Vixen.Vanille said:
I'm super interested in starting to stream on Twitch!
I'd have to use my partners desktop, though. I don't think my poor laptop has the RAM available to not die if I tried to stream videogames. I'll have to check... If I start broadcasting I'll definitely post a link.
If you have around 4 GB, you should be OK, depending on what you are streaming. Obviously, streaming from the same PC you are playing on means you need more. But if you are streaming console games through a capture device, it should be no issue, RAM wise.
The bigger issue, honestly, is your upstream bandwidth. If you don't have a free 1.5-2 Mbps or higher to work with, then it isn't going to be worth it, truthfully. So, I would say the minimum upstream you would need, provided nothing else is using it at the same time, is 5 Mbps. And even then, you're using almost a third of your upstream bandwidth. If anyone else in the house is doing stuff online, it's going to be hard.
I actually just upgraded my FiOS connection for streaming and uploading my videos. I went from a 20/5 connection to a 50/25 connection. Now my direct streams from my Xbox One and the PC downstairs (until I get my new beast PC) stream great. I could have went 75/35 but I figured I'd see how the 50/25 was, first. It's only $10 more a month for that, and if I decide I need the faster speed, the 75/35 is only another $10 a month.
Fay_Galore said:
Twitch fascinates me! I occasionally visit and browse around, if you see what the top streamers are making! I mean, it's not as massive as taking your clothes off, but it's not bad at all.
The TOP streamers earn a lot. Between ad revenue from having 3k-4k watching at a time (and Twitch makes everyone watch ads even if the streamer isn't making anything from them)-- plus streamers can force ads to appear on their stream if they are partners during their streams, sponsorships with their ads that they'll place on their streams and potential subs, they can make a nice living.
Then there's the whole 'donations' thing, which, honestly, I don't agree with. They're not 'donations' because the streamers aren't non-profits or charity organizations. Donators cannot write off their donations on their taxes. So, I don't agree with calling them donations. But, I've seen people 'donate' almost $800 in one 'donation'.
However, the whole 'I can make a living off of YouTube and Twitch' is actually the subject of my 100th video on YouTube. Mostly the myths about how 'easy' it is to be able to do so. People assume it's just as easy as getting on or posting videos to make a living on those sites, but it isn't. While there re a few people who make a ton of money on one, the other or both of those sites, they are the exceptions, not the rule. Pewdiepie, SMOSH and JennaMarbles all make millions a year off ad revenue on YouTube, alone, but the average uploader will be
lucky to make $100 a year, if that. On Twitch, it's even harder to make any sort of money because of the strict requirements to become a Twitch partner-- stream 3x a week and have an average of 500 viewers at a time (which are often waived if someone is big on YT or other places.... or if they're a girl on webcam showing cleavage who somehow get partnered even if they never break 20 viewers at a time...)
