A quick start guide for streaming on YouTube Gaming Live
Since Mixer has closed down, there are fewer choices for those who want to start live streaming video games to make money. However, Twitch isn’t the only option out there. Follow these steps to learn how to live stream video games on YouTube.
As of late, YouTube has improved its live streaming capabilities to the point that it may be considered a serious rival to Twitch. Live streaming on a site where you already have a following may be preferable for prospective content creators who have built an audience on YouTube. Now more than ever, broadcasting video games online is a viable means of financial independence for gamers worldwide.
However, getting started may be challenging. Amazon owns Twitch and has a vast user base and few serious competitors. After Microsoft’s Mixer service was discontinued at the end of July, YouTube Gaming became a potential alternative. If you’re interested in giving it a go, this article will walk you through creating a channel and going live.
Setting up broadcasting software
The next step is configuring the program you will use for broadcasting. There are many choices, but for this post’s sake, we will use Streamlabs OBS since it is one of the simpler and feature-rich programs for broadcasting your games. The free version is strong enough to handle most of what you’ll want it to accomplish, even though critical functions, such as broadcasting to several devices simultaneously, are only available to those who subscribe to the Prime edition of the program.
OBS is a software that can record and transmit content and is widely used by live streams worldwide. It records the output of your game and then uploads it to YouTube or Twitch so that other people may see it. OBS has a wide variety of sophisticated options that you may customize, despite the ease with which it can be installed and configured.
In most cases, the performance of your game will suffer noticeably if you run recording software at the same time as it as you play. If you have a machine that is not very powerful, it is possible that you will not be able to stream very well; nevertheless, you may customize the settings and quality of the recorder to meet your requirements.
Getting a Steam key and configuring OBS
Login to Youtube and click on the three dots to the right of your avatar in the upper right corner of the settings page for YouTube, then click “Creator Studio.” Under the heading “Encoder Setup,” under the “Live Streaming” section, you will locate your stream key.
Launch OBS and start the auto-configuration procedure from inside the software’s interface. Once you reach the “Stream Information” box, go from Twitch to YouTube and copy and paste the stream key that can be found in the settings for YouTube.
This stream key must be a closely guarded secret in order to prevent unauthorized live streaming on your channel. You may easily reset your key from the dashboard of your YouTube account if it ever manages to become lost.
Setting up a Youtube Gaming channel
YouTube Gaming has existed in a few distinct guises throughout the course of its history, but as of late, it has been relegated to a secondary tab inside the main YouTube user interface. For the sake of this discussion, this indicates that you do not need to download any specialized programs in order to stream. If you already have a Google account related to your YouTube account, then you already have everything you need to get started with YouTube.
However, before you can begin using the service, you will first need to validate your account. Follow this link when you are signed in to your account; it will be necessary for you to input a code that has been supplied to you either by a text message or, if you would choose, through a phone call. Enter this code, and your account will be verified. This process will allow you to post videos longer than 15 minutes, add unique thumbnails to your movies, and appeal any Content ID claims against your videos, in addition to allowing live streaming.
It is finally time to begin streaming.
Once you’ve got everything as you want it, you may go live with the scenario. Streaming studios may provide their content to YouTube Gaming, Facebook Gaming, and Twitch. If you have Streamlabs Prime, you can simultaneously send out a signal to each of them.
Choose the green Go Live button at the display’s footer to begin broadcasting. You’ll need to fill out some preliminary information about your stream before you can start broadcasting. You’ll need to add a name and description for your YouTube Gaming broadcast. If you already have an event planned, you may add the stream to it.
In addition, you may have a tweet sent to your followers on Twitter when you go live. Those who follow you on Twitter but don’t subscribe to your preferred streaming service will appreciate this feature.
The Streamlabs chat box will appear on the right-hand side after you begin streaming. This will allow you to monitor the discussion as you stream and remove any spam or trolls. To swiftly find and fix any problems that may arise during a live stream, it is recommended that this program be kept open on a second monitor.
Monetizing your YouTube Gaming channel
You may earn money from your YouTube videos by following the same steps as for your main YouTube account. In order to join the YouTube Partner Program, your channel will need to meet specific requirements, such as having at least 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours in the previous 12 months and being reviewed and approved by YouTube’s employees.
Once you hit this milestone, you’ll be able to start making money from your stream by enabling monetization methods, including pre-roll advertising (which plays before a viewer begins watching the live feed), mid-roll ads (which play in the middle of the stream), and overlay ads (which appear as banners). If your channel is dedicated to video games, you may charge subscribers a monthly subscription in exchange for exclusive benefits.
