Since its inception, the popular Twitch streaming website has been able to attract a large number of great content creators to share their interests with thousands of other users. Today, the platform has more than 140 million monthly visitors, and all of these people can enjoy diverse and engaging content streamed on a variety of topics.
Becoming a popular Twitch streamer is not an easy task. It will be even more difficult if we take into account the amount of commitment and perseverance required to do so. Of course, there are some streamers who were very lucky and suddenly became famous without any previous background, but if we do not consider these exceptions, becoming a Twitch streamer requires years of effort, patience, and creativity in content production. Streamers who have achieved the desired result can easily make a living, but the success of this work is not limited to this issue. You have a great opportunity to share your ideas and views with a large number of people.
Recently, Twitch’s most popular streamers have become celebrities, attracting thousands and sometimes millions of viewers. These streamers have a colorful presence in the online space, and for this reason, very expensive and luxurious sponsors are gradually coming to them.
It should be noted at the outset that if you want to start streaming on Twitch, do not buy the most expensive streaming equipment and tools. We recommend that you try a little space on this platform first and see if streaming is useful to you and if you like it or not. All you need to get started is a computer (PC or laptop), a webcam, and a microphone (a headset is also a good option).
Twitch Stream Tricks – What Do You Need?
A good computer
Except for the following, you will do most of your streaming from a gaming laptop or a desktop. In terms of hardware specifications, Twitch recommends that you have at least an Intel Core i5-4670 processor (or AMD equivalent), 8GB of RAM, and Windows 7 or later. Of course, you can also stream with Mac without any problems.
But more important than the computer hardware specifications is the Internet connection. You must be connected to the Internet via Ethernet to have the best possible bit rate. The faster your internet is, the better, so we recommend an upload speed of at least 3 Mbps.
If you want to stream computer games, your graphics card must be high-end to support the streaming software and any game you want. We recommend that you use a desktop computer to stream, but if your laptop has the right hardware, it will not pose a problem. If you use a laptop, keep in mind that you will most likely have to deal with the device overheating because the components are too close apart and heat up much faster than the PC. To reduce the temperature of the laptop, it is better to close the background apps with software such as Razer Cortex and use a cooling pad (Cool Pad).
Mobile Phone
If you want to stream yourself while cooking, listening to music, or chilling, Twitch has a popular category called IRL (short for In Real Life). There streamers stream their everyday life and things that they do in the real world. . This section does not require any high-end hardware and your mobile is enough! The Twitch app for iOS and Android lets you stream directly to the platform. This is great for testing the Twitch space before investing and buying expensive devices or those who want to stream content other than video games.
Having two computers if needed
Although the minimum system required by Twitch is not very expensive and high level, streaming and running new heavy games at the same time can put a lot of pressure on your computer. Some of the most popular Twitch streamers, to prevent this problem, use two computers simultaneously; One computer to play and another computer to stream.
Fortunately, thanks to Nvidia’s new move, creating a quality stream using a computer has become possible. If you have a gaming PC or laptop with one of the new Nvidia RTX series graphics cards, you can use the Nvidia-specific encoder on each graphics card. This encoder basically reduces the responsibility and pressure on the CPU.
The Open Broadcaster Software program, which we will cover in more detail in the software section for streaming, is also optimized for use with Nvidia’s new graphics cards, and you can use this application and a computer with an RTX 2060 graphics card. , 2070, 2080, 2080 Ti, 3060, 3070, 3080, 3080 Ti, or RTX 3090T, have a quality and smooth stream.
But again, we recommend that if you are new to streaming, be sure to try and gain enough experience with regular hardware and then think about buying expensive hardware.
A Twitch account
Creating an account on Twitch is completely free and there is no need to pay. Go to Twitch.tv to create an account, enter your connection details, profile picture, banner and description and that’s it! Of course, be careful in choosing your profile picture and banner because it is the first thing other users will see when you are offline. Profile descriptions are also very important and should be short but very interesting. These descriptions help the audience get to know you and the content you are streaming.
Stream software
A streamer’s most important tool is broadcasting software that allows them to share the created content with the rest of the world. Two of the most popular software in this category are Open Broadcasting Software (OBS) and XSplit. Open Broadcasting Software is completely free, but Xsplit has a free version. However, to use its key features and capabilities, you must purchase a special subscription. Both of these programs have unique benefits and user interfaces that you should choose according to your needs.
Twitch has also introduced its own streaming software called Twitch Studio. The beta version of it is currently available. This streaming application, like OBS and XSplit, lets you create different streams from a variety of audio and video sources, as well as offering a variety of features and tools.
Identify your interests and skills
How can you be different from the 9 million streamers in the world? For the famous streamer, BurkeBlack, the method of success was a pirate costume and a lot of patience! After two years of regular streaming, Black is now a streamer with multiple sponsors, more than 288,000 followers, and enjoying the content he creates.
If you watch any of Black’s streams, you will see him in a full pirate costume and a skull and bone handkerchief complemented by his interesting beard. But this 36-year-old streamer is not looking for a role to play at all, and we see his real self, who is always laughing and having fun while playing and talking eagerly with viewers. “For me, this is not just one person playing, but a big, fascinating show,” he said. People come to stream because they like the environment and the atmosphere. “It’s a friendly and happy environment where viewers are added and have a great time with a weird pirate.”
Produce your content consistently and regularly
One of the most important streaming tricks on Twitch is creating consistent content. Your viewers should always remember the time of your streams and be able to come to your stream every day at that specific time. It does not matter if you stream every afternoon or midnight, you should follow this process so that viewers know about your routine. You should always announce your streaming time on the Twitch page and other virtual networks.
Connect with your viewers
What sets Twitch streams apart from other services is the high importance of the viewers, who are a key component of every stream. All Twitch streams come with a chat room that allows streamers to talk directly to the audience. The more intimate you can connect with viewers, the more comfortable they will be with your stream and the more likely they are to become a big fan of your content. All popular Twitch streamers behave this way and communicate with fans and viewers as much as possible.
Do not worry about your equipment
If your favorite streamer has a great webcam and streams with two high-end gaming computers, there is no reason why you should have that equipment. As you progress, you can upgrade your devices in the same way, but as we said, you have to attract the audience to your content first and then think about turning your room into a studio! Sonja “OMGitsfirefoxx” Reid is one of the most popular Twitch streamers with more than 745,000 followers. “I started streaming with an old HP laptop that was so hot that it burned my hand, and I used a second-hand chair to sit on,” he said on getting started.
Be patient and enjoy your work
Like any other job or profession, you have to have a lot of perseverance and patience to succeed in Twitch.
“If you go in just for the money, you will give up in the first three months, just like any other streamer,” Black said. The first six months of streaming were very bad for me because I did not know what I was doing. “Try not to give up because everyone is like that and you have to go through this to be successful.”
