Twitch Streaming Guide
Twitch is a top live streaming service platform launched in 2011 mainly for gaming and eSports. It hit 3.2 million users per month within its first year and three years later, Amazon parted with $970 million in cash to acquire Twitch. Today, Twitch has 140 million monthly active users (MAUs). In Jan 2024, it has approximately 8.36 million active streamers, down from a peak of 9.89 million in January 2021. The most popular Twitch channels have millions of viewers. As of 2021 Apr, Ninja is the top-ranked streamer on Twitch, had 16.6 million followers and Turner Tenney was ranked 2nd position with 10.2 million followers.
If you have a question in mind that should I start streaming on twitch, then you can do it. You should not be a pro gamer to start a twitch channel to attract your audience with your gaming skills and performance. Everyone can create and stream twitch tv from gamers, artists, musicians, comedians, and crafters to entertain audiences.
This article is one of the best beginner guides for twitch users, and read more to know about how to streaming on PC, Xbox, smartphones, PlayStation4, and macOS.
How to Start Streaming on Twitch
Streaming on Twitch can require the right software and equipment before you begin.
- A computer, smartphone, or tablet with sufficient gaming performance device.
- A high-speed Internet connection (at least 10 Mbps).
- A quality webcam (or the camera on your mobile device).
- A microphone and headphones, or a headset with both.
Twitch has its own suggested PC specs, but they’re fairly lightweight, including only an Intel Core i5-4670 (or its AMD equivalent), 8 GB of RAM, and Windows 7 or newer.
Creating Twitch Account
Before you start streaming your gameplay, you need to create a Twitch account. Go to Twitch’s official website, click the Sign-Up link in the upper-right corner, and enter your desired login credentials and read the community guidelines for a good twitch streamer.
How to Start Streaming on Twitch PC or Laptop
Streaming games from your Windows computer. a laptop or Mac PC is a little bit more complex than streaming from an Xbox One or PS4 because most systems don’t come with built-in software to get you started. Most of all social media platforms provide live streaming options to their users such as Facebook Live, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok Live, and many. If you’re just a beginner at this streaming platform, we recommend you to download Open Broadcaster Software (OBS). The software is completely free, usable with both Windows and macOS, and endorsed by Twitch. If you’re just wanting to get started streaming with the least amount of setup, then the Twitch Studio app is another great choice. However, this application is still in beta and is only available on Windows. You can also use subscription-based products like XSplit, Streamlabs OBS, vMix, and some other online streaming software to broadcast your video.
Streaming on Twitch with OBS
Open Broadcaster Software Studio is one of the best and free tools for twitch streaming, and it works seamlessly on Windows, Linux, and macOS. Before you stream anything anywhere, you need to give OBS the credentials to broadcast on your channel.
Installing OBS on Windows PC
- Go to the OBSProject Site and Download the software.
- Open the Setup file and install it.
- Make sure it is installed on the correct path. Mostly it will be on C:/Program Files/obs-studio
- After OBS Studio is installed you can see it provides several options and complete control. The Auto-Configuration Wizard opens automatically when we open it the first time, here we can optimize OBS Studio for specialized purposes.
Installing OBS on Linux (Ubuntu) PC
- Download the latest version of the OBS studio application for Linux
- Open the terminal on your Linux pc by pressing CTRL+ALT+T
- Now install FFmpeg, which is an open-source software containing various files and libraries which process audio and video files. [sudo apt install ffmpeg]
- Now you can install OBS Studio by following commands in the terminal one by one and wait for the installation to process.
- It takes a few minutes to install completely and after completion of installation, you will see the OBS studio in the application menu.
Installing OBS Studio in MacOS
- Download the latest version of OBS Studio in MacOS.
- Open the installer and proceed to indicate your storage space on your computer which needs to install this application.
- Now enter the password and continue to install.
- It takes a few minutes to install all packages and the obs studio will be ready to use in the application menu.
Installing XSplit Broadcaster & Gamecaster
- Download the XSplit Gamecaster Live streaming and recording software
- To stream on PC, you need an additional streaming program that plugs into Twitch.
- For the best quality streaming, you need to subscribe to a paid version, which costs $15 per month and $200 for a lifetime.
- Launch the XSplit app and enter the game you want to play.
- Press Ctrl + Tab to open the XSplit overlay. This brings up XSplit options on top of the game you’re playing, which is very handy.
- Click the Stream button. You’ll be prompted to log in to your Twitch account the first time you stream.
How to Livestream on Twitch Xbox One
- Go to the store on your Xbox and install the Twitch app.
- Open the Twitch app on your Xbox.
- Select Log In and visit twitch.tv/activate on your PC or mobile device and enter the 6-digit code shown on your Xbox app to link your Twitch account to your Xbox Live Gamertag.
- In Settings > Account > Privacy and Online Safety > Xbox Live Privacy > View Details and Customize > Online status & history > Others can see if you’re online, select Everybody. This allows everyone to see your broadcast.
- In Settings > Account > Privacy and Online Safety > Xbox Live Privacy > View Details and Customize > Game Content > You can broadcast gameplay, select Allow.
- In Settings > Account > Privacy and Online Safety > Xbox Live Privacy > View Details and Customize > Game Content > You can share content made using Kinect or another camera, select Allow.
- Before the broadcast, on twitch check, your microphone and webcam are enabled so your viewers can see and hear you.
- Set a title for your broadcast and select Start Broadcast!
- Your game title will be updated automatically once you begin broadcasting a game.
How to Stream on Twitch PS4 with camera
Ever wondered how to stream on Twitch from PS4 with camera, then follow the below simple steps to broadcast your gameplay.
#1 Open the play store and download Your Twitch on PlayStation 4 App
#2 Connect Your Twitch And Playstation Account
- Step 1: Press the “Share” button on your PlayStation controller and it will show a list of options.
- Step 2: Click “Broadcast Gameplay” and then choose “Twitch”.
- Step 3: Select “Sign-in”, and now you’ll see a unique series of numbers displayed on your TV screen.
- Step 4: Copy the code and open a browser on your computer. Next, sign in on this Twitch page and paste the copied code to confirm your identity.
- Step 5: A new option should appear on your PS4 after you’ve entered the code. Press “Ok” on your console, and finally your PlayStation and Twitch accounts have now been successfully linked!
#3 Fine Tune Your Stream on PS4 and PS4 pro
Before your live stream, you need to set up both your camera and your microphone so your viewers can both hear and see you play
- Step 1: Press the “Share” button on your ps4 controller and then click on “Twitch”.
- Step 2: A new screen will appear displaying the “Start Broadcasting” button, a preview of your stream, and several other options.
- Step 3: Make sure that your PlayStation camera and microphone are both associated with your reassurance on the off chance that you need to utilize them.
- Connect the PS4 camera to the rear of the console in the exclusive Camera attachment. In case you’re utilizing a third-party camera, plug the USB into any accessible USB slot.
- Connect your microphone to the Earphone socket at the lower part of your PS4 regulator.
- Now enable both devices by simply clicking the first two boxes under “Communication Settings”.
- Step 4: Now enter the attractive title for your stream, and include the game name.
- Step 5: You can change the image resolution of your web-based video as you would prefer in the “Quality” field. The higher resolution is, the better the nature of your video, in any case, you additionally need to have a high web speed for your stream to work appropriately. Albeit, by and large, the 720p choice will do fine and dandy.
- Step 6: Once you’re finished changing your settings, now start broadcasting!
You can also stream on Twitch without a camera, but many streamers use a camera and microphone to live stream on your game because it helps to connect with their viewers.
How to Watch Twitch Streaming on TV
Watching your favorite Twitch games and broadcasters on your TV is easier now. A Chromecast supports watching live Twitch video from your Android, iPhone, iPad, or laptop device right to your TV.
For Twitch to Chromecast from the web player, make sure to install the Google Cast extension.
- Open your Twitch account on your laptop or mobile device. Before that update your apps if you don’t have updating auto-enabled.
- Tap the “cast” icon on the top right If you’re using Android and If you’re on a laptop or iOS, the cast icon can be found on the bottom right of the video player.
- Now you can see the live broadcast play on your TV, but the chat remains on your mobile device or laptop.
Enjoy Your Live Streaming on Twitch!