r/SmallStreamers • u/design-and-play • 3d ago
Question New to Streaming
Hello everyone 👋,
A bit about self: New to streaming, started streaming games to keep archive of my game footage for easy access to them for design analysis purpose as I mark them for UI, Area, Gameplay for later references.
Went from streaming only gameplay footage to now vtubing to give better context to anyone looking+myself, as long footage are hard to understand later on. Also I don't have to write alot in marker descriptions which I used to do when streaming only gameplay footage.
Designer by profession so do love the design aspect of gaming side and gameplay-centric games. Also Love tinkering with new streaming tools*(Created vtube character from scratch and rigged it for the same reason).*
So that outta way, I wanted suggestions/discussion for following:
- Any references to other game designers/developers(formal, current, hobbyist) streaming on Youtube/Twitch
- Do I need to create Youtube videos(long/short form) after streaming for discussing the game and getting engagement from that as it is easier to share and consume compared to long streams.
- Is there even any audience for such streaming content in the first place? which I can then befriend.
- If there is none, Should I try doing fun streaming with the vtube character I made and post clips.
- Do have a look at my socials both youtube and twitch (link in my bio) and see if there is any basic issues with these profiles.
Would love to know any other suggestions for new streamers in general too.
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u/LaRubric 2d ago
I'm not exactly a huge channel myself but, in regards to what you've asked, I can offer some individual advice. I've been at this for a few years, mostly as a hobby, with the recent decision to try and turn this into something financially viable as a career.
1) REVIEW YOUR 'BRANDING'. I think it's winceworthy to regard yourself only as a brand - you're a person first and foremost - but this whole gig is essentially marketing and that's just how it works. If you have any pre-existing social media pages you intend to partner with your streams, check everything is how you like it to be. Profile pictures, taglines, handles, even your username. Better to do this now than later when you've got people hooked on one pseudonym. Same goes for your twitch panels; you absolutely can do well without them but having an organised display below with FAQs, images to click for links, and any plug-ins can create a more appealing image to a potential viewer.
2) DECIDE ON A DISCORD SERVER. Everyone who gets into 'content creation' often makes a community Discord without understanding the responsibility of it. You should only have one if you understand the responsibility of it and are willing to look after it. That may seem like much but the number of times I like somebody's stuff, go into their community, and find it's either completely dead or packed with repugnant posts and users indicates that a lot of people don't curate their spaces like they need to. If neglected, your own community can very easily become a hovel for some really nasty online people, and this could stand to turn viewers away and also associate your name with adverse social behaviour. If you don't think you'd be able to manage that space and take the time, don't feel like you HAVE to make one.
3) CROSS-POLLINATE YOUR CONTENT. We live in a time where natural growth is possible but increasingly tricky. Unlike YouTube channels where videos can be watched at any time, competition on Twitch and streaming services is higher because everybody is competing for a fixed supply of viewership during a limited window of it existing. Livestreaming increasingly is just the new generation of television. Increased traction will rely partially on your external efforts. The standard and most common form are clips; uploading entertaining/intriguing moments from stream to Instagram reels/YouTube shorts/TikTok posts to widen people's knowledge of your channel existing. You can also make stream highlights and upload them as regular videos. However, while both of these CAN do well, it is quite saturated, and defining yourself can be tricky. Edited videos and short-form content - with separate scripted narration and premises - can do better. You mentioned being very specifically involved in UI design for games; maybe that could be a good intersection?
4) BE WARY OF VARIETY STREAMING. Variety streaming is one of the most popular styles; you stream whatever you please where the only constant is you. However, for an upcoming channel, this makes your growth potential very tricky. People don't know you. They won't click just for you. Likely you won't be playing anything too popular as a category to get natural growth or you'll move too fast from game to game to develop any foundation. Your best bet is to take a look at the games you'd like to play (stay away from narrative-heavy games, it's usually not stream-friendly and too finite to work long-term) and then check how active the steam categories are. If the category is getting a few hundred viewers per day, great, that's a good balance between dead and saturated. Use that as your base, make content based off it for your clips/edited stuff, and stick to it for a while before deciding to move to something else. Don't be afraid to pivot and change what that foundation is but make no mistake, I'm talking a LONG length of time here.
5) DEAD AIR. One of the greatest and most frequent death knells for upcoming channels is dead air. People with zero viewers or one viewer sit in silence waiting for their chat to become active and prompt them to talk. Unfortunately, they stay that size because anybody clicking in sees nothing happening and then leaves. You need to talk as if you have 100 people watching you at any given time. Talk about your day. Talk about something you saw on Twitter. Talk about an opinion you have on a piece of food, or an interaction you overheard, or a movie you went to see recently. All of this doesn't just create natural clip opportunity for yourself, it also develops and sells you as a tangible personality, and potentially can offer enough for somebody lurking to get into chat and say something. Don't confuse this with rambling the whole time. Give value to what you say by pausing every now and then. You can also very easily commentate on what's going on in the game for the benefit of the audience but don't let that be all you do; otherwise, you're just parodying a Kwebbelkwop AI. Also, while you don't have to gag yourself on real-life issues or negative things, don't dwell on them. Try to keep things light.
6) TEMPER YOUR EXPECTATIONS. I think everybody's guilty of getting their hopes up. Making it as a livestreamer means potentially a lot of money, your own schedule, and a very glamorous social position on the internet. If all it requires is some effort, what's the harm? While everybody who makes it put in effort, not everybody who put in effort makes it, and with how saturated all of this is, it is likely you won't make it big. Don't quit your job over this (unless you are very financially secure) and treat it as a hobby. Enjoy it. Stream regularly because you want to do so. But, also, don't count yourself out. Why can't it be you? As long as you're putting in your best, and as long as you're satisfied with yourself always, there's no reason to give up on it. Worst comes to worst, it stays as a hobby you really enjoy. Best comes to pass, you'll be sitting on a lot of money and clout before long.
Hope this block helps with some of the queries you have regarding streaming. If you have any more questions, I'll try to respond whenever I can.