My Keyboard Stream Set-Up(s)
Thinking about streaming keyboard builds on Twitch, but not really sure how or where to get started? This is the first entry of my series where I break down different sections of how I became a Partnered streamer on Twitch by building keyboards.
Disclaimer: this is all based on my own experience, and what worked for me might not work for others. This is meant to be a starting point, in case you don’t know where to start. Also, the links below are affiliate links, meaning I get a small commission when you use my links to buy products. There is no additional charge to you, and it helps support me! Thank you~
Background
So, prior to building keyboards, I already had a community on Twitch from playing video games. I pretty much learned about keyboards from other streamers/friends, and my gaming community learned with me. The keyboard community slowly found me over time, but if there’s one thing I’d like to point out, it's that the keyboard community is typically very warm and welcoming on Twitch. I came from video games (Dota, WoW), and I would average around 15-20 people. Once I started streaming keyboards consistently, my average jumped to around 50-70 in about 6ish months. Consistency is really important, and with keyboards, it can be hard to have content on a weekly basis. You’re either spending your own money to fund your content or you’re rebuilding the same keyboard over and over again until you have clients or something new. One thing I did was to ask family & friends and slowly created a portfolio from there. It’s important to document the keyboards that you have built, even if it’s a small list. Clients have to trust that you know what you’re doing and seeing a list of the keyboards that you’ve built contributes to the trust. But first things first: getting your stream set up for keyboard building.
First Set-Up
When I first started out, I had to figure out how much money I wanted to invest in equipment. I wasn’t really sure if I’d even enjoy building keyboards on stream but I knew that if I was going to, I wanted to make sure that the quality was good. I wasn’t ready to drop a lot of money on a camera so I used my phone. If you have an iPhone, Elgato has an app called Epoc Cam ($8) that turns your phone into a webcam. There are other alternative apps but that’s the one I used. I bought a cheap mic stand, phone holder, adapter, and a long cable for my phone. The reason I went with a mic stand was because I was worried about my camera shaking as I was working on my desk. You’ll need the adapter as it attaches onto the mic stand and allows you to put on the phone holder. It’s important to make sure your phone is plugged in so it doesn’t die halfway through your stream, hence the long cable. I don’t have a photo of my first set-up but I’ll break down what each set-up consisted of.
Note : I’m only referring to what I use to stream keyboards, not streaming in general. I’m assuming most people already have their own streaming set up (face cam, pc, mic, etc)
Phone Holder ($8) : https://amzn.to/3RlIFQw
Mic Stand ($40) : https://amzn.to/3x1YwvH
Adapter ($7) : https://amzn.to/3TRSIyn
Phone Charger Cable ($16) : https://amzn.to/3KQptYK
Total ~ $80
In case you wanted to see the quality of the stream using this set-up, here was my first stream using the phone camera : https://www.twitch.tv/videos/870940287?collection=h0hJqs-KWRZJaQ
In my opinion, having a top down camera that doesn’t move or shake is important when it comes to build streams, hence why I went a mic stand off my desk. A c-stand was too expensive at the time. As I began to stream more keyboards, I slowly upgraded my parts. The biggest change was getting a Sony A6000 and a table top stand.
Second Set-Up (ignore the mess)
Overhead Table Top ($200) : https://amzn.to/3CYkMKC
LED light ($140) : https://amzn.to/3QnqubK
Soft box ($60) : https://amzn.to/3KS7H7q
Tripod Light Stand ($40) : https://amzn.to/3evmOYr
Sony A6000 (new $800, used $350) : https://amzn.to/3TOGQgQ
Dummy battery ($21) : https://amzn.to/3cZpo8u
Camlink ($115) : https://amzn.to/3eqTNNt
Camlink to Camera Cable ($12) : https://amzn.to/3Qle58w
Total ~ $940
There were definitely pros and cons with my second set up, but I used it for a long time. I picked the table top stand because it was sturdy and the camera would only shake if I hit the stand. It’s expensive, but I still use the stand to do direct overhead shots (typing test videos, product photography) so it was worth the investment. Some drawbacks from using this stand is that you can’t adjust it any higher unless you put objects underneath to elevate the whole stand and you cannot tilt the camera. I did feel clustered at times, but I got used to it haha.
As for the new camera, I bought a used Sony A6000 from FB marketplace and kept the kit lens since I can zoom in and out with it. I would recommend getting a dummy battery since a normal battery typically doesn’t last long enough or tends to overheat when used for streaming. You’ll also have to get a camlink or an alternative + a cable so you can use the camera as a webcam.
I would get into lighting, but ultimately it depends on your set up. The light and soft-box were recommended to me by a friend who does photography. The biggest drawback is that it’s huge and takes up a lot of space, but it does provide really good lighting. I also use it for product photography! Before I got the LED light, I was using a softbox lighting kit ($55, https://amzn.to/3D17DjZ) which is a cheaper alternative. My only issue with the kit was the lightbulb caught on fire and luckily, it didn’t spread. To avoid that, I swapped to LED lights so I don’t have to worry about that ever again. I’d recommend going with LED over light bulbs for that reason.
Here’s a stream using the second set up : https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1448870311?collection=h0hJqs-KWRZJaQ
Current Set-Up
Camera Wall Mount ($30) : https://amzn.to/3BlK18y
Flex Arm ($40) : https://amzn.to/3eyaFSI
Cam Link Pro ($360) : https://amzn.to/3RrszoK
LED light ($140) : https://amzn.to/3QnqubK
Soft box ($60) : https://amzn.to/3KS7H7q
Tripod Light Stand ($40) : https://amzn.to/3evmOYr
2 x Sony A6000 (new $800, used $350) : https://amzn.to/3TOGQgQ
2 x Dummy battery ($40) : https://amzn.to/3cZpo8u
Side Tripod ($90) : https://amzn.to/3x1JZjv
2 x Camlink to Camera Cable ($12) : https://amzn.to/3Qle58w
Total ~ $1,630
This is my current set-up! It took me a long time, but I saved up for a standing desk and made a few changes. First thing was swapping from an external cam link to an internal one. I hated using the dongles and my cameras would freeze from time to time. Before buying the internal one, make sure that your motherboard/case have space. Swapping to an internal capture card was one of the best decisions I made, but this is only if you plan on using multiple cameras.
I’ve always used my overhead camera but with the addition of a second Sony A6000, I got a tripod that I put on the side to do over the shoulder shots. As for which one is better, I’d say it’s a matter of preference and what’s within your budget. There are lots of streamers who only use the shoulder shots.
I decided to mount my top down camera to the wall for multiple reasons. I wanted to move away from the table top stand to give myself more arm room and I’m a big fan of not having my camera on my desk to avoid any camera shake. If you’re not able or don’t want to mount anything on the wall, I’d recommend a C-stand. I tried using a desk arm but it wasn’t sturdy enough unfortunately. If you are interested in the desk arm, I’m currently using the Elgato one (https://amzn.to/3RpYxBw) with the aux arm (https://amzn.to/3THTyOl) for my face camera.
One of the drawbacks of having the camera mount would be the wiring going up towards it and if your camera is too heavy, the arm might have a tendency to slouch downwards over time. I’m still trying to figure out the best way to mount my camera, but this is the solution that I’ve come up with so far. I have thought about mounting it on top of my ceiling but haven’t gotten around to testing that yet. With the arms, make sure they’re super tight and it shouldn’t shift unless you actively pull on the cables.
Here’s a stream using my current set up : https://www.twitch.tv/videos/1575814803
If you’re interested in the side view : https://clips.twitch.tv/TalentedSmokyCormorantWholeWheat-AHbzfu7sh_NIvKj-
Closing Thoughts
If you’re just starting out, I’d say start small and go up from there. There are a lot of options out there and each keyboard streamer has a different set-up. If there’s one thing I’d recommend, it’d be figuring out a set-up that avoids camera shake and a clear image. It doesn’t have to be super HD, but it should be clear enough to see what you’re doing. Take a step back, look at your stream quality, and put yourself in a viewer’s shoe. Can they see what you’re doing? Is the camera steady? Would you watch your own stream, based on the quality? There are a lot of things to consider and as a keyboard streamer, it’s important that people can clearly see what you’re building.
Hopefully this gave you an idea of where to start in regards to a keyboard streaming set up. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me and/or join the Discord ❤️
- XXW