itsyoung!!
Veteran
Most popular site for streaming games:
http://www.twitch.tv (owned by Justin.TV)
edit:
added a 2nd up and coming streaming site:
http://www.hitbox.tv
How to stream:
Programs/Hardware you'll need:
OBS (Open Broadcast Software) - Free
http://obsproject.com/
or
xsplit
https://www.xsplit.com/ - $40 for 1 year
if you get OBS, you'll need DXTORY for video capturing.
I have both. I use OBS mostly. I prefer OBS because it uses less of your CPU, which is very important for streaming as streaming can be very CPU and internet intensive. Most computers can stream with OBS, while with xSplit you might notice a slow down (resource hog). xSplit is good because you dont need another program like DXTORY to make it work and also has more options (not as user friendly in my opinion though).
If you want to stream console games you'll need a capture card. AverMedia is by far the most popular brand for capture cards. This is how people get those crystal quality PS4 streams (and stream Xbox 1 currently). Capture cards will work on older systems like SNES and N64.
nVidia just came out with a streaming feature but I have yet to use it so I cant comment on it.
Heres a youtube video that goes over how to set up both xsplit and OBS
Internet:
You'll want a decently fast internet speed to stream in the first place. But also just because you have fast internet doesnt mean you should just boost your settings all the way to the max. While you might be able to stream 1080p/60 fps (you'd need a real fast upload speed for this and a beast computer anyway), your crowd/audience might not have internet fast enough to watch your stream (itll be choppy on their end as they cant download as fast as you are playing..)
The sweet spot for gaming is currently 720p/60 fps if your internet can handle those speeds (you'll want at least 5 mb/upload speed for this even though you'll see a lot of different numbers out there, this is from personal experience). 60 FPS makes it a lot smoother for everyone to watch instead of 30 FPS. But if your internet sucks like mine does, I stream at 480/60. I almost should be streaming at 480/30 but I have to some kind of quality. Just for reference, 720p and 30 FPS will look better than 480p and 60fps. If you become a popular streamer on twitch.tv you can get partnered. When you are partnered you can have multiple streaming options for your viewers. (480, 720, 1080 and Source[which is what you are streaming at] or whatever you choose). This is one way popular streamers stay popular is because anyone with any internet speed can watch their stream.
You will want to set your bitrate/buffer accordingly. Obviously if your internet speed is around 1.5mb/s upload you cant/wont be able to use a higher bitrate/buffer speed in the settings. You'll want to be around 1000 kbs bitrate/buffer speeds in the settings (just for comparison) otherwise you might start to drop frames(which is what makes streams stutter on your viewer side or your internet lag out on your side).
Recording:
Recording is way more CPU/GPU intensive than streaming. Id recommend a dedicated hard drive for your recording as recording games can take up a lot of space real quick. On the best program to record, in my opinion (nVidia shadow play) 20 minutes will take 7.25 GB on high settings.
The most common programs today for recording are nVidia shadow play and Fraps. In my opinion, Shadow Play kills Fraps on every level. The recording is smoother and easier, has more options, takes up less space (when recording with fraps 20 minutes would be more around 15+ GB instead of 7.25GB with shadow play) and the most important thing is Fraps is based more off CPU than GPU so it WILL lower your frames per second and effect your game play unless you have a monster computer. Where shadow play with nVidia is more based off of your GPU and nVidia has found a way that it doesnt effect your game play/lower your frames per second much or if at all (playing a game like BF4 and it taking up all your VRAM might effect performance a little compared to a game not so VRAM intense.)
Currently you can upload your streams from Twitch to Youtube directly now and with Youtube its easy to chop high lights (incredibly easy actually) but the quality suffers a little bit which is why top youtube gamers still record using fraps/shadowplay and then edit later on.
Why do any of this at all?
Between how popular eSports have become and how popular gaming is and will continue to be, this is the future already here. Theirs countless streamers/youtubers making legit money ($100,000+ a year easily) just from playing games as their job. Even moderately popular streamers make $3,000 a month from donations/ad revenue. Breaking into that moderately popularity though is no easy task. Look at like radio DJs.. Everyone has a voice, but only a few can be radio DJs/personalities. But the few that make it on the radio, get paid very well. Video gaming is just a different form of entertainment. People watch top players play to learn new ways to better themselves at the game they are currently playing. Some people watch other popular streamers because the community they bring to the table.
YouTube has recently adopted the subscriber model like twitch and people were already making bank on youtube before then.
To put things in perspective the top call of duty streamer/youtube player (OpTiC Nadeshot) was making $17,000 a month between just his youtube and twitch.tv channel ad revenue/subscriptions. That is not counting what he was making from donations which wouldn't be too far off from matching that or exceeding that every month as well (he makes a couple hundred+ in donations every time he streams, he easily clears $25,000 a month just from playing Call of Duty a few hours a day).
to put THAT into perspective, while he is the most popular call of duty streamer, he is not even top 50 most popular streamer on twitch by a long shot. The people who play PC games (
) stream longer, more often, have more viewers and more often and bigger donations. They also sell merchandise on the side.
Basically the point is, you dont need to be top streamer to make a livable income off of gaming. On the flip side 9 out of 10 people who stream more than likely will never break enough viewers to ever get partnered let alone get ad revenue to make noticeable money. So dont quit your day job just yet. But it is not also impossible and if you stick with it and advertise correctly or have the right personality or bring something new to the table, you can spike up in viewers almost instantly and once you are there, its almost impossible to fall off.
Streaming will only continue to get more popular. Theirs already been million dollar tournaments and sponsors are throwing serious money at these events. 2014 will be a great year for gaming.
OBS Settings:
edit: 2/9/2015 no longer need DXTORY to stream through OBS.
http://www.twitch.tv (owned by Justin.TV)
edit:
added a 2nd up and coming streaming site:
http://www.hitbox.tv
How to stream:
Programs/Hardware you'll need:
OBS (Open Broadcast Software) - Free
http://obsproject.com/
or
xsplit
https://www.xsplit.com/ - $40 for 1 year
if you get OBS, you'll need DXTORY for video capturing.
I have both. I use OBS mostly. I prefer OBS because it uses less of your CPU, which is very important for streaming as streaming can be very CPU and internet intensive. Most computers can stream with OBS, while with xSplit you might notice a slow down (resource hog). xSplit is good because you dont need another program like DXTORY to make it work and also has more options (not as user friendly in my opinion though).
If you want to stream console games you'll need a capture card. AverMedia is by far the most popular brand for capture cards. This is how people get those crystal quality PS4 streams (and stream Xbox 1 currently). Capture cards will work on older systems like SNES and N64.
nVidia just came out with a streaming feature but I have yet to use it so I cant comment on it.
Heres a youtube video that goes over how to set up both xsplit and OBS
Internet:
You'll want a decently fast internet speed to stream in the first place. But also just because you have fast internet doesnt mean you should just boost your settings all the way to the max. While you might be able to stream 1080p/60 fps (you'd need a real fast upload speed for this and a beast computer anyway), your crowd/audience might not have internet fast enough to watch your stream (itll be choppy on their end as they cant download as fast as you are playing..)
The sweet spot for gaming is currently 720p/60 fps if your internet can handle those speeds (you'll want at least 5 mb/upload speed for this even though you'll see a lot of different numbers out there, this is from personal experience). 60 FPS makes it a lot smoother for everyone to watch instead of 30 FPS. But if your internet sucks like mine does, I stream at 480/60. I almost should be streaming at 480/30 but I have to some kind of quality. Just for reference, 720p and 30 FPS will look better than 480p and 60fps. If you become a popular streamer on twitch.tv you can get partnered. When you are partnered you can have multiple streaming options for your viewers. (480, 720, 1080 and Source[which is what you are streaming at] or whatever you choose). This is one way popular streamers stay popular is because anyone with any internet speed can watch their stream.
You will want to set your bitrate/buffer accordingly. Obviously if your internet speed is around 1.5mb/s upload you cant/wont be able to use a higher bitrate/buffer speed in the settings. You'll want to be around 1000 kbs bitrate/buffer speeds in the settings (just for comparison) otherwise you might start to drop frames(which is what makes streams stutter on your viewer side or your internet lag out on your side).
Recording:
Recording is way more CPU/GPU intensive than streaming. Id recommend a dedicated hard drive for your recording as recording games can take up a lot of space real quick. On the best program to record, in my opinion (nVidia shadow play) 20 minutes will take 7.25 GB on high settings.
The most common programs today for recording are nVidia shadow play and Fraps. In my opinion, Shadow Play kills Fraps on every level. The recording is smoother and easier, has more options, takes up less space (when recording with fraps 20 minutes would be more around 15+ GB instead of 7.25GB with shadow play) and the most important thing is Fraps is based more off CPU than GPU so it WILL lower your frames per second and effect your game play unless you have a monster computer. Where shadow play with nVidia is more based off of your GPU and nVidia has found a way that it doesnt effect your game play/lower your frames per second much or if at all (playing a game like BF4 and it taking up all your VRAM might effect performance a little compared to a game not so VRAM intense.)
Currently you can upload your streams from Twitch to Youtube directly now and with Youtube its easy to chop high lights (incredibly easy actually) but the quality suffers a little bit which is why top youtube gamers still record using fraps/shadowplay and then edit later on.
Why do any of this at all?
Between how popular eSports have become and how popular gaming is and will continue to be, this is the future already here. Theirs countless streamers/youtubers making legit money ($100,000+ a year easily) just from playing games as their job. Even moderately popular streamers make $3,000 a month from donations/ad revenue. Breaking into that moderately popularity though is no easy task. Look at like radio DJs.. Everyone has a voice, but only a few can be radio DJs/personalities. But the few that make it on the radio, get paid very well. Video gaming is just a different form of entertainment. People watch top players play to learn new ways to better themselves at the game they are currently playing. Some people watch other popular streamers because the community they bring to the table.
YouTube has recently adopted the subscriber model like twitch and people were already making bank on youtube before then.
To put things in perspective the top call of duty streamer/youtube player (OpTiC Nadeshot) was making $17,000 a month between just his youtube and twitch.tv channel ad revenue/subscriptions. That is not counting what he was making from donations which wouldn't be too far off from matching that or exceeding that every month as well (he makes a couple hundred+ in donations every time he streams, he easily clears $25,000 a month just from playing Call of Duty a few hours a day).
to put THAT into perspective, while he is the most popular call of duty streamer, he is not even top 50 most popular streamer on twitch by a long shot. The people who play PC games (
) stream longer, more often, have more viewers and more often and bigger donations. They also sell merchandise on the side.Basically the point is, you dont need to be top streamer to make a livable income off of gaming. On the flip side 9 out of 10 people who stream more than likely will never break enough viewers to ever get partnered let alone get ad revenue to make noticeable money. So dont quit your day job just yet. But it is not also impossible and if you stick with it and advertise correctly or have the right personality or bring something new to the table, you can spike up in viewers almost instantly and once you are there, its almost impossible to fall off.
Streaming will only continue to get more popular. Theirs already been million dollar tournaments and sponsors are throwing serious money at these events. 2014 will be a great year for gaming.
OBS Settings:
edit: 2/9/2015 no longer need DXTORY to stream through OBS.
Last edited:
) and had 160,000 views almost over night 
) but I messed with OBS enough that I can make 480p/60fps look decent on Rust. Im upgrading my internet to 45 down / 6 up on Tuesday which will make 720p/60fps possible and look great. Still not the best upload speeds but night and day better than 1.5 
who knows 
status twitch channel
but only 6 up 
) your viewers cant change the video settings (low, medium, high and source)
for streaming Titanfall like 25 minutes before they said it was aight.