5 steps of Streaming on Twitch as a Beginner

Twitch is one of the most popular live-streaming platforms. It’s an app that can be downloaded on any device and stream video gameplay. Streaming on Twitch requires the best laptop or PC with a high-speed internet connection and an external webcam so viewers can see you playing your favorite games.  

There are five steps to starting as a beginner: pick out your platform, set up your account, connect your webcam, download software like OBS or Streamlabs OBS that will help you broadcast yourself quickly, and set up your settings before you go live! Also, ensure you have the best gaming headset plugged in to communicate smoothly with your audience.

1. Make a Twitch account

The first thing to do is create an account on Twitch (see link in article). After you have an account, some things need changing. First, the email you used when registering needs to be changed so your password can’t leak if somebody obtains it somehow. E-mails created with Gmail are very secure and hard to attack, so use one of those when creating your Twitch account. 

You also might want to change the username because, by default, all accounts start with “Twitch” followed by some numbers, which is unsuitable for your presence on search engines like Google or any other search system. You don’t want people who find you via Google search to end up on another streamer.

2. Connect Twitch with your YouTube account

After creating your Twitch account, go to the settings by navigating to the bottom of the screen. Scroll down until you find “Connections” and press it. A new page should appear where you will see information about all your connections(YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, etc.). Press connect on YouTube (YouTube is an example in the guide, but the same applies to other choices). It might ask if the public can share data from your YouTube videos so the press allows access. 

This step is necessary because only users connected with Google or other services that Twitch uses for stats will appear on those lists, like the top games used while streaming on Twitch. Once you add Twitch to your YouTube account, you can use the same connection to access Twitch from other services.

3. Create a banner for your stream

The next thing you should do is create a banner for your stream. Twitch will show it while streaming if you don’t have one already. You can create one on Canva.com. 

The size of the banner should be 1500×500 pixels(width x height), but you might want to make it bigger because even though it’s 500 pixels wide, there are some character limits in the banner itself, so it might get cut off after putting in all the info. 

If that happens, you will need to either edit out or resize some elements until they fit inside the 500-pixel width and still look good when viewed from certain angles. 

Other things to remember are that it has to be a PNG image and that the background should be transparent

4. Stream options

After you have created your banner, you will need to set up the kind of stream you want. The window for this will appear after pressing “start streaming on Twitch. If everything works fine and your internet speed allows it, select the high quality in the settings(also make sure the delay in settings is zero or as low as possible). 

You might also want to play with resolution and bitrate, but I would advise only doing so if you know what you are doing. Changing these things incorrectly can cause lag when playing games while streaming on Twitch, ruining the experience for you and your viewers.

5. Play and start streaming on Twitch

After everything is ready, press the play button and launch your game. Now, stop worrying about whether people will see your channel and start playing games while having fun entertaining others and yourself! You can find other streamers by going to the Twitch directory.

Note: The guide might be updated with more images and information if the article doesn’t provide enough information for some parts right now(it was written before the release of UE4 source code, so I might update the article after I create something new for it). 

There is also a live streaming software list that can give insight into how others use streaming for various games, and you might even learn something.

Please let me know in the comments below if there is anything to add to the guide or if I have made a mistake. If the article was informative, please give it a thumbs up and share it with others who can benefit. Thanks!

Conclusion

In conclusion, streaming on Twitch as a beginner can seem daunting, but with the right guidance, it can be a fun and rewarding experience. By following the tips and advice outlined in this article, you’ll be well on your way to setting up your channel, building a loyal community, and sharing your passion with the world. Stay consistent, engage with your audience, and continuously improve your content and streaming quality. Most importantly, don’t be afraid to make mistakes – they’re an opportunity to learn and grow. So, what are you waiting for? Go live, and let your voice be heard!