Artists, should you be streaming on Twitch? by Emma McGann
FAC Insights is a forum for us to showcase and share long form pieces looking at various parts of the music industry and the society that shapes it. Pieces take the form of videos, interviews, discussions, articles and more. This week we are delighted to share this very insightful piece about live-streaming by our very own Artist Ambassador, Emma McGann.
Artists - should you be streaming on Twitch? by Emma McGann
I’ve been a music streamer for close to a decade and I’ve learnt so much along the way. All these years later it’s still a large part of my income as an artist and an enjoyable, fulfilling space for myself and my community that continues to grow. So I wanted to share some stories and best practices for those who may be looking to hit ‘go live’ for the first time to share their music and talent in this space.
I’ve been advocating for the use of live streaming within artist strategies for years now, even way before it was integrated into key platforms like IG and TikTok. First I’ll say that it’s not for every artist. Not everyone is comfortable with the format. I know for myself, releasing independently over the last 12 years has been an exhausting ride. If you’re an independent artist reading this yourself then you already know. But live streaming has been a welcome break in that journey - a space where there are little-to-no overheads, where I’m earning as an artist on my own terms, sharing my music with new people every day and feeling fulfilled and rewarded by the engaged community that has rallied around me and the songs that I painstakingly put so much of myself into. Truthfully it has made me feel valued as an artist and has opened unique doors for me and my music along the way.
Hear the song Linkin Park’s Mike Shinoda produced for me on his Twitch channel
What does a Twitch Music stream look like?
We all value having a lens into people's lives. We collect memorabilia, scroll through our faves on IG, try for the front row tickets to get closer to the action… all to support them and feel a part of that artist's journey if only for a short time. You get to live out something alongside them. So when artists make themselves accessible beyond traditional boundaries and widen that lens, naturally people crowd in and want to see more. Think of your streams on Twitch as a lens into your life as an artist.
It comes down to what content you’re comfortable sharing. It’s important to note that there’s not one format to rule them all. It’s like a sandbox. As an example - my streams are usually live interactive performances where the audience are in charge of the set list, the lights and even the weather in my jungle studio (don’t ask).
What does a Twitch Music stream look like?
We all value having a lens into people's lives. We collect memorabilia, scroll through our faves on IG, try for the front row tickets to get closer to the action… all to support them and feel a part of that artist's journey if only for a short time. You get to live out something alongside them. So when artists make themselves accessible beyond traditional boundaries and widen that lens, naturally people crowd in and want to see more. Think of your streams on Twitch as a lens into your life as an artist.
It comes down to what content you’re comfortable sharing. It’s important to note that there’s not one format to rule them all. It’s like a sandbox. As an example - my streams are usually live interactive performances where the audience are in charge of the set list, the lights and even the weather in my jungle studio (don’t ask).
What does a Twitch Music stream look like?
We all value having a lens into people's lives. We collect memorabilia, scroll through our faves on IG, try for the front row tickets to get closer to the action… all to support them and feel a part of that artist's journey if only for a short time. You get to live out something alongside them. So when artists make themselves accessible beyond traditional boundaries and widen that lens, naturally people crowd in and want to see more. Think of your streams on Twitch as a lens into your life as an artist.
It comes down to what content you’re comfortable sharing. It’s important to note that there’s not one format to rule them all. It’s like a sandbox. As an example - my streams are usually live interactive performances where the audience are in charge of the set list, the lights and even the weather in my jungle studio (don’t ask).
The Twitch Music community is a wonderful internet wormhole to get sucked into if you’re looking for new artists to discover or inspiration to start your own streams. But when planning your content, you should always focus on the elements and flair that will make your streams and your presence unique.
Content examples
Showcasing new material for a single release
Improvising new songs on the spot
Podcast interviews with relevant guests and topical conversations
Behind the scenes of a music video
Gaming playthroughs
Song tutorials
Rehearsal
Making of an album artwork
Backstage access at a show
Giveaways for your audience
Deep dive on your songwriting process
Recording vocals for a new song
Just a few contenzt examples there that lead me on to my next point: it doesn’t just have to be about you and your music.
Diversify Your Content
Chances are you’re not just an artist. You have a multi-faceted personality with a long-list of interests. So why not interweave parts of that into your weekly content, share that with your viewers and enjoy yourself along the way.
As an example, I’m sharing the making of my new EP ‘the Monsterverse’ and its surrounding content with my viewers. I walk them through how I’ve built immersive worlds around each song by creating the music videos inside of Unreal Engine 5, how I’ve animated the characters and built a game alongside the EP release. See the visuals and backstory of ‘the Monsterverse’ here. Showcasing this has caught the attention of viewers who might not be on Twitch looking for music alone and it allows me to get creative in different ways.
Here’s another example below of FAC Ambassador ShaoDow and his streams on Twitch, sharing pure skills and his love for Smash Bros on a gaming stream with his audience.
Whether it’s gaming, behind-the-scenes shots, knitting, Dungeons & Dragons, illustration… literally whatever you’re into - there’s room to diversify your content and reach new audiences. Consider this when you’re planning out your schedule to offer your viewers something fresh that also authentically shouts ‘you’.
How do you build an audience on Twitch?
Viewers won’t fall in your lap as if by magic… plenty get disheartened after streaming for a couple of weeks with no results and are quick to give up. It takes work and consistency over time. It also helps in a big way to invite your existing audience across and alert fans to new content you plan on hosting there. A consistent schedule is also key to ensure viewers come back and just like any show, it helps if you show up on time too.
Setting follower goals initially on your stream can be helpful to rally your audience around your efforts. You’ll probably find that your viewers want to see you succeed in those goals that you set, so think about that when you first go live. Beyond this, growing your followers is a challenge just like any other platform. Call-to-action is super effective. In other words, verbally ask people to follow your channel if they’re enjoying the content there and be sure to display any follower goals you set up on your screen so viewers know they can help you in that moment. Don’t be shy about it and set realistic goals that will make a difference to you.
Another goal you might be looking to reach is Affiliate or Partnership on Twitch. Being a Partner means you receive a slightly higher split on revenue, more customisable options across your channel elements, a verified user badge and unique opportunities both online and IRL limited to Partners only. See the full list of perks of the Twitch Partner Program here.
How can you reach new audiences and not just your own?
First, let’s put things into perspective. As with any platform, Twitch is saturated with creators. This example showing stats from last year determines that if you had an average of just 6 viewers, then you would be in the top 6.7% of Twitch, with anything above 51 average viewers pushing you into the top 1%. Follow Zach Bussey on Twitter for useful resources and streaming news
So it’s a competitive space for people. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for discovery. Twitch’s in-built ‘raid’ feature is a discovery tool that puts the creator in control of where their audience goes next. It’s a great opportunity to lift up your peers and introduce your audience to a creator you love. And when you’re raided yourself with a pool of new viewers, that’s an opportunity for you to shine in-front of an audience who have never seen you before.
But you can’t rely on raids alone for discovery. If you’re already creating content on IG, TikTok or Shorts, consider sharing edited highlights of your stream to those platforms to remind your audience you’re over there. You’re audience on Twitch can help you with this too, by ‘clipping’ highlights as you stream for you to find and download for social in your video archive after your stream is done.
As with anywhere, collaboration is important too. Chances are you’ll meet a lot of great talent and new friends on the platform and should the stars align, you could find some fantastic collaborators to work with in the future. Collab streams or music projects are always worthwhile to benefit both creators and cross-pollinate audiences so they’re introduced to someone new.
The Twitch Music community make up a small wedge of creators and users and is one of the smallest circles on the platform. It’s a tiny fish in the sea with the bigger communities there leaning more heavily towards gaming. Although it’s a small corner, there’s a huge pool of talent and a beautiful community where artists are lifting each other up. Just like any community - it’s something that you’ve got to want to be a part of. Imagine leaving after your set before the headline goes on at a show or expecting friends to buy the first tickets to your gig when you’ve never bought a ticket to theirs… The energy within the Twitch Music community is the complete reverse of that - it’s a supportive chain of talent that extends from smaller artists to higher profile names. They’re also seasoned at streaming, are professional musicians and should be your first port of call when looking for advice or inspiration to start your own streams. This leads me onto what NOT to get hooked into when looking for resources to livestream…
DON’T PAY to learn how to ‘go live’
Since 2020, plenty jumped on the bandwagon of selling courses to become a live streamer. And a lot of those people had never gone live themselves or just didn’t offer a lot of practical information on getting started. No doubt there’s probably some useful courses out there that aren’t just cash grabs and genuinely strive to help newcomers (I’m yet to see them) but here’s my advice to you today. You really don’t need to pay for anything but the equipment you’re going to use to stream. All you need is time and research. Your knowledge base really shouldn’t be people who are charging you to learn. The fastest and most effective way to get started is to take notes yourself on the people who are live right now. Be an observer. Be a supporter. Be a fly on the wall like everybody else in the stream chat. Then take those notes and that inspiration, feed in your own personality, your own twist and then go live.
Here’s a FREE 5 episode series I hosted (1hr 30min in total) on getting started. It covers lighting, audio, visual and a load more. Note that some product recommendations in there could have upgraded options at this point as I put this out a couple of years back now.
Don’t be under the impression that you need the best equipment to get started either. Don’t let that hold you back. Start with what you already have today and work your way up from there.
NOT a replacement for live shows
It should go without saying… but live streaming is an additional tool to your belt and is in no way a replacement for live gigs. They are two very different beasts that each come with their own unique reaches and benefits. In my experience the ‘Virtual Shows’ I’ve hosted have been more financially viable than touring by a long way, but that’s a given. One of the reasons I turned to live streaming in the first place almost a decade ago was because of touring expenses and the need to diversify to find new audiences. My first ever livestream alone brought me more impressions, new fans and income in just 1 stream than 2 whole weeks of touring.
That said, of course nothing can replace the live experience of new and old audiences hearing your music and your talent IRL, not to mention it’s likely to be one of your main revenue streams as an artist. But with the complications and additional expenses of overseas touring that many of us have experienced more intensely over the last few years, live streaming or ‘Virtual Shows’ can be a solution to reach fans in locations where touring may be financially unviable for you at that moment. For me, live streaming will always be important because I want my performances to be accessible in some way to audiences in pockets of the world who might never get to see me live.
A part of your success with going live will be doing things your own way over time. Ask yourself what your audience will know you for, set a schedule that works for you and be consistent with your content. If you ever have any questions about live streaming in general, feel free to reach me on social or on email and I’ll be happy to point you in the right direction if I can.
Hear Emma’s latest ‘Monsterverse’ EP project and view her full streaming schedule here.