Welcome, student, your training journey towards becoming the streamer with stardom begins…

Streaming 101: What we need to know; What we need to learn?

The introductory guide for not becoming a good streamer but a great streamer.

Becoming a streamer is a process and more than what meets the eye.

The year 2020 brought in one hell of mayhem. From promotions of various COVID-19 prevention and safety protocols to the sudden boom in electronics sales to even causing the global chipageddon, trust me, we have been through a lot. Some found ways to cope with this. Going through nostalgic flashbacks, learning new skills, sharing their daily life through vlogs, and so on.

Some were even lucky enough to make THE GREAT CAREER TRANSITION LEAP. Moreover, the mobile gaming fan base got affected by the so-called BOYCOTT CHINA initiative, which makes me go LOL because, come on, the reasons are way too obvious to be not ignored. (Trust me, once you realize the grounds and once you find the impact made by the Indian government, you all be like: "NO SHIT SHERLOCK !!").

But amidst the crisis, there were cults and societies that not only survived but thrived. The gamer cult, the stream team, these fascinating groups of people had the most out of the crisis. They became much more popular than the Bollywood fraternity. Games from all platforms and genres got the attention they required. Even the game of the Indian millennials, a.k.a. LUDO, saw immense popularity online as well as offline.

Game providers such as Steam got so much money during this phase that it is now swimming in a pool filled with money. From simple games such as Among Us and Pacify to elite games such as Warzone, Apex Legends, and Valorant, streamers found every possible way to become the Alphas of the online world.

And it's not just the existing streamers that made a fortune through gaming; esports champions(well, obviously !!) and even standup comedians have entered this lucrative world. But that's just for the appetizers. Now is the time to jump to the main course.

Streaming is an art that looks simple, but it isn't when it comes to doing it. It involves so many aspects that you may get overwhelmed quite quickly. But trust me, irrespective of your economic, social, psychological, or technical expertise or aspects, it can be a whole new journey. Now let's work on your aspects first, starting with economics.

1. Money Money Money take my money!! : Economic aspect of streaming

Brace yourself because this is where you need to flex your big bucks.

Gaming can get heavy on your economy, but streaming your gameplay can get even heavier on your economy. You are setting up your systems, one for gaming and one for streaming, and buying a whole new system with additional components such as a capture card and HDMI cables, so you can pretty much get the picture.

Remember the internet costs. And that's only if you want to keep things simple. Otherwise, accessories like a microphone, lighting, and premium stream elements can give you the jump-scares because these will already cost you more than a fortune.

Word of advice: Don’t be this guy when investing your money in the bank. ⬇️

You, this guy over here !!

2. When on your side is family is when you live happily!! : Social aspect of streaming

Live commentary is one of the best forms of socializing approaches in live streaming.

Streaming involves not just showing off your gameplay but also showing off your social skills. Practices like live commentary, IRL chat streams, Q&A sessions, and active audience participation help improve the overall quality of your Livestream.

You don't need anyone to remind you of the basic fact that Man is a social animal (Although man can even go wild sometimes, who are we to judge.). You do not have to play the game(s); you have to make the audience believe that they're also a part of that game being played right now.

Furthermore, you have to make your audience participate in the game when making decisions and appreciate their gestures, whether of support or criticism. Your family, relatives, and close friends will be your first audience, so be careful with your actions and words.

3. It's all in your head!! : Psychological aspect of streaming

Streaming isn't just about your game; it's also the mind game that puts your overall game into action.

Ok, so here are a few scenarios. Which one do you find yourselves in? :

(A) You have a great personality, are confident, and know how to get people into conversations with you. You're adept at entertaining people, and what's more, you even have a robust skill set when it comes to gaming.

(B) You have a great personality. Again, you're confident and know how to get people into conversations with you. You're adept at entertaining people, too. Unfortunately, you either have a fair amount or you don't have a robust skill set when it comes to gaming.

(C) You have an average kind-of personality. You're only confident enough to have a conversation but unaware of how to start one. You're more of a simplistic personality. As for gaming, you have a robust skill set.

(D) You are underconfident. You're the type who has been laughed at and bullied during school, and what's more, you can't even talk to other people (especially girls, don't worry, we've all been through that tough spot.). You hate life & the real world, but in the gaming world, you're the Alpha.

(E) You're underconfident, ridiculed, and bullied; you're highly introverted. As far as gaming is concerned, you need a whole crash course.

You're good to go if you find yourself in spots A or B. Yes, even if you have a fair amount of gaming skills or have no robust skill set, you're still in the bright spot. Look at CarryMinati, Tanmay Bhat, Xyaa, SikhWarrior, Gamerguy Sandeep, Harsh Khelraay, Ankitta C, DrDisRespect, and StoneMountain64, they're not like elite esports professionals, but they still get the love and respect as same as any professional sports player.

If you find yourself in spot C, you won't have many problems either. I suggest you practice by commenting on your gameplay and creating punches. While doing so, ensure you record yourselves and check later for analysis. Also, do get a life. Going out with friends, meeting new people, and talking to them, will help a lot.

If you find yourself in spot D or E, maybe you need a lot of help. Talk to people, starting with your family members and relatives. Start playing games, get a life, and practice live commentary of your gameplay. Do research, practice, socialize a bit, repeat.

Word of advice : Remember what Swami Vivekananda taught us: “All power is within you. You can do anything and everything, believe in that.”

4. Tech-Tock, Tech-Tock!! : Technical aspect of streaming

You don't need precisely all of the above, but only a few. (And try finding the ones within budget)

Setting up your rigs for streaming is another part; maintaining the setup and your stream at the technical level is another. With the advent of the cloud, even the streaming aspect has now been taken care of by cloud streaming solutions such as Lightstream. You no longer need another top-notch system and peripherals, such as capture cards, to stream your gameplay. Just use Lightstream, and all your troubles will vanish in no time.

Sadly, many still spend bucks on the streaming system and capture card. Still, if you want to use the 'money sucked-up into vacuum' technique, that's entirely up to you. You only need to take care of lighting, audio, internet connectivity, visuals, and the environment.

Using the right amount of lighting, using a good quality microphone for better audio and enhanced features, internet connectivity of at least 8–10 Mbps that too from a good quality router, and, as far as visuals are concerned, a tremendously engaging thumbnail for the start and good graphics settings along with face-cam through a webcam or even a smartphone will make the required effort.

Fortunately, many generous people have made efforts to provide information about the ideal live-streaming setup via YouTube tutorials, Blogposts, etc., so you won't have to struggle a lot.

So that's all, folks. You've reached your first checkpoint, which was all you need to know for the preliminary Streaming 101 class.

Just remember that, like any other job, streaming can be overwhelming initially, as it involves consistent efforts. But if you know the dos and don'ts, you just stepped in the right shoes for the right job.

Next checkpoint: Streaming 201: From Set-Up to Suit-Up.