Live streaming has exploded in popularity over the last handful of years. Not only are more and more people turning to live streams for entertainment purposes, but that’s allowed for more live streamers to find vast audiences and even make a career out of going live. It’s an exciting and growing sector many want in on.
The two key bits of tech that you need, that many will overlook when getting started, are a new camera and a new microphone. You simply can’t garner your maximum possible audience with the defaults on your laptop, for the most part. A high-quality camera is almost always needed, but a top-tier microphone is the most important add.
Getting the Right Camera-Mic Combo
As a visual medium, having a strong camera is the first place that many people look to for hitting the ground running. Assuming that all’s well on the internet speeds front, and your computer can run at normal speeds, you can turn to a dedicated clip-on or tracking camera to upgrade your visuals.
After all, anyone who clicks on a live stream and sees it stuttering or the visuals look deep fried, they’ll likely click away. The best on the market right now to raise the bar to above average is the Logitech C922 Pro. If you’re happy with a fixed camera, it’ll live stream in 1080p and at 30 frames per second for that smooth HD picture.
Live streaming is much more than a visual medium, though. Many will be second-screening a live stream, making audio even more important. Outside of that, though, experiencing bad audio is invariably worse than bad video as it’s often the actual information and discussion that people tune in for.
So, a quality microphone should be atop your shopping list. The HyperX QuadCast series has long been a favourite for people looking to be either active or distracted while putting on the live stream. For the best overall sound and for its ease of use, though, the Rode NT-USB+ is tough to beat right now.
Opening the Door to the World of Live Streaming
This isn’t a sector contained to just Twitch, YouTube, Kick, social media, and the like anymore. Live streaming is being expanded greatly, including into two-way gaming with casino online live titles. With these, the player clicks on a game show like Hi Lo Western or a table game like London Blackjack Live, watches the real-time play, and can bet on that game as the host runs it.
A similar use of live streaming in this more interactive way is also on the rise in eCommerce. Live shopping is, after quite some time of trying to make it stick, finally taking off in Western markets. Most recently, Whatnot was given a major valuation update to be set up at $20 billion. There’s a lot of faith in the potential growth for the sector now.
In both of these newer applications of live streaming, the key is to have great sound quality, a steady and high-definition video stream, and to be engaging as a host. After all, you can buy all of the best live streaming tech in the world, but ultimately, it’ll be your ability to connect to and intrigue an audience that’ll determine the success of your foray into live streaming.
The chance to become a professional game show host in online casino gaming or to sell goods online in live events can be the goal for anyone who has worked out the intricacies of live streaming. It all starts with getting your own setup, encouraging a community to build around your streams, and gaining that crucial experience.