The Game Streamers #1 Resource!
Note** You will need to do all these steps in different tabs in your browser. Keep them open though out this training saves time and frustration!
To close stream in your console go to Twitch and select Stop Stream.
Awesome!
IF YOU DO NOT INTEND TO USE OVERLAYS AND ALERTS DO NOT PROCEDE
Overlays and alerts (NEW TAB)
Overlays make your stream more appealing to your audience and alerts keep watchers happy through engagement. Most popular streamers use them for their streams.
After careful consideration we chose two companies to feature for this training. To make overlays work from your console you will need two services.
First you will need Open Broadcast software. We chose go light stream for this tutorial find it at Golightstream.com
Lightstream is the recommended broadcasting software because of its ease of use as well as the point that it is recommended for console inside the Twitch app. (You can choose your destination )
This service at golightstream.com does require a paid membership for use. A free trial is offered for to test it out. If you chose to purchase because you too enjoy this service as we do then we recommend the gamer package of $8-$16.
Use the trial to decide if overlays are the best value for your audience. These are not needed to stream, however they do offer many benefits.
Let’s Get Started
Open a new tab and navigate to golightstream.com
and make sure to sign up using your Twitch Account
To log in, first, Select “get started” on the homepage then “Studio”.
OPEN ANOTHER TAB
There are many places to get your overlays and alert templates. For the purpose of this training we will be taking a look at Stream Elements. Via streamelements.com
Signing up for Stream Elements is easy and you are going to want to use your twitch account.
This is pretty much a FREE service!!
Stream Elements only charge a small % of whatever you make using you’re their software. They only make money if you are making money, it’s a WIN WIN!!
Once you have signed up and filled in all of your account information go to your Stream Elements dashboard and check the navigation window to the left.
Here select “Themes Gallery”
In the Gallery you will find tons of free templates. Browse these templates by clicking “preview”
Note: Some themes are animated!!
Once you have decided on a template,
Select “create”
Give your template a name. (Only you can see this)
A popup will generate with links, this will not be used in this training.
Next Click “see themes in my overlays”
Note: To find your overlays now or anytime simply click “my overlays” in the Alerts and Overlay tab to the left of the screen.
In the overlay section you will see a few images; each image represents a scene for your stream.
Notice and select the “edit” button on the “in Game” scene. This will open the editor so you can make any adjustments you prefer.
Remember this is a template so you will need to make changes. The immediate change will be to add your name or gamer tag in each qualifying section, if they have not already appeared.
Examine each scene carefully all items included in each scene are editable. To learn more about what is possible with edits you will need to do some homework and practice in the layout builder, but for this training we are only going to focus on the name.
Find places were your gamer tag is suggested to appear and edit each section.
Once you are satisfied with your adjustments click “save”.
Now click the back arrow next to the scene name you created. Move through each scene carefully edit the name, and make changes if there is something you wish to delete, select its box on the screen and hit the “delete” key on your keyboard.
Remember to Save!
Hit the back arrow next to the template name or go to my overlays from here.
Homework …play with this builder!
GREAT MOMENTIOM LETS KEEP GOING!!
For these next steps navigate back to the lightstream tab.
In lightstream you will discover a “studio dashboard”
In the center of the dashboard will appear a video Screen under this you will see your tabs with a plus sign on the end. These are your scenes!
Whatever you see on this player your audience sees too.
The first tab or scene is the start tab and will be what your viewers see at the beginning of your stream.
The highlighted tab is the current stream being shown to your audience and the one you are working on.
You can change the name of any tab by
Clicking next to the current name go ahead and
Change the name on this scene to starting Soon.
Once that is complete look to the left of the video Player to see your menu for scene one with the Words layers and a plus sign next to it and audio Mixer at the bottom.
Go ahead and delete the game play tab you see here!
Click the plus button this will open a menu of things you may add to the scene.
Go to the bottom and select
“3rd party interrogations” Here you will see all the other software that work well with golightstream but for training purposes we are going to ask you to select “stream elements”
Notice the stream elements tab is now under the “layers” section in the menu and there is a box under it.
Go to your Stream elements dashboard in your other tab and find your overlay.
Click on the 3 dots on the bottom and click “copy url”
Now paste that URl in the box on golightstream tab for scene one.
It should now appear in the video player. Drag and pull the image to the top left of your display.
Make sure “resize area” is selected.
You will now need to play with the size to select the correct dimensions.
Stretch this out and down until your entire scene is visible. Be careful to crop out the surrounding gray areas.
Note this image should not be the size of the video player
When you are happy with your choice with no gray area showing select “scale “It is located next to the “Resize area button” above the image.
Then select next 3 lines at the end and click “stretch to canvas.”
CONGRATULATIONS!! Your starting soon scene is complete!
Lets click on the next scene and name it “in game” or “live”.
Select the plus button in the menu and again click the “3rd party integrations”
Select stream elements once again
Go to Stream Elements dashboard and select the 3 little dots under your game scene and copy that url Under the layer section in the menu there is a box under it
Now paste that url in your golightstream menu.
Move the image to the top left as before, stretch and move this image as before until your overlay is visible
Select scale
Select stretch to canvas.
Now to create this in game scene we need to add a few things.
Select the plus
In the menu select camera
Add your webcam (if applicable)
Add gamer source (This is your twitch feed.)
Now you should see 2 areas for microphones under the audio mixer. In this area one is your computer microphone if you added a web cam and the other is your game feed audio like your head set if you use one or the party chat.
NOTE: You make have to mute the computer microphone to stop an echo if you hear one
.
If you are using a webcam you can move your cameras image to your overlay make sure to move the layer back under the overlay.
Repeat this process for your chat scene.
Click on the next scene and name it BRB for be right back this scene is for when you have to take a break but do not want to stop this scene.
Click the plus button in the menu and once again select “3rd party intergradations”
Then “Stream Elements”
Now grap your brb ovelay as before from stream elements and add it in golightstream
Remember to fit the overlay to the screen and select “scale” and “stretch to canvas.”
Remember To Save
Lastly we need to do the same process for the “stream ended” scene.
YOU ROCK! ALMOST DONE…TIME TO LEVEL UP!!
Test your Stream
Now let’s test your new stream
On your console open the twitch app
Make sure you are signed in and select “broadcast” at the top of the screen. This opens the broadcast dashboard
In the dashboard select the destination tab, use the drop down and select lightstream.
Place your mic at 100% and your party chat to 100% Lastly set your game at 40%
Note: The reason for lowering gameplay is to ensure that your audience can here you over the game.
Your bitrate is important by setting it to automatic it ensures you have the best output for your system
Give a little title to your new stream like “ test 1” the select the start stream button at the bottom
YOU ARE NOW LIVE!
You will need to start streaming your starting soon scene by clicking on that scene in the golightstream dashboard,
Now check out your stream on another device
Do not sign in to twitch simply search the app for your account. You are looking for your “live “video to watch
From your console select the game you wish to play and stream.
Play as long as you like but remember we are simply testing for now, so when you are satisfied with it make sure to select each overlay and inspect the look and see how it works.
To stop streaming go to the twitch app. Now select “stop streaming” at the bottom
FINISHED YOUR FIRST BROADCAST!!
Final thoughts, If you noticed anything in your stream you would like to change remember all you have to do is edit changes in stream elements and they will auto change in go light stream.