Streaming 101 Crash Course — Part 1

Hey there! I’m KateitaK, your local streamer and Community Manager with PowerSpike, and I’m here to share what I’ve learned over the last few years.

This is part one of a series to come, which will get progressively more in depth. Some of these may seem obvious or very random, but I’d rather say them just in case because sometimes there are things you don’t always think of.

Let’s begin with the basics.

>Set a schedule and stick to it! — It helps to get viewers when they know when you’ll be online. People can’t watch you regularly if they have no idea when to watch. Try to stream at least two days a week.

>Talk, constantly! — Even if you are streaming to an empty room, talk as if people are there! Talk about the game, what you’re doing, what you think is going to happen, etc. I know it’s weird to talk to no one, but it really does make a difference. If people come in and it’s just silent, they aren’t likely to stay (unless they are really just into watching gameplay and nothing else).

>Don’t feed the trolls. — Trolls want one thing and one thing only: reactions. If you get mad or upset at things they say, they are going to keep doing it and keep trying to egg you on. Ignore, ban, and MOVE ON. Don’t talk about them after or anything like that. Literally just pretend it never happened. Some are persistent, but if you pay them no mind, they will eventually get bored and move on to an easier target.

>Get a webcam! — If you don’t already have one, I HIGHLY recommend one. Most people like seeing the person conducting the stream, and it feels a lot more personal.

>Delete Skype. — Even if your username doesn’t match your Twitch channel, people still have the chance to find you and your IP address and potentially DDoS or DOX you (it’s happened to me before). [Edit: Skype has recently updated to hide your IP by default, however, I still don’t trust the software.]

>Google yourself. — Sounds dirty, but literally do a Google search on your name and channel name, and make sure that you haven’t posted some personal information somewhere and forgotten about it. While you’re at it, make sure your Facebook account is PRIVATE.

>Don’t rag on other streamers. — Talking shit about other streamers is pretty… Well, shitty. It’s rude and is bad streamer etiquette. Discourage your chat from doing the same. If you’ve got something to say about another streamer, make sure it’s good! They are doing the best they can, just like you are. And the others…

>Stay positive! — No one wants to come into a stream where the caster is just being completely negative and depressing. Life sucks sometimes, but as a caster your duty is to entertain and create a wonderful, happy environment people can come into and enjoy themselves in.

>Greet everyone! — Make sure to acknowledge everyone that talks to you in chat! They are there to hang out with you, so hang out! Be friendly! Ask how they are doing, what they’ve been up to, etc. Make them feel welcome! A lot of people enjoy getting to know you and it’s a good feeling that the caster actually cares that they are there watching. However, on that same note…

>Let the Lurkers lurk. — There are loads of people out there who go watch streams and are content just lurking in the chat. Do NOT call them out! That is the fastest way to clear your chat. Instead, be grateful that they are there and let them just do their thing!

>Advertise your stream! — Tweet when going live, post on Instagram, Facebook, etc.

>Don’t advertise inappropriately. — On that same note, DON’T go into other people’s streams to advertise yours or constantly talk about your stream in someone else’s chat. This is just plain rude and inconsiderate. You won’t get popular by trying to piggy-back off others-you’ll get popular by STREAMING good content and hard work.

>Be grateful to new followers, donators, and ALL that watch. — Be sure to thank every single person who follows, donates, or just watches. Don’t call out the lurkers, but say “thanks everyone for watching/hanging out/etc”. Thank all new followers and donators as soon as you can. They don’t have to watch, follow, or donate, but some choose to and you should be grateful they chose you and your stream to do so on.

>Try to test your audio before every cast. — This is something I need to work on remembering to do, but it is imperative that people can hear everything going on at a comfortable volume. Make sure the game or your music doesn’t drown out your voice, and vice versa. If you didn’t have time or simply forgot, if you have some regulars or a mod in your channel, ask them how it sounds. If there is something seriously wrong with your audio, stop your stream and work it out.

>Set up some overlays, or at least a BRB screen. — Overlays aren’t a must, but they are pretty to look at and can be fun. A BRB screen is really handy, because if you’re doing a longer stream you’re going to have to go to the restroom or get a drink at some point, and it’s weird for people to come into a stream to an empty chair and have no idea what’s going on.

>Get a bot to help manage your channel. — Not necessary, but handy to have. They can help you with commands for frequently asked questions on rules, specs, etc., as well as auto timing people out for posting links or breaking other rules.

>Auto-host other streamers. — Show support for other people that you follow, and get their channel on your auto-host list. Hoster-beware: make sure you actually watch their streams when you can and make sure it’s content you approve of. It would be really awkward to host someone who seems cool in chat, but is just a terrible person on stream and is mean to their chat.

>Make sure your Twitch name is the same as your Twitter, Instagram, public Facebook, etc. — This helps people find your other social media outlets a lot easier. Having some slight variation can make it difficult to find them and makes room for trolls to take that handle and try to ruin your reputation.

>Hide that viewer count! — When first streaming and still trying to get your viewer count up, it can be pretty disheartening to look over and see that your count is still sitting at zero or one. This will change your mood and attitude during your cast, and can potentially scare off viewers and keep you at that same number. HIDE it, and stream away merrily as if you have a full room, because you never know when you will.

>Get a second monitor, if possible. — Not exactly the most affordable tip to offer, but it really does come in handy for monitoring chat and your OBS/X-split program to make sure everything is running smoothly and to interact with viewers easily. It sucks to have to alt-tab every few minutes to check chat and other things. So if you’re able to, even a small monitor can make a huge difference.

>Watch your past broadcasts. — This is super handy when looking for improvements to make on your channel. You can see exactly how you appeared to others and if your settings were where they needed to be. This is an opportunity to not only see what went wrong, but also what went right.

And finally, one of the most important thing I can advise:

>Make constant improvements to your cast. — With the previous tip, you can go and make improvements to better your stream and your content. Strive to make a small change at least once a week — it doesn’t have to be huge, but something small can really make all the difference.

That’s all for today! If you have any questions or want to request a particular topic, leave a comment below or join the Discord!

Parts 2 and 3 have been added! Click here for part 2, and here for part 3!