Do you spend hours playing League of Legends or watching someone play it on the edge of your seat?
This may compel you to consider wading into the streaming universe, but you might not know where to begin.
Don’t fret much! All the famous streamers were in your shoes before they started making hundreds to thousands of dollars each month!
Today, we explain how to become a streamer to help you approach your dream with more confidence.
An Overview of Streaming: A Primer
Video game live streaming is when someone broadcasts a video of them playing a game to an audience that watches them live.
Usually, this stream includes two screens. The first one focuses on what’s happening in the game itself and the other shows live footage of the streamer’s commentary and reactions.
Streamers use several online platforms to transmit their gaming experience to their audiences. The most popular live-streaming site is Twitch, followed by YouTube Gaming and Facebook Gaming.
How Much Do Streamers Make?
Streaming can be one of the best gig jobs, but making money on Twitch or other platforms requires some work.
Streamers don’t get paid by the site by playing games; they earn money through sponsorships, advertising, affiliate links, and subscriptions.
In turn, streamers make a larger or smaller profit based on how popular they are and the number of followers they have.
On average, small Twitch streamers can get $100–$500 a month, which can grow as they gain more following.
More experienced streamers may expect a Twitch streamer income of $3,000–$6,000 through subscriptions if they play for 40 hours a week.
Of course, these earnings can jump much higher once you enter the realm of sponsorships and affiliates. For example, top-earning Twitch streamers make up to a few hundred thousand dollars per month!
What You’ll Need to Become a Streamer [& Associated Costs]
If you think that live game streaming is up your alley, you should first think about the items you must have to turn your hobby into a cash machine.
- Solid gaming PC: Your computer doesn’t have to be high-end, but it should tolerate hours of gaming and live streaming each day. Because these two activities can take their toll on an average PC system, aim for a PC that handles gaming. ($800–$1,000)
- Stable internet connection: No one likes to watch a live stream that gets interrupted with lags. An internet connection suitable for streams (1 GB per hour) results in a smooth gaming experience and seamless live streaming.
- High-quality camera: Browse a list of the top cameras for live streaming to ensure your audience gets clear video quality. ($800–$1,800)
- Microphone: People need to hear your commentary and jokes loud and clear with no issues of latency or background noise. ($50–$250)
- Headphones (not required but recommended): Pick a pair of reliable headphones to get your head in the game and enjoy an immersive experience. ($100–$250)
- Mouse and keyboard: Don’t underestimate the power of a sturdy mouse and keyboard in elevating your gameplay. In the gaming universe, every second counts! ($100–$200)
- Streaming software: A streaming software transmits the video and audio input from your computer to your streaming sites of choice. Two zero-cost examples are OBS Studio and Restream Studio.
- Account on Twitch: Finally, you’ll need to set up an account on Twitch or another live streaming platform, which is also free!
How Much Does It Cost to Become a Streamer?
If you have a tight budget that requires you to grab affordable hardware for streaming, you can expect to spend around $1,900.
However, buying high-end products will have you pay approximately $3,500.
Some other hidden costs will add up, like the electricity bill and your internet charges. These two can greatly vary based on your use and the time you spend live streaming.
Also, you couldn’t be streaming for a few hours without some snacks! Make sure to include the costs of these seemingly insignificant additions, too.
Is It Hard to Become a Streamer?
No. It isn’t hard to be a streamer because you can easily do it from the comfort of your home.
Plus, you don’t need any professional skills or certifications to start earning money through live streaming.
However, the challenge lies in getting enough exposure and building a wide base of followers to get more subscriptions and deals. This is why it can be slow in the beginning for small streamers.
If you put a good amount of work into your gameplay and content, you’ll have a higher chance of drawing in more viewers and making more money.
How Long Does It Take to Become a Streamer?
You can start streaming from day one, but you may achieve the status of a Twitch Affiliate in around two months.
You could get there faster if you up your streaming game to eight hours per day and a minimum of five days a week.
If you wish to go huge on Twitch, expect to go through several months or even years of consistent streaming. You’ll likely have to treat it as a full-time job before you can relax!
How to Become a Streamer in 4 Simple Steps
Your journey of going live on Twitch starts now; follow these four easy steps for a higher chance of success as a streamer.
Step 1: Set Up Your Account on Twitch
A Twitch account is a breeze to sign up for. Visit twitch.tv, click on “Sign up” in the top right corner, then choose a username and password.
Follow the steps that show up to you until you’re done with the signup process. Or, if you already have an account on Twitch, simply log into it.
Alternatively, you may think it’s better to establish a YouTube channel to go live from there. If you like its familiarity, head over to youtube.com and sign up for a YouTube account.
Step 2: Settle on a Popular Game to Play
Audiences favor famous games over lesser-known ones when it comes to watching live streams. Based on which game you’re good at or you enjoy playing, you can choose from this list of the most-streamed games on Twitch:
- Fortnite
- League of Legends
- Apex Legends
- Grand Theft Auto V
- Minecraft
- Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Step 3: Adjust the Settings on OBS Studio to Prepare for the Live Stream
Here are all the steps you’ll have to follow to use OBS Studio for streaming on Twitch or any other platform:
- Open OBS, go to “Settings” in the bottom right corner of the screen, then select “Stream.”
- Go to the right of the screen and find Twitch, choose it as your service, and press “Connect Account.”
- Log into Twitch with your credentials, then select “Apply.”
- Adjust your live stream settings on OBS by opening the “Settings” menu and then selecting “Video.” Make adjustments according to your preferred base and output resolutions.
- After that, select your video bitrate by going to “Output” under “Streaming.” Choose your encoder, too.
- From the list on the left, go to the “Audio” tab and pick the correct sources for your desktop audio and mic/aux audio. Finally, click “Apply.”
- Customize your scene by pressing on the “Scenes” option found in the bottom left corner, adjusting your mode, overlays, etc.
If you want to set up the Twitch chat option, it shouldn’t take you more than a few minutes!
- From your Twitch browser page, open your profile icon and choose “Channel” from the drop-down menu, then press “Chat.”
- Press the cog icon, followed by “Popout Chat.” A URL will appear, which you should copy.
- On your OBS Studio screen, choose “View,” “Docks,” then “Custom Browser Docks.”
- Enter a suitable name, paste the URL as requested, and press “Apply.”
Step 4: Start Live Streaming on Twitch
Lastly, start your game, then go back to the broadcasting software and click “Start streaming.”
To stream on YouTube, you’ll have to follow the same steps above, logging into OBS with your YouTube credentials instead.
Once you’re done, press “Stop streaming” on OBS Studio.
Reasons to Consider Becoming a Streamer
Pursuing a career or a side hustle as a Twitch streamer has a few plus points that you can’t ignore, including:
- Incredible work/life balance: Unlike a full-time job, streaming gives you so much flexibility to work at any time of the day for the number of hours that suit your lifestyle.
- Potential of high income: Doing live streams frequently leads to more exposure and higher following, which increases revenue through ads and sponsorships.
- You get to make money for fun: Many people already spend hours playing RPGs as a way to unwind and for entertainment. By becoming a Twitch streamer, you get to turn your passion into money!
- You set your pace: You only get what you’re willing to work for without having to achieve certain milestones.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below, we answer two questions that may be on your mind after going through our tutorial.
Who Is the Richest Streamer Ever?
Currently, Ninja (Richard Tyler Blevins) has the highest net worth as a result of streaming on Twitch. Reportedly, the successful streamer’s fortune is around $40 million!
As of today, Ninja has more than 17 million followers on Twitch and over 500 million views so far.
Is Being a Streamer a Job?
Being a streamer isn’t a job in the traditional sense of the word. It doesn’t have set hours, coworkers, a boss, etc.
Still, you can turn it into a job by dedicating yourself to hours of live streaming every day until you start earning money from it.
Similar Gigs to Check Out
Look at the following tutorials if you want to make the most of your time online without having to leave your desk!
- How to Become a Twitch Affiliate: The next step in your Twitch streaming journey is becoming a Twitch Affiliate to earn more money.
- How to Become a Video Editor: A lot of online content creators and similar positions hire video editors to handle their content professionally. Learn how to make video editing your freelance job.
- How to Become a Netflix Tagger: Take your love for binge-watching to a whole new level by reviewing and rating Netflix shows.
Wrapping Up
Learning how to become a streamer is a good way to turn your passion for gaming into a source of income.
After knowing how to venture into the streaming world, this new adventure shouldn’t look intimidating anymore!
Tell us what you think about this guide in the comments and share it with anyone interested in making a profit through streaming.
