech X7-G800.
Headphones - Razer Tiamat 7.1, Razer Hammerhead Pro, Sennheiser RS-165.
Camera - HD Pro WebCam C920 + Logitech HD C525.
Microphone - Microphone SAMSON C03U USB + Installation (SAMSON MD5, PS01, SP01).
Console - Playstation 4 Slim 500gb + Capture Card (in the process of purchasing).

Workplace.

It is advisable to place the workplace away from extraneous sounds and take into account the presence of sunlight from the window. You should also immediately think about whether you want to sit with your back to the wall or place the table in such a way that the camera can easily capture most of the room for various interactions. It is advisable to have a notebook with a pen on hand for various notes, for example, broadcast time codes. When you think a lot about the development of your channel, you have hundreds of thoughts spinning in your head and it’s better to start writing them down. It is very important to buy a good chair, I sat for a long time on an ordinary chair like they have in savings banks and it was terrible. If your butt constantly hurts, your back gets tired, and so on, then you will have to forget about a good mood during long broadcasts. I've been using the DXRacer King series for over a year now and am very pleased, except that it's incredibly hot and requires a towel. Why did you overpay for the brand? Because I haven’t found any other chairs that guarantee to hold more than 150kg.

Microphone.

At first I used a microphone from Razer Tiamat 7.1 Overall it was fine, but there was some background noise. I don’t know how much this affects the microphone, but I have an audio card Prodigy X-Fi(I bought it for 7.1 sound). Later I bought myself a condenser microphone S AMSON C03U USB+ various devices ( SAMSON MD5, PS01, SP01). These devices include a stand (there is a basic one included, but it’s not very good), a spider that captures the microphone, and a pop filter for clearer sound. I wanted to buy a floor stand but didn’t, although it would be better to use one, of course. I also had to find and download software for the microphone called AudioCommander, only thanks to it it was possible to completely get rid of background noise and reduce the volume of mouse and keyboard clicks.

Today I still use this microphone, but I switched to a stand similar to those on which table lamps are held, you attach it to the edge of the table and rotate it as you please. From Aliexpress it was quite inexpensive, about 900 rubles; analogues in Russia cost about 5,000.

Many streamers place the microphone directly in front of them for maximum audio quality. The microphone is always in the frame and is located right next to the mouth. Of course I agree that this is cool, but personally I would be extremely uncomfortable holding the microphone in front of me, which is why it stands away from me. If you also place the microphone further away, then place it in such a way that it is as far away from the mouse and keyboard as possible and is not directed towards them.

Camera.

You can start without a camera at all, for example, I used a phone camera using the program DroidCam. By the way, with the help of this program you can arrange remote excursions around the apartment. Then I took a weak camera from Aliexpress, it was clearly better than a WiFi camera. Then I switched to the normal version Logitech C525 and started using chromakey . When I had extra money I switched to HD Pro WebCam C920. This made a certain sense; the camera supported a resolution of 1920x1080, produced a higher-quality picture and worked better with chromakey. However, there is one important drawback: the previous camera could rotate, but the new one only moves up and down, which makes it very difficult to get the right angle. I heard that a camera from Razer will be released soon that will create a chromakey effect. Perhaps this will be a good option for some streamers, but I think that the quality of such chromakey will be much lower than the real thing.

What angle should I choose to install the camera? If it is looking directly at you, then this is quite universal and you can easily change the position of the camera in OBS, for example from one corner of the screen to another, to adapt to the game. On the other hand, if the camera is looking at you from a certain angle, then it looks quite beautiful, but there may be problems with positioning the camera in OBS depending on the game and installing chromakey. By the way, you can use an unlimited number of cameras in OBS, so don’t rush to throw away your old webcams.

Chroma key.

Chroma key is a large green rag (there may be other colors, but mostly green versions are used). Its main task is to create a transparent background for photos, videos, streams, etc. I chose a darker and larger one, made of muslin fabric. I searched on the Internet and didn’t find any, only very expensive ones from 5,000 rubles. As a result, I ordered from Aliexpress for 1000p. In general, it’s better to order all such devices from Aliexpress; in Russia, the markups on professional equipment are crazy.

What's the best way to hang chromakey? Above in the “Workplace” section there is a photo of how I currently have chromakey installed. I also bought a stand and two softboxes (I use 1) for chromakey on Aliexpress. There are options for purchasing a chromakey mounted on a piece of hardware in the form of a vertical trampoline, but this option seems quite small to me. You can stretch the chromakey yourself in your room, for example, initially I drilled 2 holes in the wall, screwed screws into them and stretched a rope between them, on which I pulled the chromakey. Afterwards I did everything according to a similar scheme, only I stretched the rope from one side of the room to the other. Such options are bad because the chromakey on the rope does not hang evenly enough and becomes covered with folds and waves. In turn, any folds and waves create shadows, and shadows create interference.

Light is incredibly important when working with chromakey. I have 8 energy-saving light bulbs in my chandelier, plus one softbox shines in my face, there just wasn’t enough room for the second. You can also see a photo of the softbox in the “Workplace” section. Any shadows will create interference; the stronger and more uniform the lighting, the easier it will be to configure the chromakey to work without interference. Plus, illuminating the face with a softbox is also very important, but you need to adjust the lighting in such a way that it does not tire your eyes. Personally, I moved the softbox as far as possible (tied it to the battery so that it would deviate) and put a second cover on it that I removed from the unused softbox, so that the light was less intense. You can, of course, make it simpler and just take a light bulb of a different power.

I sit in front of the window and any changes in the weather completely change the lighting in the room, so I hung green curtains that practically do not allow light to pass through. It’s better, of course, not to sit by the window, because you will always have to keep it closed from the sun and it will be bad for air to flow into the room. Although if you have air conditioning, then this is not a problem. Your task is to achieve such lighting that it is identical at 4 o'clock in the afternoon and at 4 o'clock at night, otherwise you will have to change the settings regularly.

Setting up chromakey in OBS Studio is quite simple. Add a webcam to the sources, open the list of filters for this source and add Chroma Key there. Select the desired color through the camera (the color of your chromakey is average, not too dark and not too light). Next, you are interested in 3 points “Similarity” “Smoothness” and “Reducing key color leakage”. The main parameter is “Similarity”, the more you set it, the more the specified color is cut off. It’s better not to turn up the “smoothness” too much, otherwise you will start to become transparent, but it’s worth increasing it a little. "Reduce Key Color Leakage" is optional, but you can increase it a little, it will slightly smooth out the bright green color at the edges of the outlines and replace it with a less toxic one. After setting up, do not forget to test the camera, twitch your hands, bring some objects to it, put on headphones, etc. The camera may normally show a static image of your face, but with certain elements in the lens it may cause interference, adjust everything until you are completely satisfied.

If you are not able to make yourself a high-quality chromakey, then it is better to stream with a regular webcam, the main thing is to choose good positions for it on the screen and a pleasant background behind you. Also, a small frame around the webcam will look nice. Not all top streamers stream with chromakey; this is not a critical element of broadcasting.

23 min. reading

Updated: 09/10/2018

What is a stream and who is a streamer? How to set up and stream? How to become a streamer and make money from it? What do you need to stream? How much do streamers earn and what are donations on a stream?

According to the Streamlabs service, in 2015, streamers' earnings amounted to $56,000,000. In 2016, this figure doubled and amounted to about $102,000,000, and the number of profitable channels (income over $10,000) was 1,897. Statistics for the previous year are not yet available. compiled, but I am sure another record will be broken.

I often heard about streaming and fabulous earnings, so I decided to look into this topic. In the article you will learn what streaming is, which areas in this area are the most profitable, and where beginners should start. I talked to streamers and learned interesting details about work and earnings. You will find their stories at the end of the article.

Donat – voluntary donation. Respectively, donate, donate– make this donation. People do this as a thank you for work, to order music, to convey a message, or just for fun. Find out more below;
Stream– conduct a stream (I will tell you in detail about what this is below);
Streamer– the person who organizes and conducts the stream;
Skill– a generalized term that reflects the player’s skill (i.e. how well and “correctly” he plays).

What is a stream?

Stream(English stream - stream) - broadcasting of actions taking place on a computer or game console in real time. It takes place on the Internet, on special websites (more about them below). Allows users to watch in real time what the streamer is doing.

Note: The Twitch.tv streaming service is used as an example below.

What it looks like:

This stream is watched by 27 thousand people. On the right you can chat (both with each other and with the streamer). Here is a broadcast of the official event - competitions in the computer game League of Legends.

Here's another example:

Click to enlarge image

It already fits more into the standard concept of “stream”, to which most Internet users are accustomed. Those. there is a person with a camera (pointed at him) who plays the game and comments on what is happening.

The examples given are related to video games. But there are also non-game streams - cooking, unpacking packages, conversational and others... In general, you can show anything that comes to mind. I’ll tell you more about the types of broadcasts a little later, but for now, take an example of a cooking stream:

You can broadcast actions without a camera and without comments. But you are unlikely to attract viewers this way. Agree, it’s boring to watch another person silently go through the game. This is one of the first features that help you get promoted quickly. You will learn more about this further.

Why do we need streams?

For viewers, this is a whole type of entertainment: some people like to watch how someone masterfully plays his favorite toy (i.e., receive new useful information), others find it interesting to watch a person (like his comments, appearance, style of thinking, jokes, image).

In fact, streams are a new type of television that entertains people, only it is created and hosted on this television not by some large television company, such as Channel One or NTV, but by an ordinary boy or girl sitting at his computer monitor.

Why can you make money from this?

Streaming platforms are popular among network users. In 2013 alone, the creators of Twitch.tv said that their portal was visited by more than 45,000,000 viewers and that the popularity of streaming is growing every year.

Streaming services (like YouTube, blogs, and websites) advertise. Advertisers are willing to pay a lot for the site to show advertising during streaming (remember about commercials on YouTube, the principle is the same). One part of the funds is transferred to the administration, the other to the streamers.

It’s hard to believe, but the streamer’s main income does not come from advertising fees, but from voluntary donations directly from viewers (donations). That is, people give money for nothing! Why they do this, what record donations were recorded and how to provoke the audience to do this - you will find out below.

Popular and profitable streaming destinations

As I already mentioned, streaming is not just about video games. Let's look at the main areas for streaming:

Basically, the broadcast is launched by famous personalities (for example, well-known bloggers from YouTube) and they do whatever their heart desires. The streamer already has an audience that will watch it, regardless of the content of the stream. They tell stories, answer viewers’ questions, talk about life, visit other streamers’ channels, and watch funny videos. This type is not suitable for beginners, because they do not yet have their own viewers.

For example, the blogger SnailKick, together with users via stream, watches videos from YouTube and comments on them.

It is a profitable direction, but only if you have an audience (i.e. there will be at least 1000 viewers). You can make money from donations, as well as from advertising any goods and services, if you integrate them organically into the stream.

Broadcasting of any ordinary events. The main thing is to give users something valuable and educational. Example – cooking streams, travel. If the broadcast attracts a sufficient number of viewers, you can propose an idea for donation. For example: “We are collecting funds for a new frying pan and equipment.” In terms of profit, the direction is the same as the gaming one, but here it is more difficult to interest the audience.

Here is a stream organized by Red Bull. The creator’s goal is to popularize the drink, and viewers can enjoy various events - racing, music, travel:

3 Entertainment, communication

You've probably seen entertainment shows on TV. On the Internet, people also launch some funny programs. And someone is streaming it live. Discussion shows, news, music - everything you've already seen on TV. The goal is to entertain the audience.

For example, a guy plays the guitar in real time:

Not profitable, since the goal is to gain an audience. But, again, donations are unpredictable.

The most popular and profitable direction. Playthroughs of games (new ones, for speed), live broadcasts of e-sports competitions and various events in the virtual world (exhibitions, conferences), gaming industry news - all this is of interest to hundreds of thousands of people.

The following games have been popular for several years:

What is the reason for such wild popularity? It's as much fun as watching football. Some people are interested in watching others play a cool game, others learn something new (improving their skills), others spend their free time chatting with like-minded people.

The reasons are different, but it is a fact that this is the most popular direction for streaming. And that means the most profitable. Moreover, it is suitable for beginners. You don't need to have any skills or other knowledge - you just play games and entertain the audience.

5 streaming services. Short review

Choosing a service is an important step in the streamer’s preparatory work. We will tell you about 5 free streaming sites and highlight their advantages and disadvantages.

Twitch

By the way, in the “For Streamer” section you will find an abundance of useful information, including advice for beginners (there is this on Twitch, but there is mainly information about making money, not advice). There is also a forum where users discuss games and everything related to them.

The creators organize gaming tournaments with cash prizes (useful for eSports players):

Click to enlarge image

Advantages:

Nice design;
Clear terms of cooperation (described in the “Help” section);
Users can communicate with each other on the forum;
A rich portal of computer games with broadcasts, news, tournaments, videos.

Flaws:

Most often they stream eSports disciplines;
The project has low popularity among streamers (the broadcast barely reaches 500 people in the TOP).

CyberGame

Note: if you didn’t qualify, don’t be discouraged, improve your content and broadcasts in general, attract new viewers and reapply.

By connecting an affiliate program, you can play advertisements during the stream. To do this, you need to press a special button (will appear in the control menu). The amount of advertising is at your discretion (you can even run it every 5 minutes). This will increase revenue, but remember that viewers won't like it. I recommend running it every 15, 20 or 30 minutes.

Income per day will be (take $3.5 per 1000):

It is worth considering that some users may use an ad blocker (for example, AdBlock), so the profit may be less.

If you have an affiliate program, then you can earn money through paid subscriptions to your channel.

Click to enlarge image

The bottom line: the viewer contributes $5 and becomes your subscriber (YouTube has this feature, but it’s free). The money is divided in half: the streamer receives $2.5, $2.5 goes to Twitch. If you have 100 subscribers, you will receive $250.

The question arises: “What is the point of a paid subscription?” Subscribers stand out from others in the chat by highlighting their name. They also get access to unique emoticons and are unable to view ads. Personally, I wouldn't pay $5 for such insignificant features, but popular streamers make good money this way.

If you like the streamer (his behavior, image, skill), then you can thank him by sending him money (even 10 rubles). In addition, this is a kind of gratitude for the work, because streaming 10 hours a day is not so easy.

Usually, streamers announce information about where to donate money in their profile (located below the stream):

Most streamers announce in advance the purposes for which players' donations will be used. For example, purchasing new gaming equipment, charity. Of course, you can spend money on drinks and entertainment, but this way you will quickly lose the trust of the audience.

On Twitch, if you donate, you can activate some functions. For example, send a message to the streamer, which will be voiced by the built-in bot. There is a 100% chance that the person hosting the broadcast will read it and react in some way. You can ask a question, thank you for your work, and much more.

Click to enlarge image

Another interesting feature is music ordering. During streams, various songs are often played in the background, and for a fee you can order your favorite track.

Donations are the “gold mine” of streamers. Suffice it to recall the sensational case on the Internet involving the streamer Karina (she streamed the game Dota 2). In January 2016, she blew up the Runet with her broadcasts, in which the girl behaved very inappropriately: she swore, screamed, and was constantly nervous. Users found her behavior funny and constantly teased the girl, throwing her donations with insults voiced by the bot.

Messages were pouring in every second, and this, as you remember, is a paid feature. In January alone, Karina managed to collect 860,000 rubles. At the same time, the minimum donation amount was 30 rubles, the maximum was 200,000 (possibly rumors).

And this is far from a record. I have compiled a list of incredible donations for you:

Professional Counter-Strike player Jaroslaw Jazzombkowski received $40,000 from a user under the nickname Motar2k;
Disabled streamer Adam Baritz was donated $6,000 for surgery;
User Amhai donated $100,000 to three players: Chance Morris ($50,000), Isaac Kamins-Bentley ($30,000), Leah May ($20,000).

Google it and you'll see plenty of other crazy donations. Some of them are fake, but some are real.

Advertisers can contact the streamer directly, offering to advertise something. A person can insert an advertising block in the stream window or place links in their profile for a certain amount. Streamers can also search for advertisers on their own.

Earning money is not automated, and you may not always like customer offers (low price, questionable content). Also, you must have a regular audience (at least 300 viewers), otherwise they simply will not be interested in you.

An additional method is to record broadcasts

Both streamers and ordinary users can re-upload broadcasts. Those. you don’t have to worry about the idea or implementation of the video - just go to a popular streamer, record a video and post it on your channel.

Preparing for the first stream. What beginners need to know + step-by-step stream setup

If you don’t know where to start streaming, check out my short instructions, in which I went over the basics and provided tips.

To get started, you must register on one of the above sites. Just enter your nickname, email address and password - and voila, you already have an account.

Note: I took the site Twitch.tv as a basis, but you can register on others if you wish.

Choosing a theme

Think about what exactly you will stream. Spontaneously launching a broadcast without a preliminary plan and preparation is a road to nowhere.

Decide on a topic. I mentioned above that computer games are profitable and popular. If you stick around, here's what's trending on Twitch:

Popular games on Twitch (marked K - eSports):

If you are far from the gaming industry, remember what you do well. Prepare? Maybe you are traveling? Or are you a master at drawing and can give online lessons? It is important to interest and surprise the viewer in order to keep their attention.

And even more important is desire. Therefore, even if you don’t know how to do anything, just try it. You might discover new “skills” while streaming, or you might get lucky. It's difficult to predict - just try.

Equipment is a microphone, camera and powerful computer hardware (in the case of video game streaming). It’s like with YouTube videos – a high-quality picture will attract more viewers.

The microphone is needed to communicate with the audience, and the camera allows you to see the streamer. Fact: People love to watch a person's emotions when he does something, so the camera allows you to attract new viewers.

To get started, you can take inexpensive but high-quality devices:

1 Microphone Sven MK-170

Of the more expensive models, the Audio-Technica ATR3350iS is an excellent choice

Or the Audio-Technica AT 2020 studio condenser microphone:

2 For cameras, it is preferable to take webcams (they are conveniently mounted on a monitor, they are cheap). A good place to start is the Canyon CNE-CWC3.

But the best choice for streaming is the Logitech C922 Pro Stream.

3 Powerful computer hardware is needed for stable streaming and running good games. It is important for players that the gameplay occurs without interruptions, otherwise all the fun from playing will be ruined. Here you should rely on finances and preferences (new products require powerful hardware, and e-sports games require average).

It is better to choose productive system units in the price category from 30,000 rubles.

To find out if your computer can handle any toy, you can use the service https://www.systemrequirementslab.com/cyri. What we do:

2 We see the minimum system requirements. If you know the components of your PC, you can compare them at this stage and find out if the game will run. If you don’t know, click “Can You Run It”

3 An automatic download of the program will begin, which will collect information about your computer and compare it with the minimum system requirements of the game. The program is safe. Just click on it when it loads.

Click to enlarge image

4 The program works on its own, and upon completion updates the page with the game (image to point 2). This is what the site now shows:

Detailed information is provided on which components need to be updated in order for the game to work. As you can see, my laptop is not intended for toys at all

Setting up a stream

Setting up a stream will take time and download additional programs. I found a video online in which a person explains all the nuances of setting up a stream. Please read the following information before viewing:

Complete setup of obs and twitch in 15 minutes

In the description of the video, the person described in detail what he was doing, so there shouldn’t be any difficulties.

Follow these tips and people will be interested in your streams:

What not to do:

Envy other streamers and discuss them;
Stream while tired/in a bad mood;
Start a conflict with the audience;
Violate the broadcast schedule;
Discuss personal life;
Disclose personal information (such as address);
Boast about your earnings (if you have one);
Behave inappropriately (shouting, doing something abnormal and immoral).

How much can you earn?

A streamer can earn money in 4 ways at the same time, and the income from each is different. Let's imagine that you already have a certain audience (at least 100 people are watching you) and an established broadcast schedule. Then you will receive approximately (per month):

As a result, we receive $170 per month, i.e. 10,000 rubles. But the income is not constant, in particular due to donations. Therefore, you can earn many times more, the main thing is to have the desire to develop.

Interesting fact: Just the other day I watched a stream of one of the bloggers on YouTube. In the first hour, they donated 8,000 rubles to him (some 10 rubles, some 1,000), and as a result, by the end of the stream, he easily collected 20,000 to pay for the apartment and other things. True, the audience of his channel exceeds 100,000 viewers, and 1,000 people watched the stream. But who is stopping you from achieving the same success?

The figures given above may seem like mere pennies to some. Then how do you like the example of the popular Twitch streamer Tyler “Ninja” Blevins, who earns half a million dollars a month from this? He has almost 4 million subscribers and his main income comes from Amazon Prime subscribers, as well as from videos of his streams posted on YouTube.

“When I started streaming, I was working part-time at a fast food chain while also studying at college. Moreover, work and study were more important to me than the games themselves. First you need to secure your future. If you want to make money from streaming, then make sure that your future is secure and you have something to live on.

There is high competition among streamers now, so not everyone will be able to break into the leadership and start earning decent money. If you are not the son of rich parents, then it is better to direct your energy to getting a good education and a well-paid job, if you don’t succeed in streaming, so that you can find a decent job outside of streaming.”

Streamer stories

Tell me something about yourself. What are your hobbies, when did you start playing games, how did you come up with the idea to start streaming?

My name is Ksyusha, I’m 24. I’m from the city of Kemerovo, but in the fall of 2017 I moved with my boyfriend to St. Petersburg.

In addition to streaming, I enjoy drawing. I've been playing games since my family got a computer. I was about 16 then. I won’t say that I’m an avid gamer, but I’ve liked shooters since then.

I never dreamed of streaming. Until 2017 (at 23 at that time), I didn’t know what it was and what kind of site this Twitch was. I first learned about streaming from my boyfriend, who first made videos on YouTube (I even helped him somewhere), and then decided to start streaming, because, unlike me, he had enormous experience in games and even I Now sometimes it seems that he has already played everything that can be played on a PC!

At first, he launched streams alone, I looked at him askance, I didn’t understand what he was doing and why, because I was far from it. I decided to support him in his hobby, so to speak, I began to delve into what he was doing. As an example, he showed me the streams of the channel on Twitch “PUNSHIPUN”. At that time, two guys I knew from YouTube videos were streaming on the channel - Anna Meow and Artyom Morgan. Vitya (my boyfriend) said that he would also like to stream together on the same channel like them. And so, after watching their streams and being impressed, I finally decided. I was afraid to go on air alone, so I agreed to start broadcasting on the channel only if we streamed together and I sat next to each other.

Do you remember your impressions from the first stream?

Oh yeah! As I remember now, March 4, 2017, the game was Oxygen, there were about 10 people in the audience and I sat next to my boyfriend on the stream and was wildly embarrassed, but it was unusual, interesting and I liked it! About a week later, I took a chance and started streaming one Overwatch game. The old people of the channel remember how red and shy I was sitting then!

It was scary, very scary. Even my hands were shaking at first. I have always been a very shy and insecure person; for me it was something unthinkable to just take it and start communicating with strangers on the Internet, who also see me, but I don’t see them.

I noticed that you have good equipment for streaming (chair, camera, microphone). Was it expensive?

Yes, it wasn't cheap. But everything we have now for streaming, we have thanks to our viewers and their support for the channel. If it weren't for them, we would hardly be able to afford such high-quality equipment. And if it weren’t for such huge support from them, we wouldn’t continue to stream.

How soon did the audience begin to appear? What can you say about the audience in general? Is it easy to communicate with them?

The audience probably began to appear already in the first month, albeit little by little. I have always been and am open to communication on stream, I take the guys to play together. All viewers are completely different, but if we take it in general, most of the guys are interesting, adequate, and I enjoy communicating with them.

To this day, I meet few people who would somehow insult me and try to hurt me. There are such viewers, but fortunately there are very few of them.

Have you already managed to earn your first money from streaming? If yes, then in what way?

I managed to earn my first money. I already mentioned above that everything we have now is only thanks to the support of our viewers. We moved to another city - and these are all our viewers too! The majority of earnings, of course, come from donations, this is no secret to anyone. Only a small portion comes from subscriptions.

Tell me something about yourself. What are your hobbies, when did you start playing games, how did you get the idea to start streaming?

My name is Vlad, I’m 20 years old, my gaming nickname is “GeneraL”. I am a student and at this stage streaming is like a hobby for me that brings me pleasure and some money. I’ve been playing games since childhood, and I started streaming six months ago. On broadcasts I only play the game HearthStone, because... I am a professional player and the game itself is very popular on Twitch. I’ve been watching streams on Twitch for a very long time and started streaming myself as soon as such a technical opportunity arose.

What can you tell us about your morale before streaming?

Of course, it’s impossible to do this without the desire to stream. Streaming should not be treated as a chore. You should be prepared for the fact that on your first streams you will have 0 viewers. The most difficult thing is to rise from the “bottom” of Twitch. Very few people go down to find the right stream. 99% of viewers are on the first 3 channels in this category.

What should novice streamers pay attention to?

First of all, you must take care of the technical equipment:

Powerful computer;
Fast Internet;
Good microphone;
Webcam (optional);
Setting up programs for streaming

Without these main components of the stream, the viewer who accidentally came to your broadcast will not remain with you for long.

You should also consider what you will stream and how you will stream it. You can come up with a certain image (behavior) for yourself, be a fan streamer (make purely entertaining content) or, on the contrary, play a certain game at a very high level.

What about the audience? Having trouble attracting an audience? How did you gain the trust of the audience?

As I already said, rising from the “bottom” of Twitch is the hardest thing about streaming. Even if you have excellent stream quality and unique content, no one knows about you, and few people visit channels with a small number of viewers. Without the help of other streamers or media resources (social networks, YouTube), it is almost impossible to rise quickly.

My familiar streamers who gave me hosts (redirected their viewers to my channel) helped me a lot, this the most effective way attracting new viewers. When I finish the stream, I send the audience to my familiar streamers. I am often offered to “buy” my viewers in this way, but I always refuse, because... I don’t want to send people to streamers that I don’t watch myself.

A little about making money on streams. Which method is the most profitable?

Beginning streamers should worry about how to attract an audience to their streamers, and not about making money from broadcasting. Your income is directly proportional to the number of viewers.

A little about ways to earn money:

1 Paid subscriptions to your channel: in addition to free subscriptions on Twitch, any viewer can also subscribe to your channel for a fee by paying $5, you will receive $2.5 from this amount. Each paid subscriber will have access to unique emoticons for your channel. That is, income from paid subscriptions depends entirely on the number of paid subscribers.

Also, by becoming a Twitch partner, you will receive income from advertising that Twitch itself runs. But there are few advertisers in the CIS and the income from this advertising is very small.

2 Donations: your viewers can send you money through various services; through these donations, viewers can send a message to the stream, which will be voiced by a Google man, or order music for the stream. Income from donations depends entirely on your charm and the generosity of your viewers.

3 Advertising: Unlike other types of earnings, this method opens only from a certain number of viewers (from 400-600) and completely depends on the number of viewers, your ability to find advertisers and the ability to negotiate with them.

Usually advertisers contact you and tell you what and how you should advertise (place a banner on the stream) and ask how much you want for it. For example, I play paid tournaments on one site for free. There were other offers, but I refused because I did not want to advertise this product (for example, roulette sites) or the price was unsatisfactory to me.

Advantages and disadvantages of earning money

Advantages:

You can play and earn money;
4 ways to earn money at the same time;
Free schedule;
You can become popular.
Earnings are not limited, but depend on your capabilities.

Flaws:

High likelihood of facing criticism;
It is difficult to “unwind” and rise “from the bottom”;
You will need to invest money in equipment;
Mistakes during the stream (inappropriate behavior, discussion of the wrong topics) can lead to loss of audience.

Conclusion

The future of streaming is not in the dark - it is as clear as a sunny day. This is an activity that will be relevant for decades, and it is gradually reaching a new level. This attracts a huge number of people every year, provoking large media communities to think about starting their own streaming platforms.

It’s not worth saying that there is crazy finances in this area. Anyone can make money here - after reading this article, you can try yourself in the field of streaming. The main thing is to follow our advice and gain experience, and you will succeed.

How to start streaming games on Twitch? This question is asked by many novice gamers who want their “gaming career” to be followed not only by their parents, but also by a bunch of strangers. In addition, the cosmic earnings of top streamers are an excellent motivation. In general, we have prepared a small guide for novice streamers, where everyone will find some useful tips for themselves.

1. Organize your equipment

For streaming you will need a few things: a good PC, a headset with a microphone, perhaps a webcam and several video games (at least one). At a minimum, the computer configuration must include an Intel Core i5-4670 or AMD equivalent with 8 GB of RAM (or more). Obviously, you need a good video card and a good Internet connection.

2. Create and set up your Twitch account

On the streaming platform, it is best to use your own gaming nickname and choose a cute avatar. It’s best to ask a designer you know to draw a unique image for yourself. Many streamers provide information on their Twitch page about their favorite games, describe their PC configuration, and indicate contacts on social networks where you can contact them.

3. Download broadcast software

Open Broadcaster Software (OBS) is the best option available. The program is free and quite simple. There is also XSplit, but you have to pay for it, and Gameshow.

4. Set up the program

After downloading the software, go to settings. On the Stream tab, select Twitch, then find and enter your unique stream key, which is located in the platform toolbar. At the same time, you can check Twitch’s video bitrate recommendations and check the operation of the camera and microphone.

It is important to understand the sources and scenes. The source is what you see and hear on the stream, such as video games, camera, images, etc. Scenes are what streamers put in between games. For example, you wanted to make yourself a sandwich and you can insert a scene with a logo and the text: “I’ll be back soon.”

For broadcasting, we install a scene called Game Stream for OBS. Add a microphone and camera as audio and video capture sources, and then configure everything to suit your needs.

5. Need a plan

Are you going to stream with a camera? Wash your hair, get yourself a drink, and put on something attractive. Rehearse in front of the mirror and be sure to plan the broadcast. If this is a marathon, you should stock up on food and calculate the right time. Change the name of the streams to suit the games you are going to play. The community won't like it very much if you played CS:GO, but then decided to relax in FIFA 18 and didn't change the game on Twitch.

6. Record a test stream

Even amateurs can provide high-quality and good content if they approach this issue wisely. Record several streams for yourself, test the sound of the microphone, camera, and game graphics. Everything can be found out by recording and changes can be made accordingly.

You can start with friends on Facebook or Twitter - send out a newsletter with announcements of broadcasts and stick to the schedule. It is also worth highlighting your strengths - skill, rank, statistics, clickable title. Think about how you can make your own broadcast unique and don't try to stream adult content. It also doesn’t hurt to be realistic - for a novice streamer and a dozen viewers this is already success.

8. Don't be afraid of experiments and criticism

A new streamer must understand what his viewers like and what they don’t. You don’t have to follow everyone’s lead, but you also can’t ignore numerous requests. Try to find a middle ground and not take other people’s mothers to the movies so often, even if you really want to. Good luck!

It's no secret that in the computer era, broadcasting video games is gaining immense popularity. In this regard, many professional and ordinary players began to wonder: how to become a streamer on Twitch?

The word “stream” (from English “stream”) means broadcast. By the way, millions of viewers watch streams, which allows the streamer to earn huge money. Currently, many specialized studios have been created, for example, RuHub. About 500 thousand people watched the broadcast of the DotA 2 championship on one Ruhab channel alone.

How to start streaming?

Becoming a streamer is relatively easy. First you need to decide on the game. If you expect to gain popularity, then you need to stream a popular game that is watched by many viewers. For example, Harstone, WoW or Tanks online. Of course, it’s better to stream what brings you pleasure and what you are good at. After you decide on the game, you will need to download a set of necessary software, understand it and configure it correctly.

First of all, we... After that, download the most common broadcasting program called . The program is absolutely free. Also very popular add-ons will be DonatAlerts for pop-up messages with donations and Streamlabs for displaying chat on the screen. On YouTube, for any query you can find dozens of manuals with detailed settings for both OBS and everything else.

It is worth noting that even with one hundred regular viewers you can earn up to 40 thousand rubles a month from donations. The Twitch audience mainly seeks to financially help their favorite streamer. Another important aspect is getting an affiliate program that will allow you to earn money from advertising, which will sometimes pop up for 5 seconds on the viewers’ screen. Once you receive an affiliate program, you will have the opportunity to pay for a paid subscription, as well as increase the quality of your content broadcast.

Twitch also allows you to stream whatever your heart desires, from games to cooking or car repairs, the main thing is to follow the terms and rules of the service. No sexual or violent scenes allowed. It will also be necessary for owners to familiarize themselves with the audio and video rules.

To implement your Twitch channel, you will need a powerful computer and a stable Internet of 100 Mbit/sec.

So, you've decided to become a famous streamer. You have a powerful computer, desire and skill. But you don’t know. Let’s try to figure out the streaming platform and related programs. For now, first things first.

The beginning of the story

Before we figure out how to start streaming on Twitch, let’s learn about the history of the project’s creation. And it starts almost 10 years ago. In 2007, four young and ambitious boys created their own project. His goal was to show the performance in real time. Justin Kan became a volunteer and began broadcasting his life 24 hours a day. He was with the camera every day and hourly and showed the audience all his life adventures.

The rest decided to deal with the technical component. It was decided to call the project JustinTV, and the work began. Over the entire period, the guys did not receive the expected effect from the new brainchild. Most often, the audience did not take him seriously and often made fun of Justin. One day they called the police, saying that there was a stabbing in the apartment, and once they announced to the rescue service about a fire.

I must say that the project was taken on by smart guys who already had experience in this matter. Justin and Emmett created an app after university, which they later sold for a quarter of a million dollars.

When the guys realized that JustinTV could not continue to work, they decided to listen to people's opinions. Many asked to give users the opportunity to create their own broadcast. Literally a few months later, the developers responded to these wishes, and everyone soon launched their own broadcast on their own.

But then the guys ran into another problem. It also became a difficult situation with servers. Well, the worst case was the suicide of a student live. Then the project met with a lot of reproaches and criticism.

Twitch to replace JustinTV

But the positive thing was that many gamers joined the platform. In fact, it was thanks to them that the project stayed afloat. And then in 2011, Justin decided to simultaneously create a platform for game streaming. Back then, few people knew how to stream on Twitch. Nevertheless, the project developed and lived.

A year later, Twitch became the official Internet channel that broadcast eSports events. Thus, the community of gamers found a home and took root on this platform. Popular games ranked in the top in terms of views: CS: GO, Dota2, LoL, etc. Immediately, on this basis, e-sports organizations began to form their own channels.

In 2014, Twitch was bought for $1 billion. There were many rumors surrounding the event. But the guys themselves claimed that the main thing for them was to maintain the independence of the platform. By the way, users were immediately banned from streaming half naked. Many streamers made money from their appearance.

There are now over 100 million registered users who spend a lot of time on Twitch. According to statistics, 60% of viewers watch channels more than 20 hours a week.

Streaming software

If you don't know how to start streaming on Twitch, the first thing to look at is the software. You probably know that in order to watch the broadcast, you just need to go to the platform’s website, and from your smartphone or tablet, go to the corresponding application.

But if you don't know how to stream on Twitch, then you'll have to get familiar with XSplit. Of course, there is much more software, but these programs are the most popular and, most importantly, are practically free. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages. One program requires more resources, while another requires certain system requirements. But most importantly, before you figure out how to stream via Twitch, you need to configure these programs.

Setting up XSplit

How to stream via XSplit? Twitch will start broadcasting if you configure the program correctly. First of all, you need to register on the site. This is easy to do, so there is no point in describing the process. Now we download the program itself and figure it out.

So, first, let's set up a channel. To do this, go to the Channels tab and click Add. Add all the data. Next you need to configure video and audio. The default video codec value is set to X.264, so we leave it that way. The Bitrate/Max bitrate value is responsible for the picture quality. The larger it is, the better the quality, but also keep in mind that the computer will consume a lot of resources.

For audio, setup is much simpler. Here you need to adjust the codec, bitrate and format. If you downloaded the program for free and did not buy an add-on, then there will be few configuration options. Therefore, install possible ones.

When you have prepared the channel, go to the main menu. Everything is ready here to start the broadcast. Preview is a window in which your broadcast is displayed; everything that is visible there will be broadcast to viewers. Next, under the preview, the volume of the microphone and stereo mixer is shown. This way you can check the sound on the stream. Below in the window you create a broadcast, select a game, you can also add titles and additional elements there.

What is OBS?

If you don't know how to stream to Twitch TV via OBS, this section is for you. This program is free and simple. The difference between OBS and Xsplit is that the first software allows you to capture any event happening on your screen. You just need to create the desired “scene” and add a program, game, etc. There, but it’s more complicated: if you take into account the fact that XSplit is configured automatically, then you will have to suffer with OBS.

Setting up a channel in OBS

So, we signed up for Twitch. Let's figure out how to stream (OBS) further. The program has several modes that allow you to record video live or on your PC. In the “Broadcast Service” you need to select the platform on which you are going to stream, in our case - “Twitch”.

To install the server, you need to check the data transfer speed. But if you have fast Internet, then it is best to install Amsterdam / Frankfurt. Next you need to take the streaming key. We find him on his own Twitch account. There, in the Broadcast tab, select “Show key”.

Next, you need to check the box next to “Auto reconnect” to resume the broadcast. We set the time indicator to five seconds. Broadcast delay may or may not be used. If you don’t need someone to stream sniper, you can set it to half a minute.

Setting up video in OBS

If you don't know how to stream on Twitch, follow these guidelines. Although, as practice shows, something will still have to be changed. So:

“Constant bitrate” - check the box next to “Twitch”.
Check the box next to “CBR padding”.
The higher the quality, the higher the bitrate. The maximum value is 10, which means try to set the average value, and if something happens, you can adjust it.
“Maximum bitrate” is a thing that will also have to be changed. Setting this value depends on your starting speed. If you have a fast Internet connection, then set the indicator to 2500 Kbps.
“Buffer size” corresponds to the size of “Maximum bitrate”.

Setting up audio in OBS

So, we have not yet fully answered the question of how to stream on Twitch TV. All that's left is to spend some time setting up the audio. There are three sections in the settings: for the codec, select AAC; the average value for bitrate is 112. The 44.1khz stereo format will be quite sufficient.

Next, many other settings will become available, but these will be enough to start the broadcast. Setting up a scene is practically no different from setting up a broadcast in XSplit. You need to add a scene, and enter the address of the game being broadcast in the sources. Webcam capture, titles and other elements are also added here. So we solved the question of how to stream on Twitch TV.