Introduction
Streaming has been increasing in popularity over the past decade and that’s mainly down to services like YouTube and Twitch offering a convenient platform to do that on.
In fact, we dare say Twitch lead the charge first or at least came up with the best solution.
Streaming originally started as a way for gamers to show off their skills or to engage like-minded people, however, it’s gradually evolved into something you can do for a myriad of reasons including gorging yourself on food in an untamed mukbang session.
Some other popular alternatives to game streaming include playing cards, playing D&D, and even streaming car journeys.
You can get really creative with streaming which is why we think it’s becoming more of a hobby for people rather than just a service you provide to make money.
In fact, we’re going to address that question right now including giving you the top five reasons why we love it.
Let’s take a look.
Is Streaming a Hobby?
Streaming can definitely be a hobby and that’s because you can do it for your own personal enjoyment; not only that but it’s an excellent platform to define who you want to be and you can even allow you to specialize in something that’s relevant to you.
As we mentioned above, although streaming was mainly designed with the idea of streaming video games, you can actually stream whatever you want providing you enjoy it or want to build an audience in the relevant area.
In fact, some people stream very basic things such as car journeys, train journeys, family events, and basically anything else that would pique someone’s curiosity.
You can really get inventive with streaming which is one of the reasons why we love it as a hobby.
Let’s take a look at some of the other things we love about it.
You Can Observe a Lot by Watching: 5 Things We Love About Streaming as a Hobby
1. Streaming can make you money
What’s better than doing the things you love? Well, doing the things you love and getting paid at the same time, obviously.
In fact, streaming can be so lucrative that you could eventually quit your day job if you do it right and if you can connect with your audience in the right way.
Imagine that, making enough money that you never have to work again and can sit playing video games or doing what you love every day.
That’s the reality for quite a few people out there which is why you should definitely knuckle down if you want to achieve that kind of success.
It’s true that for video games the streaming market is quite saturated, however, new game releases are a good opportunity for you to make a name for yourself but you can also try streaming other activities that haven’t had a niche carved out yet.
With that said, even if you were making a bit of extra income on the side, it’s still better to get paid for the things you love doing than not so don’t be disheartened.
2. Streaming can reveal things about yourself you didn’t know
When you’re in the public limelight, you’re basically putting your entire personality and image on display for people to observe or critique.
This can highlight certain traits about yourself that you never knew you had which may seem daunting at first but can actually be really helpful to develop yourself into the person you want to be.
In fact, many popular streamers have had sessions with the now-famous Psychologist cum YouTuber “HealthyGamerGG”, otherwise known as Dr. K.
Although you might not get to that level of introspection or observation, it’s still important to self-reflect from time to time and streaming can be a great way to do that including getting outside opinions on things.
3. Streaming can improve your streaming subject matter
It goes without saying that you’ll either crumble or thrive under the public spotlight when it comes to the crunch, however, once you get past those beginner’s nerves it’s quite common to find you get better at whatever it is you’re doing on stream.
For example, if you play video games you’re more likely to start taking them more seriously when you have potentially thousands of people watching you.
The same goes for more obscure streaming material such as mukbang; your setup and execution are likely to get much better the more you stream.
This can be a blessing in disguise especially since you may not have got as good without the added pressure of people watching.
This might allow you to propel yourself to stardom once you get good enough or at least allow you to carve out a solid following to make guaranteed income every month.
4. Streaming can develop transferable skills
Not everyone who streams becomes massive or super successful, however, the trials and tribulations you need to go through to stream in front of an audience can quickly accelerate the development of important skills such as time-management, public speaking, planning, and basically anything else that would be desirable in other job roles.
In fact, when you have no one else to rely on but yourself, it’s even more impressive for potential employers who are seeking a high level of pro-activeness in their subjects.
Anyone who has ever streamed or made YouTube video content will tell you that it’s no walk in the park; this helps to toughen you up and can make you far more independent where you’ll become more confident when approaching new topics or tasks.
This can also help you navigate your personal relationships with finesse and can even improve things like your friendships.
Never underestimate the power of skills developed in the periphery to your main goal — they can really help you excel at many other things in life.
5. Streaming can be a good way to make friends
Streaming, like many other hobbies, can be a great way to meet like-minded people and make lots of new friends.
You’ll regularly be engaged with your audience through the chat client that runs alongside your video stream meaning they’ll be able to chat in real-time and vice versa.
You may fall prey to chat trolls and might even have the occasional mega-star drop in to gift you some subscriptions, but for the main part, it will be people who love you for who you are meaning you’ll be able to make strong relationships.
Another point we wanted to add is that gaming can be an isolating hobby and streaming opens that up to a world that is often invisible — basically there are millions of other gamers out there doing the same thing who want to connect and chat about it.
FAQ: Top Streaming Questions Answered
Is streaming considered a job?
Streaming can be considered as a job especially if your goal is to make money from it or to market certain services.
In fact, the service you offer is usually your own personality, however, we have seen some businesses successfully leveraging the streaming platforms to sell physical products too.
Unlike a traditional job, streaming is not guaranteed to make you a paycheck at the end of the month meaning you’ll need to have a backup in case it fails.
How long does it take to become a streamer?
This varies for nearly every streamer; some streamers can become famous overnight whereas most will need to build an audience for several months before it becomes popular.
With that said, you can start streaming straight away and technically that would qualify you to call yourself a streamer.
We recommend streaming for a new game release or trying to find an under-saturated niche if you want to become a successful streamer more quickly.
How hard is it to get into streaming?
Streaming can be very hard to get into, especially since most games already have an established base of professional streamers taking the majority of audiences away from smaller channels.
It could take you many years of streaming without pay to get to where you want to be which is why we recommend playing something you’re passionate about as it’ll feel like less of a chore.
With that said, the best things in life take many years of dedication before you become proficient or successful at them which is why you shouldn’t be disheartened too early.
Conclusion
You should now know that streaming is indeed a hobby and one that can help you make friends, develop important skills, and might even set you on a path to become a superstar who makes millions every year doing what they love.
If you’re trying to become a streamer on already popular games then it might take far longer than you’d expect to gain an audience, however, we don’t think you should compromise if that’s what you’re most interested in.
As always, if you enjoyed our article or found it helpful then don’t forget to bookmark our homepage.
You can also browse other pastimes on our massive list of hobbies which includes similarly geeky pastimes and more.
