Freelancing in esports — how do you start? (5 BEST TIPS)
By: Georgie Reeve
Tags: Esports Market, Esports, Getting Started, Freelance, Freelancing

One of the common questions I’ve been asked as someone who works in this field both in broadcast production and events is how do you start? So here’s 5 quick tips to get you started!

Photo by Josh Berendes on Unsplash

1. Decide what area you want to work in.

Might be a bit ironic coming from someone who works in two areas (I know!) but, having a look at different aspects of the industry and deciding on what you want to work on is key for developing yourself as an expert. Whether it be as an analyst; broadcast producer; observer; replay operator or team manager, its really important to find what you enjoy and then work on your skills to get good at what you do.

2. Make a portfolio

This could be as simple as a public spreadsheet showing the events or roles you’ve worked, or something more interactive like a personal website on Squarespace. Either way, having an outlet to showcase the brands you’ve worked with and the events/projects you’ve been involved with can be so helpful for prospective employers as it gives them a more tangible list to look through compared to the limits that a CV provides.

One great way to do this is host it with Adobe, if you pay for a creative cloud subscription, you get this FREE of charge!

3. Volunteer to get experience

This is something a bit controversial because its important to always get paid for work, but if you’re lacking in experience then volunteering isn’t always a bad shout. I did quite a few voluntary roles when I first started out and they gave me a solid set of transferable skills that I use in all the roles I work now; it also gives you the chance to work different roles you have an interest in to see whether or not you enjoy them.

Be careful with volunteering though, some companies might be out there to take advantage of you, do your research on them and always try and find ex-employees you speak to about their experiences when they worked there.

Once you get to the point of getting paid for your work, try and discuss rates with other freelancers to make sure you’re being paid a fair wage. If an employer is being reluctant with pay, I’d suggest avoiding them.

4. Research any equipment you might need

Roles in areas such as event management will be less equipment-heavy, these typically require you to either be present at an event to do this or have access to Discord or similar services to run the event.

Broadcasting requires investment as a freelancer, your PC will need to run remote broadcasts at 6000kbps so this combined with good internet speeds are a must. There’s then different software you can use to produce broadcasts, OBS is a free-to-use software that most broadcasts will use; but there are also options you can pay for and learn, such as vMix.

Asking those already working freelance what equipment they use can be a great way for you to find out what you need to invest in!

5. Make sure you know how to invoice!

You might be thinking, really Georgie? and yes, really!

Invoicing can be a bit frustrating to someone who’s never had to do one before, in a traditional job you give your bank details to your employer and that’s that. But in the world of freelancing, it can be a bit more complex! The most important thing is to ask the employer if there’s any details they need from you on there, some might have a number or identifier that they need you to put on there.

Getting the right details for your bank account is important too! In the UK, you’ll just need your sort code and account number, but if you’re working for clients based in Europe, you’ll need to get your IBAN and BIC/Swift codes from your bank as that’s how they send payments. Don’t forget to account for currency conversions too!