YouTube Streaming: Tips, Equipment, How to Get Started

In the world of entertainment, YouTube is king. In fact, it’s been estimated that one out of every five minutes on the internet is spent watching a video on YouTube. That’s an astounding amount of time. And as we all know, time equals money! So why not start making some cash with YouTube? It has never been easier to stream content and make money from your videos than it is today. But before you get started with streaming and making money off YouTube videos there are a few things you should know first:

• You need to have something worth watching or else no one will watch your video in the first place;
• There are legal pitfalls you don’t want to fall into when streaming video online;
• You need to stream the right type of content in order to be successful. The tips below will show you exactly what that means.
• You should have a plan for making money through your YouTube videos before even putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard).
• Streaming covers more than just YouTube videos. So keep in mind that streaming also includes live-streaming on social media networks, too!

How do you find the time to stream so much?

Finding time in your busy schedule can be difficult when it comes to trying out something new—but if you look at it as an investment, it becomes easier. Consider how much time you already spend watching TV or movies. If you add up all the time spent over a month, that’s 168 hours! That’s more than enough to get started streaming on YouTube. You can even do it while doing other things like:

• Watching TV.
• Going for a quick jog.
• Waiting in line at the DMV (don’t laugh — we’ve all done it).

What kind of equipment will I need?

You don’t need anything fancy or expensive to start streaming, but the better your equipment the better your content will be so it’s worth investing in some hardware. Here are some essentials you should have before starting any type of streaming project with video:

• A camera: It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, but it should have a good quality camera. A webcam or an iPhone will work just fine for streaming content on YouTube as well as any other live-streaming network you want to use (more about platforms like Facebook and Periscope later).
• A computer with the right specs: You need a fast processor and more RAM than what your computer probably has if you want to stream video on high resolution—and if you’re going to stream live events like sports and concerts, you need even better specifications than normal.
• Software: Having the right software is just as important as having the hardware—in fact, these go hand-in-hand. The best thing to use when streaming video content on YouTube or any other live-streaming platform is Open Broadcaster Software. It’s free to download and easy to install in less than 5 minutes.
• A headset/mic: This allows you to speak into your computer while recording what’s happening during the stream rather than simply recording yourself via webcam or screen share. This makes it easier for people who are watching your videos because they can hear you clearly instead of trying to read your lips.
• An online presence: While it’s not necessary, an online presence will make it much easier for people who want to watch your content. Having a blog or website that you’ve set up specifically for your streaming project is the quickest way to get started, but here are some other easy ways to create an online presence:
  • Open a free account with Periscope and Facebook.
  • Create a new YouTube channel.
  • Start following streamers on Twitch so you can see what makes them successful.
  • You could even start watching other people’s content on YouTube if you want to know what works best there.

What type of streaming should I do?

There are two main types of streaming when it comes to video—live-streaming and prerecorded video. Here are some things to consider before picking one is right for you:

Live-streaming on platforms like Facebook, Periscope, and Twitch may be exactly what you’re looking for if you just want to test the waters before diving into prerecorded video. You can set it up so other people are notified when you go live, which will encourage them to tune in. Live streaming is great if you have something interesting or fun to say while you’re doing things that others might find entertaining – like cooking.

Prerecorded video on YouTube is best suited for specific content creators who already know their audience well. When someone subscribes to your channel they’ll get automatic updates whenever you post videos, but one disadvantage of this method is that viewers will probably drop off after watching several videos in a row.

What can I share?

Here’s a list of things to create and share with your viewers:

Long-form video content

Anything from short tutorials or vlogs (video blogs) all the way up to full movies and TV shows. This is by far the most popular type of content on YouTube, but it’s also one where you could lose your audience quickly if they expect more content after watching several videos in a row — that may be too much commitment for viewers who don’t already know you well.

Shorter videos (less than 5 minutes)

These are great for sharing secrets and tips without taking too much time away from people’s busy schedules. If this is your niche, you could even start a podcast where people get to subscribe and listen in or do a live stream—that way they’ll know when you post new episodes.

Live videos

These are perfect for breaking news events and scheduled events like concerts. People love to feel like they’re experiencing things with other people who were there too, so this type of content has the potential to spread far and wide.

Games

As long as you’ve got a group of loyal subscribers, you can share games, walkthroughs, or even entire playthroughs and get people hooked on playing along.

There are many online games that you could stream to your viewers for free, and the more popular ones will obviously have a larger potential audience — not to mention that there may be live tournaments where money is involved!

Documentaries

These types of videos tell the stories behind real-life events by painting them with vivid images and sounds. People love seeing how other people go about their daily lives which is why this type of video often leads to insights into life in other countries or takes us inside someone else’s world so we can learn from their mistakes or accomplishments.

User-generated content

This type of video is for you if your viewers want to feel like they’re part of a community. There are many different ways that people can contribute—for example, maybe someone has created a list of tips for novice streamers and wants to share it with the world.

What makes this kind of streaming so exciting is that anything can happen – there’s always another story waiting around the corner!

How do I get started?

One major pro about YouTube streaming is that once you have your accounts set up you can start sharing today — but here are some additional things to think about when making the transition from traditional media:

Be sure to use relevant keywords in your channel name and descriptions.

That way, when someone is looking for a particular kind of content they can find your channel in a flash. Once you have a group of loyal subscribers you should also add your social media information to the metadata so that people can follow you on other channels and get more updates from you.

Create compelling artwork for each video/album cover so people will stick around longer before clicking away to another page. It’s okay to get help with this since it isn’t an easy task unless you know what kind of graphics people respond to best (so seek out feedback if necessary).

After all, there are thousands of videos competing against yours—you need something to stand out or else no one will bother watching!

Be sure to read your comments and reply to them.

When people take the time to write a comment, it’s because they have something important to say—and that may be useful feedback or constructive criticism. If not, then at least you’ll be getting an idea of what kinds of content people are most interested in so you can create more stuff like that in the future.

Take note of when people watch your videos and when they click away.

This will tell you whether or not your viewers enjoy long-form videos (or if they lose interest after about 5 minutes). Perhaps try splitting up some of your longer projects into smaller chunks so that viewership doesn’t drop off too much in one sitting.