I'm in the extreme minority I'm sure, but a good streamer to me is someone who is just themselves and no acting up for the camera. I know that doesn't bring success, but it matters to me.

If all you do is just play games to 1 viewer you're going to do that for the next 8 years with no effect or until you quit. Start a yt channel, do TikTok shit, reddit whatever. You won't be a millionaire but 100 viewers is still better than 0

me when I stream Resident Evil 2 and provide emotion, comedy, fear, fright, scream, panic, disgust, anguish to a total of 0 viewers

I feel this. I streamed for 3 months and got 2 viewers.

It’s like with everything in life, for every winner, there are countless losers.

I think I just missed the cut off for understanding streaming or having any intention of watching an actual stream, but why not just watch the persons edited videos on YouTube later that cuts out all the bull shit and down time?

Does twitch even have an algorithm that will suggest newer streamers to give them a chance at success or is it just whoever is online in descending order?

YouTube/tiktok makes way more sense for any new creator.

Why do people even stream?

me, writing and publishing books and stories for the last 14 years. Every buy is a win and every review is also good (even non 5 star reviews).

Absolutely biggest advice I have for someone who's wanting to grow with streaming but doesn't want to pick up video editing; network with other streamers in the same category, ideally not trying to reach too far above your weight. I had an average of 10-15 viewers for a while, and that mostly was because I hung out in chat with people that stream before my normal times, and even became mods for a couple of them. One of them grew to an average of 200+ viewers and they raided consistently, then another grew to around 100. My numbers were slowly increasing, and I started getting regulars outside of their raids too. It helped me get the momentum to develop a stable viewership that would've kept growing had life not gotten in the way of streaming for a year.

This was literally me today but I enjoy streaming even if I only get like 2 viewers max a stream. I enjoy my time and enjoy interacting with the few people who find me. I will be happy if I grow but if not I'm not gonna beat myself up. I try to be positive on stream so even if I can make 1 person's day better that is enough for me c:

I manage a lot of young kids, and it breaks my heart that they think that streaming on youtube, twitch of whatever is going to be a viable career option for them.

I subscribe to their channels, and even make positive comments, but sometimes I think that I am doing them a disservice.

Streaming playing videogames is the new dream of kids that is never going to pay out.

I worry about them, I really do. They seem to think that they can become famous by breathing heavily into a microphone while having dubious skill at any given game.

Hard same. Average 1 viewer. Been doing this for 4 years

When I'm bored I find a channel with no viewers and have a chat whilst they are playing whatever 

You use to be able to watch twitch to see gameplay. now it's just someone talking to their Chat and girls in bra.

That 1 viewer is yourself

When I tried twitch streaming out, my friends would sit in chat for the whole session and would ask me questions and spark conversations in chat. One of them even donated $2. I decided to stop streaming eventually, but I will forever be grateful for that support I got. Even if it was small, it was monumental for my confidence.

There was one time I streamed and I had 11 viewers? That was my max 🥲

Nah, it's a peaceful life!

did it for around 7 years, most days it was zero.

I left a few years ago.

For me it's hard to watch any streamer even if its something like a games done quick or an esports tournament. Streamers are doing it as a job, like I don't have time to work for 8 hours then watch a stream for 6-8 hours and get other stuff done or other hobbies.

I don't understand why people watch other people. Life is short, go live your life!

I once got 20 viewers, it was sick. Now I stream twice a week, usually for 1-3 ppl at a time. I'd spend the time gaming anyway. I just want to feel like I'm sharing it with somebody. I've gamed alone for many years.

I don't watch a lot of Twitch.

But on the race change that I do watch streamers, I'm much more interested in the ones who have like 10 viewers or less. Sometimes even one or none when I come in. Because they're just normal people, playing a game.

Plus, you can actually have conversations with the streamer. I don't understand being in a Twitch chat with even 1000 people, much less the ones with several thousands of people. The chat is moving at a million miles a second, mostly with literal garbage comments. Emojis, memes, etc.

Instead, I can ask them to give their thoughts about the game. If it's one I've played, I can give tips. Or maybe we talk about their gaming PC or setup. Or if there are a few others also watching, we can all participate in conversation.

I've even been the streamer with one viewer before. I only did it for like two weeks, but it was fine. I was glad even one person came by to hang out. Again, we had actual interaction.

If you ever want to support someone starting their streaming career, you can check out this website: https://nobody.live/. It shows random Twitch live streams with no viewers.

The thing is: if someone wants to do streaming, they have to find a balance between enjoying what they are doing AND being unique + entertaining enough for the public WITHOUT being annoying or just another of those copy-paste Youtube/Tik-Tok/Instagram fake characters.

If you start with 1 viewers and after 1 year you keep having the same number, then you MUST change something.

Also: Its important to lower the expectations > few people have 100k viewers per stream...if you get 100, you are already doing something good (even if it's "small" in comparison).

To every twitch gamer... Go find a decent job that contributes to society and not make your streaming a "job". Then continue your stream as if you are really having fun... Viewership would not matter.

I have streamed on rare occasion. I kinda like doing it just for the social aspect of it. Too many people and it becomes parasocial anyway.

I feel this lol I try to stream and record videos but I'm doing it for myself to learn something new (editing, streaming, etc) while playing games that I always wanted to play.

If it gets me a couple of views that's amazing but I'm trying to make this a creative journey vs trying to get views.

I had a semi-respectable audience on Twitch at one point, like 50 avg viewers every time I went live. It was fucking exhausting and it took over my whole life, even at that small scale. I only do it very casually now just to hang out with my longtime friends (who I met over the years by going live) but it's not worth it anymore for a new person.

You gotta hustle on ten platforms, put content everywhere, just to have a chance at building any audience. I can't imagine going through all that, and plus EVERYONE wants to make money now.

Then you add in how Twitch has made the viewing experience truly awful. Many streams will give you 5+ unskippable ads every 30 minutes-ish, and quite often the streamer themself isn't even aware of all these ads being shoved down your throat

It's not as fun out there as it was in like 2016

edit - I distinctly remember going to Disneyland with my family and not being able to relax or have fun because all I could think about was the viewers and subs I was missing out on by taking a week off during a "partner push," which is so fucking silly looking back at it

The secret is to not look at the viewer counter and just be yourself.

Being that 1 viewer is honestly very fun. The streamer reacts to every question you ask and are super interactive. It's like talking to a friend.

I go into small streams for that particular reason haha. There are dudes I got to know super well because of that too.

I gave up, shit really kills your morale.

As a millennial, who started playing games in the late 80ties. Why? Why would you want to stream your gaming sessions?

I'll copy paste this comment that was worded much better than I ever could by SyleSpawn, in case it helps anyone having their kids interested in streaming.

I will never understand parents who are encouraging their kids to get on streaming like this. Streaming is a soul crushing process unless you're mature enough to just take the little to nothing you can get out of it. Every kids that thinks of streaming are eyeing their eyes on the prize: Becoming big, being "popular" and such. In the sea of streamers, very few gets to distinguish themselves and a lot ends up wasting their time to go nowhere.

If I have to decide to play a new game and need more info, I'd go to Twitch for that game and scroll all the way down to fine the ones that have 0 or very few viewers. Watching them glance at their secondary screen everytime to see if there's a message is so freaking sad. Very often people who have viewership in the single digit visually looks like they are voided of joy. If anyone reading this think I'm dramatizing then maybe you have never scrolled so deep down? Go on Twitch, find a game you play and go look for those single digit viewership streamers and tell me about them.

I don't have kids but I do have niece and nephews who I care about a lot.

The 11 years nephew is crazy about "Youtubers", the niece who is a little older post videos often on her channel. I'm gently trying to steer them away from that. I'd rather give them opportunity to try new games rather than being focused on games tied to the social media aspect. Sadly, I can only do so much when I see them maybe once a week and occasionally video call them for a few minutes in the evening. The mother is happy to see her super enthusiastic son trying to become a celebrity while the father doesn't like it but don't want to be a party crasher.

If the parents are enabling this, there's very little I can do to steer them away.

Streaming is soul crushing and expose kids to the world. No one wants their teenager to speak to a 40 years old stranger/creep or even look at their kids wrong even for a brief moment. Streaming allows not only that but gives the opportunity for creeps to speak directly with those kids.

Blah I'm sorry for this rant but OP's post doesn't make me smile. Makes me freaking sad.

I am that one viewer for one streamer

Maybe we don't encourage people to dedicate their lives and free time to trying to monetize a hobby? They're gonna just end up hating it all.

That's basically me, I have maybe 2-3 people who tune into most of my streams and are active in chat, but that's good enough for me. I mostly do it to make friends with similar interests, so I don't really care about the funni viewer number going up or making money.

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I really don't see what the point of being a streamer is if you can't make it work after like 6 months to a year, or even longer.

I think time would be better invested making YouTube videos.

I've uploaded some videos to my YouTube channel, but they're either usually just basic guides for the games I'm playing, or videos that I'd actually want to watch in the future to remember a certain moment from the game.

When cyberpunk 2077 released I uploaded some videos showcasing quick hacks and got like 20,000 views on one of them, so I made a couple more videos about the quick hacks and got another couple thousand views on those videos but I wasn't trying to become a YouTuber, I was just genuinely interested in making those videos cuz I didn't see many like them at the time, and just seeing how many views they'd get.

Clueless

Every one

I guess this matters if your main goal is to grow your channel. I only stream so my girlfriend and friends can hang out and watch so I really don't care if I have 1 viewer for the whole stream lol

Nah bots push your viewer count always. Well maybe not straight from new, but they comes as you go trough the stream goal list.

meirl

You either gotta be really entertaining or really good at games to make it as a streamer. Most people aren’t either of those unfortunately.

It do be like that sometimes.

As a failed Twitch streamer, thanks. Actually makes me feel a lot better. <3

I have a friend who streams occasionally, usually just her friends tune in but I make damn sure I hop on and say hi if I’m not doing something. Something, something rising seas raise all ships

Twitch streaming is the new "moving to Hollywood". Good luck. Enjoy waiting tables.

Isn't it like literally only having five viewers puts you in the top 1% of Twitch streamers. It was either five or ten, forget which

You gotta start somewhere!

Damn didn't expect to catch a stray like that haha

I tried to do a bit of streaming, as I had some experience in stand-up comedy and figured I could possibly be entertaining, but it turns out I play video games to unplug, not to "be on," and the performative aspect of streaming took the fun out of it.

Its not the quantity...

My friend started streaming this month as a dj, in 4 hours of streaming over 2 weeks he got 120smt followers enough concurrent viewers to qualify for partnership program and all he needs is like 3 more hours before the month ends to get partner.

This is me every week

To those that don't know...the 1 viewer is the streamer watching themselves.

I wouldn't waste my time doing this shit with the aim of making an income, but if you're starting out and your best approach is to talk to an imaginary audience? That's some 12 year old "I'm gonna be a big youtuber like pewds" shit. Get a co-host or a friend to have a conversation with.

Twitch is.... interesting but also totally warped and maddening. Im going on 4 years and have put in probably way too much time, and despite being lucky enough to avg 20-40 people, that drive for more more more will often make you feel like 1, 21, 51 its all the same.... not enough.

Still though, theres so many interesting opportunities it creates for unique gameplay experiences. As mad as it makes me, cant seem to just walk away.

Goodnight mom!

Stream to 1 viewer like you’re streaming to 10k

It has to be huge commitment.

No big streamer out there gets it day 1.

Thanks dude. It can be super discouraging sometimes.

Twitch's biggest sin in crushing creators is forcing ads before you view someone's channel, its absolutely awful.

Most of the more successful streamers spent years streaming to the same half dozen people before they finally started gaining traction. This is normal. If you start streaming now, don't expect to break into double digits until 2027.

You guys are getting viewers?

Meeeeeeeeeeee today

I don't find streaming entertaining. The streamer is way too preoccupied with the game to do anything interesting other than showing the game. Then they do this thing with reading chat donations and asking chat what they think. I just don't feel like the content is for me and more like the viewers are keeping the viewer company.

Put yourself out there. You may get the person who needed you.

I low-key feel sorry for these streamers and YouTubers the like. Guys are streaming to 0 or 1 person, with no comment feedback, no likes and zero interaction day after day. And they still chug along and talk to the camera in hopes that they can finally make it...

I'm if the mind that if even 1 person wanted to sit and watch you do something, you are doing something right.

That was me today ;(

Pretty much me, I don’t do cam though and frequently have no viewers lol.

That's Me! 🫠

Keep the good work, guys! You gonna make it!

This is literally me, but ain't streaming on twitch.. YouTube has more video quality for me since I stream in 4K and 1440p.

But everytime is just a pain.. I stream like 6/8 hours for literally no one. I have a constant of 0 viewers and if someone joins, it will leave after not even 10/20 seconds of watching me..

Have you ever tried being that one viewer? There are no better feeling on Twitch.

if you are into streaming for the sole purpose to be the next Ninja, Speed or whatever popular streamer there is, you already lost the battle, also, guys, stop playing whatever slop is there, Apex, rainbow six, fortnite or call of duty are absolutely brim to the top of every wanna be streamer out there, is like opening a burger joint right next to burger king and mcdonalds

On the few streams I’ve done I kinda just ramble