Ultimate guide to Twitch: The tips, tricks and gear you need

Ultimate guide to Twitch: The tips, tricks and gear you lot need

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Throughout its existence, pop streaming website Twitch has built an impressively big roster of unique content creators. And then far, the platform has attracted over 140 one thousand thousand monthly viewers, all of whom take an opportunity to tune in to watch a variety of streams from gaming, cooking, cosplaying, and even ASMR channels.

The past few years accept already proven that the Internet is incredible at uniting us even when we're apart. As is the instance with other social media platforms, Twitch has seen its viewership continue to abound throughout the pandemic, with over 24 billion hours of streams being broadcast in 2021 alone.

How to stream to Twitch
The best gaming PCs to buy at present
Plus: Twitch is the future of entertainment in the coronavirus era

Notwithstanding, fifty-fifty with the growing number of viewers, becoming a famous Twitch streamer is not an easy task, specially when you consider the amount of effort and commitment it requires. Of form, at that place are some lucky streamers that appear to go viral out of nowhere. Only in the vast majority of cases, getting there takes years of hard work and dedication. Some streamers are even able to earn a living out of their Twitch career alone. Even if that's not your goal, the streaming platform has vast scope to cater to all manner of viewing tastes.

These days, some of the biggest Twitch streamers are practically celebrities, reeling in thousands and even millions of views by playing Noon Legends or sharing their views on a variety of topics. And these streamers have turned their personalities into online personas that rake in some pretty lucrative sponsorship deals.

The good news is that it's now easier than always to showtime your own channel and stream on Twitch yourself. Read on for our ultimate Twitch streaming guide for everything y'all need to get started, including basic hardware requirements to tips from the pros on keeping your viewers entertained.

Just note that if you're just starting out as a Twitch streamer, don't get all out on the fanciest streaming equipment. We recommend testing the waters outset to see if streaming is your matter. All you demand to commencement is a computer (PC or laptop), a webcam, and a microphone (though a headset would work just besides).

Twitch guide: What y'all need

A good computer

Although there are a few exceptions nosotros'll outline beneath, you'll likely be doing nearly of your streaming from a gaming laptop or gaming desktop PC. Every bit far as technical specs go, Twitch recommends having at least an Intel Cadre i5-4670 processor (or its AMD equivalent), 8GB of RAM and Windows 7 or newer - don't worry, yous can stream from a Mac, too.

More of import than your calculator specs is your Cyberspace connection, as you'll definitely want to stay connected via Ethernet for the best possible bitrate. The faster your Net connection, the ameliorate, so you should probably aim to accept an upload speed of at least 3Mbits per 2nd, which should exist quite achievable on most home Internet connections.

If yous're looking to stream PC games, yous'll need a graphics bill of fare that's stiff enough to support the streaming software and whatsoever game you're planning on playing. While nosotros recommend streaming from a desktop if possible, going live from a laptop is absolutely doable, provided you accept the specs necessary. If you opt for a laptop, go along in mind that you lot may experience some issues with overheating since components are positioned much close to each other than they would be on a desktop PC. To minimize your temperatures peaking, we recommend closing any background apps while you're streaming.

...or just your phone

If y'all desire to stream yourself cooking, playing music or but hanging out (Twitch has a popular "IRL" (In Real Life) category full of people doing just that), you don't need whatsoever fancy gear - your phone will do merely fine! The Twitch app for iOS and Android permit you lot to stream directly to the platform, which is a good manner to do non-gaming streams or to test the waters before diving in.

One PC or 2?

While Twitch's core system requirements are adequately forgiving, streaming and playing graphically intense games at the aforementioned time can put quite the strain on your computer. Some of the most pop streamers remedy this by using two PCs at in one case — one for gaming and some other for dissemination. If that sounds too complicated, you tin can check out desktops such every bit CyberPower'southward Pro Streamer, which houses ii consummate PCs in a unmarried body.

Fortunately, thank you to contempo strides made by Nvidia, creating a loftier-quality stream from a single PC is becoming entirely feasible. If you own a gaming desktop or laptop with i of Nvidia'southward new RTX graphics cards, yous'll be able to take advantage of Nvidia's dedicated hardware encoder that'due south built into each card. This essentially relieves your CPU from having to do too much of the heavy lifting.

Open Broadcaster Software, which we'll bear upon beneath, is also optimized for newer Nvidia cards, meaning that it'south quite piece of cake to get a smooth single-PC stream going so long as you lot've got OBS as well as a organization with an RTX 2060, 2070, 2080, 2080 Ti, 3060, 3070, 3080, 3080 Ti or 3090 GPU.

Yet, keep in mind - if you're but starting, there's no need to go all out on expensive equipment before y'all know that streaming is definitely something that you desire to pursue long-term.

A Twitch account

Joining Twitch is completely free. All you have to exercise is become over to Twitch.television, enter your details and personalize your contour image, imprint and clarification. The latter is extremely of import since this would be the first thing that people can see whenever you're offline. Make sure to get in short and sweet so that your viewers can learn a thing or ii well-nigh you and what you stream.

If you want to make sure that all of your broadcasts are temporarily archived for subsequently viewing, you can head to Settings > Channel & Videos > Archive Broadcasts.

Streaming software

The most essential part of any streamer'southward tool kit is the dissemination software that allows you to share your stream with the world. The 2 most commonly-used programs are Open up Broadcasting Software (OBS), which is completely gratuitous, and XSplit, which has a free version merely requires a paid subscription in order to use its key features. I'm personally a fan of the more premium Streamlabs OBS and its more than intuitive user interface, but to each their own.

Regardless of your option of software, setting upwardly your stream generally consists of the aforementioned several steps: picking your sources (such as your estimator monitor, gameplay feed or webcam), laying out how they'll all appear to your viewers, and finally, linking your Twitch business relationship and going live.

Twitch also has its ain streaming software dubbed Twitch Studio. Currently available in beta, Twitch Studio is built to exist an all-in-one streaming that, like OBS and XSplit, lets you create multiple scenes with dissimilar video and sound sources, while besides providing a multifariousness of built-in layouts and on-screen notification options.

Microphone and camera

While y'all tin technically go by with a decent gaming headset, y'all may want to invest in one of the best microphones to ensure that your viewers tin hear you clearly. The Blueish Yeti and the HyperX Quadcast S are some of our favorite USB mics, thanks to their crisp audio quality and adaptable pickup modes. If y'all're on a tight budget, consider the $36 Samson Go Mic; for something more than portable, check out the $99 Blue Yeti Nano.

You'll also want one of the all-time webcams and so that your viewers can see y'all conspicuously (that is if you will be using one). The Logitech Hard disk drive Pro C920 is our acme overall option thanks to its sharp 1080p capture quality and broad field of view. If y'all want something higher-terminate, the Logitech StreamCam offers 1080p and 60 fps capture while also touting the power to piece of work in portrait mode for mobile-friendly video. There's also the $199 Razer Kiyo Pro, which delivers crisp visuals at up to 60 FPS 1080p while besides offering HDR capabilities.

Again, there's no demand to invest a ton if you're just starting out, start with the basic equipment and work your way up equally yous go.

Streaming from consoles

If you're wondering how to get a Twitch streamer without whatsoever fancy PC hardware, Xbox Ane, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Serial Southward and PS5 let yous stream directly from your console without whatsoever extra devices or software. On Xbox consoles, you'll just need the free Twitch app. For PlayStation consoles, y'all can go live correct from the system'southward Share menu. While y'all won't get to customize your stream the manner you would from your PC, console streaming is withal a great way to start out.

If y'all want to stream from your Nintendo Switch or any other console (or just want more control over your circulate), you'll need a capture card that records your console gameplay through your PC. 1 of the most popular capture card options out there is the $179 Elgato HD60 Due south, which seamlessly records and streams 1080p, 60fps video from Xbox Ane, PS4, Xbox Series X & Southward, PS5, and Nintendo Switch and just about whatsoever other system with an HDMI output.

Twitch guide: Quick tutorials

Whether you demand a pace-by-step breakdown of how to get your stream up and running on a specific platform or just desire to go the most out of Twitch as a viewer, cheque out our handy list of tutorials.

How to Stream to Twitch on PC
How to Stream to Twitch on Xbox One
How to Stream to Twitch on PS4
How to Stream to Twitch on Nintendo Switch
How to Stream to Twitch from a Laptop
How to Capture Slap-up Twitch Moments with Clips
Essential Twitch Tips for Viewers

Tips from Twitch's biggest stars

Twitch is domicile to a growing population of bona fide gaming celebrities who brand their living broadcasting — only not just because they play the latest games or accept a fancy stream setup. The top Twitch streamers are true entertainers; some are known for their incredible Call of Duty headshots, while others are famous for blowing through entire Mario games at record-breaking speeds. Only more than than that, they're simply great personalities.

"[Our top streamers] are humble, friendly, highly interactive and care for the people in their chat equally if they are the stars of the testify," said Chase, Twitch'due south director of public relations.

If you're looking to become into the finer points of growing an audition, popular Hearthstone actor Jeffrey "Trump" Shih'south "Streaming 101" video is an first-class identify to start. Shih neatly breaks down the core components of streaming into an acronym he calls Optics (Opportunity, Presence, Engineering, Interaction, Consistency and Skill), noting that focusing on any number of these factors could aid you lot brand a name for yourself.

Grow big enough on Twitch, and you lot just might be offered a partnership, which allows you lot to go a cut of circulate revenue and offer your viewers exclusive perks in substitution for a monthly subscription fee. No matter what level of Twitch stardom y'all're shooting for, here are tips from some of the streamers who practise it best.

Find your niche

How do you stand out among Twitch'southward 9 one thousand thousand global streamers? For BurkeBlack, all it took was a pirate lid and lots of patience. After ii years of steady streaming, Black is now a partnered broadcaster with more 288,000 followers that melody in to grab his late-dark, swashbuckling-themed antics.

Fire up whatsoever of Black'south broadcasts, and you'll see him in full brownish-and-biscuit pirate garb, complete with a skull-and-crossbones bandana and an epic bristles to match. The 36-yr-old is the uttermost thing from imposing, though, as he giggles and thanks his way through anything from Grand Theft Auto V to Pirates! (naturally) while enthusiastically chatting with his viewers.

"I consider it a show, not just some dude streaming games," Black said. "People come in because they like the atmosphere … [it's a] prissy friendly environment where they can come up and have a practiced fourth dimension with some cheesy pirate stuff going on."

Becoming a pirate isn't the only mode to stand out on Twitch. Perhaps you're exceptionally skilled at the world's most obscure platformer, or you take a really cute dog you tin put in front end of the camera while yous smash through Counter-Strike matches. Find your specialty, and run with information technology.

Be consistent

Consistency is crucial — but as people tune in to their favorite Idiot box shows at the same time every nighttime, they should know exactly when y'all'll be alive on Twitch. Whether you broadcast in the afternoon or the wee hours of the morning, stick to your schedule, and brand certain information technology's prominently displayed beyond both your Twitch folio and social media sites.

Make some friends

Sonja "OMGitsfirefoxx" Reid is one of Twitch'due south biggest stars, with more than 744,000 followers and her ain merchandise store. While much of her success can be attributed to her unfiltered sense of humor and constant interaction with her viewers, 1 of her biggest breaks came from working with others.

"We started a daily Minecraft stream, with the idea of just playing some Minecraft with friends and hanging out," said Reid of "Mianite," a series in which she and other popular Twitch stars broadcast their daily hijinks in the pop crafting game. "It blew upwardly, and turned into a huge series, which is going into its tertiary season."

Be interactive with your viewers

What sets Twitch streams autonomously from other forms of entertainment is that the audience is nigh always a cardinal role of the experience. All Twitch broadcasts are accompanied by a chat room, which allows streamers to interact directly with the people who melody in. The more you lot make your viewers feel like they're sitting on the couch with you while you play, the meliorate risk y'all have at building a loyal following.

Reid affectionately refers to her fans every bit her "foxx family." Even with hundreds of thousands of followers, she makes sure to keep things personal.

Sonja Reid talking to her Twitch fans. Source: twitch.tv/omgitsfirefoxx

"I go to know a lot of my [viewers], and retrieve what'southward going on in their lives and conversation with them almost it on-stream," she said. "Having a community that really feels like a family is actually important to me."

Audience interaction is a top priority for Black, who has a monitor dedicated solely to viewing his Twitch conversation. Black as well does frequent giveaways, which, according to the streamer, helps encourage fans to come back every night.

Don't stress out about your gear

Simply because your favorite streamer has a super-abrupt webcam and a fancy green screen and streams from two high-finish PCs at in one case doesn't hateful you have to — at least at first. Twitch's organisation requirements are quite lenient, which means you should focus on growing an audience earlier you spend thousands turning your sleeping room into an all-out studio.

"I started streaming on an old HP laptop that overheated to the point of burning my paw, and an onetime foldout chair from Walmart," said Reid, who's been able to upgrade to a decidedly amend setup every bit her channel grew.

Be patient and make sure to take fun!

As with any type of success, "making it" on Twitch takes lots of patience and hard piece of work.

"If yous're doing [this] simply to brand money, you lot'll usually fizzle out in the showtime iii or then months," Black said. "For the first six months, it was simply awful because I didn't know what I was doing. Try not to get discouraged, because everyone's been that way."

Black's patience is at present paying off; the streamer is closing in on 300,000 followers, and his Twitter feed is full of pictures of loyal fans wearing T-shirts with his name on them.

Reid stressed the importance of relishing every viewer, no affair how few there are in the beginning.

"Even if you have three viewers, or 30 or 300, there are people that are choosing to hang out and watch you," Reid noted.

In the cease, it's important to recollect that we're all still playing video games. Whether it's a hobby or something you hope to make into a career, streaming should be fun — the more you enjoy yourself, the more everyone watching you probably will, likewise.

Mike Andronico is Senior Writer at CNNUnderscored and was formerly Managing Editor at Tom's Guide. When not at work, you can usually catch him playing Street Fighter, devouring Twitch streams and trying to convince people that Eagle is the best Avenger.