The platform acquired by Amazon in 2014 is the hangout for all lovers of video games and online challenges. It allows you to stream events for free
Those who are not fans of video games at most will have heard of it, but those who are certainly know it well: we are talking about Twitch, the streaming platform born in 2011 that was immediately colonized by thousands of videogamers to broadcast live streams of their games.
Purchased by Amazon in 2014, Twitch is both a site and an app for iOS, Android, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3 and 4, Amazon Fire TV, Google Chromecast, Roku, and NVIDIA SHIELD. Twitch is now one of the main sources of Internet traffic in the United States and has introduced over time several features that make it similar to a social network, such as the ability to send private messages to other users or Pulse, a kind of Facebook timeline. Some streamers now broadcast on Twitch also artistic performances or simple moments of everyday life, but the bulk of content remains related to the world of gaming.
How Twitch works
We can use Twitch even without signing up, but only to watch: we can not enter the chat and comment, nor can we create our own list of favorite channels, nor send messages to other users. When we enter Twitch we are greeted by a large slide where we find the content suggested by the platform. Immediately below are the recommended channels and the recommended categories. Finally, we find the recommended channels for some selected categories: for example Fortnite and Four Talks. We can browse Twitch content from these quick links, from the search bar at the top center or from the “Browse” tab.
How to broadcast on Twitch
In addition to watching content on Twitch, we can also create it by streaming it. From these broadcasts, thanks to the affiliate program, we can also make some money from advertisements on our videos.
To broadcast on Twitch we first need to install a broadcasting app, like OBS (which is free). Then we need to log into Twitch, go to our Dashboard, search and select a game or category, and enter the title of the broadcast we want to start. We now switch to OBS where among the settings we will have to choose Twitch as the streaming service and click on “Optimize”. Back from the Dashboard of Twitch, now, we will have to select the Stream Key associated with the transmission, copy and paste it into the appropriate field within the settings of transmission on OBS.
At this point, from the menu of OBS select Game Capture as the source of streaming, then choose the game and select OK. Right-clicking on Sources will open additional options, from which we’ll have to choose between Monitor Capture (to stream everything displayed on our monitor) or Video Capture (to stream the webcam signal). Then we click on Start Streaming to go live.