reddit.com/r/streaming
Streaming has become a huge niche in the past decade. From movie streaming services to game streaming, there is a vast range of content to choose from. When you use the word streaming, you generally refer to the gaming community. A streamer is a person who streams live games, commentary, and other forms of content that the users get to watch in real-time. With game streaming, you don't have to buy physical games and can jump into the action without those installations and updates.
Streaming, while seemingly simple, has many challenges. First, the person streaming needs a consistent internet connection which can help keep the stream stable. Not only does the recording equipment have to be high-quality, but the internet speed too. There are more people that love watching streamers than the ones actually streaming. But in recent years, every individual with an interest in sharing his/her abilities starts a channel.
Why do people resort to streaming?
Gaming consoles start around $300, but gaming PCs can cost over a thousand dollars. Streaming services have become popular in recent years as they allow you to play games with the same experience thanks to a server rack in the country. You just need a PC or mobile device to get started.
We've learned a lot about streaming so far, and now we want to focus on one of the most popular streaming communities on the internet - r/streaming.
My recent experience on r/streaming
I recently upvoted a post by a fellow Redditor Andrufb who shared about his insecurity regarding the viewership decline. He explained that he was drawing nearly 75 viewers on average during the quarantine. However, since the quarantine is ending in Spain, his numbers are no longer the same. The drop-in numbers have resulted in him losing his confidence. He is self-doubting and now feels that he will never be able to reach the partnership requirements i.e. 50 viewers. He then asked questions and suggestions from fellow Redditors about how to regain his confidence and improve viewership numbers.
I voted on this post because it portrays some of the common streaming issues that beginners face. When you start streaming, there are a lot of obstacles that you need to overcome. When I saw this post, I could relate because when I started streaming, I couldn't make it big right away. It might take years and even a decade for me to reach sustainable numbers. And there is a lesson for all aspiring streamers in this post - don't give up! Keep going
About r/streaming - Community & Members
The community has approximately 18,500 members out of which, 60-100 members are online at any given time. This subreddit was created on February 17, 2009 and has tanked recently. For a community to exist for over a decade and only muster 20,000 to 25,000 members looks bad. However, most of the members on this platform join it approximately 50% of those have joined it within the past 2-3 years. So, the sub showed an upward trajectory until the start of 2020. Since the turn of the year, this sub has attracted only 400 new members.
How to access r/streaming?
If you?re not already a Reddit member, you can sign up here. Once you do, you can follow subreddits, comment on posts, and even post anything on any of the subreddits.
Moderators of r/streaming
Although it is not the biggest community out there, r/streaming does have some quality and helpful content. However, there are also spammers and promoters who just want to lure innocent users into deep waters. Most of the time, they'll link to malware which can cause a lot of problems. And that's why moderators are important in maintaining the decorum in the group.
I found four mods on r/streaming - Misio, TonightsWhiteKnight, BRKSwifty, and cuckbutt. These mods ensure that every content on this platform meets the rules and guidelines set by the community.
Why should you follow r/streaming?
On this page, you'll find various types of content. You'll find people ranting about a service, then there are those who are seeking support from the fellow community members. You'll find discussions, queries, news, information, and hacks related to the streaming world. You can also join the "Discord" server wherein you can take the conversation off Reddit and become a part of the exclusive community.
Community Engagement
The engagement rate for the small community is not good. There's no doubt that the content is cool, but few people seem to interact with the posts. For example, the recent experience that I shared above only received 3 upvotes. On average, no post receives 10 upvotes on any given day. The standard upvotes are between 1-3 which is quite abysmal. And that's mainly because a lot of streamers are just trying to convince fellow members to watch their streams.
Playback
The videos are not posted on this platform. All streamers just share the text or an image and provide a link to the stream. Hence, the sub is not laden with heavy media files that could tank the server. The playback via the links is smooth and browsing and navigation on the sub itself are not much of a problem either. You get all your standard Reddit features to find the content you need.
Reddit Gold
Yet again, I didn't expect anything from r/streaming in regard to gold. Since the engagement itself is not up to the mark, there's no way people are going to award golds. Most self-promoting subreddits face this issue regularly. As a streamer looking to gather clout from this platform, I'd just recommend not having too many expectations.
Filter by flair
Another downside of this subreddit is the lack of a Filter by Flair option. It can be confusing to browse through all of the posts when there are so many of them, and it would be much easier if there was a section for filtering posts by their flairs. Unfortunately, r/streaming doesn't have this feature in the sidebar, so you have to scroll through a lot of posts to find something that interests you.
Important rules you must know before joining r/streaming?
Before you start streaming on r/streaming, it's important to know the rules. If you don't follow them, your post could be removed and you might even be banned from this page for life. So, please read these rules:
Please refrain from using hate speech in any of your posts. It is not acceptable here at the forum. Thank you for your cooperation.
to keep your account safe.
To keep your account safe, follow Reddit's rules.
No ads from unapproved third-party entities will be shown on our site.
here
This is not a Low Effort Forum. Posts that are low effort will be deleted.
Don't post your streams on the subreddit too often.
Design
It's a shame there is no ?New? section.
The most positive thing about this subreddit is that the icon and cover image are recognizable, and at least this way, you can understand that the mods seem to care about the platform. There are three options in the header - Posts?, Wiki?, and Discord?. Under that you have the ?Create Post? section followed by the feed. Towards the right, you have ?Community Information? followed by ?Rules & Guidelines?. It's a shame there is no new section.
Most Upvoted Content on this subreddit
Some things steamers are doing wrong are getting 175 upvotes.
?
To increase viewership on this subreddit, try posting more content that is appealing to subscribers.
My friend is doing a 24-hour charity stream to help pay the funeral costs, starting at 2 pm GMT (9 am EST).
on my first stream, and a $50 donation from an affiliate
Last night, I streamed my first game on Twitch and received 44 upvotes. Additionally, a $50 donation was given to me by an affiliate. This has taught me a lot about streaming and making affiliates last night.
- congratz!
I just got my first subscriber on Twitch, thanks to 39 upvotes!
Most Upvoted Content 2020
Hi everyone! Here are 5 things you should do during your streams: get 36 upvotes, be interactive, be positive, be fun, and make sure your equipment is working properly.
I'm addicted to new streaming channels! 35 people have upvoted this, so it's likely that I'm not the only one who thinks this.
to your profile
Would you like me to help you get Affiliated? I can give you 31 upvotes to your profile if you'd like.
so far today.
I frequently upvote posts in this sub - 32 upvotes so far today.
!
Before you start streaming your game, make sure to do the following:
Conclusion
Streaming site r/streaming is a great place for Steam users to get started. However, before starting out, it's important to read the top posts. I myself enjoy watching small creator Emilia Gardner, who provides blogging information via YouTube Live. She might only have a thousand subscribers, but her content is raw and she takes real care to hear what other community members have to say. That's what resonates with me.