How To Set Up A Twitch Streaming Game Channel

You’re here because you want to start your own streaming game channel. That’s awesome! There are plenty of great resources for getting started, and many different places that can host your video stream. Tune in as we walk you through the basics of starting a Twitch account, setting up a webcam, recording gameplay footage with OBS Studio (or other screen capture software), and more.

Before You Start: Quality Counts

When you’re first starting out, it’s tempting to just hit the “go live” button as soon as possible. But if you want people to stick around and watch your channel, it’s important to have good quality video and audio. That means having a decent internet connection and quality equipment. For a full list of tips on Twitch, you can use this site for more information.

What Is Needed to Stream Games

Let’s first talk about what you need in order to start streaming games.

Internet

First and foremost, you need a strong and reliable internet connection. This is absolutely essential because if your internet connection is bad, your stream will be choppy and viewers will get frustrated and leave.

Gaming PC

Secondly, you’ll need a good gaming computer. It doesn’t have to be the best of the best, but it should be able to handle the games you want to play without too much trouble.

Capture Card

You’ll also need a capture card in order to get the video from your computer to the internet. This is how your viewers will see what you’re playing.

Headset or Mic

You’ll need a way to communicate with your viewers. A streaming microphone is the best way to do this. You do not need a broadcast quality microphone but you do want one that will provide a natural sounding voice without too much background noise.

Webcam

If you want to show your face on stream, you’ll need a webcam. This is optional, but many people prefer to see the face of the person they’re watching.

Streaming Software

Last but not least, you’ll need some software to run your channel. The most popular option is OBS Studio, which is free and open source.

Now that we’ve gone over what you need, let’s talk about how to get started.

Creating Your Twitch Account

The first step is to create a Twitch account. You can do this by going to www.twitch.tv and clicking the “Sign Up” button in the top right corner.

Enter your username, password, and email address. You’ll also need to agree to the terms of service. Once you’ve done that, click the “Sign Up” button again.

Now that you have a Twitch account, it’s time to set up your channel.

Setting Up Your Channel

The first thing you need to do is choose a name for your channel. This is what people will see when they visit your page, so make it something catchy and memorable.

You also need to upload a profile picture and banner. The profile picture will be used as your avatar, so choose something that represents you or your channel. The Twitch banner is the large image at the top of your channel, so make it something eye-catching that will make people want to watch your stream.

Now you need to fill out the “About” section of your channel. This is where you can tell people a little bit about yourself or your channel. Use this space to give people an idea of what they can expect from your stream.

The last step in setting up your channel is to choose some tags. These are keywords that describe your channel, and they help people find your stream when they’re searching for something specific. Choose a few relevant tags that describe your channel well.

Now that your channel is all set up, it’s time to start streaming!

Starting Your Stream

The first thing you need to do is launch the game you want to play. Once it’s up and running, open your streaming software (OBS Studio, for example).

In OBS Studio, you’ll see a list of different sources that you can add to your stream. The first thing you need to do is add your game window as a source. To do this, click the “+” button and select “Window Capture”.

Next, you need to select the window of the game you want to capture. If you’re not sure which one it is, hover your mouse over each window and OBS will tell you what it is.

Once you’ve added your game window as a source, you can move on to adding your webcam and microphone. To do this, click the “+” button again and select “Video Capture Device” for your webcam and “Audio Input Device” for your microphone.

You’ll need to select your webcam and microphone from the drop-down menus. Once you’ve done that, you can click the “OK” button.

Now that you’ve added all of your sources, it’s time to start your stream! Click the “Start Streaming” button in the OBS Studio window and you’ll be live on Twitch!

Interact With Viewers

The final step is to tell your viewers what’s going on. Be sure to interact with them in the chat and let them know what’s going on. If you’re playing a game, be sure to explain what’s happening so they can follow along.

Conclusion

And that’s it! You’re now streaming your gameplay on Twitch for the world to see! Setting up and growing your channel is fun and by following our steps, you’ll be on your way to becoming a Twitch partner in no time!