How to become a VTuber on a beginner’s budget

VTubing is where creators use a virtual avatar to live stream everything from ASMR to gaming. Although niche, this form of live streaming has a loyal following around the world. Here’s our beginner- and budget-friendly guide on how to become a VTuber. 

Although VTuber is short for ‘Virtual YouTuber’, VTubers stream on a wide variety of platforms including Kick, Twitch, and TikTok.

One of the main draws of VTubing is its immersive escapism. Streamers have complete creativity in the origins, age, background, and gender of their VTuber persona. VTubing also offers complete anonymity. This doesn’t just help out people who have insecurities about appearing online, or want to keep their hobbies separate from their professional lives, but also offers a layer of security and safety.

Plus, once a VTuber builds a following, they can make money live streaming through affiliate programs, paid ads, donations from followers, and by selling merch with their character art. 

There are, of course, some cons to becoming a VTuber. People sometimes forget that there’s a real person behind the screen and can have unrealistic expectations. However, the support and sense of community you receive is often worth wading through the trolls and haters. 

How to become a VTuber

With advances in technology, VTubing has transformed from an expensive and highly-technical hobby into something far more accessible. So, what do you need to become a VTuber today? The answer is, it depends on your budget, skills, and time.

The more complex and detailed a virtual avatar is, the more expensive it will be to create. The price of commissioning immersive 2D virtual avatars can reach thousands of dollars, overtaking even 3D models. Some pro VTubers use VR sets or full body mocap suits to control their avatars – none of which come cheap. You also have to learn to rig a model by yourself, which can sometimes require additional tools like Blender. Alternatively, consider hiring a rig specialist.

Here’s how to start VTubing without spending huge amounts of money

1. Give yourself a deadline by setting your debut date, which is when you officially display your model during a live stream for the first time. A debut allows you to build excitement and gather followers before you officially start.
2. Build a persona and profile. You can be as creative about your background as you like. The important thing is to have fun with it.
3. Invest in a mic. The only real interaction your audience has with you is the audio, so it’s worth getting a high quality microphone with a pop filter. 
4. Start simple with your virtual avatar. PNG models are a good starting point for beginners since they don’t require face tracking software. If you’re more artistic, you can also create a model from scratch with a tool like Photoshop. You can also find free, ready-to-use avatars on VTuber tools. 
5. Set up your stream layout. Choose a free streaming software like OBS and set up different scenes, including a Just Chatting scene and a BRB scene. Add a live chat widget to encourage engagement, and add overlays to boost production value and highlight important information.

Find free animated overlays for your next stream

Learning how to become a VTuber can seem overwhelming, since it can be expensive and highly technical. Luckily, overlays.uno offers a wide range of free animated overlays that are super user-friendly. As an added bonus, you can also join uno’s official Discord to get help and advice from our community of streamers on how to make the most out of our overlays.