Whether you’re new to the gaming world or a seasoned player, chances are you’ve watched a few streamers or short clips of them on various social media platforms. If not, then you’ve come to the right place.
There are many reasons why people watch gaming streamers on platforms like Twitch, YouTube Gaming, Facebook Gaming, and TikTok Live. Of course, there are many more platforms to choose from, depending on the type of streamer and game you’re interested in watching.
What to Consider When Deciding on a Streaming Channel
There are predominantly two types of viewers when it comes to streaming: those who browse random channels and those who prefer specific channels. Both could be watching just to pass the time.
The first step is to decide which one you are. If you only want to browse, then log in to your favorite platform and either browse the home page for something to watch or take a gander at the categories to see what topics catch your interest – it’s as simple as that.
If you want to find a specific streamer for learning or entertainment, here are a few things to consider in your quest to find streamers you’d like to subscribe to.
Why Are You Watching?
Generally, people watch any type of streamer for one of two reasons. Either they watch to learn something or because they find the streamer entertaining. If you want to learn something, then search for that specific thing on your chosen platform.
For example, if you want to learn more about what opening CSGO cases is like, you should add that to your inquiry. You can also search for things like “how to play Dota 2 heroes” or “LEGO Batman 2 – how to enter Wayne Manor”. You can also search for a game in general by typing in its name.
Whatever you search, a list of results will come up, and you can select any of them to enter a stream. Suppose you want to find somebody to watch purely for entertainment purposes. In that case, you’ll have to refine your search a little bit more – which is advisable for anybody looking for anything to watch on streaming platforms.
How to Refine Your Search Results
Firstly, we advise that any viewer refine their search because there are thousands, if not millions, of streamers out there, and not all of them are good. We’re not saying that you must refine your search using the parameters and tips below, but it might help you get the viewing experience you deserve.
Categories
Almost every streaming platform has categories. You can browse these to see what piques your interest. Categories on Twitch, for example, include different games by name, game genres, just chatting, art, music, ASMR, and so on.
Live Channels, Clips and Videos
A common misconception about streaming platforms and channels is that they only showcase live streams. While that may be true for some platforms, the most popular platforms, and streamers also have clips and videos that are saved for viewers to watch while they aren’t streaming live.
For those who don’t know, clips are short videos similar to reels on social media platforms. They’re often comedic or show highlights and special events. Videos are longer than clips and often show content of a more explanatory nature.
However, there aren’t really any rules on what type of content should constitute clips or videos. Once you have chosen a category, you can choose whether you want to watch live channels, clips, or videos. You can also use filtering options to search tags or choose languages.
Subscribers and Views
To help you decide who’s worth watching, look at how many subscribers and viewers the different channels have. Most platforms have a sorting toggle to help with this, where you can sort the list from highest viewers to lowest, for example.
For clips and videos, look for indicators such as how many times the video has been viewed or how many likes a clip has. The general rule of thumb is that the content with the most views and likes or the channel with the most viewers and subscribers is the best to watch.
However, thousands of fantastic streamers have yet to be discovered and, therefore, wouldn’t be able to compete with already established channels and streamers. If you don’t like the channels or streamers with the highest stats, move on until you find those you like.
Like, Subscribe, Follow
Whenever you find a streamer or channel that you enjoy watching for whatever reason, subscribe to the channel and follow the steamer. By doing this, you will have them saved in your profile for easy access, and you can select to get notifications about new streams and posts.
Remember, the Choice Is Yours
The most important thing about choosing a streamer is to choose them based solely on your preferences. How many subscribers, followers, or likes any content has doesn’t depict that you must enjoy it.
We’ve often heard of people who like the most unpopular streamers so much that they could watch them doing absolutely nothing. This sounds weird at times, but the truth is that nobody can tell you what to stream – the choice is all yours.
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