Why It Matters
Most people want to get paid for playing games but quickly get disappointed by their lack of growth. What most seem to forget is that, first and foremost, streamers are entertainers and entertaining is not easy. While anyone can hit “Go Live”, you need to captivate your audience to be a successful streamer.
How to Approach Content Creation (in General)
While not explicitly related to VTubing, YouTuber Coffeezilla put out a video talking about his 10 years of content creation. In it, he highlights lessons he learned during this time making content.
I would recommend watching the full video, but for me the most relevant takeaways were:
- Focus on the Long-term – Getting into content creation to make money will show in your work. Getting paid to do what you love is great but it should not be your immediate goal.
- Things Take Time – Not everyone will be successful right off the bat. Expect to fail. A lot. Focus on knowing what type of content you want to create while being flexible enough to course-correct when needed.
- It’s More than Luck… – Not everyone is going to go viral. In fact, having one “successful” video go viral does not necessarily turn into long-term success. Focus on honing your craft and learning from your mistakes. Focus on what makes your content unique rather than trying to game “the algorithm” or clout chase.
- …But Luck is Still a Factor – While hard work is key, luck still plays a role. It’s a matter of what you do with that luck that determines your success.
Things to Consider Before Starting (for VTubers)
Content creation is not as easy as it seems. There are a lot of things that happen behind the scenes that most people don’t realize. In the video below, artist VTuber Squiiji highlights the behind-the-scenes time and money sinks that most people don’t see.
A lot of very important things are covered in this video but the most relevant takeaways for me are:
- Consistency is Key – Upload consistency is a key factor the algorithm looks for and also lets your audience know when you’re streaming next.
- You Need to Be a Jack of All Trades – Being a VTuber requires a wide set of skills like video editing, thumbnail creation, social media management, etc.
- You Need to Be Entertaining – What makes you stand out from the competition?
- Networking is Important – This will be covered in other sections.
- You Need Drive/Passion – If your goal is to sit around and play games all day, you won’t get very far. Your interest and passion (or lack thereof) will show in your work and your audience will be able to tell.
- Models/Assets/Art Can be Expensive – Think long and hard about your character design because rebranding can be costly.
- Computer Hardware – This is covered here.
- Investing in Upgrades – This is covered here.
- Prepare for Negative Interactions – This is covered here.
How to Be Entertaining When No One is Watching
The most important thing you need to learn is how to being entertaining, especially when no one is watching.
The video above by VTuber Zekoz covers a few things like how to stream to 0 viewers. He highlights that if you only entertaining when you notice someone is watching, you’re already too late. Ask yourself: “If someone clicked into my stream right now, would they have a reason to continue watching?”
How to Stand Out as a Content Creator
With thousands of VTubers to choose from, the novelty of being a VTuber is no longer enough to stand out. In the video below, VTuber Randon Neuring goes over what you should focus on if you started VTubing today.
The most relevant takeaways for me are:
- Find your Niche – Make content about something you are extremely passionate or knowledgeable about.
- Break From the Crowd – There’s always going to be overlap in interests but do not simply copy what larger VTubers are doing.
- Larger streamers can do variety streams because they already have an audience, not the other way around.
- While mainstream now, large streamers like Ludwig and Jerma started out streaming niche content like Melee and TF2 respectively.
