Editor’s note: We’ll be streaming PS4 games regularly over on the PlayStation Twitch channel — tune in!
It’s been less than a week since PS4 launched with Twitch broadcasting functionality, and the feedback we’ve been getting from new broadcasters has been phenomenal! To help new streamers ease into the Twitch community – which is already 45 million members strong – here are some tips for first-time broadcasters:
- Be a curator of conversations: Drive conversation with your viewers. Talk about everything and don’t just focus your conversation about the game or games in general. Talk about life, pop culture, music and everything in between.
- Go live longer than an hour: It might sound shocking at first, but Twitch is long-form entertainment. Our broadcasters stream for hours, so find a sweet spot and before you know it you’ll be rocking a 24-hour broadcast in celebration of a new game release.
- Find a genre: When laying the foundation for your channel, don’t feel the need to be the best at every game. However, if you are good at one genre (FPS, Platforming, Stealth…), focus on that until you get the swing for engaging between chat and gaming at the same time. It can be a challenge to be good at both, but hang in there — you’ll eventually kick off those training wheels.
- Have a regular broadcast schedule: This way your viewers can become aware of when a broadcast will happen. You want to post this schedule everywhere you can. The more informed the community is with your shows, the more people will show up.
- Try to have a camera and mic on: People want to see and hear you! There’s something very special about having a broadcaster looking right at the camera and talking directly to viewers, live. Plus, this will increase your viewership.
- Engage in the Twitch Universe: Broadcasting is built around community, whether it’s your community or someone else’s, so join other channels that you share a common interest in. This will give you crossover viewership.
- Authentic voice is essential: Go out there have fun! The more authentic your approach is, the more your viewers will connect with you.
I hope these tips will help get you started on your new broadcasting journey! To see all the PS4 content on Twitch, visit our PS4 directory. You can also rock a shirt from our new store, with all proceeds going to relief efforts surrounding Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.