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Here’s Everything You Need to Start Live Streaming

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Chris Neill
Here’s Everything You Need to Start Live Streaming
At Gizmodo, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you'll like too. We have affiliate and advertising partnerships, which means we may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. BTW – prices are accurate and items in stock at the time of posting.

So, you’ve decided that you want to try your hand at live streaming but aren’t sure where to start when it comes to building your setup. While the quality of the gear you use is important on a technical level, that quality also plays a massive role in helping you connect with your audience. You could be the most charismatic and captivating person in the world, but that doesn’t account for much if everything about your stream is potato-quality.

To help you start streaming sooner than later, we’ve put together a quick beginner’s guide to help you piece together your setup from scratch – from must-have gear like microphones and webcams to devices that’ll help to simplify your workflow and give your stream a more professional and unique aesthetic.

If you’re looking to start live streaming, here is all the essential equipment that your setup will need.

Before you start streaming

Firstly, and most importantly, you’ll need a PC that can handle the entire streaming process. A high-end CPU and a good GPU are both musts, so make sure your gaming rig is properly equipped.

The other essential you’ll need is a strong internet connection. While fast download speeds will help you play online games without interruption or lag, you also need an NBN plan with a solid upload speed. It’ll help ensure your viewers are watching an uninterrupted feed with consistent video quality.

While a direct connection to your router would be preferable, a solid mesh Wi-Fi 6 router should keep you congestion-free. ASUS in particular has a line of routers designed for gaming, so those are worth a look at.

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Essential equipment for your live stream setup

Microphone

Blue Yeti USB Mic
Image: Blue

Good microphone audio can make or break a live stream. It doesn’t matter if you have the most beautiful voice in the world, no one will want to listen to it if it sounds like you’re recording yourself through a tin can on a string.

While you can definitely hook up an XLR microphone (like the ones used for radio broadcasts), those are more heavy-duty that’ll require a lot more gear. A USB microphone will be more than enough for beginner streamers, and beyond. These plug-and-play mics are very easy to set up and use, with fantastic audio quality.

The Blue Yeti is a great option, as its tri-capsule array makes it quite versatile when it comes to capturing your voice loud and clear. You can also check out Gizmodo Australia’s guide to USB microphones here.

Here are a few microphones that we recommend:

Webcam

home office
Image: Logitech

While not every live streamer appears on camera – sometimes the audio is enough – if you do plan on broadcasting footage of yourself, then you’ll want to make sure your audience can see you properly. You’ll want a webcam with a minimum resolution of 1080p – which, thankfully, there are a fair amount available at an affordable price. Depending on your budget, a 4K webcam could be a solid long-term investment.

The Logitech C922 Pro has built a solid reputation as a go-to webcam for streamers, thanks to its ease of use, decent quality (1080p @ 30fps) and good value for your dollar. If you’re looking to start somewhere, start there. You can also check out Gizmodo Australia’s guide to webcams here.

Here are a few webcams that we recommend:

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Capture card

Image: Elgato

If your goal is to stream yourself playing games on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X/S, then a capture card is an absolutely essential piece of equipment.

These devices are used to take the raw video data output it captures from an external source and then convert it into something your PC can process. Depending on the passthrough resolution of your capture card, it’ll help ensure you don’t lose any video quality in this process.

If you’re not using a webcam as your streaming camera and have opted for a fancy DSLR instead, you’ll need a capture card to convert that video data.

If you’re streaming yourself playing games on your PC, then you won’t need one of these as your computer will already be processing that captured data. Webcams also don’t need capture cards.

Here are a few capture cards that we recommend:

Live streaming equipment to improve your workflow

Stream deck

streaming setup
Image: Elgato

There are a lot of variables flying around when you’re live streaming and it’s easy for things to go wrong. Maybe you accidentally selected the wrong screen to stream, have triggered the wrong on-screen graphics or you’ve been on mute for the past 15 minutes.

A stream deck is a small console that will allow you to control and simplify your workflow at the push of a button. Instead of having to minimise screens and cycle through windows, you can set up hotkey shortcuts to improve your production, allowing you to efficiently make important technical adjustments on the fly, like muting your mic, altering your audio levels or ending your stream.

As far as stream decks go, Elgato has the market cornered. The Stream Deck MK.2 is easy to use, with 15 customisable LCD buttons and multiple profile options.

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A second monitor

Streaming live esport event on computer at home
Image: iStock/mikkelwilliam

While streaming, you’ll have a lot of windows open at any given time – enough that one screen just won’t cut it. Having a second monitor as a part of your setup will allow you to have one screen that’s dedicated to gameplay footage, while the other will display important technical interfaces.

You don’t have to break the bank when it comes to buying another monitor, but it helps to have one that’s optimised for gaming – so look for high refresh rates, low response rates and a solid full HD resolution.

If you’re strapped for desk space, a portable monitor is a good workaround. It’ll give you the option of a temporary streaming setup, which you can pack up

  • AOC 16-Inch Ultra Slim Portable Monitor: eBay ($168.90) | Kogan ($191.88)
  • ASUS ZenScreen USB Portable Monitor: eBay ($459)

Live streaming gear to make your setup look better

Lighting and a green screen

Image: Neewer

While you might think you can just flip your webcam on and start broadcasting, there’s a little more to it. It’s a visual medium, so aesthetics and set dressing are important.

A lighting setup will let you control the brightness and angle of your light to control the mood of your stream, flatter your features and, most importantly, look more professional. An adjustable ring light is a simple solution that will go a long way to improve the look of your video, in a way your desk lamp or ceiling light just won’t.

If you want to make your set look a bit more unique, adjustable RGB lights are an easy way to control the aesthetics of your stream’s set dressing.

A green screen is also handy if you want to totally remove your current background and insert a new visual of your choice.

Here are a few lighting options we recommend:

And here are a few green screens we recommend:

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At Gizmodo, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you'll like too. We have affiliate and advertising partnerships, which means we may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. BTW – prices are accurate and items in stock at the time of posting.