What is the difference between a streamer and a content creator in the gaming world?
By: Nicolas Bykoff
Tags: YouTube, Vidéo, Content Creation, Fortnite, Gaming

With the explosion of video games and specifically Twitch at the expense of Mixer who was forced to shut down, more viewers are watching gamers broadcasting their game every day, called streamers. Some called them content creator. Does broadcasting a video game on a platform is enough to be a content creator? Let me explain why it needs more work.

Twitch almost double its average viewers count in 2020.

What is a streamer?

A streamer is interested in broadcasting and most of them do not think beyond. Aside from earning money from the Twitch affiliate program which means that the streamer must have at least 50 followers and over the last 30 days have have at least 500 total minutes broadcasted , 7 unique broadcast days, and an average of 3 or more concurrent viewers.

Once this target is reached, as a streamer, you will earn a fraction of what the subscribers are paying to “support” you or to watch your stream without any ads. Let’s call them affiliates. Those affiliates know about the audience value and will try to interact with it. As for the non affiliate there’s nothing special about their stream. If you have the patience, to go on Twitch to watch some non-affiliate streams, you will see that most of the time they are rarely saying something and/or their set up is ordinary. Regarding their talent, it could be average to mediocre. If they were that good, word of mouth would have done its work.

Most of the streamers are uploading also videos on YouTube trying to generate more revenue. But too often, those videos are just highlights of their session with a clickbait title to generate more views.

To summarize, a streamer is looking to be an affiliate to earn money. He currently does not create any added value content, whether during streams or YouTube channel.

As a viewer you appreciate the skills or frequent uploads and streams, but should you consider as content creator? Now that we have defined what a streamer is, what makes the difference with a content creator?

How a content creator is different from a streamer?

As mentioned above, creating content is slightly different from just streaming and upload highlights on YouTube.

A content creator is enhancing the produced content to reach a purpose or goal and not only broadcasting a video game.

The streamer who creates content

Let’s take an example. SypherPK is a well-known streamer and also content creator, mainly on Fortnite. In addition to streaming the game every day, he also record contextual videos. Since the new season in Fortnite, Epic (the game publisher) does not publish release notes as they were doing in Chapter 1. So everytime there is an update, he is recording videos explaining what’s new and how to gain advantage in using some of the items in the game.

Despite a major disinterest in the recent development of the game from the streamers who made Fortnite, he tries every new season (3 or 4 months long) to bring back the streamers he used to play with, when the game was released 3 years ago. Because of his popularity, he is not doing any random squad and random duos, which sometimes I have to say were really fun.

In a way, he is adding value to his uploaded content, in addition to his streams.

He calls himself a content creator and I have to say, he is putting so much into it that even Epic (Fortnite publisher) added a book in the game. A request he formulated just before Halloween and Epic added it for the new season.

The content creator who became a streamer

Another example of a content creator who became a streamer: Grumbae. He recently went over a million subscribers on YouTube. He started to do some serious edit on some of the best Fortnite footage available. With style and a lot of work, he manage to create entertaining content. I invite you to watch some of his videos to have an idea how much work he is putting into it.

With this success, he started streaming on Twitch recently.

Adding value is the key

In those 2 examples, being a content creator is not only streaming gaming sessions. Once those streams are “going through” the mind and hands of a content creator, the result is enhanced content. Something that the viewer is not used to see and gain any profit from it such as fun, or learnings.

Streaming a video game is easy today. Either you are talented or hard worker, you may find an audience. But, on the long term, this is not enough. You have to find a way to grow this audience. Creating content is the way.

Some of the greatest player in the game, such as Scoped, changed their behaviour along the way. Scoped is a pure competitive player. He started gathering an audience because of his skill set. Whereas most of the best Fortnite players are using a keyboard and mouse to play, he managed to get an edge using a controller. Becoming one of the best player, he started to acknowledge his subscribers and talk to the “chat”. Something he was not doing at the beginning.

Some of his videos include an intro inviting the viewer to subscribe or to use his creator code in the itemshop. He also had the help of editors to increase value. Sadly those videos are not the most viewed. Awkwardly the most viewed are the one where he is showing his settings. To his defence, most Fortnite players are playing on console and therefore using a controller. And seeing what how he can play with a controller, all those console players wants to know how he is so good and settings apparently can help. Aparte: practicing is the only way.

Obviously, this example coming from the gaming industry could apply to any industry. In gaming as in many industries, adding value is what will bring you an audience.

What are your thoughts ? If you have any questions let me know in the comments.

Cover photo by ELLA DON on Unsplash