Maybe you want to be an influencer with a sponsorship deal or have millions of fans who love to watch you play your favorite video games for hours on end. No matter the reason, you want to create a live streaming channel to wow the world with your gaming abilities.
A few years ago, you didn’t have much choice when it came to streaming, but as it became popular, more streaming sites popped up. You know have a selection, but which one is right for you?
We’ll examine several of the platforms available and determine the best game streaming platform for you.
The Best Game Streaming Platform Is Twitch
Twitch has been around for years and for a long time couldn’t keep up with YouTube when it came to people watching others play games. Twitch live streaming was a unique twist on YouTube, which was beginning to demonetize and seemingly punish gamers.
Twitch has a great user interface and has some of the leading streamers in the industry. If you want to start a gaming channel on Twitch, then you need to create an account. There are also rather long community guidelines, but you want to know them thoroughly.
Twitch doesn’t hesitate to drop a streaming channel for breaking community guidelines no matter how popular it is. You’ll need some type of encoder to stream such as OBD Studio, but Twitch is developing its own streaming software called switch studio, which is currently in beta. If you want some great equipment, then follow this link.
If you just want to stream your games for fun and don’t want to gain money and followers, then you can start right away. It’s very friendly for people who enjoy streaming their games. There are some hardware and software settings you need to set up before you can stream.
Twitch lets you stream from consoles, computers, and cell phones, so there is no limit to the medium.
There are more than 3 million streamers on Twitch and only a small amount makes money from it. If you want to monetize your account, then you need to get followers and subscribers. There are multiple ways you can make money from Twitch itself to sponsorships.
Twitch lets you engage your audience and allow for donations. Twitch is all about the community. Twitch also allows you to stream your content to multiple channels.
Smashcast Started with eSports
When streaming service Hitbox merged with Azubu back in 2017, Smashcast was the result. Much like Hitbox, it was designed to stream eSports events and compete with the grandaddy of then all, Twitch.
The only way to signup for a Smashcast account is through a PC, so no console or mobile. It’s free to set up and once you have an account can download it for Android and iOS
Smashcast is a streaming service like Twitch, so you’ll need the standard peripherals such as a microphone, headphones, and a program for streaming.
What makes Smashcast great is how easy it is to go from signup to streaming especially for mobile. Smashcast also looks better than Twitch and lets you categorize your clips into public, private, and adult. The biggest drawback is you’ll need a higher-powered computer when dealing with Smashcast.
If you don’t have it, then expect stream lag and other issues. It does allow for capture cards and other devices to record your live streaming events.
If you want to make money on Smashcast, then there are two ways: a partnership program and a premium partnership. Anyone can sign up for the partnership program and you make money by the number of subscribers and how many ads you run on your stream. There is a maximum of 6 per hour for each stream.
If you want to qualify for the premium, then you need at least 100 viewers and stream three days per week. The catch is you must sign a contract with Smashcast, so you can’t monetize a stream on another platform.
They opened the floodgates on ads though letting you have up to 60 per hour.
YouTube Gaming Allows 4K Streams
Gamers were on YouTube years before streaming became a thing. They would play and record the games, edit the footage, and then put it on the platform. Many of today’s biggest streamers started as YouTube Channels.
Seeing the popularity of streaming channels, the video monolith created dedicated resources for streamers called YouTube Gaming. YouTube in general isn’t the most attractive site compared to other streaming services, but it is effective.
YouTube has millions of subscribers and an easy way to keep track and organize their favorite channels and streamers. The system is easy to use, if not more simplistic than other streaming services but is supports 4K resolution and 60 frames per second play.
That’s an epic advantage in today’s’ streaming services. If you’re looking to have fun and just stream, then you’ll love YouTube. If you’re looking to monetize, then it gets more complicated.
YouTube requires lots of followers before you get monetized and YouTube is notorious for suddenly changing the rules. If you have an existing YouTube channel, then you’ll know all about the issues and it may make it easier to navigate a streaming channel.
Have You Tried Facebook Gaming?
Facebook is another social media monolith trying to break into the streaming sensation. Facebook bought streaming service Mixer and now offers streaming on its site. Facebook Gaming is a lot like YouTube in that it has a standard setup and easy to use.
It’s another one where it’s great if you just want to stream and not make money. You need to have a page for your gaming channel and not a personal profile. If you want to monetize on the service, then you need 10,000 followers of your page.
Anyone that has started a Facebook page for their business, band, or book, understands the difficulty in getting 10,000 likes. You’ll be at it awhile unless you pay for Facebook ads to support your channel. This is opposed to Twitch where you only need 50 followers to start monetizing.
The benefit is Facebook is huge and odds are you have a few hundred friends on your personal account that would be willing to like your streaming page. It’s a start, but you’ll need a lot of self-promotion to get 10,000 likes.
Get Juiced on Caffeine.tv
The great thing about being a newcomer to the streaming arena is you can fix all the problems of your predecessors. Caffeine.tv says it’s easier to communicate with your fans and has less lag time than the big sites.
If you’re a big fan of ESPN and Fox Sports, then you can have a broadcast on your channel. It has a unique way of monetizing content. Instead of using ads or followers, people can purchase virtual items for your stream.
There is no partnership program like Twitch, so you can start monetizing right away. This might be a big reason why people stream on it, but it might be difficult to get people to purchase the items or even watch your stream since it’s a new platform.
Grow with Trovo.live
Trovo.live is another newcomer to streaming and is a lot like Twitch, perhaps nearly a carbon copy. It’s quickly gaining popularity and streamers but hasn’t lured away any major players from Twitch. If you choose this platform, then you’re taking a bit of chance.
It might be swallowed up by the big guys like Facebook or Google if it gets too popular. If you’re interested in monetizing, then it uses a similar method as Twitch such as paid subscribers.
GosuGamer Is eSports Heaven
GosuGamer isn’t like most other streaming platforms in that the best way to monetize is to win eSports tournaments. By being a part of the community, you can play and win tournaments and challenges in some of the hottest and most competitive games available.
The downside is everyone on the platform is good at the games. If you want to win any money, then you’ll have to be close to a professional level. If you love eSports and want the chance to earn money playing the games you love, then try out GosuGamer. ‘
You can participate or watch some of the best players in the world.
Mirrativ Is Phone Based
Streaming is fun, but if you want to get serious then you need to have a lot of equipment. You’ll need a high-end PC to keep up with other payers, sound and lighting equipment, and possibly a green screen.
That’s a lot to invest in. Mirrativ lets you stream directly from your mobile phone without all the bells and whistles of PC streaming. The good news is it’s fun and easy to use, but it doesn’t have a monetization model.
This may change in the future as it becomes more popular.
Choose the Platform for You
While Twitch is often considered the best game streaming platform, it depends on your wants and needs. We’ve provided you with several options to choose from and you don’t have to use just one.
If you want to learn more about game streaming, then explore our site.
