There has been a lot of controversy lately around surrounding the tweets of legendary broadcaster @Lirik who went off about small broadcasters who request donations or have an expectation of making money from the get go.
If you are a new broadcaster on @twitch and you already have donation overlays / donation links you are doing it wrong.
— LIRIK (@LIRIK) May 11, 2016
I put up a tip jar after 1.5 years of streaming. If you don't start your “streaming career” with “fun” in your mind, you are fucked.
— LIRIK (@LIRIK) May 11, 2016
I tend to agree with Lirik here. You won't even know whether you want to be a streamer until 3-6 months in. If you start asking for donations and rely on the income you become a slave to the stream and you'll eventually dread it. Fun and the thrill of streaming has to be the base of it all.
Also, don't give me this bullshit about “supporting the little guys.”
You don't need money as a little guy, fuck off.
— LIRIK (@LIRIK) May 11, 2016
I started broadcasting when i was 21, in college, and it was a hobby.
I had 10 viewers, 20, viewers, 200 vwrs. Stop acting like u r unique.
— LIRIK (@LIRIK) May 11, 2016
I fucking hate when people are like “YO MAN QUIT MY JOB TO LIVESTREAM SUPPORT THE LITTLE GUYS”
Shut the fuck up, you have 100 viewers.
— LIRIK (@LIRIK) May 11, 2016
It's harsh but true. It's unreasonable for droves of gamers to quit their jobs in the expectation that viewers should support them as a small streamer. The fact is that they haven't even put in any time that that expectation becomes a bit much. If your content is good then it's a moot point because you'll get there anyways.
I streamed on a computer with no side panel, with barely 720p30fps, had to set my games to the lowest quality for a year +. Get the fuck out
— LIRIK (@LIRIK) May 11, 2016
By the way, this is mainly focused on a bunch of broadcasters I've been clicking around on @twitch and looking at there setup and /r/twitch
— LIRIK (@LIRIK) May 11, 2016
If u r a new broadcaster and are doing it for the FUN of it and want to show people ur talents I wish u all the best. U r doing it right.
— LIRIK (@LIRIK) May 11, 2016
Clarification, y do u “need support” aka $$ as a start up broadcaster?
U should be focused on entertaining and fun https://t.co/rLJ8f6PA9O
— LIRIK (@LIRIK) May 11, 2016
The fact that people don't agree with start up broadcasters should not have donation overlays / donation links blows my fucking mind.
— LIRIK (@LIRIK) May 11, 2016
I think this is a lot of hyperbole. Surely he can understand that people have the right to ask for payment for any service or product. Whether they are in it for the long run or not is up to them. I think Lirik is just surprised that people don't see the silliness in brand new streamers asking for money so quickly when they are highly unproven and often of low to moderate quality.
You are clearly in it for the money and fast cash.
Why don't you start with a solid foundation and keep broadcasting as a hobby.
— LIRIK (@LIRIK) May 11, 2016
Once that HOBBY blossoms into something tangible, and meaningful, then expand and grow.
Wait for ur “Oh shit, I have something here” moment
— LIRIK (@LIRIK) May 11, 2016
It's not just his opinion, it's a really thoughtful approach to long-term success on Twitch. As soon as you put more expectations in than gratefulness that you have an opportunity and technology to stream to thousands of people you begin to head towards burn-out.
I think Lirik might underestimate the number of high quality streamers that come out with a bang with great content and personality who may well deserve donations from day one as a solid content producer. A lot of the defensiveness is due to the support of that small minority of high quality streamers meanwhile Lirik can see the vast droves of below-average content begging for donations with overdone graphics overlays and the like.
In conclusion, make fun the focus first and foremost. Don't even think about donations for the first year. Keep your focus on improving and providing people an opportunity to see your talent. When the time is right, you will have that “ah ha” moment and from there you will know you have something tangible.
In the end it's only one person's opinion. That person is very experiences and should be considered an authority but that is not the definitive answer, there will always be exceptions and as time goes on the culture will continue to change and adapt.
Stay live,
I think it is not wrong to ask for donations if you’re new. I think it is wrong to have annoying animated overlays that even big streamers have. I went here to watch games, not how much people give you money for nothing. I want to watch gameplay in purest form, not get distracted by animated text. Every designer know that animated text is bad because it’s distracting from content, but why streamers use them? Are they afraid people will not donate if they not constantly pestered with text how many other donated? I call this pressure and semi-aggressive begging for money. When you go to restraunt, waiters don’t boast how many money they got from tips and who is biggest tipper. Why streamers do that?
if you are new it’s wrong to ask for donations. newbies asking money is like scam.
What is wrong is not staying in your own lane and playing your own screen. Lirik makes controversy to get attention, its like a baby crying.
Do your own thing, haters gonna hate, and opinions are like cloaca , everyone has one, and they all stink.