Hi, I'm MrGregles and I'm a full-time content creator on Twitch.
I'm going to be talking to you today about some of the basics
in hardware and tech that you need to begin streaming,
what's important and what really isn't,
when it comes to begin your journey as a streamer.
When it comes to starting streaming,
there is one thing that will inform all of your set up choices,
and that is what you want to stream.
Are you going to be a gamer?
Are you going to stream music, art or just chatting?
It depends specifically on what you want to convey to your audience,
and that will allow us to work through what you need,
be it in the audio sector, video, a PC, or just a console,
a capture card, external lighting, et cetera.
So, once you have that nailed down and you know what you want to start with,
we can go forward.
So, as a rundown of the basic hardware that you need to begin streaming,
youre to going to need as follows:
a PC or Mac,
a webcam,
a basic microphone
and some other peripherals, et cetera,
such as a stream deck or a microphone arm,
if you're able to stretch to that.
When you begin streaming, there are three main things that you need.
First, a solid internet connection.
Secondly, a machine that is going to run your content.
Third and finally, is broadcasting software.
You can have OBS, XSplit or Twitch Studio, there are also many more out there.
You need to find the one that works for you.
Now, running that software is going to be the main task on your PC
regardless of you playing a game or doing Just chatting.
You need to make sure that the PC that you have, or Mac,
can run the software and encode.
What is encoding?
Encoding, at its very base level,
is taking the output from your broadcast software,
compressing it so it can be sent over the internet in small packets
and then received by a Twitch server, which will put it out onto your channel.
This is essential for getting your stream to work.
And the choice in what you use, be it the PC or MAc that you run,
must be able to achieve this task, even in a basic state.
Most mid-tier PCs and Macs will be able to stream.
They will be able to run a basic game
and a webcam, audio device and your video broadcasting software at the same time
while performing the necessary encoding to project yourself to the world.
It is useful to have a powerful PC if that is possible,
but that does not mean that you need to go and spend thousands of pounds
to get a PC just to be able to start streaming.
You can do it from a phone, if you need to,
and the content is what is important.
You are what is important,
as you will be the main section of your stream.
So do not get hung up on having to have the latest in hardware, graphics cards and CPUs
Take what you have, work with it,
and there is always a way to make the stream possible.
When people start their streaming journey, their first, immediate thought is video.
What are people going to be seeing?
They're going to look for high-end webcams, mirrorless cameras
high-end graphics cards to get those FPS in games,
but the most important thing in a stream is actually the audio.
Most of your viewers will be watching,
but you will get those people who will want to just to sit and listen,
have you in the background,
and if they can't hear you properly, then they're not going to stick around.
When it comes to your choice in microphones, there are many options out there.
Budget, high-end, headset microphones.
What is key, is your set up.
It is how you utilize what you have which will make the content and the audio good.
There are many ways to increase audio quality
with plug-ins, tools, software, et cetera,
but you don't have to go out there and spend thousands of pounds
on a studio quality microphone
to be able to have good audio quality in your stream.
I would recommend looking at a basic audio set up with an audio interface,
and a microphone on a simple XLR lead.
You can also go for the all-in-one options
such as the Blue Yeti or Snowball
They are microphones which are USB,
they are easy to plug in, ready to go in an instant,
but it really depends, again, on your content.
If you are going to be streaming from a field,
then you want something that you can take with you that's going to pick up your voice
and all of the sounds around you, if that's what you want.
Or, if you're in-game , you want something that will just pick up your voice
and not the background of, say, your friend,
who's just decided to come in and try and disturb the stream.
You need to choose a microphone based on two factors.
One, condenser or dynamic.
It's worth looking up what these mean but, in short,
a condenser microphone is a powered microphone
that will pick up almost everything in the room or area it's situated in,
whereas a dynamic microphone, usually found in the XLR set ups I mentioned,
will pick up only what they are physically having directed at them,
at the diaphragm, as it's called, of the microphone.
It is worth looking into these, and again, cheap options for both are available.
Do the research and make your audio good, and your stream will thrive.
It's become the norm on Twitch now to have a camera on you at all times.
And, whilst most people will go for this option, be aware: you don't have to.
But, say you do,
you, again, don't have to go for a high-end mirrorless camera or a high-end webcam.
You can utilize something that's 20 dollars, off Amazon.
And, with what you buy, it's all about how you set it up.
Key to video is lighting.
If you put a webcam in a dark room, it's not going to pick up much.
Make sure you've got a desk lamp.
Again, something cheap you've picked from a hardware store down the road.
Looking into video techniques and utilizing what you have
will make you more knowledgeable so when you do have the money to upgrade,
you can really push that hardware that you have.
In the meantime, though, go out, get that 20$ webcam,
experiment with the positioning of it.
Is it from underneath? Is it looking directly at you?
Is it from the side?
Dramatic angles will make people interested.
It has also to do with the size.
Is the camera taking up the full screen?
If you're Just chatting, it is,
so it might be worth maybe investing a little more in the camera.
But if you're just gaming
and you're going to have the camera tiny on the screen
compared to the main content, the game, at all times,
I would say go for something lower end.
You don't have to have uber-high resolution
to make the camera look good if it's going to be tiny on the screen.
Think about all these aspects and your video will thrive
Again, paired with good audio,
your stream will come to life when a viewer jumps in
and they will see that you've put in the time even if it isn't that top-end,
what they see, the effort, will keep them there.
Now, if your budget does allow for you to go out
and buy some more fancy external peripherals,
such as a nice mike stand, a stream deck, et cetera, then do so.
If it allows you to produce your content and you see a use for it, go for it!
If you don't, maybe spend the money on something else.
However, a stream deck can allow
quick changes between scenes within boardcast software,
a mike arm can stop vibrations,
from, say, having just a microphone on a desk.
They're worth looking into.
But I would say they are not integral.
You can make do with anything.
When it comes to a PC, I would suggest trying to have a second screen.
It is always nice to have your chat, your activity feed
and your broadcasting software, to make sure you're still live,
up on another screen.
However, again, it's not essential.
What I'm trying to stress here is
how you present yourself and use what is available to you
will make your stream and content unique,
rather than going out spending thousands of pounds, thousands of dollars, immediately,
to then realize that you didn't know the direction you were going.
Start at the bottom.
Start with the low-end tech and you will be able to develop
and see where you need to go with your stream and it will be a journey,
rather than jumping into the deep end
and realizing you might have bitten off more than you can chew.
So as a final review, what do you need?
You need a computer that can encode and send your content out
from video broascasting software to Twitch.
You need a webcam that can take your face, your painting, your drumming,
your content and show it to the world.
You need an audio device, something that makes you sound good,
but doesn't have to cost the earth.
With a little time and care, you can make yourself sound like you're in a studio
with plug-ins and software.
It is worth investing in the time to set up correctly.
And finally, you need you!
The content that you create if you're passionate about it and you enjoy it
and you put the time and effort into producing it
and utilizing that set up you have,
people will put time and effort into viewing it.
Make sure that you utilize everything to the full.
Everyone starts at the bottom.
No one got there just like that.
Enjoy the process.
Do some research and you can achieve great things.