How To Start Streaming On Twitch

What’s Your Name?

The first thing you’ll need to do to start streaming on Twitch is to sign up for a free Twitch.tv account. With your Twitch account you can follow streamers and even support your favourite streamers by subscribing and donating “Bits”. Most importantly however, with your twitch account you can broadcast your own stream!

I’ve Got My Twitch Account, What Now?

Depending on the type of streamer you want to be, there are a few things to consider first, your setup.

A few things you will need to start streaming are:

Your Stream Key

Your stream key is required to stream on Twitch and should be kept PRIVATE!

Your stream key can be found in your twitch dashboard under settings > channel as shown below.

YOUR STREAM KEY SHOULD NOT BE SHARED WITH ANYONE.

A PC & Broadcasting Software

You will need some broadcasting software installed on a PC. The most common solutions are OBS and XSplit although I personally recommend Streamlabs OBS (SLOBS) for it’s ease of use and it’s many inbuilt features that make managing you stream simple and easy.

Your PC will need to be powerful enough to run both the game you are playing and encode the video for streaming to twitch. If you are suffering from low FPS in your game, lowering your in game graphics settings or stream quality can help.

A good Internet Connection

A good, stable internet connection is a must for streaming on twitch. A solid Upload speed is vital for maintaining a stable and good looking stream.

SLOBS has a handy Auto configuration wizard to help you get the most out of your internet bandwidth and computer hardware shown below.

What Else Do I Need?

Although not required for streaming, it’s is absolutely recommended to have a good microphone and webcam for interacting with your viewers.

A second monitor for your PC will help you keep track of events on your stream i.e. new followers, donations, etc. Monitor your stream quality and stay interactive with your chat.

Overlays for displaying new followers and donations are also important for keeping your stream interactive for your viewers.

If you are using a webcam, and you should as streams are much more likely to retain viewers when they can see the streamer, you should think about your lighting setup and ensure you and your background is clean and tidy.

Can I Stream From My Console?

Technically yes, however streaming directly from your console (Xbox, PS4, etc) lacks a lot of features that an engaging stream needs i.e overlays, webcam, etc.

If you want to stream console games, it is recommended to get a capture card for your PC.

Ready To Stream

OK, so you have your Software, microphone and camera set up and now you’re ready to stream.

Something important to consider if you want to get noticed in an ocean of others streamers is what game you are going to play. I completely understand that you want to play the most popular games of the moment i.e. Fortnite, Overwatch, etc. but unless you have god-like skill in your chosen game, playing what is popular is unlikely to get you noticed.

I recommend playing less popular and less saturated games when starting out. Once you have gained a few regulars you can start to play more popular games as the view count gained from your regular viewers will help bump you up the list.

By far, the most important thing when streaming is to enjoy yourself!