Buying into the Streaming Gear Hype: Was it Worth it?
Do you find yourself clicking on shopping recommendations from TikTok or BuzzFeed? Titles vary, but they’re somewhere along the lines of “If you’re doing X activity then you need Y things.” Maybe it sounds like, “If you want to be a successful streamer, buy these streaming gear!”
It feels like now, more than ever, there’s this strong and prevalent push for the idea that to do ANY activity, there are items or tools that we need to buy just so we can do it “right” or “better.” Whether that activity is relaxing, cleaning, or live streaming.
Sometimes, that’s true: buying those items or tools makes a HUGE difference. But honestly, most of the time, it doesn’t matter.
I told myself I wasn’t going to spend too much since I figured I wasn’t going to do it forever. It helped that I already had a lot of the gear I mentioned before I even thought of streaming. But I still ended up with purchases that I regret after I was done.
I did try my best to get as much use as I could, out of my purchases even after streaming. It didn’t always work, but that’s what this blog is here for, so you can learn from my mistakes. Oh and look at that! This is me getting a brand new use out of that Twitch streaming experience as content for my new channel.
Alright, now back to the topic at hand. Twitch streaming gear: How much I paid for it, and if I still think it’s worth it now that I stopped streaming.
NOTE: The prices listed were accurate as of the time of publication. The price may or may not change by the time you’re reading this.
Table of Contents
I’m going to start this off with artwork and graphics, and I broke this down into 3 separate parts. I’ll tell you why later. First, I want to have a moment of silence for my poor, unpaid artist. This unpaid artist made all my custom art for free, with unlimited revisions.
The unpaid artist (me).
But only because it would be silly to pay myself. Please pay your artists though.
In case you don’t know, I studied illustration and graphic design, so I made all the graphics myself. While it didn’t cost me money, it did cost me time, so keep that in mind. My experience on Twitch didn’t just end when the stream did. I was working on the artwork outside that stream time.
The reason I’m splitting the “artwork upgrade” into 3 separate parts is that each of them serves a different purpose. Each art upgrade also comes with a different impact on your audience.
The 3 parts are going to be: your overlay, your panels, and your badges + emotes.
Art Upgrade 1: Overlay
Now your overlay is basically the art or graphics that go on top of your stream. This can be as simple as a frame around your webcam, plus a live counter of subs & followers.
Alternatively, you can go all-out and include names of new followers, subscribers, gifted subs, donor names, and the amount they donated, etc. The point is you’ve got options. I’m including the “starting soon,” “brb,” and “ending” screens as well.
| Overlay art | Prices on Etsy | What I paid |
|---|---|---|
| $8 and up | $0 + my free time | |
| VERDICT: | NOT worth it! |
Again, I made all these graphics myself so I didn’t spend money on it. I did, however, spend a lot of my time.
Honestly, most of the graphics would just end up cluttering your screen. If you know how to make your own, I say go for it. But I don’t think it makes sense to pay to clutter your stream.
Trust me, you’re going to get excited to show off the names of your followers and subs, then the donations, then the amount… Before you know it you can barely see your game, drawing, or your face. You know, the thing or things you really should be highlighting in your stream.
If you really want some art in there, consider investing in an animated webcam frame. If you’re extra, include the name of your most recent subscriber, donor, or sub-gifter. Mainly because those 3 names are your paying customers, so to speak.
For everyone else, pop-up alerts are fine, and you can make that for free. If you want to know where I did mine, stick around for the end.
Art Upgrade 2: Panels
Let’s talk about your panels. This goes in your “About” page, usually as headers or banners. It can be as simple as a solid or gradient bar with text, OR it can be a little extra, like mine. Under that, is the “body” section where you just type out the relevant information.
These can also be clickable links to your social media page, like Instagram.
This is something that almost everyone can make themselves, using free programs, or maybe a site like Canva.
| Panel Art | Prices on Etsy | What I paid |
|---|---|---|
| $4 and up | $0 + my free time | |
| VERDICT: | Worth having, but NOT worth paying. You can do it yourself for free. |
Twitch panels are something that almost everyone can make themselves. You can use free sites like Canva.
However, you are limited by not being able to save it with a transparent background. But I don’t think that’s a big issue when you’re just getting started on Twitch.
See why I had to separate the artwork into different categories, instead of a blanket “Twitch art stuff” group?
This is because of how the Twitch “About” page is structured. It adapts to your device or window’s size, so it’s essentially a free-for-all. So if all you have is pure text, it can get messy and confusing really fast, depending on how much information you have in there.
That little JPG or PNG banner is going to make a world of difference in user experience!
Art Upgrade 3: Badges + Emotes
Finally, the one you’ve probably all been waiting for: EMOTES (+badges)
From my experience, viewers were more excited about the emotes. Now, I stopped streaming before the Twitch overlords finally graced its users with animated emotes. So I only have experience with regular JPG or PNG emotes.
People love instant gratification, which is what the emotes and badges are. You pay to subscribe and then you get access to these. Of course, you have to stay subscribed to keep using these but that’s beside the point.
I custom-made my emotes to resemble my childhood friends and my husband. Why? Because they’ve been part of my Twitch escapade (hah!) from the start. After I made affiliate, I found out you only get 1 emote slot to start…
| Emotes + Badges | Prices on Etsy | What I paid |
|---|---|---|
| $4 and up | $0 + my free time | |
| VERDICT: | Worth having, but ONLY AFTER you become affiliate. |
I was devastated because by then I had already made 4 emotes.
So I uploaded them on the Discord server I use with my friends. They got instant & free access to all the emotes I made as soon as I finished one.
Yes, it’s worth it. But, this comes with a HUGE disclaimer: don’t pay for anything until AFTER you reach affiliate at the earliest. Also, do one emote at a time. I think emotes are a better investment than badges since your subscribers can use them in other streamers’ chats.
Don’t spend a lot on your first one, since you CAN change them after you’re making an actual profit.
I know some people save the best for last, but today, we’re not doing that. We’re gonna skip straight to the best part, cause you deserve it!
DISCLAIMER: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means I earn a small commission from purchases made through links in this post, but it doesn’t cost you extra. This helps support me, so thank you!
Streaming Hardware 1: Microphone
Look, I grew up on late 90s-early 2000s graphics, so my eyes can handle a lot of “meh” quality. But my ears? YOUR ears, especially with earbuds? Or worse, headphones.
Our ears deserve better than having to strain to hear someone talk over loud background noises. Our eardrums deserve to be spared. Whether it’s from sudden peaks in volume caused by screaming from horror games or sudden loud alerts.
| Audio-Technica ATR2500x-USB | Same or similar item on Amazon | What I paid |
|---|---|---|
| $53.99 +tax Find my microphone here. | $119 +tax (not including boom arm & pop filter) | |
| Boom arm | $17.95 +tax Find my boom arm here. | |
| Pop filter | $14.99 +tax (comes with 2) Find my pop filter here. | |
| VERDICT: | YES, absolutely worth it. |
Obviously, you don’t have to spend as much as I did. There are a lot of pretty good reviews for something like the Blue Yeti snowball, which goes for as low as $40+tax. It would probably still be better than most built-in microphones included with earbuds, headphones, and webcams.
Definitely do your research, but don’t feel compelled to get one before you start. You don’t even have to get the BEST one right away. I’m just saying, that if or when you’re ready to invest money for your streaming career, I would put the microphone at the TOP of the list.
This was by far the best streaming gear I ever purchased.
Streaming Hardware 2: Webcam
If you don’t plan on even showing your face you can skip this.
BUT if you do want your audience to see your beautiful face, then I recommend a webcam. Technically, I already had my webcam for at least 2 years before I even started streaming. This was because I regularly have video calls to talk to family and friends overseas.
| Logitech C920 HD 1080p | Same or similar item on Amazon | What I paid |
|---|---|---|
| $62.98 +tax Find my webcam here. | $60 +tax | |
| VERDICT: | Worth it. |
I understand that a lot of shy and/or introverted people like me are hesitant to show their faces, but I DO recommend it. I believe that a huge part of the live streaming and Twitch experience in general is connecting with your audience. Showing your face helps a lot.
It might not sound like there’s a connection, since you as a streamer would be staring at a lens. But I swear once the conversation is going, it just works.
Streaming Hardware 3: Mirrorless camera
I feel that the whole webcam versus camera question is pretty prevalent when you’re getting into streaming. I’m only including this since I know a lot of you want to ask.
Now, to be clear: I did NOT use my camera while I was streaming from 2020-2021. I got a camera back in 2019 for personal reasons.
To use it for streaming, I would have needed a power cable, so I don’t have to rely on battery. Then, I also needed a cable to connect it to my computer, or a capture card (around $100). Then, I would have to get a tripod AND set it up behind my desk, which wasn’t viable for me.
| Canon EOS M50 | Same or similar item on Amazon | What I paid |
|---|---|---|
| $629 +tax and up. Find a renewed version of my camera here. | $700 +tax (mine included a 15-45mm lens) | |
| VERDICT: | NOT worth it for streaming. |
Look, I streamed myself playing video games. My face only took up about 20-30% of the screen, at most, and that’s all you need. But even if your face takes up the whole screen, chances are most of your viewers are watching on their phones.
I honestly don’t think this counts as an upgrade; stick to a webcam.
Streaming Hardware 4: 2nd Monitor
I’m not going to include the first monitor since obviously, you need that to do anything in the first place.
But if you’re live-streaming versus pre-recording, I’m gonna go ahead and guess you want to socialize with your viewers. In that case, you’re going to NEED to see the chat.
If not, please let me know in the comments WHY you’re streaming, because I think you’re not quite getting the point. But I can also be wrong and you have an alternative reason, and now I’m curious.
| BenQ Computer Monitor (24″) Height & tilt adjustable, with built-in speakers | Same or similar item on Amazon | What I paid |
|---|---|---|
| $ 159.99 +tax Find my monitor here. | $ 159.99+tax | |
| VERDICT: | NOT worth it for streaming. Worth it for other things like productivity though. |
Honestly, I only got the second monitor only because I’ve been debating about it for a couple of years at this point.
So I figured why not kill 2 birds with 1 stone? It’s great for drawing or design work since I’m able to see reference photos without switching windows/tabs. Not quite necessary for Twitch streaming, unless you have a huge active following. Honestly, I was doing fine using just my phone or the tablet my husband already owned.
Miscellaneous Twitch “Upgrade” 1: Lighting
I get it, even if viewers only see a tiny face on their phone, you still want to look cute. The good news is, you don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars to do that.
Instead of a fancy camera, what you need is better lighting, and I don’t even mean a ring light. Literally, a lamp near you would be good enough.
Sure, you can get fancy if you want, especially with RGB, but honestly? You don’t NEED it when you’re just starting. My husband got the smart RGB bulb ‘cause he’s extra, but I don’t think it’s necessary.
Although since I had it anyway, I made it so viewers could redeem their points by changing the bulb’s color. They had fun with it, so that’s something.
| Smart RGB light bulb | Same or similar item on Amazon | What I paid |
|---|---|---|
| $35.99 for a 4-pack. Find a similar lightbulb here. | $49.99 +tax for a 4-pack (the lamp I got for free from a friend who was moving) | |
| VERDICT: | Worth it. Though most desk lamps would do. |
We were lucky enough to have gotten the floor lamp itself for free from a friend who was moving.
Honestly, the only – or at least main ways – you can mess up lighting is to not have one, or place it wrong. Think having the light directly on top, or right under your chin for some reason.
You would be giving “scary stories in the woods with a handheld flashlight” vibes. I suppose it could work if you’re playing a horror game.
But otherwise, I recommend at least a desk lamp near you. As far as streaming setup upgrades go, this can be one of the cheapest, yet most effective. Just have to make sure you’re not feeling extra.
Miscellaneous Twitch “Upgrade” 2: Spotify Premium
If you’ve been watching YouTube, you probably know what copyright strikes are. Simply put, if you use a media you don’t have the right to in your video or stream, for example: music. Then they can take your video dow—
You get the point. Although, this would be a pretty good transition into a sponsorship for copyright-free music. If I had one!
I tried to talk as much as I could, but talking non-stop was not an easy thing for me. I also turned off most or all my in-game sounds, because I was iffy on whether it would get me a copyright strike or not.
But awkward silence was not the vibe I wanted to promote, so I made a Spotify account and played StreamBeats. Specifically, I would play his lo-fi music. This is NOT at all sponsored, but if they want to…
Anyway, the ads got pretty annoying so I caved and paid for the ad-free experience.
| Spotify Premium | Price | What I paid |
|---|---|---|
| $ 9.99 per month | $ 9.99 per month | |
| VERDICT: | NOT worth it. |
If I was less lazy and more committed to really doing Twitch long-term, I probably would’ve just downloaded the ones I liked on the lo-fi playlist. I’m sure they’re available for download somewhere.
Miscellaneous Twitch “Upgrade” 3: Twitch Extensions
I don’t know what else to call these other than “Twitch extensions.”
Specifically a chatbot and stream alerts. I was lucky enough that my husband and some friends were available during my streams to act as chat moderators. But as we all know, life has its way of…getting in the way at times, so I couldn’t and didn’t want to only rely on that.
Thankfully there are quite a few options out there for chatbots. The gist of it is that you can automate certain things. Actions like posting reminders about chat rules or even putting people in time out. You can set it so that certain words or phrases trigger automatic responses.
But what I truly enjoyed playing with was stream alerts. I used Stream Elements and linked it to my Twitch account. It recognized real-time updates like new followers, subs, bits, and donations. You can customize the text or image, and even the sound it makes when it’s activated.
| Stream Elements | Cost | What I paid |
|---|---|---|
| FREE with sign up | $0 (Just make an account) | |
| VERDICT: | Worth it. Plus it was fun to learn & play with. |
Honestly, the alerts alone are definitely worth it. It’s free to sign up for, and it’s usually pretty easy to learn. I think this is better than paying for cluttered overlay art. The alerts only show up when triggered and only stay for as long as you set it to (I preferred 30-45 seconds).
To summarize:
| Twitch Upgrade | What I paid | Worth it or not? |
|---|---|---|
| Overlay art | $0 | No. |
| Panels | $0 | Yes, but not paid. Learn to make it yourself on Canva. |
| Emotes + badges | $0 | Yes, but only AFTER you make affiliate. |
| Audio-Technica ATR2500x (microphone) Check recent prices here. | $119 +tax (not including the boom arm and pop filter) | YES, absolutely worth it. |
| Logitech C920 HD 1080p (webcam) Check recent prices here. | $60 +tax | Yes, worth it. |
| Canon EOS M50 (mirrorless camera) Check recent prices here. | $700 +tax | NOT worth it for streaming. |
| BenQ computer monitor Check recent prices here. | $159.99 +tax | NOT worth it for streaming. Worth it for other things like productivity though. |
| Smart RGB light bulb Check recent prices here. | $49.99 +tax (pack of 4) | Yes. Though most desk lamps would do. |
| Spotify Premium | $9.99 per month | No. |
| Stream Elements | $0 (Just need an account) | Yes. Plus it was fun to learn & play with. |
Conclusion
You might’ve noticed I mostly mention non-hardware upgrades. This is because I’m not really big into learning/retaining hardware specs. So I don’t feel qualified to talk about that for gaming and/or streaming needs.
Even back when I did my own research, I promptly forgot everything I ever learned as soon as I bought whatever piece of tech I needed. My Excel sheet becomes gibberish to me, the knowledge is just – POOF- gone!
