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Streamlabs beta could make Mac livestreaming a lot better
Let's not sugarcoat it: livestreaming on Macs tends to suck. Even if you're not streaming games, there's a dearth of high-quality broadcasting tools to add a professional level of polish. Now, however, you shouldn't have to struggle. Streamlabs has released an open Mac beta of its version of OBS that delivers the alerts, overlays, audiovisual controls and chat management that many streamers take for granted. It'll handle familiar services, too, including Twitch, Mixer, Facebook and YouTube.
Fox Sports will air a 'Madden NFL 20' tournament on March 29th
Fox Sports' NASCAR esports race was a success, and it's betting that it can repeat that achievement with football. FS1 is planning to air its first ever Fox Esports Madden NFL Invitational on March 29th at 7PM Eastern. The two-hour event will pit players (remotely, of course) against each other in a single-elimination, three-round Madden NFL 20 tournament. There are only eight players, but they include a mix of analysts and pros such as Derwin James (above), Matt Leinart and Michael Vick.
Bandsintown helps musicians make money with Twitch concerts
Bandsintown wants to help musicians pull in money during the COVID-19 pandemic in addition to promoting their shows. The discovery service is giving artists free, "fast-tracked" access to Twitch's monetization systems to help them generate money from livestreamed concerts. If all goes well, they'll quickly get affiliate status on Twitch and thus make money from subscriptions and bit donations. Performers will need to have 2,000 or more Bandsintown followers and a link to their Twitch channel in their Bandsintown profile. After filling out a form, they should get affiliate status in two to five business days.
SoundCloud links up with Twitch so creators can earn from livestreams
SoundCloud has teamed up with Twitch to help musicians financially affected by the coronavirus outbreak. Artists, even famous ones, have been livestreaming performances to reach audiences stuck in their homes due to the pandemic. For those who are losing paid appearances in the coming weeks and months, it's also a way to earn some income. Under this partnership, all SoundCloud Pro, SoundCloud Premier and Repost by SoundCloud creators will get their Twitch Affiliate status fast-tracked. By gaining Affiliate status, they'll be able to earn revenue from the performances they stream on Twitch.
Entertainers pivot to video as coronavirus shutters clubs
The Coronavirus pandemic is quickly converting America into a nation of shut-ins, resulting in the closing of nightclubs, dance halls and comedy rooms. Like many other professions, this has put thousands of performers, musicians and stand-up comics in dire financial straits. But as the classic adage states, "the show must go on" -- especially for entertainers whose livelihoods depend on them getting onstage in front of a crowd. As the Dropkick Murphys (DKM) showed the world on Tuesday, the show can go on, even if there's no audience around.
Mixer's new homepage showcases streamers it poached from Twitch
Mixer has recruited its fair share of former big-name Twitch streamers, and it wants to make sure you see them. Microsoft's livestreaming service has introduced a reworked homepage that includes "more focus" for featured material, including broadcasters -- if you didn't already know that Ninja, Ewok and Shroud were exclusive to Mixer, you will after this. You'll still get AI-guided recommendations if you'd rather discover creators that reflect your personal tastes.
Pokimane signs multi-year deal to stay on Twitch
Another big-name Twitch streamer has signed an exclusive deal... this time, to remain exactly where she is. Imane "Pokimane" Anys has struck a "multi-year" deal to stream exclusively on Twitch. The terms of the arrangement weren't revealed, but she and United Talent Agency had significant bargaining chips. Anys is one of the top ten most-followed streamers on Amazon's service with 3.9 million supporters, and she's the most-followed woman -- losing her would be a significant blow.
YouTube lures three more top streamers away from Twitch
Twitch is once again losing some big-name streamers to YouTube. Lannan "LazarBeam" Eacott, Elliott "Muselk" Watkins and Rachell "Valkyrae" Hofstetter (above) have announced that they'll livestream exclusively on Google's video service. It's not a completely surprising move when the three are already big YouTubers, and it makes particular sense for Valkyrae to join her colleague CouRage. Still, it's a big blow at a time when Twitch is already reeling from an exodus of high-profile broadcasters -- the trio have a total of 21 million YouTube subscribers.
Twitch Hype Train rewards hot donation streaks with free emotes
Hang around a large-enough Twitch channel and you'll eventually see a sub or bit train -- a moment where the hype kicks off and the streamer ends up with a mountain of donations. Twitch wants to seize on those sprees. It's launching a Hype Train feature this week that hands out free emotes to donators when they fill up an on-screen meter. A train starts when enough subscriptions or bit cheers occur in a certain amount of time (streamers can choose a threshold). After that, any subs or 100-plus bit cheers contribute to the meter. There are five levels of emotes with five levels each, so you'll have an incentive to keep frenzies going for a while.
Roland's Go:Livecast is a livestreaming studio for your phone
If you hear the word streamer, what do you think? An expensive gaming PC, perhaps, with a decent webcam and microphone attached to a boom stand or headset. The truth is, however, that many lifestyle streamers -- those who create content around cooking, music, or sharing beauty tips -- are thriving with just a smartphone. Roland is targeting these mobile-centric creators with Go:Livecast, a tiny streaming hub that makes it easier to hook up extra gear, adjust audio levels and respond to commenters.
Corinna Kopf is the latest top streamer to jump to Facebook Gaming
Facebook still isn't done snapping up big-name Twitch streamers. Corinna Kopf, who's also known for her YouTube presence, is switching to Facebook Gaming for livestreams. Her first stream on the service will take place December 30th at 7PM Eastern. She explained the move as "expanding [her] gaming career," and saw Facebook as a place that "empowers" both her as a woman gamer and her community. Facebook is providing the "support and tools" to make that growth happen, she said.
Twitch loses another top streamer, this time to Facebook
Yet another high-profile Twitch streamer is jumping ship, but this time it's to an unusual destination. Jeremy "Disguised Toast" Wang (best known for streaming Apex Legends, Hearthstone and League of Legends) is leaving the service in favor of Facebook. While his pre-recorded clips will still be available on YouTube and other platforms, his live shows will be exclusive to the social network.
Mixer streamers can limit clip-making to their regular viewers
Ask livestreamers about their gripes and they'll probably complain about the glut of user-made clips. It's not uncommon to see multiple clips for the same event, seemingly pointless clips or even creepy clips that take moments out of context. Microsoft might have a way to prevent those junk videos in the future, however. Partnered Mixer streamers now have the option of restricting clip creation to people who've achieved a minimum rank in their channels. If you're a broadcaster, you could use this to limit clips to regular viewers and keep out the trolls.
'Fortnite' star Ewok is the latest Twitch streamer to switch to Mixer
Yet another prominent streamer is leaving Twitch for Microsoft's Mixer. Soleil "Faze Ewok" Wheeler announced on Thursday that she will stream her upcoming Fortnite play sessions exclusively on the platform starting "soon."
YouTube reinstates accounts of Markiplier fans banned for emote spam
YouTube's occasionally questionable moderation is once again in the spotlight, and this time the victims are particularly prominent. The service says it has reinstated legions of Markiplier fans' accounts after they were banned simply for spamming emotes (and not even to a great degree) while voting during a live playthrough of the interactive movie A Heist with Markiplier. Not all of the accounts have been restored, Markiplier said, but YouTube added that it was "looking into" both why human moderators denied appeals and how it might "prevent this in the future."
YouTube streamers have another way to make money: selling stickers
Streamers on Twitch and Mixer have a number of ways to make money, including subscriptions, bits/embers and donations. YouTube has monetization options too, such as paid subscriptions and Super Chat (i.e. paid comments pinned to the top of a chat). One of the latest is animated stickers viewers can buy to show their support for creators.
Top Twitch streamer CouRage jumps to YouTube
In the wake of several high-profile streamer departures from Twitch to Mixer, Jack "CouRage" Dunlop is also jumping ship. But instead of going to Microsoft's platform, CouRage will stream exclusively on YouTube.
Gothalion is the latest big Twitch streamer to switch to Mixer
Add another major streamer to the ranks of those jumping from Twitch to Mixer. Well-known Destiny streamer Cory "Gothalion" Michael (aka KingGothalion) has announced that he will exclusively stream on Mixer starting on October 29th. He explained it as not just a boost to the channel, but a "partnership" that would help gaming as a whole. It would offer "platform-level input" in addition to getting backing from a heavyweight like Microsoft, he added. As with earlier converts, Mixer is offering free one-month subscriptions to early viewers.
Germany synagogue shooter livestreamed attack on Twitch (updated)
Unfortunately, mass shooters are still livestreaming their attacks. Twitch has confirmed to CNBC that the shooter who attacked a synagogue in Halle, Germany was broadcasting the murders on its service. The company has pulled the 35-minute clip and reiterated its "zero-tolerance" policies against hate and violence, adding that it would ban anyone trying to repost the material.
Twitch revamps channel pages to help you tune in to streamers
Twitch has unveiled a slew of improvements for viewers and streamers alike at its annual TwitchCon event, and one of them addresses one of the most basic challenges: deciding who to watch. It's revamping channel pages to provide much more information to prospective followers, including a YouTube-style channel trailer, stream schedules and more overall detail. Given that many streamers have to resort to easy-to-miss handmade schedules or unofficial add-ons, this could be helpful for clarifying just when you can expect to see a broadcaster online. The refreshed look should roll out later in 2019.
