The video streaming technology industry will be worth 70 billion dollars by next year. As more activities transition to the virtual world, we expect that number to continue picking up momentum.
All of us have dabbled in video streaming as consumers at some point but few have taken it upon themselves to be the person managing their own steam. Whether you’d like to take a swipe at doing that for personal or professional reasons, you’ve come to the right place!
Streaming video can put a tremendous amount of pressure on your internet bandwidth. With how fast base internet speeds are getting today, this won’t present an issue for most that are streaming on wired connections in populated cities. That’s why it is really important to test your internet speed at speedcheck.org so you can make sure you won’t have any issues while streaming.
In this post, our team of enthusiasts share streaming tips that can make your foray into the world of live, streamed video a runaway hit! If connecting with a passionate audience through streaming technology sounds good to you, keep reading to find out more.
1. Pick Your Platform
There are a nearly limitless amount of choices available to us when we’re consuming streamed video. Similarly, when we’re creating video streams, there are ample options.
For example, Twitch has become a go-to streaming platform for creators that want to share live feeds of themselves playing video games. YouTube has become a great platform for streaming a variety of entertainment content.
Look into each platform possibility, its reach, and what it’s known for. From there, you should be able to discern where your streaming ambitions might flourish most.
2. Get Familiar With Streaming Equipment
A basic stream doesn’t require much in the way of equipment. All you need is a tripod and a decent smartphone to get started creating engaging streams from the comfort of your home.
What if you want to take your stream to the next level though? Doing things like “picture-in-picture” or transitions between multiple cameras will require software on a computer, external devices, and cords that enable interfacing.
The bottom line is that you’ll want to understand how sophisticated a stream you want to produce and then pick the brains of experienced people to understand what equipment will be required to achieve your desired end.
3. Make Sure Your Internet Is up to Task
Steaming video can put a tremendous amount of pressure on your internet’s bandwidth. With how fast base internet speeds are getting today, this won’t present an issue for most that are streaming on wired connections in populated cities.
If you’re trying to stream over satellite internet in a rural area, however, you’re going to run into problems.
As a general rule of thumb, you’ll want at least 5 Mbps of internet speed to keep a 720p steam running smoothly.
4. Know Your Streaming Goals
Among the many streaming tips we can offer you, knowing what you want to achieve with your stream before going live is perhaps the most important. That’s because a stream is only as good as its content!
Think hard about what kinds of content might most excite you to stream and what could entice an audience. Workshop different formats and come up with a cohesive show you can put on consistently so you can build a dedicated fan-base that knows what to expect from your content.
We’ve seen several streamers go online with a “wing it” mentality. Most of those streamers fail due to poor quality streams.
Don’t fall into that bucket and appreciate that a little bit of effort can go a long way when it comes to achieving success.
5. Test Your Streams
You don’t want to be too experimental when you’re in front of your audience. That’s because internet audiences are unforgiving and will tune out for good if a component of your stream fails technically or creatively.
The good news is that you can (and should) be as experimental as you want when you’re not broadcasting your feed.
Just as any professional live show would, practice your live stream to make sure everything works technically and plays well on camera. When you’re satisfied with how things are looking offline, you can confidently bring your show to an audience.
6. Have an On-Demand Component to Your Steam
There’s a reason why people hop on disney plus apple tv or Roku’s Netflix by the millions, daily. That reason is that people love on-demand programming.
While it’s great to attract a live audience for your stream, you can expand your brand’s reach exponentially by tying an on-demand component into your streaming model.
This can be as simple as recording your streams and making them available for deferred viewing on popular platforms like YouTube after they’ve aired.
7. Learn From the Pros
There are streamers out there that are already enjoying the success you hope to enjoy someday. The best way to get to where they are is to emulate their success.
Watch a ton of streamers and come up with ideas you’d like to incorporate into your own streams. Reach out to those same streamers and pick their brains for additional streaming tips.
Only by consuming and getting involved in the streaming community will you be able to meet and far surpass your goals.
We Hope Our Streaming Tips Enable You to Share Your Message With the World
The beauty of the internet is that it allows people from all walks of life to share their perspectives with the masses. Streaming video is one of many avenues through which people can achieve that end.
We hope our streaming tips allows your business or you personally to get your message out there and achieve whatever your goals are online and off.
If you find that you’d like more help with streaming, check out related content on our blog.