With streamers such as Ninja arriving at over 4,000,000 viewers per day, it’s no surprise that more people want to learn how to stream on Twitch. But fame and money aren’t everything. Sharing a gaming experience with a friendly audience is a great way to socialize, even if you’re stuck in the darkest corner of the house.
The problem is, the idea of starting to stream on Twitch doesn’t have to be the easiest thing to do, especially if you’re not very good at computers. But don’t worry, setting up a Twitch streaming channel has never been easier, and we’ll walk you through every step of getting started in the business, and give you some tips on building (and keeping) the following.
Equip yourself with streaming software
To get started, you’re going to need software to stream, and there is no better free option than Streamlabs OBS. It’s free, saves your entire stream layout to the cloud, and can do just about anything you’re used to seeing on your favorite stream channels. It is also extremely easy to use, install, and customize your stream (more info on this point right after).
Twitch isn’t the only option for streaming, but it does have a few advantages over its competition, it’s very easy and quick to use, works great with Streamlabs, and the Twitch community is by far the largest in the world. You can buy Twitch viewers and get a more organic boost from the algorithm.
If you don’t already have one, create a Twitch account then go to the OBS Settings menu. Adjusting the streaming preferences to match the capabilities of your PC and internet connection is important, but until you get more experience in streaming, you will probably be hard-pressed to fully understand what you are doing and to achieve the desired results. So for now, it might be a good idea to stick with the basic settings.
Find yourself a webcam
Using a webcam is not strictly required to stream your games, but it is something that has become common and important in most live streams. Indeed, the major interest of streaming is in the personal touch you add to the game, not just the game you play.
The infamous Twitch Chat loves chatting with streamers, and having a webcam is a great way to do it. This can be the reason why your audience stays. But if it’s done badly, it can also become the reason for leaving.