Best Program for Twitch Streaming

In the current era that we live in, people have moved on from traditional forms of entertainment such as the traditional television and stage plays. In fact, with the fast paced life today, the TV shows and movies that we all love so dearly isn’t the first choice of entertainment, especially for the younger audiences.

Nowadays, people are way more invested in shorter forms of content or content that is available to watch continuously. The content needs to be easy to access and offer something different every time you watch. But even with that, it needs to retain that familiarity of the same faces that gives the viewer the comfort they’re looking for.

That brings us to streaming, which has become one of the most popular forms of content creation in the modern era. From a viewer’s perspective, it’s a unique game, activity or conversation by the same familiar face whom you resonate with.

From the creator's perspective, it’s an easy activity to set up. It’s low effort but has high production quality and it allows them to continue making stable content. It’s often by simply spending a few hours on your computer playing video games or having fun with your friends. All that’s important is that it is broadcasted.

All of this happens on Twitch. Twitch is every streamer's go-to platform where they can live stream things that they enjoy for viewers no matter where they are. Unlike other platforms, Twitch offers a unique space to build a loyal community through continuous real time interactions.

However, successful streaming doesn’t just happen through enthusiasm. It needs strategic content creation along with the right tools.

As you read on, you’ll see the best streaming softwares for Twitch and get an idea about which one’s perfect for you. Let’s start!

Understanding The Twitch Audience

Doing well on Twitch starts off by getting to know your audience. Twitch has millions of users, and each of those have their preferences. But even with so many people, it’s easy to find a pattern.

Understanding those patterns can help you make your content better and more relevant to more people. This is what will keep people coming back for more.

Demographics and Viewing Trends

Twitch is largely the place for younger audiences. While gaming remains the primary streaming topic on this platform, you’ll definitely find other topics that may fit your interests better.

According to Twitch insights, users are more active around evening times and on the weekends. During these times, you’ll see that streamers tend to get most of their views.

Similarly, there’s a big discussion on whether viewers log in to streams through their phones or desktop. Everyone prefers convenience, and that’s why you’ll find that a lot of the viewers streamers get are from the mobile app. This highlights the importance that streamers need to give to mobile-friendly layouts.

What Viewers Are Looking For in a Stream

Viewers aren’t just logging in to Twitch for gameplay. They come to these streams for their entertainment and to establish that sense of community with other viewers. Generally, the more successful streamers have similar experiences for their viewers. This includes:

• Consistency: Streaming regularly to keep audiences engaged.
• Entertainment Value: To keep people engaged, you’ve got to keep them entertained. While gameplay and what you’re streaming about can do that, it’s also about what you bring to the table. The humor, the storytelling, and energy you bring matters.
• Interactivity: People love feeling heard, especially on platforms like Twitch. You’ll see that successful streamers do a great job of responding to their chats, using polls and involving viewers whenever they can.

Standing Out on Twitch

Twitch has a lot of streamers, and because of that, starting off your streams can be a little daunting. That’s why standing out is crucial. Here are some tips on doing just that:

• Having Your Own Style: Having a niche that sets you apart is great when it comes to standing out. A good example of this is looking at streamers like iShowSpeed who’s known to be a high energy streamer. His high energy and unique streaming style makes him stand out amongst the thousands of streamers on Twitch.
• Engaging Beyond Twitch: Streaming isn’t the only thing you should be doing to try and be successful. It’s also important to build a following outside of Twitch. Promote your streams on other social media platforms. Similarly, collabing with other Twitch streamers can help you reach wider audiences and come up with content that can be shared on TikTok and YouTube.

Understanding your audience is step one. After that? You’ve got to ensure that you have the right tools and softwares to deliver the high quality content that you offer.

Best Streaming Software For Twitch

OBS Studio

Open Broadcaster Software Studio is probably the most preferred software for many Twitch streamers. It offers a lot of flexibility and ways to customize your streams. And the best part? It’s free!

Key Features

• OBS Studio is freely available on any device—Windows, macOS, Linux, it’s always free.
• The platform allows streamers to freely customize their streams. This allows streamers to add their unique touches to stand out.
• OBS Studio can be combined with external features and plugins which allow streamers to add unique elements to their streams.
• The platform comes with advanced editing features like audio control. It allows streamers to ensure they’re producing high quality content.
• Offers high quality local recording services. It allows streams to be uploaded and then monetized.

Pros

• It's a free Open Source platform.
• It doesn’t require too much power from your streaming device.
• It supports streaming on multiple platforms.

Cons

• It can be a little difficult to fully learn for beginners.
• Best results are obtained by manually editing your settings. Therefore, it requires technical skills.

XSplit

When streamers are looking for professional esque streaming services, then comes XSplit. Here, streamers can expect to find advanced tools and great quality streaming services.

Key Features

• The platform has a sleek interface. It allows all customization to be controlled through a drop down design.
• It offers HD streaming services. Streamers do not have to worry about dealing with frame drops or resolution drops.
• XSplit allows streamers to stream on multiple platforms at once.

Pros

• High quality visuals and tools.
• It allows streaming on multiple platforms at once.
• Customization can be simplified by adding hotkeys.
• It offers a lot of control over your stream.

Cons

• It’s a paid service.
• It can end up causing problems on lower end PCs.

Twitch Studio

Just starting off your streams? Twitch Studio should be your go-to software. This platform is known to be designed for beginners. It offers a very simple and easy to use software that’s designed by Twitch.

Key Features

• It automatically scans PC specs and changes settings accordingly.
• The platform is already built in with Twitch. This allows for easy alerts, chat additions, and an activity feed which allows streamers to maximize interactions.

Pros

• Best platform for starting off streamers.
• It doesn’t require any complex setups.
• It’s free and designed specifically for Twitch.

Cons

• It doesn’t allow too many customizations.
• It doesn’t come with advanced streaming features.

Streamlabs OBS

The last streaming software on this list is another user-friendly platform. It comes with built-in features that are easy to work with and offers much more detailed customization for your streams.

Key Features

• It comes with built-in chat alerts and donation tracking features.
• It allows streamers to sync their stream settings across multiple devices.
• The platform comes with free and premium customizable designs. It allows streamers to customize their themes based on preferences.
• It comes with built-in monetization support such as donation tracking and sponsorship additions.

Pros

• It is easy to use.
• Setting up overlays is intuitive.
• It comes with monetization tools.

Cons

• It may not work properly on lower end PCs.
• It comes with some premium features.

Matching Your Streaming Software With Streaming Equipment

Setting up your Twitch accounts isn’t about just starting your streams with the right software. You’ll also need the right equipment to create that engaging and smooth watching experience.

For that, streamers need to start off by investing in a good streaming device. Having good streaming software is no use when your PC or laptop can’t handle it.

Streamers usually opt for PCs because they are known to come with stronger processors, RAM, and brilliant graphics cards. This ensures that their stream quality isn’t affected because of any device issues. You’ll also find that streamers tend to invest in two PCs. This is because one is used solely to control the streams to ensure that there’s no added pressure on the device.

Then, it’s all about ensuring that your audiences can actually hear what you’re saying. Your audio quality is just as important as your video quality. Simply put, a good microphone is a must have.

You’ll find many streamers that tend to go all out with their audio options. This involves having an audio mixer that allows the streamers to manually edit and fine tune volume levels.

As a streamer, you’ll also need a good camera with proper lighting. While this is not important if sharing your face isn’t in your plans, still ensuring that you’ve got everything set up properly is necessary.

Built-in webcams can work for beginners even though the quality isn’t great. Pro streamers tend to invest in high-quality cameras to ensure that visuals are sharper and the camera performance is still great in lower light areas.

Investing in the right streaming equipment is what makes sure that your content looks and sounds great. In turn, this helps you stand out. With the right setup in place, you can spend more of your time focusing on fine tuning your streaming settings and ideas.

The Bottom Line

On Twitch, hitting the Go Live button isn’t going to be enough. It’s all about creating that unique experience which will engage your audiences, and that can’t be done without having the right software, tools, and info to work with.

By spending your time getting the basics right, you can focus more on the kind of content that you’ll be producing. From there, you can also focus on turning what you enjoy into a career. 

So, start looking into all the things you need. Your successful Twitch campaign depends on it!