How To Go Live on TikTok: 8 Tips for Gamers

If you’ve been on the internet at all in the past several years, you understand the power of TikTok. The short-form video platform has had a choke-hold on our brains for quite some time now, and millions of creators are leveraging the app to get their content in front of a massive audience.

Gamers are no exception to that rule. Gaming content has been flourishing on TikTok since the beginning, but it continues to evolve as the app gains more capabilities. Specifically, you can now live stream your gaming sessions on TikTok just like you would on Twitch.

We’re going to talk about how to go live through the TikTok app. There are a few tips and tricks you’ll need to know to make your stream look good and make sure that your audience has a good experience, so keep reading, and you’ll learn how to start streaming on this social media giant.

Why Bother Going Live on TikTok?

Before we get into how to go live on TikTok, let’s talk about whether or not it’s even worth the time and effort. TikTok might be tempting to ignore, but in reality, it can be one of the best boosts to your career as a streamer if you play your cards right.

So, let’s talk about the benefits of live video on TikTok.

Monetization Features

For starters, streaming on TikTok is another way to add revenue to your arsenal. There are plenty of ways you can monetize your TikTok streams, just as there are under any other broadcasting platform like Twitch, YouTube, or Kick.

TikTok Live has a Gifts feature, which allows viewers to purchase unique emotes, emojis, and alerts that will show up on your Live. And you get a cut of all virtual gifts given to your channel. TikTok even offers viewers subscriptions to your Live content, similar to Twitch.

Unfortunately, the revenue split TikTok offers isn’t great. It’s a 50/50 split for live Gifts, as opposed to Twitch’s 80/20 split for Bits and Cheers. On top of that, TikTok doesn’t allow you to run ads on your stream, so there’s no way to make money there.

However, if your Lives grow your channel enough, you might soon qualify for the TikTok Creator Fund, which can be another form of revenue. Not to mention, having a larger audience on TikTok will make you much more appealing to potential brands for sponsorship deals, which can be yet another form of income.

All in all, while TikTok Live broadcasts might not be a large enough revenue stream to sustain you on its own, it can be a great boost to your overall revenue and act as a great minor revenue stream.

Exponentially Grow Your Reach

While the revenue splits on TikTok might not be as good as they are on Twitch, TikTok has one giant advantage over Twitch when it comes to its algorithm. There is no better platform than TikTok for getting your content in front of new eyes that might be interested in what you have to offer.

And this goes for Lives, too! TikTok includes live streams on the For You Page, so there’s a great chance your Lives will get organically placed in front of gamers looking for gaming content in their free time.

If you use TikTok live, you have the chance to find new fans. Not only will you be able to grow your following on TikTok, which can unlock things like the Creator Fund, but it will also drive traffic to your Twitch channel so you can grow there, too.

How To Go Live on TikTok and Be Successful

We know that going live on TikTok can help you make more money as a streamer and grow your audience in a major way. So how do you do it?

Well, streaming on this social media platform is a bit of a unique experience, and there are some secrets to the sauce. Here’s how you do it.

Step 1. Unlock Live Streaming

The first thing you need to do in order to go live on TikTok is to grow your TikTok channel to the point where you unlock the ability to go live. New and/or small TikTok accounts don’t yet have Live access. You have to get 1,000 followers before you unlock the live option.

So, if you don’t have a TikTok profile yet, or your account is still in the beginner stage. You first need to work on your follower count. Get your friends to follow you, and start making content. Follow trends, create original TikTok videos, and hope that some of your videos catch the algorithmic waves and grab you some new followers.

Also, ensure you stay in line with the Community Guidelines, lest your love broadcast privileges get revoked.

Step 2. Get a Stream Key

Once your account has reached the 1,000-follower threshold, it’s time to get a stream key. A stream key is a special code that TikTok generates for you that allows you to stream content from your PC and broadcast software onto TikTok. You need one if you’re going to go live with gaming content from your PC.

However, getting a stream key is easier said than done. Some content creators have simply found their stream keys ready for them in their accounts one day. Others need to go through an application process to get it.

If you’re having a hard time getting a key, you can reach out to a TikTok agency or Esports management firm like CarterPulse to apply to get your stream key.

Step 3. Stream to Multiple Platforms

It's time to go live once you’ve got your stream key. We recommend that you attempt to stream to multiple platforms at once. It’s a great way to kill two birds with one stone, but you need the right software to do it.

If you use OBS, you might need to download a plugin allowing you to stream to multiple platforms simultaneously. But if you use Streamlabs, you can stream to two platforms with the free version at the click of a button, assuming you’ve got a good internet connection.

Step 4. Format for Vertical

It’s important to remember that your stream will look way different on Twitch than on TikTok. Twitch is formatted for horizontal content, and TikTok is for vertical content. So, you need to ensure that each output in your broadcasting software is formatted for the right platform so nothing gets cropped out.

Streamlabs makes it easy to do. You’ll just have to overlay different parts of your stream and sacrifice some of the sides of the screen. But you can absolutely get a great-looking vertical TikTok live stream with a little bit of formatting work.

Once you’ve inputted your stream key, elected to broadcast to multiple platforms, formatted for vertical, and made sure everything works, you’re ready to hit the live button and start streaming.

Step 5. Interact With Your TikTok Audience

Streaming to multiple platforms can be tricky. You want to make sure that you interact with both of your audiences throughout the stream so that the stream feels personal, no matter where you’re watching from.

This is likely going to take some practice. Just make sure that you have the chats from both platforms visible at all times so you can react to and engage with both platforms. It can be tough to balance, but it’s worth the extra effort.

Step 6. Be Consistent

As with any content creation or influencing quest, the most important thing you can do is stay consistent! It’s so important that you stream on a regular schedule. Your fans need to know when they can expect you so they can tune in more often.

This can make or break your streaming. So, make sure you pick a streaming schedule that is realistic and manageable for you so you can stick with it for the long haul.

You also need to be consistent with your quality. Utilize good lighting, minimize background noise, come up with visual branding for your channel, and plan out your streams so they are intentional and entertaining. You can’t succeed without quality, engaging content!

Step 7. Collaborate

Collabs are one of the best things you can do for your content. Collabs allow you to overlap your audience with another creator, and it’s one of the fastest ways you can get your stuff in front of new people and grow your audience.

So network with other people in your field or even in different areas of the internet. Ninja got famous for streaming with Drake. Feel free to reach out to all sorts of different creators to work with. You never know what that moment could be that made you.

Step 8. Call To Action

Finally, it’s always important to include a call to action in your content. Sometimes, people just need that extra reminder to engage with your content. The reason you hear creators say “like and subscribe” all the time is because that really works.

So when streaming on TikTok, remind the TikTok users to drop a follow. Remind them to go follow you on Twitch for more content. Remind them to use those if you’ve got sponsorships or affiliate links. All of these calls to action help your engagement and income grow! Just remember to keep your CTAs brief, informative, simple, and well-placed.

TikTok Live Can Change Your Life!

It might seem crazy, but TikTok’s live-streaming feature can truly change your life as a gaming streamer. If you catch the right wave on TikTok, you can watch your channel explode in real-time. So, if you haven’t already, get involved with TikTok live so you can grow your audience across multiple platforms and continue to grow your audience as a streamer.

For more information about streaming and content creation for gamers, check out Powder's pricing and their revolutionary AI tools for streamers.

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