Introduction to Livestreaming Music
Tags: Streamelements, Twitch, Music, Community, Live Streaming

With tours canceled and businesses closing their doors in the wake of a global pandemic, many musicians are left wondering what their next steps are. Maybe they’ve tried uploading videos or pushing out audio recordings and find they just aren’t gaining traction. Maybe they miss the energy of playing music in real time for an audience.

For those in this camp, read on since there are other options for performers who want to capture the spirit of live performances, gain fans, and earn money without ever having to leave the house. In this blog we’ll go over some of the technical aspects of getting a stream off the ground, and how StreamElements can help take it to the next level.

Streaming music has allowed me to live my dream of creating an experience people love to watch. — Mrgregles

We have a video version as well!

Musicians have been streaming virtual shows to global audiences for years now and doing incredible things on streaming platforms - gaining global fan bases, crowdfunding projects, equipment and travel, streaming in between tours, raising money for charitable causes, some even earning enough revenue to support themselves entirely by sharing their music online.

“Streaming brings all the aspects of creativity together that I thrive on,” said Twitch partner Mrgregles, who found his niche on the platform streaming full time as a drummer.

“The ability to perform live for a great audience on an instrument I adore while designing graphics and working with tech — that forms a more unique experience compared to just playing live on a stage. Streaming music has allowed me to live my dream of creating an experience people love to watch.”

Whether you are a singer/songwriter, instrumentalist, DJ or producer, you too can connect with fans online and engage with them like never before. You just need the right tools, and to learn a few new skills.

How are musicians using livestreaming?

Streaming offers artists flexibility and endless opportunities for creativity. By learning how to produce your own show, you take control of the schedule, format and content.

Here are just a few examples of how creators are using livestreams:

Alternative to a traditional live show (performing a set list)

Taking song requests in real time

Music improvisation/practice sessions

Writing sessions/trying out new material

Music production/recording sessions

Learning new skills/instruments

Streaming live shows from venues

Additionally, many streamers broadcast a variety of content to connect with their audience. They might log on to chat with viewers, play a video game, cook, create art — these days there’s a category for pretty much anything. Check out the Twitch directory to get an idea of what’s out there.

How does it work?

In a nutshell, a streamer uses software to broadcast live content in real time to an audience who tunes in, chats and interacts with the broadcaster and each other. Most streamers set up extra tools to enable viewers to tip them, request songs and more.

Instead of feeling the energy of the crowd, you see the energy of the chat. Livestreaming feels more personal than a venue does, even though you might be alone in the streaming room. — MikeTheBard

It’s not the same as playing a live show in a venue. But many find that streaming can provide an intimate environment to share themselves and their music in a way that a venue can’t. And they’re often performing for viewers across the globe, some who might not be able to ordinarily attend shows due to physical distance or disability.

MikeTheBard, a musician and partnered Twitch streamer who has been paving the way for nearly eight years, has experience with music performance in both settings.

“Livestreaming music has similar elements, with the added complexity, usually, of doing most of the technical setup and live sound work yourself,” he explained. “Instead of feeling the energy of the crowd, you see the energy of the chat. Livestreaming feels more personal than a venue does, even though you might be alone in the streaming room.”

Getting Started

Choose a Platform

First things first, you’ll need a site to stream to. There are many platforms to choose from, but for this guide we’ll talk mostly about Twitch.

There are other platforms with music sections, and many of them share similar features, such as a chat feed and different ways to encourage monetization through platform royalties.

Whichever platform you get started on, odds are there are plenty of guides from the company or established creators that take deep dives into the particulars. If there’s one thing many creators across the board seem to share, it’s enthusiasm about their craft and an eagerness to impart their knowledge with aspiring broadcasters.

Set up your Profile

Create an account and familiarize yourself with channel settings. This is where you’ll upload photos, include a bio, adjust privacy settings and more. Here’s a handy guide with more information about setting up a channel on Twitch.

Pay special attention to the information panels section of your profile. This area can be as simple or creative as you want, and is very useful in telling your audience more about you. From here, you can link viewers to your website, social media pages, and your StreamElements tipping page.

An example of very detailed information panels on Twitch. twitch.tv/Mrgregles

Spend time as a viewer to understand the experience

Whatever platform you choose, it’s always a good idea to familiarize yourself with it before going live.

Learning more about the existing community will help you understand the culture of the platform and ways you can be proactive in setting yourself up for success.

For Twitch, this would mean exploring the Music & Performing Arts Category as well as the site’s tagging system to get a better handle on how to sort content and enhance recommendation of your channel within the website.

The Twitch Music & Performing Arts category houses musicians with varied skill sets and genres.

Make the rules, set the tone

Familiarizing yourself with the moderation tools offered by StreamElements and the respective platforms will ensure your channel is inclusive and welcoming, which are key for cultivating a positive community.

You can also enlist the help of a friend or supporter to learn with you and help moderate your channel. Moderators are the backbone of a good stream. They help greet viewers, answer questions when you’re busy performing, keep bad actors at bay and much, much more.

Explore and Network

Visit other channels, gain inspiration, become a fan and make friends. Don’t be overwhelmed by elaborate setups with fancy lights, cameras and audio equipment. Many musicians have been livestreaming for years, and most probably started with a simple webcam and mic.

What kind of gear do I need?

If you already do some type of home recording, chances are you have many of the things you need already, including, but not limited to:

A Computer with internet access

While it’s possible to stream from a mobile device, your stream quality will likely be much better from a computer. Specifications will vary, and there are lots of ways to troubleshoot if you need help keeping your stream smooth and stable. More on that later.

An Audio Source

This will vary quite a bit depending on the type of instrument and setup. While acoustic singer/songwriters can often get away with a single large diaphragm condenser mic, a live band or DJ will likely require a much more complicated setup.

A popular basic option is an audio interface or multi-channel mixer with an XLR Mic that can connect to your computer through USB, or a simple USB Microphone.

A Camera

An external webcam is a popular choice, as it is usually a big step up from built-in computer cameras, but not as steep of an investment as a camcorder, mirrorless camera or DSLR. If you have a digital camera you’re hoping to use, there are products on the market that help make it easier to capture a camera feed into your streaming software.

Streaming Software

Once you have all the required hardware for streaming, you’ll need a way to transmit your broadcast to the internet. That’s where streaming software comes in.

Streaming software is what you use to produce and broadcast your live stream. This is where you’ll route audio and video, and set up overlays containing graphics and alerts — all the extra bells and whistles of a live stream. We recommend OBS.Live.

OBS: Open Broadcaster Software is the industry standard, and it’s also free to download. OBS.Live takes it a step further by integrating streaming software with StreamElements as well as your streaming platform. The benefit is it keeps everything in one spot so you can broadcast with ease.

Gaming Careers overview and tutorial of OBS Live.

We won’t dive into the technical setup here, but check out this tutorial for getting started with OBS.Live, as well as these tips to optimize settings for your computer.

Customize your channel with StreamElements

Visit almost any streamer’s channel and you’ll probably notice they use graphics, alerts, chat bots and other neat tools.

StreamElements is an entire suite of free streaming tools designed to help you enhance your stream quality, engage with your audience, and earn money.

After you’ve set up your profile on Twitch or elsewhere, connect your account to StreamElements. This is where the fun begins.

There’s a lot you can do with StreamElements with the following being a few of the features you should check out:

Overlays

An overlay is a graphic or web source that is applied as a layer to your main video stream. This is how you display information to your viewers.

With the StreamElements overlay editor, you can use various widgets to design a space unique to you. Customize alerts, display goals, add a chat feed — the sky’s the limit.

Using the overlay editor means that you won’t have to add each visual element one-by-one into your streaming software and risk losing it if your computer ever crashes or you want to stream from a different machine.

Adding each element one by one in OBS Sources.

Instead, your design will be saved to the cloud. All you’ll have to do to retrieve your assets is copy and paste one source link into OBS.

Using the overlay editor saves information in the cloud, keeps visual elements in one spot, and requires only one browser source link in OBS.

Not a designer? No problem. We’ve got you covered with a free library of pre-designed overlays called SuperThemes to get you started. SuperThemes are a complete set of 5 overlays (such as Starting Soon, Be Right Back, and Stream Ended) that will enable you to have an overlay for all of the stages that generally happen during a stream.

Check out this helpful video tutorial that explains how to set up and use overlays here.

Alerts

Alerts allow you to display different types of support and activity on screen. They help you keep track of what is happening in real time by alerting you to new followers, subscriptions, tips, hosts, raids, etc.

A ThatViolinChick subscriber triggers an on-screen alert.

Viewers love to be part of the show, and alerts help encourage support and interaction. You can set up alerts in the overlay editor widgets.

Add and customize alerts within the Overlay Editor Widgets.

Once you add an Alertbox, you can leave the widget as-is (it will default to a pre-designed alert), or customize the settings to specify which images, sounds, fonts, and messages appear when a particular event triggers the alert. You can even get creative and upload your own photos, gifs, and sound effects.

If you opt to use a SuperTheme, alerts are already included in the overlay and designed to match the theme’s layout and visual elements.

Chatbot

Chat is a huge component of livestreaming. At a venue you’ll hear applause, but during a stream, your audience expresses their appreciation through follows, hosts, raids, tips, subscriptions, and lots and lots of emotes.

Using bot commands in chat is also a way that viewers might request songs or find out more information about your channel.

Chatbot allows you to set up custom commands and timers.

The StreamElements chatbot can be used to help moderate chat activity, as well as automate messages through customized commands and timers used to advertise important information.

Tipping Page

Fans love to support artists, but without Affiliate or Partner status on Twitch, a broadcaster is unable to collect platform royalties. They also don’t offer a first party tipping app. This is why setting up a tipping page is important. Not only does it allow you to accept payment, but it can be set up to trigger alerts on your overlay.

An example of a tipping page. twitch.tv/Leland

StreamElements has both PayPal integration as well as its own built-in tipping service, SE Pay.

Design & sell merch with SE.Merch Hub

With SE.Merch, you can start selling merchandise in minutes. It’s free to use, easy to set up, and carries the highest profit margin in the industry.

After creating your shop, simply upload your designs and specify which products you’d like to carry and edit them as you like.

Upload your design > launch your store > sell merch

After that, the hub will guide you through promoting it with chat commands and timers, generate graphics you can add to your information panels, and set up a sleek final product for your viewers to browse.

aRcA1000000’s StreamElements merch store

StreamElements is working with companies like Bella & Canvas and Independent Trading Company to make sure your loot is ethically sourced and made from high quality material. Feel free to check out this FAQ for more info.

You can do it!

While setting up a livestream is a multifaceted venture that requires some initial legwork, the potential is huge. Fans love having new ways to connect and enjoy live music, and producing your own live show offers a myriad of opportunities for creativity and growth.

If you love what you do regardless if you are a beginner player or a master, the joy will attract the people who thrive on viewing it — Mrgregles

MikeTheBard acknowledged how difficult it seems to get started, but suggests taking advantage of the resources that are already out there.

“There are many guides now online to help set up streaming software, alert tools, and on how to integrate a music setup with livestreaming,” he said. “Livestreaming musical performances, in my experience, has been worth the investment of time and in the equipment needed.”

Mrgregles encourages streamers to focus on what they are passionate about.

“Streaming itself is a journey and something you should do for the passion,” he said. “If you love what you do regardless if you are a beginner player or a master, the joy will attract the people who thrive on viewing it.”

Twitch Partner ThatViolinChick reminds aspiring streamers that it’s okay to keep things simple at first.

“Get a feel for streaming and then build up from there rather than trying to start right off the bat with a fancy setup that can be overwhelming,” she said. “And touch base with good streaming companies like StreamElements.”

Everyone starts somewhere on their streaming journey, and there are great resources out there and a lot of support along the way for those willing to research and reach out. I encourage you to browse StreamElements video tutorials and join our community of streamers on Discord, where you can also access free support 24/7.

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