Resources
Live streaming is a consistently growing market that’s expected to reach $416.84 billion by 2030. There are several reasons that people around the world are attracted to live streaming – both as streamers and viewers. If you’ve considered joining the ranks of live streamers but still have some anxiety about starting, here are the top 10 benefits of live streaming.
If you’ve always had that itch to create something, live streaming is a great place to experiment, make mistakes, and stretch your creative muscles. You have control over how you want to run your live stream, how to build your channel on your chosen live streaming platform, and how you want to make everything look. You get complete freedom in how you design your screen layout, how you decorate your stream setup, and the topics you get to talk about.
One of the main benefits of streaming is getting to explore your passions and talk about your interests. The streaming community has circles of streamers and viewers who share the same things you want to. For example, if you love gaming, you get to connect and talk to other gamers. If you love talking about celebrity gossip, there will be an audience that loves listening to the latest updates too.
Live streaming doesn’t just connect you to people with similar interests. Some streamers have said that having an audience that loves what they produce keeps them motivated to improve and develop their skills – especially for people who pursue arts and crafts as a hobby.
The audience you reach through live streaming is incredibly diverse. Live content on platforms like YouTube, Facebook and Twitch attract viewers from all over the world, who consume content in a very different way from followers of pre-produced videos. Live streaming also runs for a lot longer, and allows more people to join your stream as it’s happening.
Live streaming also helps you connect with other streamers and collaborate, which wins more viewers. Fellow streamers often direct their followers or subscribers to go watch another streamer whose content they like.
There’s something magical about the raw authenticity of live content. The reason why stream sessions are so addictive is because they allow people to break through the barrier of edited content. It feels real, so live streamers feel relatable to their viewers.
With the glossy shine of video editing stripped away, live streamers can build trust and engagement with their audience. And, because of the deeper connections you make thanks to responding live to your audience, viewers are more likely to watch your next live stream session
One of the main streaming benefits is how quickly you can learn about your audience and what they want. People aren’t shy about giving feedback in the live chat – but that can be a really great thing, once you learn to ignore the trolls. Real-time feedback from viewers offers you the chance to improve almost immediately. This helps you adapt and produce even better content – not just on live streaming platforms, but on traditional content as well.
Live streaming can feel like a very steep learning curve for beginners. You have to learn how to set everything up yourself, both with your filming equipment (cameras, mics, and more) and with choosing and using your streaming software, then adding graphics and cultivating a following.
However, this means you’ll develop a lot of highly valuable and very transferable skills. This includes learning how to use streaming software and video graphics, and you’ll get a sense for setting up lighting. You’ll even have proven skills in marketing – because you’ll have to be consistently promoting your channel and your next live stream to attract viewers. Even if you don’t make live streaming your day job, it can be instrumental in earning your next job position.
A great video on Instagram or YouTube requires a lot of work. You need to get the perfect shop, script your video, but keep it relatable and authentic so as not to alienate your followers. Even the most casual-looking video has hours of thought and work behind it. Plus, audiences aren’t very forgiving of mistakes.
With streaming, however, the expectation to create something perfectly timed and edited is way less. People want that raw, unfiltered content. In fact, one of the main benefits of streaming is that people are more willing to watch live streams for longer than they would traditional, pre-recorded and pre-edited videos simply because they get to communicate with you directly and feel involved in something that’s exciting.
Live streams can easily be downloaded, saved, and turned into snippets and short-form content for other media. For example, if you record a YouTube live stream, you can cut it into short clips to post on instagram and drive more viewers to your channel. Some live streaming platforms also allow you to save your previous live streams, so that people who missed it can watch it back later. This is great, because it cuts the hassle of having to create a brand new video.
While you’re not likely to earn millions right off the bat, there are several ways to make money as a live streamer. Options for monetization vary from platform to platform, but as a rule of thumb, a streamer can earn money from ads, creating sponsored content and paid reviews, and by receiving donations from your followers.
Once you grow your viewership, you can also earn income as a partner or affiliate with the streaming platform.
One of the main live streaming benefits is that it is affordable, no matter your budget. Many live streaming platforms are free to join and use, and you can easily find streaming software for free (like OBS Studio).
You can also find a camera, microphone, and ring light within your budget. Once you’ve been streaming for a while and start earning income, you can look for higher quality cameras, sound mixers, and can get a Stream Deck to help make streaming a smoother experience.
If you’re looking to add graphics and overlays to your stream, you can find a wide range of customizable, professionally-designed overlays here at overlays.uno – for free! Our overlays are compatible with your favorite software and don’t rely on pesky ZIP files, so you can control them from any device, including mobile.
If you’re ready to dive into live streaming, here’s a few basic tips on from us:
If you’re looking for more advice on how to start streaming, or want to learn more about the benefits of live streaming, have a look through our blog for inspiration, useful tutorials, and more. You can also join our Discord community and chat to our team and to experienced streamers for advice.
