Intro

Music has always been with u.s., shoulder to shoulder. We've enjoyed the brightest moments and made it through the darkest times together. Music can unite nations, bring peace, and inspire desperate and hopeless people. That's why music doesn't leave united states of america in these mod times. With the development of live streaming technologies, musicians now have an opportunity to share their art with people all over the earth. Isn't it somewhat magical?

In this commodity, we are talking about one specific focus: live music streaming. We will comprehend the more than bones stuff for the beginners, as well as discuss some serious and challenging topics like how to monetize the live stream and what platform to choose. If you desire to learn how to share your alive music with the world or make your live stream more exciting and attractive to new audiences, we will gladly assist you out. Stay tuned.

Setup for streaming live music

Setup for streaming live music

The very outset question that pops in your mind is probably nearly streaming equipment. Just, even if you are new to live streaming in general, the answer shouldn't perplex yous. All you need is your PC, preferably a webcam, your music production equipment, and a streaming app (like OBS Studio, for instance). That'southward the bare minimum, bold y'all have a stable internet connection.

Now, permit's talk more nearly your options here. The improve the PC you have, the smoother your live stream can exist. Alive streaming does require lots of resources from your motorcar. However, the operating system is pretty much irrelevant. It can be Mac, Windows, or even Linux. In some cases, though, a simple smartphone tin exercise the job.

As for a webcam, you want to brand sure the motion picture quality is good enough for you. Pro live streamers tend to invest in more than expensive professional cameras. However, every musician understands that sound always comes first, doesn't it? Therefore, you may focus on having a good microphone to aqueduct that beautiful voice of yours — or perhaps the purple sound of your guitars.

The side by side step on the menu is the music product equipment. Well, you probably know what you lot need better than anybody else does. Some top stars live stream right from their luxury studios, whereas other musicians merely do it with an acoustic guitar and nothing else. It'south totally up to you to decide where to stand on this calibration.

Live streaming setup for musicians

Finally, you need to choose your alive streaming software. The about popular ones are OBS Studio and Streamlabs OBS. The latter has more exciting features to offer, including donation alerts, custom overlays, integrated chat, etc. Both of these apps are absolutely gratis and require no specific knowledge to install and become live.

Summing upwardly all of the above, the bones live streaming setup is:

  • Device to live stream from (PC or smartphone)
  • Webcam and mic
  • Music product equipment
  • Live streaming app
How to prepare for live streaming

How to set for live streaming

Thorough grooming is the key to success. Although nobody can stop y'all from going alive and improvising everything, your viewers might not appreciate all the upcoming fails. Here are some steps you may want to consider before hitting that "live" button.

✅ Think over your prepare

Allow's say you have a bunch of songs you lot want to perform. A adept idea would be to think of them as the pieces of 1 big puzzle. You could even create something reminiscent of a story. A well-planned set also alleviates unnecessary stress.

✅ Pay attention to your appearance

Looks are important. Non only does a good look attract more viewers, merely information technology also emphasizes the level of your commitment and respect. Therefore, make certain you wait the way you would like to present yourself to the world.

✅ Warm up earlier going live

Another great idea is to warm upwards a lilliputian bit right earlier going alive. Depending on the music yous produce, you might want to do some vocal exercises or play your instruments for a few minutes. Stretch those chords and fingers!

✅ Make certain everything is prepare

The last and near important preparation stride is to double-check that everything is okay. Make sure the equipment works smoothly and y'all expect and sound great, and test it offline. It is essential to know what your viewers will see and hear.

Ways you can make money live streaming your music

How to monetize live music streams

Alive streaming wouldn't gain such popularity if yous couldn't make money with it. There are many means for musicians to monetize their alive music streams. Permit's comprehend some of the most popular and profitable ones.

1. Donations and fan subscriptions

With each passing year, online donations become a more than and more than reliable source of income for live streamers. Partly, information technology is due to the growth of the live streaming marketplace. Regardless, people are willing to tip the artist online. Notwithstanding, that's not the only way a live streamer tin make coin. Paid fan subscriptions tin as well add to your income.

Well-established live streamers go partners or affiliates with the major platforms like Twitch, Facebook, YouTube, etc. Platforms accept dissimilar requirements you lot should encounter earlier yous are eligible for a partnership. After yous become an affiliate, your live streams can whorl ads, which your audition views. This is essentially how monetization works. The more than views your live streams have, the more money you get.

3. Simplified partnerships

Considering of the COVID-nineteen pandemic, musicians can now use some new revenue opportunities. For instance, Bandsintown allows yous to qualify for a simplified Twitch affiliate programme for absolutely free. There'due south some good news for SoundCloud artists as well. The music platform has teamed up with Twitch to help artists go the Affiliate status much easier and quicker.

4. YouTube Super Chat

Permit'southward say a alive streamer has i,000 viewers watching them performing their music. With then many people on the channel, the chat can become absolutely nuts. It can be barely possible for the streamer to interact with the audition. That's where YouTube's Super Chat comes to the rescue. Viewers tin pay to leave pinned comments so that the artist tin can read them more easily. The game is simple: the more y'all pay, the more characters you tin use and the longer your comment stays on the screen.

The best streaming platform for music live streams

How to cull a streaming platform

Finally, we've come to the most important part of the bargain, which is choosing the right streaming platform. Nowadays, in that location are dozens of cool platforms, simply only a few are particularly great for musicians. These are YouTube Live, Facebook Live, Instagram Alive, Twitch, and Twitter. Without further ado, let's briefly describe each of them.

Read subsequently: Alive streaming 101 — tips & checklist 📍

YouTube Live

We starting time with YouTube Live. Why? Well, because it's the biggest one. Equally many every bit 85% of teens in the US use YouTube regularly. Every single popular artist, 1 way or another, appears in that location. YouTube Live constantly grows and attracts more than people. Musicians are no exception to this. Due to the COVID-xix pandemic, hundreds of artists, like Dua Lipa and Ben Gibbard, are giving live home concerts, streaming Q&A sessions, and just video blogging hither and there.

Facebook Live

Apparently, Facebook is actively trying to compete with YouTube for the number-one spot. And due to the recent troubling COVID-19 situation, Facebook is really doing a cracking job at keeping upwardly with YouTube. James Corden'southward #HomeFest, Billboard Live At-home concerts, Armin van Buuren'due south DJ sets, and many more events are hosted by Facebook Live. Now is only the best fourth dimension to join the party and be heard.

BTS live music performance on Facebook

Instagram Live

To be honest, Instagram Live has already blown the market place. Then far, the platform is absolutely dominating with world-class performers like Coldplay, John Legend, and Pink giving at-home mini-concerts. What is the reason backside this? Well, probably because live streaming on Instagram Live is the simplest thing to do. Yous take your smartphone, tap a few buttons, and you're live!

Coldplay live music performance on Instagram

Mixcloud

This adjacent brand new streaming platform is especially great for musicians concerned about the current copyright law state. Since Mixcloud has licensing agreements with the music titans like Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, and Merlin Network, you tin forget almost the unfair claims, muted audio, and other copyright issues. On Mixcloud, yous can easily live stream your DJ sets, podcasts, radio shows, and other audio-focused content.

Mixcloud

Twitch

Another groovy platform for live streaming your music is Twitch. Though originally designed for live streaming video games, today'due south Twitch is a wonderful identify for dissemination nearly annihilation, including music. Diplo, Morgan Page, Laidback Luke, and many more peak-notch artists oftentimes alive stream on this platform. Twitch is especially great for newcomers showcasing their talents, whether you are writing your ain music or doing covers.

Moran Page live music performance on Twitch

Twitter Alive

Exercise you take hundreds of followers on Twitter? Then, it's a no brainer to live stream your music at that place! One of the biggest advantages of using Twitter as your streaming platform is the amount of people constantly trying to find some amusement. It is a keen identify for starters as well as for experienced musicians. For instance, Mike Shinoda scoped his "Corona Jam" via Restream.

And now, to the most interesting part. You don't necessarily take to cull a platform to alive stream on. How come? Restream Studio allows you to cull from more than 30 social channels to multistream, including the ones we've described above. Moreover, you lot don't demand any tertiary-party apps, every bit you just stream from your browser!

👉 Learn more: Restream Studio: Everything you need to know

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💪 Wrapping everything up

Hopefully, you've read all of the above. But in example you're lazy and want some quick answers, hither's the TL;DR. To start live streaming your music, you need the post-obit streaming equipment: a PC or smartphone, a webcam and microphone, your music production equipment, and a alive streaming app. The almost popular means to monetize your live streams include donations and subscriptions, revenue from ads, simplified partnerships, and tips in YouTube Super Chat.

And finally, there are five leading streaming platforms for musicians: YouTube Live, Facebook Live, Instagram Alive, Twitch, and Twitter. Luckily, y'all don't even have to choose anything. By using Restream Studio, you can multistream on every single 1 of them and even more!

You now know everything y'all need to start sharing your music online with the whole earth. All-time of luck to you lot. Keep on dreaming!