If the advent of Twitch and YouTube gaming channels have taught us anything over the past couple of years, it’s that becoming a gaming streamer is no longer just a hobby, but a legitimate career option. The experts over at Market Watch estimate that the total value of the live gaming market has already surpassed $1 billion annually, with advertising revenues, eSports sponsorships, and donations from fans making up the bulk of revenues afforded to successful streamers.
With the likes of game streaming titans such as PewDiePie and Ninja now raking in seven and even eight-figure salaries, it makes sense that more and more people are starting to consider launching their own potentially lucrative streaming career. However, it’s not as straightforward as simply creating a Twitch account and hoping for the best. Like any successful career, it takes a lot of skills, resources, and chutzpah to rise to the top. Here is how you can become a world-famous gaming streamer, in just six simple steps.
1. Choose Your Platform
Perhaps the most important decision that any aspiring livestream superstar must face is what platform to dedicate themselves to. The obvious biggest contenders are Twitch and YouTube since these have an overwhelming majority of the market share. However, this isn’t the whole story. A study conducted by the gaming site Tech Radar found that, on a per streamer basis, the overall share of revenue that creators receive is higher than it is for YouTube gamers, as YouTube takes around 50% of ad revenue, compared to 45% for Twitch. However, YouTube offers a much larger potential audience, although that audience is less likely to be dedicated to your channel. If it’s loyalty you’re after, go to Twitch. However, if you are looking for mass appeal, YouTube might be your best bet.
2. Choose a Game to Specialize in
The next step is to decide what your ‘main game’ is going to be. While you may have a number of top titles, any streamer who is just starting out should always focus heavily on one game in order to build a sense of brand identity. The numbers show that streamers of the MMO combat game Fortnite typically enjoy the largest fan base, with 78.3 million people worldwide playing the game, although the gap has closed in recent years. Apex Legends, League of Legends, and Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege are also among the top trending games on streaming platforms, meaning they might be a good place to start.
3. Find Your Niche
Once you have the basics settled, it’s time to decide what kind of streamer you actually want to be. It’s no use trying to emulate any of the other big names in streaming, as that will do little to provide you with new fans. You’ll want to offer a part of your personality that nobody else has. Maybe that’s your sense of humor, or your industry insights, or even your style of dress. Maybe it’s your love of the Avengers film series, which has grossed $7.5 billion worldwide, that will attract the attention of like-minded fans. Successful streamers are the ones that stand out from the crowd, so find your niche and work it. This will help to grow your audience and make it easier to monetize your Twitch channel.
4. Learn from Professional Live Gaming Sites
Research is essential if you want to succeed. You would have already spent plenty of time looking at the biggest Twitch channels, but that’s not all there is to it. There are other gaming sites that offer livestream entertainment worth researching if you want to know how to be competitive in this crowded field. Sites with certain gaming niches, such as the exclusively eSports-focused platform Smashcast, can teach you how the world’s biggest competitive gamers attempt to stand out.
5. Invest in Some Serious Hardware
That brings us onto our next point. If you want to succeed in streaming, you will probably have to invest in some decent tech. The webcam on your MacBook simply isn’t going to cut it when most viewers are accustomed to watching their streamers via state-of-the-art video cameras, complete with dedicated lighting and surround sound. You don’t need to break the bank to get what you need; Digital Camera World’s guide to the best cameras for streaming in 2020 shows that you can get exactly what you need for under $100. You can also invest in dedicated streaming devices such as the popular Roku 4 hardware set to help make your streaming more efficient. if It’s an investment that will certainly go a long way.
6. Master the Art of Self-Promotion
Even if you have the best concept, the best gaming skills, and the best lighting, that’s no guarantee of success. Nobody will know you’re worth watching if they have never heard of you, so it is important to promote yourself as if your life depends on it. Link your streaming channel to all of your social media platforms and post all of your content on them. Ask your friends to give you a shout-out. Get in touch with more famous streamers and ask if they want to collaborate. Even just making a name for yourself on the forums and message boards can do wonders for your early career. Remember, as soon as you believe you’re worth watching, others will too.
These are the essential steps to becoming a world-famous game streamer. While amassing fans is important, don’t forget to have fun in the process, as that’s what streaming is truly all about.
Meanwhile, platforms like Betway run live streamed casino games, such as live blackjack, poker, baccarat, and roulette and can teach you a lot about the kind of standards you should aspire to. In their games which feature live dealers whom players can interact with, you’ll notice sleek visuals, strong lighting, and streamers who engage directly with the viewer.