Month: May 2022

Building an audience as a streamer can be difficult, which is why it’s important to have a solid grasp of different social media platforms. Once you do, you can use them to elevate your streaming game while engaging with viewers and building your brand. You can even become a social media streamer and stream directly to Facebook rather than Twitch or YouTube. Let’s have a look at the different platforms and the ways they can help streamers.

Facebook: Social Media for Streamers?

While there were earlier social media platforms (MySpace anyone?), Facebook was the one that captured the zeitgeist of the times, allowing people to connect all over the world. Like a Pokemon, the platform has evolved several times since its inception, and we still haven’t seen its final form.

So why is Facebook a useful platform for social media streamers? The major advantage of this well-known channel is that you already have a built-in audience – your list of friends or followers. When your audience watches your stream, they can use the existing Facebook react buttons to directly interact with it. XSplit Broadcaster can also be integrated with Facebook making streaming on the social media platform easy to set up and manage. You can also publish your content directly to social media platforms with it. This makes quick work of delivering high-quality videos and getting them uploaded in no time. There’s also chat integration that will let you monitor your engagement while you stream.

Instagram: Where image is key

Something of a Silicon Valley fairytale, the popular photo-sharing site launched in 2010 and was quickly acquired by Facebook two years later for $1 billion. Since then, it has become a hub for influencers, bloggers, and creative businesses with a good eye.

Instagram is now pushing more towards video content, with stories, and live broadcasts. These are perfect tools for growing a brand or a streaming channel. Allowing you to boost posts for extra engagement, start discussions and get immediate feedback from your audience. For a more in-depth look and case study on streaming on Instagram, check out our blog post on Streaming to Instagram from your PC.

Twitter: Great social media for a streamer?

Twitter is the platform of choice for thought leaders and those who want to keep their fingers on the trending pulse of the world. It allows people to engage in open conversation and link to ideas and topics rather than people. Twitter dipped its toes into live video streaming with spin-off app Periscope in 2015. But it never really took off and was officially discontinued in March 2021.

Despite this, Twitter is a very useful tool for growing your broadcast audience. Keeping them updated on your schedule and hooking potential new viewers with relevant hashtags. With XSplit, you can use the Stream Sharing function to announce your stream and share images or YouTube links on Twitter.

TikTok: The new kid on the block

TikTok filled the gap left by the popular video app Vine, allowing users to upload short videos with music, filters, and other features. While its popularity exploded out of comedy and dance videos. It’s also become an important tool for attracting viewers to your gaming streams.

Because of the video length of under a minute, many streamers use it to show highlights from their recent streams, in the hope of attracting new followers. You can also use it to build your own brand, preview events, or hold live Q&As when you’re not streaming. You can even stream to TikTok from your desktop following this guide.

Leveraging a mix of social media sites will allow you to increase your audience quicker than simply streaming your gameplay. It can also help you to shape your brand and other revenue streams like merchandising. To find out more, check out our blog on personal branding for tips on how to develop your brand.

Live streaming is not just for gaming content. A huge number of people are widening their channel’s reach and generating extra income by creating content on everything from workout routines to make-up lessons. These days, artists are also getting in on the action. In this blog post, we will discuss how to live stream art.

A focus on cameras

While it’s possible to stream art creation with just a mobile phone, tripod, and a work surface, you will probably want a bit more than that to live stream art.

A webcam, such as the Logitech C920, is a good start, but many art streamers opt for a multi-camera approach. With one focusing on their face and another on the work surface. This enables a picture-in-picture layout to show both the artist and process. You can plug a DSLR or a mirrorless camera into a capture card for an additional camera. For this, you’ll also want an HDMI cable to plug into your camera for a clean output. The benefit of this is that you have more freedom to adjust the lenses with a DSLR, and with it, your picture.

Using a camera and capture card can also offer more options for improving audio quality by connecting your streaming setup to one or more microphones through a sound desk. However, if it’s just you live streaming art, one microphone would be more than enough! There are some great USB options out there like the Blue Yeti. You can then use a capture card to import directly into XSplit Broadcaster from different video sources. You’ll also be able to insert title cards or logos and other graphics overlays.

Some software options to live stream art

XSplit Broadcaster is an excellent choice for streaming software as it allows you to easily display physical art pieces such as sculptures or paintings. You can do this by either using a webcam or, alternatively, by using XSplit VCam with XSplit Connect: Webcam to use your iOS or Android phone as a camera.

Whatever option you chose, make sure that it will integrate with a selection of streaming platforms and has production tools. Then you can focus on creating your artwork rather than worrying about the tech.

Setting up alerts will give your audience the opportunity to engage with you. One way this can be done is through the Plugin Store in Broadcaster. Go to ‘Tools’ then ‘Plugin Store’ and click on ‘Sources’ to find plugins such as the ‘Twitch Alerts’ and ‘Facebook Live Alerts’. These overlays let you see who’s followed, subscribed, shared your stream, and more.

Choosing a streaming platform

There is a huge selection of streaming platforms to choose from, but some are better for artists than others. YouTube is not especially geared at artists but is very easy to use, and if you already have a channel on YouTube, this may be a good place to start. Twitch is popular for live streaming video games, but its art category is growing, which means more space for new creators. This platform also has very good options for live interaction and monetization.

Picarto is one platform that is optimized for broadcasting art. Although it does not attract the huge audiences of YouTube, it is a good choice for those with an established following or who want to attract a crowd specifically looking for art content.

Finally, if you want to stream over multiple platforms, XSplit Broadcaster has everything you need. Just go to the ‘Broadcast’ menu and add each of your outputs to get it set up in minutes.

Though it is likely to require the investment of some time, effort and money, considering live-streaming your physical art creation can provide valuable opportunities to express and share your artistic talent with a wider, more appreciative audience.

There’s a (sort of) new player that raced to the top of the Twitch meta in 2021: the subathon. Not a new concept in live streaming, a ‘subathon’, combining the words subscription and marathon. This is where the streamer pledges to remain live as long as viewers continue subscribing to the channel. Its recent popularity among top-tier streamers brought it squarely into the spotlight in the first half of 2021. In this blog, we’ll consider this streaming meta (and more) and whether or not it should be followed.

Twitch meta goes mainstream

It’s likely now that even people who have never watched a Twitch stream at all know what a subathon is. This is largely down to Twitch streamer Ludwig Ahgren. They found themselves in the middle of a marathon stream that lasted a record-breaking 31 days. Their story was picked up by traditional outlets like the New York Times and the BBC, places where usually Twitch is discussed only in the context of parent company Amazon’s stock price. This news coverage shone a light on what seemed to be emerging as a new streaming meta – the use of subathons on streaming accounts of all sizes.

Success breeds imitation

With Ludwig netting an eye-popping 1.6 million dollars (US) from subs and bits alone, as well as a significant amount of free publicity from his more than 700 hours live on Twitch. It wasn’t long before the platform’s most-watched streamer, xQc, confirmed their own plans to try and top it. xQc planned to go live for 60 days sometime in the near future and will looked to break many of the records Ludwig set. This included the mark for most subscribers which was sitting at over 282,000. This may not indicate a full-on subathon arms race taking over Twitch, but there’s no question that when one of the biggest names in live streaming does something, people will be watching.

Should I follow the Twitch Meta?

Streamers of all sizes have benefited from following the meta and running their own subathons. If you’re considering running one, remember you’re committing to being live for an unknown amount of time, so plan accordingly. While you probably won’t be stuck on camera for 31 days like Ludwig, subathon streams generally go much longer than the typical 5-8 hour Twitch stream.

The concept of a subathon, however, is not a new one. The Just Chatting category on Twitch provides ample opportunities for any streamer to potentially reach new followers and subs as part of the stream. With Just Chatting being the often dominant category on the Twitch channel page, this is typically where you’ll also quickly spot the emerging streaming meta (not related to specific games). But, whether it’s a subathon or the controversial hot tub streams also forming part of the Twitch meta, should you be chasing the meta?

Staying true to yourself

Of course, chasing any short-term trend isn’t a recipe for long-term success. No matter how compelling it may look in the moment. Subathons in particular provide diminishing returns to viewers as the novelty wears off. Also, an obvious burnout threat for the streamers themselves due to the effort required. This example may seem self-evident to many experienced creators, but consider also the case of Among Us. Consistently one of the most-watched and streamed games on Twitch in 2020, it’s lost nearly 60% of its audience as viewers and streamers alike cooled on it.

The lesson here is clear: use trending content as a tool, but don’t make chasing it core to your streaming strategy. Instead, bet hard on your ability to build an audience around games and content that you have a lasting passion for. This way, you also avoid following trends and streaming games or activities you don’t actually enjoy, which contributes significantly to the feeling of burnout.

Between the public attention around subathons driven by Ludwig and xQc and their direct short-term benefits to streamers, it’s likely they’re here to stay as a major part of the Twitch meta in 2022. But instead of chasing the meta, why not consider other ways to build an audience for your stream?