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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| What you need to become an internet streaming star | What you need to become an internet streaming star |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Via guesswork, Google and a bit of trial and error, Iain Lee thinks he has the right equipment to broadcast his new show with Katherine Boyle. | Via guesswork, Google and a bit of trial and error, Iain Lee thinks he has the right equipment to broadcast his new show with Katherine Boyle. |
| The show is not on the radio, instead the pair broadcast on Twitch, an internet-based service mainly used to watch people play computer games like Fortnite. | The show is not on the radio, instead the pair broadcast on Twitch, an internet-based service mainly used to watch people play computer games like Fortnite. |
| No longer just the host, Mr Lee is now the studio manager, camera and lighting operator, plus sound engineer who films, edits and mixes the show. | No longer just the host, Mr Lee is now the studio manager, camera and lighting operator, plus sound engineer who films, edits and mixes the show. |
| "I love doing the buttons and the faders and all the technical stuff. I don't understand it, but I'm a big fan of failure. And oh, do you feel alive when there's an audience and it's going wrong." says Mr Lee, who was once a BBC radio presenter. | "I love doing the buttons and the faders and all the technical stuff. I don't understand it, but I'm a big fan of failure. And oh, do you feel alive when there's an audience and it's going wrong." says Mr Lee, who was once a BBC radio presenter. |
| The new show required some new equipment. | The new show required some new equipment. |
| He had to buy a PC, because his iMac was not much good for playing games on. A decent camera was also purchased to stream live and record him and Katherine Boyle on their chat show, The Late Night Alternative, which launched earlier this month. | He had to buy a PC, because his iMac was not much good for playing games on. A decent camera was also purchased to stream live and record him and Katherine Boyle on their chat show, The Late Night Alternative, which launched earlier this month. |
| His Elgato game capture device will help broadcast his video game playing. | His Elgato game capture device will help broadcast his video game playing. |
| Another computer with pre-loaded sounds is attached to an audio mixer deck that also feeds into the PC. | Another computer with pre-loaded sounds is attached to an audio mixer deck that also feeds into the PC. |
| But Mr Lee's favourite purchase is the £69 ($90) microphone arm. It is spring loaded, clips to the desk and swivels silently without bouncing. | But Mr Lee's favourite purchase is the £69 ($90) microphone arm. It is spring loaded, clips to the desk and swivels silently without bouncing. |
| "God, getting it was the sexiest moment of my life - apart from when I labelled plugs, recently," he jokes. | "God, getting it was the sexiest moment of my life - apart from when I labelled plugs, recently," he jokes. |
| Mr Lee is getting kitted up because he has just joined 7.1 million other streamers who came to Twitch this past month, wanting to create TV from their own home. | Mr Lee is getting kitted up because he has just joined 7.1 million other streamers who came to Twitch this past month, wanting to create TV from their own home. |
| Lockdowns flooded Twitch and has been a bonanza for any company that makes equipment to help streamers. They say sales have surged and demand has exploded. | Lockdowns flooded Twitch and has been a bonanza for any company that makes equipment to help streamers. They say sales have surged and demand has exploded. |
| Some were waiting for this moment. | Some were waiting for this moment. |
| Computer accessories companies like Corsair and Logitech have been snapping up many of the smaller firms that make streaming related broadcasting equipment. | Computer accessories companies like Corsair and Logitech have been snapping up many of the smaller firms that make streaming related broadcasting equipment. |
| Over the last three years, Logitech, has acquired Jaybird headphones and Blue Yeti microphones. They have also nabbed gaming equipment and software companies like Streamlabs, Astro Gaming and Saitek. | Over the last three years, Logitech, has acquired Jaybird headphones and Blue Yeti microphones. They have also nabbed gaming equipment and software companies like Streamlabs, Astro Gaming and Saitek. |
| Bracken Darrell, Logitech's chief executive, says that he realised streaming was a business opportunity the moment that customers began using their mice, keyboards and webcams to broadcast video games on YouTube. | Bracken Darrell, Logitech's chief executive, says that he realised streaming was a business opportunity the moment that customers began using their mice, keyboards and webcams to broadcast video games on YouTube. |
| Mr Darrell says the lockdown has helped people to find their voice and respond to what is going on in the world. He does not think things will return to normal. | Mr Darrell says the lockdown has helped people to find their voice and respond to what is going on in the world. He does not think things will return to normal. |
| "You can't put the genie back in the bottle," he says. | "You can't put the genie back in the bottle," he says. |
| John Maier, the head of Blue Microphones agrees. Trends seen for years have been "hyper-charged". | John Maier, the head of Blue Microphones agrees. Trends seen for years have been "hyper-charged". |
| "People want better sound, video, a better way to share - it all went through the roof as soon as people started to be at home," Mr Maier says. | "People want better sound, video, a better way to share - it all went through the roof as soon as people started to be at home," Mr Maier says. |
| On 21 July, Logitech reported a record 23% increase in sales to $792m (£622m). | On 21 July, Logitech reported a record 23% increase in sales to $792m (£622m). |
| Mr Darrell believes that the technology for streaming has a long way to go before it's for everyone. | Mr Darrell believes that the technology for streaming has a long way to go before it's for everyone. |
| "Our whole mission is to remove steps. So we're nowhere near the point where broadcast and streaming is easy enough. It's still way too hard, too complicated," he says. | "Our whole mission is to remove steps. So we're nowhere near the point where broadcast and streaming is easy enough. It's still way too hard, too complicated," he says. |
| Broadcaster and popular Twitch streamer, Claire Lim, or "Wee Claire" as she's known on Twitch, initially found it difficult to broadcast while playing video games. | Broadcaster and popular Twitch streamer, Claire Lim, or "Wee Claire" as she's known on Twitch, initially found it difficult to broadcast while playing video games. |
| She started 18 months ago, playing Red Dead Redemption 2, while chatting via an old webcam. | She started 18 months ago, playing Red Dead Redemption 2, while chatting via an old webcam. |
| "I kept falling off my horse, and then I ran over a dog with my horse. I killed it," she laughs. In between gaming, she began to introduce chatting sessions. | "I kept falling off my horse, and then I ran over a dog with my horse. I killed it," she laughs. In between gaming, she began to introduce chatting sessions. |
| Now as a Twitch partner, she broadcasts on the platform full time, switching seamlessly between several different graphics backgrounds, mixing audio and calling out and reacting to her followers. | Now as a Twitch partner, she broadcasts on the platform full time, switching seamlessly between several different graphics backgrounds, mixing audio and calling out and reacting to her followers. |
| Ms Lim's show includes different characters and her graphics transform in order for her to have a rant as her character, "Scottish Mum". | Ms Lim's show includes different characters and her graphics transform in order for her to have a rant as her character, "Scottish Mum". |
| She says that instead of a single TV show, she presents as if she were broadcasting an entire channel. | She says that instead of a single TV show, she presents as if she were broadcasting an entire channel. |
| "I want my viewers to laugh, to enjoy their time with me. I want to give them a visual feast," she says. | "I want my viewers to laugh, to enjoy their time with me. I want to give them a visual feast," she says. |
| For this, she uses a streaming deck from Elgato. A bit like a DJ booth for Twitch, its buttons activate stored zoom screens and alert sounds. Each press works like the audiovisual cue called by a TV director on a live show. | |
| Elgato is another company, recently acquired by Logitech's competitor, Corsair, that has seen its fortunes benefit from the rise of streaming during lockdown. | Elgato is another company, recently acquired by Logitech's competitor, Corsair, that has seen its fortunes benefit from the rise of streaming during lockdown. |
| Its products have been selling-out according to Julian Fest, the general manager for Elgato. | Its products have been selling-out according to Julian Fest, the general manager for Elgato. |
| His father Markus Fest founded the company 20 years ago but it was around the time that Twitch began, in 2012, that Elgato entered streaming. | His father Markus Fest founded the company 20 years ago but it was around the time that Twitch began, in 2012, that Elgato entered streaming. |
| More Technology of Business | More Technology of Business |
| After he and his father found their software was being pirated, they contacted illegal downloaders to find out why they were stealing the product. | After he and his father found their software was being pirated, they contacted illegal downloaders to find out why they were stealing the product. |
| "And they all came back with the same response, oh, I'm recording my Xbox, I'm recording my PlayStation and uploading it to YouTube," says Mr Fest. | "And they all came back with the same response, oh, I'm recording my Xbox, I'm recording my PlayStation and uploading it to YouTube," says Mr Fest. |
| Instead of fighting them, they built a product based on their feedback. In 2018, Elgato was sold for an undisclosed amount and Mr Fest went with it to Corsair. | Instead of fighting them, they built a product based on their feedback. In 2018, Elgato was sold for an undisclosed amount and Mr Fest went with it to Corsair. |
| As for Mr Lee, he says the show is "going great guns" and the tech is holding up. | As for Mr Lee, he says the show is "going great guns" and the tech is holding up. |
| "Katherine and I are having fun learning in front of everyone and I think the audience like it. Why would anyone need to go to a studio to do a radio or TV show ever again? It just doesn't make sense anymore." | "Katherine and I are having fun learning in front of everyone and I think the audience like it. Why would anyone need to go to a studio to do a radio or TV show ever again? It just doesn't make sense anymore." |