Gamer MissDeusGeek gives us her tips to set up and make money as a streamer. She talks about her love for gaming and how to make that step from gaming simply being your side hustle to a lucrative career pathway.
Tell us about your side hustle as a streamer
Streaming has been a side hustle for me since 2016. I fell in love with creating content and streaming because it connected me with like-minded individuals from around the world, and allowed me to pursue my passion in entertainment. Not only was I able to meet new people from all walks of life, but streaming has also allowed me to work with some of my favourite brands, as well as, help give back to the community by educating the younger generation who are interested in streaming as a career.
Though it’s only a side hustle, given that I work full time in a demanding industry, streaming has allowed me to also champion diversity and inclusion. Promoting women in gaming has been my number one priority, which, through streaming, I’ve been given the opportunity to speak at panels, host meetups for women who game, and more.
When it comes to streaming, the content I create and share tends to go beyond just pure gameplay. My streams are often hashtagged with #NoobGirlPlays given that one of the segments I run on stream involves education, wherein viewers help educate me on a particular game. This often results with viewers explaining to me how a game is played as I attempt my playthrough (which often results in a great deal of laughter given how bad I am at games). I also review games, films, and more while on stream and create a discussion around topical news within the gaming and entertainment industry.
How does someone/you make money gaming?
Typically as a streamer, the best way to make money playing games is through fan subscriptions or tips (on Facebook Gaming this is called ‘Stars’). Viewers who enjoy a streamer’s content will subscribe to their channel, much like viewers who enjoy Netflix, will subscribe to the service. Tips, on the other hand, are bonuses that viewers may provide on top of their monthly subscription or in place of.
Of course, there’s also direct donations via services like StreamLabs. Direct donations are just that, donations, and were used as the primary method of tipping a streamer for their content prior to platforms like Facebook Gaming releasing their Stars tipping system. These days, donations are mostly used to help raise funds for charities as well as other financial needs.
Whilst the above are typically the most common ways to make money via streaming, notable streamers, and those who catch a brand’s eye, may also receive sponsorship to represent brands or promote products on stream as part of an influencer campaign.
I, personally, have earned a small sum through all the methods above. However, for me, everything I earn via my side-hustle goes back into improving the quality of my content creation by upgrading my setup and tools of the trade.
Tips on how to get set up as a streamer
Getting started as a streamer is not as daunting as it may sound. You’ll need the basic tools to get started, which includes the following:
- A decent PC or laptop
- A broadcasting software such as OBS or XSplit
- A gaming device (PC, console or mobile)
- A microphone, headset and webcam
Once you have the tools, have chosen what platform you’ll be streaming on and have set up your channel, all that’s left is to simply go live.
The most important advice I can offer for those starting out is to not worry about the view or follower count. While streaming, ensure you’re playing games that you genuinely enjoy and stream the game as if no one was watching. That is, enjoy the game as you would normally and allow people to see you comfortable and enjoying yourself. This helps viewers feel connected to you as a streamer, which will eventually result in returning viewers and regulars.
Ensure that you have a schedule for when you’ll be streaming live. Much like traditional television, viewers need to know exactly when you’ll be online in order to make the time to watch you. The content you provide via streaming is essentially like a serial that comes on TV. By not sticking to your schedule, viewers are more likely to switch to another channel to find something else to watch.
There are a plethora of resources online for streaming best practices. My recommendation would be to learn as much as possible from these resources, embrace trial and error and continually look to improve your streams every week.
