Welcome to our Streaming Guide for Beginners. If you’re into gaming there’s a good chance you watch some streamers as well. Streaming has become a huge part of the gaming culture and a lucrative one at that. Whether you are wanting to make streaming a career or just enjoy the company of some viewers while playing games we have made a Streaming Guide for Beginners to help you get started.
Absolutely needed
There are definitely a few things that will be mandatory for you if you’re wanting to stream. While it’s obviously up to you to decide what you end up doing with your stream we highly recommend these next things.
Good Internet Speeds
Obviously, while streaming your internet speeds will need to be high to put out the best viewing experience. While you could probably get away will slower speeds I would recommend at least 5 Mbps upload. The higher the speeds the better off you will be. At the end of the day, your internet is truly the most important when streaming. Everything you will be doing will be relying on your internet so having a good consistent connection is a must.
Streaming Software
Next you will have your streaming software, there are multiple different options that will work just fine. It’s recommended to try a few and find which one you like the most. Your streaming software will give you control over what your viewers are seeing all the time so having software you’re comfortable with makes a big difference. The three that I would say are most popular or worth looking at are Twitch Studio, OBS Project, and Streamlabs OBS. Like I said try them all out and find which one you like best as you will be using it a lot.
Webcam
While some people may say a webcam isn’t necessary your chances of growing as a streamer are a lot higher with one. Streaming is largely about interacting with your viewers and them being able to see your face helps with those interactions quite a bit. There are a ton of webcams out there to choose from and we will make a list of our best webcams for gamers soon. For just starting off here are a few good webcams that won’t break the bank. The Logitech C920 and NexiGo are both solid options with good reviews. Prices can definitely range when it comes to webcams and generally like with most other things you get what you pay for.
Microphone
Like your webcam microphones can be huge for how you interact with your community. Having a quality microphone can be the difference between someone leaving your stream as soon as they get there or staying for a while. Everyone remembers the days of bad microphones in Call Of Duty and other such games, well those times are over especially if you’re wanting to stream. A couple of solid beginner microphones are the Blue Snowball and HyperX SoloCast.
Social Media
Social Media is a huge part of streaming and can largely affect the rate at which you grow. A lot of people tend to put off making social media accounts because they have no followers, but social media is a great way to interact with people and gain followers. There are tons of different groups across all platforms that give you a chance to talk to other streamers who are just beginning as well. Those other small streamers can be beneficial to as well as you can be to them. Start your socials as soon as you want to start streaming and be sure to interact with people on there as well.
A Love of Gaming
While you can stream without playing games gaming is what we are about here at GameScoutr. Having a love for gaming will then be a must if you want to stream. Consistency can be a huge factor in growing a community, if you’re there at a set time people are more often to tune in, rather than you jumping on at random.
There are two main types of streamers variety and main game. Variety is exactly what it sounds like, you play a variety of different games that you enjoy. They can be anything from single-player story games to Battle Royals. Having a main game is also pretty simple. You quite simply play one game for the majority if not all of your time streaming. While you can move back and forth between the two you should always do what makes you the happiest. When you are happily playing the games you want to play you will be more entertaining.
Optional Things
Streamers are beyond creative and due to this creativeness, there are a ton of things you can do to spice up your stream. While there are plenty of things you also don’t need them they will be fully up to you or your community to decide if it makes sense for your stream.
Green Screen
Green screens can always be fun for your stream. Whether you want to be streaming from the beach or just have a seamless view of yourself on the webcam and the game, green screens can give you plenty of possibilities. As always there are a ton of green screens out there but this Fancierstudio Green Screen is a decent size for a decent price.
Stream Deck
Stream Decks are another optional thing to spice up your stream. Stream decks are generally used for flawless transitions from scenes or other such things. To describe everything they can do in this would be impossible but if you are looking to maybe get one the Elgato Stream Deck is always the go to.
Lighting
While I have lighting under optional that is only to a certain point. Obviously at least basic lighting will be needed for you to stream. If no one can see you because the webcam is too dark you probably will run into some issues. With that being said basic lighting can get you by for sure. If you get to the point where you want to invest in your stream and try and put out the best quality getting better lighting never hurts. Ring lights can be on the cheaper side and can give you pretty good lighting to make your stream look better!
Streaming Guide For Beginners
Streaming can be super fun if you don’t try to make it a job right away. You should stream because you enjoy it. There are a ton of different ways to set up your stream and just as many different items to help along with it, your stream at the end of the day is yours. You can invest as much or as little as you want this is simply a Streaming Guide for Beginners to hopefully set you on the right path to becoming a successful streamer.
In Other News
If you like our streaming guide for beginners check out our Beginners guide to League of Legends!
You may also be interest in some of the best upcoming games of 2021 that you can hopefully share with your stream.