Streaming is everywhere. You can live stream on sites like Facebook or Instagram, you also go on sites dedicated to streaming like Twitch. You may have seen a stream or two, but what do you need to actually be a streamer? Check out the list below to see what you may need to start your streaming career.

PC or Laptop

One of the first things you need to get to start streaming is a good PC or laptop. Whichever one you choose it needs to be able to run your game while streaming you at the same time. You should also be fairly comfortable with using it. Smaller laptops may be easy to carry around, but the keyboards can be harder to use for gaming.

Great Internet

You don’t just want a good internet connection, you want a great internet connection. The worst thing that can happen as a gamer or a streamer is that you get disconnected or start to lag. You can ask your internet provider what they think is the best speed depending on availability in your area, how often you want to stream, and what games you’ll be playing. Also let them know how many people will be on the internet in your house. The more people on your internet while you are streaming or gaming the more lag you could experience.

Camera

A high-quality camera is going to be one of the most important purchases you make as a streamer. If you only want to show your gameplay and not your face, then you can skip to the next section. If you do want to show your face, then you’ll want a camera that is going to make your features look their best. Some cameras of lower quality can be grainy making you look less than your best. You could even message a streamer on Twitch and ask what they are using.

Greenscreen

This one may not be obvious, but it can be a great add on for any streamer. The greenscreen can allow you to change your background completely and hide whatever room you are in. Maybe you want to have just a black backdrop or change the colors when you feel like it. A green screen can allow you to not worry about what’s happening behind you and just post up the video when you want.

Headset

Most streamers that you see are going to have a headset on. Higher quality headsets will last longer and have better sound and audio. Having a headset also means that you might not need a standalone mic. Headset mics can generally filter out sound and make sure that your fans can hear everything you are saying.

Lighting

Lighting is important as well as one of the last things that people think about when they are first getting into streaming, camming, or making any type of videos. We know what we look like in natural light or the lighting we have in our houses. We are used to how we look, but the camera is not. It picks up shadows and other lighting mistakes that you may not have noticed. Getting a ring light or something similar can help you look your best while on camera.

There are so many more accessories out there that streamers want or already have. If this is going to be your new career you want to be as comfortable as you can be! Fans new to streaming can use this guide to get the basics and then start collecting their other streaming gear from there.