I don't know about you, but I was lucky enough to have robust music programs in school all the way from preschool to senior year. Music and the arts add something to our lives that honestly beyond measure--but not wholly intangible either.
From 14-20 May, dozens of musicians will be performing on [Twitch] to raise money for the [Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation], an organization that helps promote and facilitate music education in schools. Participating streamers can be found by searching "Saving Music Live" or checking out the [Music Community]. Out goal is to raise at least $3000, but I think we can smash that!
If you donate at least $10, you will receive a download code for an exclusive, 26-track album of streamers covering original music by other streamers. [Streamer Song Swap vol. 1] is packed with amazing songs, interpretations, and production. I am unspeakably proud to be a part of it! My song "Frank's Song (So Long and Thanks For All The Fish)" was covered by Grey Sky Symphony (SlothTimeLord) and closes out the album. I had the absolute pleasure of covering Ryan Samuel's (Maalstromme) "In the Picture", a wistful song that reminded me so much of the rainy day I learned to play it that I included a rainstorm effect as an instrument track.
The site we're using, [CrowdRise], has a minimum donation of $10. If you just don't have the scratch to spare, don't despair! You can donate any amount via PayPal [directly to Mr. Holland's Opus] and while you may not get the album early, know that after the event the album will be completely free to download on Bandcamp. It's set to private now, but bookmark the [album page] to check back when it goes free to the public!
If you are able to donate and wish to receive an early copy of Streamer Song Swap vol. 1, don't forget to include "Metricula" in the comment field of your donation so that I can make sure you receive your download code. If you're on Twitch, one of the admins will whisper the code to you. If you aren't on Twitch or have any problem whatsoever receiving your download code, make sure you leave "Metricula" in your comment field and contact me via blog comment, Facebook message or comment, [Twitter @], [Twitch whisper], or email.
Please help me make this a success, and make sure to follow [SavingMusicLive] on Twitter for updates.
Not signed up for Twitch? Do it! It's also the week of the 24/7, 18-day [Mister Rogers' Neighborhood] marathon/fundraiser for PBS so now is a great time to check out the site. <3>
Wanna know more about the album? Here's a YouTube teaser trailer of all the songs!!
I am now addicted to Twitch and I think everyone should start watching it. I didn't realize it wasn't just games (though I also like watching people stream games too). This is just an overview of how to get started; there are tons of great tutes for software troubleshooting so I didn't get into that.
But srs, I don't even know what I'm doing and I'm having a great time!
Bare minimum
Twitch account, streaming software, mic, camera, your smiling face Twitch Intro
Okay, so get started by having a Twitch account. I'd also make sure you know what YouTube account to export to. Here's some vocab you'll want as you navigate watching stuff on Twitch:
Follow - use the "heart" icon to follow someone to see when they're online; you can also toggle an option to receive notifications when they go live
Host - Streamers who are offline can use their channel as a window to "host" another channel. It's considered props to host another channel, but it's not expected etiquette. There is a setting to make a list of streamers you would "auto host" when you're away from Twitch and automatically switch to the next channel when someone goes offline
Subscribe - Channels that are partnered with Twitch have a "sub" button. I don't know what the per cent break down is, but it confers a special badge and emote icons for subs. Applying for partnership is an option if your channel is popular enough by their metric
VOD - "video on demand" - Twitch stores your past broadcasts for a couple weeks. If someone misses your stream, they can watch the VOD on Twitch or you can download and upload it to YouTube
Highlight - VODs only stay on the server for a couple weeks, but highlights last forever. Clip your favorite parts into 1-5 minute highlights that will always be available on your channel. These are also easy to export to YouTube
Raid - When one streamer ends a broadcast, they will often look for another streamer to host on their channel, which adds their viewer count to the next channel. This is "raiding" and considered a fun way to give props. Many streamers also have a "raid call"; for example, Lady Orange's raid call is "Orange Crush!" Raids are a great community building and music discovery tool
Encouraged Etiquette
Shout out other streamers or regulars when you see them in chat
Thank hosts, autohosts, follows, and tips when you see the alert
Don't be afraid to start and stop songs; keep it light and fun! It's much more like hanging out in a dorm room than giving a concert
Pop in to other streams if/when you have time; there are a lot of the same regulars in ALL the music streamer chats and they rule
External Apps for Stream and Getting Tips
Stream Labs - a must. Link this to your PayPal to make hosting a tip jar much easier. It also has features that make adding chat and alerts to your final stream much easier!
Moobot - a bot to help with moderation and automation; for example, you can make a command (!social or !twitter) to quickly spit back a post about how to follow you on Twitter
Revlo - a service that lets you establish a non-monetary currency that generates over time for your channel that users can spend on rewards (example: RandomGirlSinging uses "tacos" to let people "buy" song requests or CharlyMinion uses "fluff" to "buy" a Discord chat server invite or a custom cross stitch pattern)
Song List - if you want to take requests, have a list people can pick from to make it easier. You can always try a new song live on stream, which is something RandomGirlSinging does to delightful effect. Many streamers use their own sites or Google Spreadsheets to host lists
A/V and Software
There is always better equipment. Many streamers also post their equipment as part of their profiles, but minimum you need a web cam and a mic. My next upgrade will be an audio interface so I can use more of my existing equipment (so many mics...) and analog mixer (Behringer XENYX 802 - $60).
Even an on board web cam mic can work if you're amplifying within the room with analog equipment or running it through a DAW. Of course, interfacing directly with the computer is the easiest!
Reaper - $60 after trial expires; I run my audio through this and use a noise reduction, compression, and light reverb plugins. I don't know jack about EQ but that's next.
MikeTVLive - all original music, professional musician
Assorted Advice (from someone who doesn't really know)
The best way to build an audience is to at least have a few regularly scheduled streams a week, even if you do more than that
If you stream irregularly (like me!) hype it on social media
If you build or import an audience, tips from busking obvs will increase but even without it it's a good way to meet new friends and fans. If you have albums for sale, push them! You could even make bot commands to alert what album the song is available on
Don't be afraid to screw up and try new stuff or talk too much; a lot of people even broadcast rehearsals and practice sessions; do whatever you feel like doing to be entertaining, even if you're mostly just playing for you
People will request Ed Sheeran songs and play Wonderwall earnestly
And here's my first "real" stream as an example! Most people don't do makeup or costumes but I literally have it laying around and every little bit helps! I added a timestamped playlist to the video description and exported a few of the individual songs.
