It’s 2020 and whether you are new to streaming or have been streaming for a while, there are some things you should make sure you have in your streaming arsenal. Our motto at Blockhead is to work smarter, not harder; and there are some things we thought would help streamers with their streaming setup to help ease the workload.
Depending on your budget, there are a lot of things you can add to your streaming setup that can make your life easier, your streams more engaging or increase the overall quality of your content. Of course, this list is our own opinion and you could and should do your own research before making any major purchases.
Streamdeck from Elgato
Made to make the lives of streamers easier; you can go no wrong with the Elgato Streamdeck. An Elgato Streamdeck can do things like sending out tweets, trigger chat commands, swap scenes, and trigger sound effects all at the touch of a button. For those unaware; the Elgato Streamdeck is a USB powered physical grid of buttons that you can customize to trigger simple and complete commands to your PC. And that’s just scratching the surface; there are a lot of cool things you can set your streamdeck to do to make your streams more streamlined. While not necessary, if set up correctly this little box can help automate the complex things are really make your life easier.
A Website
If you are a content creator you really should consider owning your own website. Think of having a website as having. a living resume that sells you and your brand. Your website can be used to showcase your best work, sell merch, start a podcast, or even start a blog. Additionally, if you want to do targeted advertising with Google, Facebook or Instagram; having a website really helps out those algorithms. If you don’t want to build out a website you can always redirect people who visit your site to your Twitch, YouTube or Instagram page. Use the button below or contact us and we’ll get you all up and ready in 24 hours.
A Second Monitor (At Least)
As someone who went two years streaming using a single monitor, let me say this. GET A SECOND MONITOR. At least, if dest space allows it, go for more, I mean, just look at Jyggy11’s setup. The benefit of having all you streaming applications, chat, alerts and more on a separate screen is a lifesaver. BenQ has affordable monitors that would be great to use as a secondary monitor. They also are pretty responsive with support and are open to working with content creators with all sizes if contacted.
XLR Audio Interface
Streaming is as much an audio medium as it is a visual medium so you want to make sure your audio quality is top-notch. There’s nothing wrong with using USB powered microphones. They are affordable and can get the job done, but if you’re looking to get some serious audio quality you may want to consider getting a USB interface. There are a lot of options when it comes to interfaces, but if you want one that just works with nothing fancy or special add-ons, then the Focusrite Scarlett would be a great fit.
Elgato Green Screen
If you ever worked with a green screen you already know the hassle of getting a constant clear solid color. The setup, the clamps, and trying to get rid of THOSE NEVER-ENDING WRINKLES are enough to make most streamers op-out of using a green screen altogether. That’s why I strongly recommend the Elgato Green Screen, a collapsible green screen that’s completely, and I mean COMPLETELY. wrinkle-free and can be set up in mere seconds. While not as affordable as those green screens that fit around a gaming chair I can promise you it is worth the price in terms of quality, setup speed, ease of use. (Seriously this thing rocks.)
Custom Email Address
Along with a website comes a custom email address. When you buy a domain name and hosting you are allowed to create multiple email addresses for that domain (depending on the provider you use, we recommend Siteground). There is also a huge security risk in using the email you use to login to your social media accounts as your main public contact email. There is also a more positive reaction from companies when you arent emailing them with a Gmail, outlook or yahoo email address. You can also set the custom email address to work in sync with Gmail, Apple Mail or whatever your favorite mail application is so you don’t have to worry about logging in to different accounts all the time. Use the button below or contact us and we’ll get you all up and ready in 24 hours.
Neewer Ring Light
I’ll be honest, when looking at newer streamers an issue I see most commonly is that some have some lighting issues. Things appearing dark, patchy green screens, blurry face cams and more can usually be fixed by adding a light source. Ever feel as though your camera isn’t using its full potential? The dip in quality may be due to a lack of light; so try adding some more light to your stream area. Adding an additional light source to your streams can greatly improve your camera’s quality and the overall quality of your streams. What’s great about the Neewer Ring Light’s are that the lights are fully dim-able and there’s a universal camera mount in the center of the ring.
VOICEMOD Subscription
OK, I have fun with VOICEMOD. VOUCEMOD is a real-time voice changing software that can make Just Chatting streams a lot more fun for both the Streamer and the audience. This voice changing software is regularly updated and unlike most things on this list has a version available for FREE. I do recommend that you purchase a pro license in order to unlock all of the available voices but the choice is yours to make. Along with changing your voice live on streams, the software can be used in most games and chat software that utilizes a microphone so feel free to prank your discord pals and Fortnite Squads.
And those are a few items ever streamer should have in 2020. Many, if not everything on the list above is optional but can greatly help make your streams run more smoothly and grow your brand. Of course, you should do your own research to see what works best for you and your setup. Like we said above, our motto is to Work Smarter, Not Harder; so leave a comment letting us know what YOU use in your streams that you think every streamer should have in 2020.