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Columnearly two years ago, I found
myself with some free time and
decided to dip my toe into the
world of streaming. I’ll be honest,
I didn’t really understand what
it was, or why it was a thing. Based on how it’s
portrayed in the media, many of you might be
under the impression it’s just teenagers with
haircuts screaming as they kill digital humans, but
streaming’s actually not that awful and is a very
nice thing to do. Honestly.
While I’m by no means Mr Big Cheese on the
streaming platform Twitch, I have learned a thing
or two over the last couple of years, and I will now
share those things with you, should you wish to
have a dabble yourself...- Make it look not rubbish!
If you’re streaming in 240p from a dark room
with a webcam you bought in 2003 and the
headphone/mic combo you got free with your
last phone, people will be turned off. If you’re
serious about trying to stream, treat yourself
to a decent mic and webcam, and a PC that
can handle streaming. You don’t need to
spend a fortune on any of these, but you do
need something fit for purpose. OBS (and its
Streamlabs variation) offer free software that
can have things looking professional with just a
little bit of effort. - Don’t be unreliable!
Set a streaming schedule that fits around your
other commitments and stick to it. If people
never know when you’re going to be live, they
will not find you. Obviously. - Talk to the lovely people!
People have tuned in to watch you, so talk to
them. If you run out of steam, ask the viewers
questions to get the ball rolling. If someone
writes a message in chat, reply to it! If someone
new turns up, make them feel welcome. If you
become an affiliate and are able to accept
donations and subscriptions, express gratitude.
Become an
internet billionaire!
N
“Many of
you might
be under the
impression it’s
just teenagers
with haircuts
screaming as
they kill digital
humans”
Don’t do what one guy I’m aware of did, and
complain that a donation was excessive, unless
you want everyone to think you’re a dick.- Community is everything!
The main thing I didn’t understand before I
began streaming is that for the people who
engage with what you do, the community aspect
is huge. So, don’t just interact with them during
streams, interact with them outside of streams
too. Use social media to engage with viewers,
consider setting up a Discord server which gives
people somewhere to hang out when you’re
not live, and engage in other communities (but
never be pushy). Host other streamers on your
channel when you’re off-air, and send your
viewers over to watch other streamers using
Twitch’s ‘raid’ system to further increase your
reach. Of course, if contact with other humans
makes you feel angry and/or sick, streaming
might not be for you. - Make sure you don’t hate doing it!
Fundamentally, you’re playing video games.
That’s meant to be fun. Whilst it’s helpful to
become known for certain games, and you may
want to choose something that isn’t saturated
by hundreds of rival streams, fundamentally you
should pick games you enjoy – your pleasure
is infectious, and no one wants to watch you
be sad. Or, if they do, you probably don’t want
those guys to become your regulars, because
they’re nasty.
Follow all these tips and you will be able to retire
from your vast internet wealth by Christmas.
T&Cs apply. Streaming: not that
awful at all, really.STEVE MCNEIL
People watch Steve
play video games
on the internet.
Sometimes they give
him money. He’s as
surprised as you are.