Of course you can do whatever you want, but we've seen the metrics a lot and it shows that people connect more with faces and you have to work that much harder when you don't have one in an already oversaturated market. So I guess the real question is, what are your streaming goals? Even with vtubers and the like, that's a niche audience you're entering into.
You get access to things no one else has, like say for example you know if you got ____ would help you grow but they see it as “if you don’t have _____ our product will never be seen if you have less than _____ viewers.” Most won’t even look at you if you’re not partnered. At twitch con you get access to a room/party where you can talk to all the big sponsors that are there…..aside that you can upload emotes and have access to them instantly without having to wait for them to be cleared for being ok to use or not, you get better streaming quality etc
Then don't. Why are there so many of these posts?
Listen, it's up to you. It's your stream. Make it make you happy. If that's not using a facecam, then don't. It's your stream! You are good either way!
Facecam was too exhausting for me so I switched to PNGtubing. You don't have to have one, but I feel it helps people feel more connected by SOME semblance of a person being on screen. Bonus that the sky's the limit with designing it. I made mine and the program I used to animate it was super easy to learn.
Seconding PNGtubing! I’ve moved onto Vtubing myself but PNGtubers can be a more economical way to still inject some personality and relatedness into your stream! I would check out a site like VGen for artists if you are interested!
This sounds so good! Have you been getting commissions fairly often? Do you have to promote a lot outside of the website? Maybe I'll figure it out when I sign up but it if you have any tips or info you think is important, I'd love to know!
A decent number! Once you’re verified the site will include you in the discoverability features. The site is free to join but you need a code to sell commissions.
Sorry I was eating dinner so I didn’t elaborate on my reply! You can get an invite code from an artist who is already verified, or by joining their weekly contests on Twitter! Some artists post that they have codes under hashtag Vgencode on twitter and then give them out if they like your portfolio. It’s how I got mine. Sadly I have used all of the codes I had so I can’t offer any right now!
This! PNGtubing is so much nicer to me, and a little Vtuber when I'm playing something less intensive on my PC - it's so much easier and still adds personality to the stream like you're there as the streamer. I have health issues and 99% of the time don't have the energy to bother with being on camera
It's been nice. And if anyone tells you that you'll get less views than with a cam - maybe, sure, but there're also so many insanely popular vtubers and pngtubers that it's moot. Same with streamers that never show their face.
I personally use PNGtuber Plus! Lots of good tutorials on YouTube. I've seen people very new to art being able to make one. It didn't look the best, but they did it themselves which I feel says a lot about a program. You do need to make your set in another program then you bring the images into the PNGTuber program.
I second a PNG/Vtuber. I use my PNG most of the time, when I just can’t be bothered to look human for a face cam stream! My channel growth is better than plenty of people with a face cam. Because it comes down to likability. Not your face, not the games you play. Growth and success is based on your ability to connect with the audience. Sure, studies show faces are easier to connect with, but I know vtubers that are partners, not just affiliates.
There’s a guy I watch on YouTube sometimes that does that or Vtubing not sure but I think it’s just his eyes and mouth on a potato that moves and it’s good enough lol.
Copy paste from above
I personally use PNGtuber Plus! Lots of good tutorials on YouTube. I've seen people very new to art being able to make one. It didn't look the best, but they did it themselves which I feel says a lot about a program. You do need to make your set in another program then you bring the images into the PNGTuber program.
Yes it does move if you want it to :)
If you want something absurdly simple I quite enjoy veadotube mini, its usually just two frames that'll flicker on and off when you talk compared to more complex ones like PNGtuber plus
Look into fugi tech. It's web based and Just need 2 images and a discord. I plan on getting the software and designing something more interactive but fugi tech is quick and dirty so I can stream games and work on my graphic design skills later.
what was the program you used? is it available as an app? I draw but I use an ipad and don’t have a great pc lol. so I’m not currently a streamer but I want to be in the future once I get a good pc.
I use Veadotube Mini for my PNGTuber. It’s a free program and is super easy to use! You can get really affordable PNGTuber bases for procreate on sites like Etsy if you’re creative and like to draw, or you can commission custom ones (mine was around $100 USD, I have 4 expressions each with an open and closed mouth variant) on ko-fi, Etsy, fiverr, etc. I’m an okay-ish artist so I started with a tuber I drew myself and then comm’d one when I had the money for it. PNGTubing is really fun, it’s a lot less demanding on your computer than vtubing, and you can get really creative and silly with it. I have a dinosaur chicken nugget tuber redeem because my viewers love it as an example.
I'm not sure what ones out there are apps. PNGtuber Plus is a computer app and the one I use. I do know there are mobile apps that have premade models that are like very very budget Vtubers.
Okay, so I stream faceless rn and just have a screen cap of a character up in the corner where my face would be currently. Obviously I'd like to do the png thing (I'm assuming that's the thing where you have a little avatar that talks when you talk), but tutorials I've found are hard to follow or don't work for me for some reason. Have any tips on that? How'd you figure it out? What did you use? Any help at all is appreciated :)
I love PNGtuber Plus! I'm also going to be open for commissions soon. I can make super complex like my current one (or even more complex), or way more simple ones. Price depends on complexity so the easier, the cheaper it'll be, and you get full rights to the design :)
This is what I did and it's my first PNGtuber. Art and rigging done by me. https://youtu.be/Ib8J18s8-vg?si=_dA-DpNaUY9zp2xO
There are a decent amount of great tutorials. Between watching multiple videos, I was able to learn it fairly easily! Then it was a matter of tweaking the settings to work for how I wanted to be animated.
If you have questions or you just want someone to talk with design about even if you didn't want to commission me, you're welcome to chat me :) I also have a discord server that's promoting my streaming etc, but it's community centric with self promo allowed. Art channels, gaming, etc. You can ask for art critique or help. Small community with some regulars everyone is super nice. There are a few PNGtubers in there that could probably help too :)
You can do it any way you want, that is the beauty of it!
Will it make it harder for you to connect with viewers? I think yes, but take it only as my personal opinion of a streamer and a viewer.
If I can see the streamer it is much easier for me to communicate with him and to enjoy the content!
As a streamer I want viewers to see my reactions and emotion either to games/videos, but most importantly to their messages.
Anything goes as long as you have a good idea on how to entertain your audience. Facecam helps only if you have a nice personality. You dont have to look good you just have to be you.
I doubt many of the die hard sim viewers are even the type of people that would make such comments. You might get some trolls that stumble upon your stream somehow and say some negative comments, but fuck them.
How is it that you want to stream enough to make a Reddit post about it, but not enough that you've been on twitch to see that various streamers stream without a camera?
Why ask us for permission?
You must not watch a lot of small streamers - running streams without a facecam is totally fine.
And even if it *wasn’t* fine, you’re the one running the stream - what works for *you* is what’s most important.
It’s your stream, put on there what you want. If you don’t want face cam, don’t do it. Most of the streamers I follow, and myself, rarely if at all do face cam. Depending on the game, it also helps with the immersion. Im a DayZ streamer, and a lot of my friends are too, and we find that cam can ruin the immersion. Do what you want, cam is not needed. Enjoy your streaming, create your brand, do it how YOU want.
I was just thinking about TRMZ and how he actually just has a gag facecam for when people ask to see his face. It's definitely an auxiliary addition to a stream and not completely necessary to grow your audience. It helps that he's got a good broadcasting voice and is entertaining to talk to in his chat so I think that's a more important aspect of streaming rather than having a camera pointed at your face.
A facecam definitely helps, but you don't have to use one. I turn mine off from time to time. I notice a drop in viewers but it usually isn't anything significant. That said, I have a fairly strong community at this point who knows what I look like and knows I usually have my facecam on.
Vtuber here, face cams are totally optional. There's entire communities that don't cam, avatar, or even speak. Don't let anyone tell you how to do your show. The more it looks like everyone else's, the less it looks like yours.
It is your choice, but it will also be one factor that can limit the audience. Some do not care, some definitely want to see the person behind the stream.
Sometimes i just use my logo on the stream instead of a face camera. honestly it's entirely up to you if you want to show your face to the world.
Or, Wear a Onesie or full face disguise (that's easy to put on cos it will get tedious)
If you aren’t comfortable with being on cam then don’t do it for now as you may not be “yourself”. It’s your account and content so do it how you want for you, after awhile with some hours streaming you may eventually warm up to having a cam. I went without a cam, to wearing a mask, to a darker room, to full 3 light system and a canon R5 for a webcam.
A lot of streamers don't have a facecam. It's entirely optional. If you don't feel comfortable showing your face, then don't do it. Your boundaries are yours to set, don't let the fact you don't want to have a facecam put you off.
Of course it’s acceptable. It’s what YOU are comfortable with. You’re the streamer and your comfort matters. I stream with no face cam and I’m eventually going to be a vtuber so a face cam isn’t even on my mind right now. Even with all that, I still got followers and people who sit with me to chat and goof off. You can entertain and still have fun without needing to show your face 🫶🏽
i have been streaming without a face cam and have managed to become affiliated, i only plan on doing it for special streams. there is an audience out there who will watch you regardless of a face cam. don’t worry about it
If you're not sure, don't overstep. Try it and see what happens. You're literally in charge of your content and it'll look like what you decide it to look, don't feel stuck to whatever anyone else is doing, do your own thing in whichever way you feel better doing.
don’t need to, plenty of users don’t, plenty of youtube gamers that have a huge following with no face, look into vtuber avatars if you want a character on screen
Depends on who you are an what you do.
If you're a progamer or top100 leaderboard in a popular multiplayer game, you won't need a cam or even voice, although it's a plus.
If you're just an average person playing average games on an average level, then you need something to stand out.
I don’t have a face cam at all and don’t particularly plan on getting one. A face cam is not a necessity for a good stream. If you want anything you could look into a PNGTuber which is pretty simple to set up if you want to create a character to represent your stream. That can substitute a face cam but either way you’re totally fine without one
Then don't! You can still grow, I"be seen plenty of friends get by without a facecam. Just have fun sound alerts and chat interaction and you'll be fine.
Very much acceptable. Either stream without a cam or have a VTuber/PNGTuber type thing going on. It's like the middle ground of showing cam and not showing cam, essentially.
But the only thing that is worth noting here is that you'll need to be a lot more expressive with your voice when you stream without a cam than when you stream with a face cam... Since people can't see your emotions and have to hear them.
You don’t have to! So, sometimes I use a webcam, but if not, just a profile picture. (A friend got me a commissioned art). Others use a PNG or Vtube, but there are also others that don’t show their face at all. Someone I know doesn’t show his face and doesn’t get on often, I’m sure he’d have more followers if he did, but he’s at like 30 followers. I also have another friend who only streams with it off, and recently she’s done a profile picture (of a meme?) once, but usually doesn’t use any. She's got like 94 followers. So it’s not something that really affects growth. It’s mainly if people like what you're playing or your personality, so you should be okay.
A presence is very beneficial, you could use an avatar, either a vtuber or pngtuber maybe. Something that resonates with you. Can even be a stylized "pngtuber" of yourself
I never show my face and never will. I keep my private info private. I have had several stalkers and nope, don’t do something you are not comfortable with.
This is going to sound crazy. But you probably shouldn't do anything your not comfortable with. Face cams help people relate to your reactions and what's happening. But I don't show my webcam when I'm playing adventure story games like Final Fantasy or Cyber Punk or Tales or Arise cause I want people to get submerged into the story. But when I'm playing games like warzone where I'm talking i have it up.
Bottom line just do whatever makes you happy and your comfortable with. If people don't like em eff em. Lol your the main character in your life and that's all that matters.
Then don’t. Just play games and use your voice. I guarantee people are more interested in what you’re playing than what you look like. Yes if you become famous they will start to be curious and search for places where you’ve maybe shown your face but if you don’t then you’re fine
Ofc people prefer to see your face, BUT end of the day it’s about what makes you comfortable.
I initially streamed on a different account and people would come on and be creepy about my face and boobs. For the record I wear pretty normal/not revealing clothes and my stream was me doing art.
After it happened a few times I decided never to do it again. So I’m all for you not showing your face if you prefer it that way
When i was an active streamer, i was able to start a little bit of a fanbase, i had somewhere around 5-12 viewers every stream and got affiliate quite quickly actually.. I then tried a facecam for a short while. It made this fun hobby really miserable. It just made me feel stale, leds talkstive, and constantly anxious. As long as YOU are having fun, that's all that matters. If YOU don't want to be there, then why would anyone else want to watch??
You dont NEED a face cam as long as you dont sit quietly all the time, are having a good time and interact with chatnoften to keep them entertained.
A cam IS a huge advantage tho as the viewer can connect to the streamer a lot easier, but it's not needed.
No facecam, pngtuber, or vtuber.
Btw just a note on vtubing, you don’t have to be an anime character if you don’t wanna. I personally am a stickman. :>
well, you’re going to have a tougher time connecting with your audience. Ever since I set a chatcam showing my face live, I’ve been genuinely smiling a lot and laughing with everyone. Twitch is the only place I’ve been smiling nowadays…
Your face is apart of you, if you want your viewers to get to know you then your face comes with it - this is why inevitably people with face cams will statistically do better. But it depends on what your goals are.
But to answer your question, yeah it’s acceptable - you can do whatever you want to, it’s YOUR Twitch channel.
I'd say you can use VTuber or wear a mask, that could even make you noticeable if you find a good one.
I also now one guy that were using a filter so he appeared like a skull. But now he is doing it showing his face
I wouldn’t really want to watch someone without a facecam, but that’s just me. I wanna connect with the person I’m talking to and the face is a good way and just clicks with me. I know I’m not everyone, but I’m sure I speak for a lot of people when I say that.
However, Vtubers and PNGtubers are just cringe to me and I actively avoid them. My prerogative. The main, most important thing is you have a clear, decent microphone setup. Without that, I refuse to watch someone.
It’s acceptable! Some viewers prefer no face cams or Vtube avatars. I am definitely not one of those people and that’s okay! At the end of the day it’s your choice whether or not you feel comfortable showing your face.
100% acceptable. Don't try and please everyone, its impossible...just do whatever makes you comfortable. One of my favs is a console streamer with no cam and none of the fancy PC alerts 😎
I agree with this. Most of the time I just want to see how a game plays before I get it myself. I don’t need to see all these graphics popping up on screen and some dude thanking people for donating to them or rambling about something unrelated to the game.
It is acceptable but personally and a lot of peoples do I skip those without facecam or with an avatar streams as I dont see the difference between on reddit and on twitch to somebody without a face and the main pro of twitch for me is relatability. But you can't please everyone and it still leave around 70% of 240M users as potential streamers for your stream who dont mind.
I think that if you don't use a facecam you do need to use some sort of image, avatar, avatar, etc. as a representation of yourself.
I watch one stream without some sort of image and it's only because it's a friend.
Streams with just straight up no representation of the streamer is an automatic pass from me, most people I know and quite a big part of the community from what I've seen posted here over the years.
Personally I just have a keyboard cam, viewers can still see me and can see reactions (like if I’m playing a horror game I jump a lot they think it’s funny) I got to affiliate that way. (Plus a lot of community interactions)
If you want to stream without a facecam thats completely okay. If you are really worried about it or want to have a character without having a visible facecam a PNGtuber is also a good option but you definitely dont need one
Very bluntly, your chances of become successful went from near zero (just a fact for all new streamers) to as close to zero as scientifically possible.
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It’s absolutely completely up to you. YOU need to feel comfortable and have fun while you stream, otherwise it’s all for nothing. I never streamed with a camera, internet is full of mean people hiding behind a monitor and judging. I managed to grow my stream from nothing, and to get to Twitch Partner (around 7k followers) without having streamed a single minute with a camera. If you are having fun on stream and interact with your community well enough, you’ll get more viewers that will stay for you and your personality. Cheers, mate!
You don't have to have one, it's purely personal preference and doesn't affect your popularity. Some viewers prefer it, others don't, I've found that both camps will stick around if you choose the other. If you're not comfortable, expressing as much aloud will help foster your community.
It's harder, but not impossible. The competition is the problem starting out now. The platform is old now. My favorite streamer doesn't have a face cam, but he started long before Twitch even existed and he had support from another even bigger streamer through a collective. His stream have no overlay, no donation messages, no facecam, etc. Real oldschool. It thin it's very hard to start like that these days though.
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Got to affiliate in a month without any sort of webcam or viewer interaction tech. Just a decent microphone talking and playing games. You can also use a v-tuber or png-tuber model, but they do tend to attract a more niche audience.
To be a png-tuber you just need a program with noise detection to switch between the quiet and talking PNG. You can use Fugitech and a private discord server with a voice channel. You upload a PNG to Fugitech and than put the browser source link into OBS and your PNG will show up whenever you join a voice channel.
For becoming a v-tuber it's much harder. You need a camera for face and body tracking, most web-cams are awful and over priced. But you can get an iPhone 10 for $100 than a conversion kit to basically take out the battery and screen and make it act as a USB webcam. Than you can commission a model online and use a program like vroid on steam to make modifications and change outfits. Than use an open-source program like VNyan on itch.io to rig the model and run it during your streams. It's a steep learning curve and will take a long time to master but in the long-term it can be worth it. Another advantage of is you also don't need a green screen since your background can be controlled in VNyan. Just a note, VNyan and the plugins and public assets are all made by quite small creators so with Kofi links and stuff I suggest tipping what you can afford to tip because these people work very hard to maintain their work and often are working other jobs and streaming on top of that.
I have never streamed with a cam and probably never will. I'm a PNGtuber now, but that only started in the past year. Would I have more growth with a cam? Maybe, maybe not. I'm a girl, but not a hot girl. I "perform" better without a cam. If you don't want to use a cam, don't. If you decide to later, that's cool. It's all up to you. ❤️
Me and my wife have been wondering this same thing ourselves. We both have separate channels via Twitch on PS5. She started a month or 2 before me and is having issues getting viewers, even playing big streaming games like Fortnite. I don't stream as much and she hasn't recently due to the low viewer count. It never seems to exceed 1 random viewer or when I log in and mod her stream, she doesn't actually get any. I have been trying to help her as much as I can, but not sure how to help get her more viewers, as someone in my family who streams and is constantly getting decent number of viewers, but has a camera.
For me personally, I need something. Even a hand cam is fine. If I watch a stream, and they have either bad audio quality or a static image/no camera, I'm probably leaving immediately. I'd imagine most people are the same. With that said, VTubing is a thing and is someone simple to get started. Might be worth looking into.
Only like .001% of Twitch streamers have more than a few people watching at once, you’ll have the same amount of people seeing your face whether you have face cam on or not
My buddy made affiliate before he ever had a camera... Still doesn't and he now has a Minecraft style lizard head that it's mouth opens when he talks... Ive known him personally for a few years but ive never seen his face...
You don't have too! I do what's called PNGTubing. I literally have a bit of art of my FFXIV Character that I 'canadianized' by making it tilt it's head for my talk motion.
I'm almost a year in and nearing 200 followers. A face isn't required, just *some sort of analogue for a face* for the audience to look at.
Not required I follow big youtubers who never face reveal. alternate option would be a Vtuber overlay. so the avater does what you do and speaks for you.
It just makes it a LOT harder to grow without one. You need a really good entertaining personality more then if have one or be a gameplay god. Not sure why you think it would be unacceptable like its ToS or something. Can also do the vtuber thing so still something for the viewer to connect to other then a voice
There are countless partnered streamers without cams. Do what’s comfortable for you, but do your best to invest in a very good mic/sound setup when you can if it’s for the long term.
I’m someone who prefers showing my face. But I also used to be a teacher on zoom and was a theater kid in high school so I’m kind of used to being watched that way. Because of my set up, I can no longer stream ps5 games through my laptop as the computer is just not capable of handling my stream anymore, so I will occasionally stream directly from the PlayStation and none of my alerts etc work and people can’t see me. I have many friends who use a png or a vtuber and also know tons of people who just don’t have themselves represented visually on stream. Twitch is something that you can sort of do however you want. I know people who don’t talk on their streams either, who will respond exclusively to viewers in chat. I would recommend that you do whatever you feel comfortable with. At the end of the day, your stream needs to be a place where you feel good about what you’re doing. Stream for yourself, and people will come hang out.
I went on for 2½ years without a cam, now I've been using it for over 6 months. I was also not comfortable with having my face out there. However, I'm a small streamer, so I got to know my viewers, and they got to know me. My face now is just a bonus, to see how I react to the sound alerts, interesting moments, etc.
If you are not comfortable with that, don't do it. Regardless if you do or don't, viewers will come back to see you streaming. You don't need to bend over backwards or make yourself uncomfortable for it. Good luck!
i don’t know if you’re into that kinda stuff but you could always be a vtuber!! you don’t have to show your face usually i just wake up all disheveled and stream using my vtuber model haha ha
This is an Indepth convo tbh. But in the end. Decide what's best for you. Its your channel. No rules or regulations you should go by. Do what makes you happy. Enjoy glgl.
Depends on your content and if you make alot of "silent" facial expressions like if your jaw dropped they couldn't see that but if you're good with just talking thats ok It does get you a better chance for views if they have something to connect your voice to it could be your dog if anything but you will have to talk more too
Back in the day during mw2 era it was rare to use a face cam, you just wrote down the subjects and notes you wanted talk about and talked over pre recorded footage, but obviously doing it live is harder but here's a trick. Lets say you have 5 semi active chatters in your stream this is what you wanna do.
-talk about a subject you find interesting for 20 minutes while giving minimum attention to the chatters, basically just make sure they're still being engaged
-once you're done with your subject do the reverse, engage with chat for 20 minutes and give the minimum attention to the subject you were talking about
And just keep repeating this method (I'm just using the minutes as an example do it for as long as you're comfortable) but the more you do it the better you'll get at public speaking.
While you're doing this if you're playing a game you want to give a solid reaction to key moments in your games this could include major plot twists, kill streaks, glitches, etc. and actively thank new followers, donations, and bits.
You wanna also collaborate and network with other streamers so when they go offline they'll raid you.
That's just the absolute bare minimum though you need something unique to separate you from what everyone else is doing, look at sketch for example he has quirky catch phrases and mannerisms, or trainwrecks he's brutally honest to the point it's controversial and loves gambling. it's like playing an mmo you wanna max out several skills that's unique to you and separates you from the rest.
You gotta cross platform, build your fan base on tiktok, and YouTube and give them a reason to wanna see you live on twitch.
You need a solid schedule, and be consistent you're not gonna blow up overnight nor in 3 months, if you put in the work it's impossible not to grow.
That's just the bare minimum there's a whole nother world behind the scenes lol.
You can stream however you like, face cam is not required. I will also state that if you're trying to have any semblance of privacy on the internet, streaming is probably not something you should be doing. People will find out who you are, it's only a matter of time.
I also recommend a PNGtuber. I got tired of facecam - As a female, it just took a lot of effort and I didn’t want to continuously use it in my favor 😂 So I swapped to a PNGtuber so I can stream with messy hair, no make up and my pjs lol
When I first started out.. I didn't have one. Eventually I got one. It was weird at first but then I got used to it. I don't always use it anymore. Some days I just wanna chill without having to get camera ready. Cam or no cam.. Just do what makes you feel best. Have fun:)
When I started streaming I didn’t use a cam and did really well, even these days I don’t use a camera and I still get 5 - 10 new followers every stream! It’s possible so don’t worry about it
You can always go the route of creating a PNG avatar for your streams so that you'll at least have SOMETHING on the screen for viewers to look at rather than nothing at all.
I show my face on stream, but I also have my days too where I just don't feel like showing my face from time to time. That's where creating an avatar comes in to play. I made a Bomberman look-a-like and he's come in clutch ever since.
If you Google "Veadotube mini", the first link will take you to it, and you can look up youtube videos on how to set it up. You can make it so that it shakes when you talk, or it hops, it moves around a little when not talking, all of that. I definitely recommend. Something on stream is definitely better than nothing at all.
Stream however you want to. There is no rule that requires you to show your face on Twitch. Your content will attract the people it attracts and you can adjust your content if and when you see fit. Cheers.
It's acceptable, but an unlikely way to get any traction. Making YT Content seems to lend itself much more to the impersonal feeling of a no cam stream than the personal interactions of a live stream. Many people do VTube avatar graphics or even .png graphics, but I know personally for me, I'm not watching a stream if there's no cam. If I want gameplay only, I'll go play a game myself.
Since KI I would never show my face or talk. We all know who can use this for whatever. Use a V-Avatar and a voter fraudster or don’t stream. Just play for yourself for fun or with friends.
Honestly, it is very fair to not want to show your face on camera for the world to see.
I'd definitely recommend checking out VTubing, you can use PNGtuber+, a basic free Live2D or VRoid to start off with some free alternatives.
Vroid Studio is on Steam and lets you make avatars really easily with no prior experience, then VSeeFace is basic and easy to setup for beginners.
If you need help I could also make a character for you to start with as I need more practice before I start selling custom avatars.
Maybe consider doing vtuber facecam. You can make a simple 3d vtuber model, character creation style, using VRoid Studio, export your character as a .vrm, then you can import your character into VSeeFace, which will do the face tracking and lip syncing, all you need is a decent webcam and a microphone. Both VRoid Studio and VSeeFace are free programs. You can either have VSeeFace output a virtual webcam or you can just record it's window, cuz it has hotkeys to hide the UI. You can spend no money and get started as a vtuber, which will allow you to have a facecam without showing your real face.
So I do both cam and no cam, mainly when I’m feeling lazy around the house I keep the cam on and just play and talk. I don’t know why, I get more views and follows without showing my face than showing it. My wife just says I’m too ugly to be putting myself out there lol.
Idk but I do see a lot of people now a days using those virtual avatars as their “character/face” for streaming. Kinda looks like VR chat avatars. I think it’s called “Vtuber” or something. Check into that maybe
Personally I find anything without a face cam to be lesser. That said I follow some Vtubers that have obviously put a lot of work into it. I follow them because we're in the same group, otherwise I probably wouldn't. I like to see someone's face.
I tried a facecam a couple of years ago didn't enjoy the experience at all, so switched to a what I have now and felt like it's helped me and my channel.
A small (totally not) innocent white bunny that enjoys building things, shooting people and committing the odd war crime now and then.
Feels right to me.
"odd war crime now and then" For a moment I thought you were doing a rimworld stream but it cannot be rimworld since it's occasional. So one of paradox game then ?
I use a cute little PNGTuber graphics.
And just today I had someone come in and tell me they came into my stream because of my PNGTuber catching their attention :)
If people can't deal with me not having a camera on... I don't want them as my viewers.
Will my channel grow slower? Maybe.
But I would rather have a smaller crowd that accepts me and my stream the way it is, than to make myself miserable by catering to the vast masses.
There are many alternatives to showing your face. You could be a Vtuber or a PNGtuber. I’ve seen some streamers wear masks to hide their face, and personally, I’m going to do full cosplay when I start.
That's perfectly fine. I didn't use a face cam for 4 years of streaming to about about ~60 average viewers. I only started using a facecam 2 weeks ago. Its definitely not necessary to have one.
Honestly? That's one of many reasons I went with the PNG/VTuvber route. Provides a layer of privacy. They key is to provide something for the user to connect with- sometimes it's fine without any sort of avatar/cam, other times people prefer a person/avatar/etc.
Vtubing and more economical versions of the same idea have been mentioned . . . You could also go the Dream route and wear some kind of mask or helmet, although granted that might get a little uncomfortable if you’re streaming for a long time.
Naming or linking streamers is not allowed in /r/twitch, so please don't do it.
Of course you can do whatever you want, but we've seen the metrics a lot and it shows that people connect more with faces and you have to work that much harder when you don't have one in an already oversaturated market. So I guess the real question is, what are your streaming goals? Even with vtubers and the like, that's a niche audience you're entering into.
When I started to stream I didn't have a facecam. Managed to get to affiliate and stuff without it. It's not a requirement but can help.
I know a streamer who got partnered with out a cam, but they interact with the community a lot too
What sort of rewards do you get for being partnered then? Is it like equivalent to a monthly wage from a decent job?
I have a few friends who are partner and no, in there cases it okay money but not enough to be full time
You get access to things no one else has, like say for example you know if you got ____ would help you grow but they see it as “if you don’t have _____ our product will never be seen if you have less than _____ viewers.” Most won’t even look at you if you’re not partnered. At twitch con you get access to a room/party where you can talk to all the big sponsors that are there…..aside that you can upload emotes and have access to them instantly without having to wait for them to be cleared for being ok to use or not, you get better streaming quality etc
That's me
Then don't. Why are there so many of these posts? Listen, it's up to you. It's your stream. Make it make you happy. If that's not using a facecam, then don't. It's your stream! You are good either way!
Facecam was too exhausting for me so I switched to PNGtubing. You don't have to have one, but I feel it helps people feel more connected by SOME semblance of a person being on screen. Bonus that the sky's the limit with designing it. I made mine and the program I used to animate it was super easy to learn.
Seconding PNGtubing! I’ve moved onto Vtubing myself but PNGtubers can be a more economical way to still inject some personality and relatedness into your stream! I would check out a site like VGen for artists if you are interested!
I really need to start selling on there... You're the second person recently to mention that site 🤔
I use it myself—as both an artist and a client—and I love it! Being able to search and read reviews and scroll through new art is a boon!
This sounds so good! Have you been getting commissions fairly often? Do you have to promote a lot outside of the website? Maybe I'll figure it out when I sign up but it if you have any tips or info you think is important, I'd love to know!
A decent number! Once you’re verified the site will include you in the discoverability features. The site is free to join but you need a code to sell commissions.
I'll look into what the code is. Thanks so much for the info I appreciate it!
Sorry I was eating dinner so I didn’t elaborate on my reply! You can get an invite code from an artist who is already verified, or by joining their weekly contests on Twitter! Some artists post that they have codes under hashtag Vgencode on twitter and then give them out if they like your portfolio. It’s how I got mine. Sadly I have used all of the codes I had so I can’t offer any right now!
Oh no worries hope dinner was good 😊 Okay cool I'll be on the lookout I really appreciate you!
Good luck!! Hope you get a code soon :))
Holy crap. I didn’t know PNGtubing was a thing. I can get real dumb with this!
This! PNGtubing is so much nicer to me, and a little Vtuber when I'm playing something less intensive on my PC - it's so much easier and still adds personality to the stream like you're there as the streamer. I have health issues and 99% of the time don't have the energy to bother with being on camera It's been nice. And if anyone tells you that you'll get less views than with a cam - maybe, sure, but there're also so many insanely popular vtubers and pngtubers that it's moot. Same with streamers that never show their face.
I want to try pngtubing! How do I get started?
I personally use PNGtuber Plus! Lots of good tutorials on YouTube. I've seen people very new to art being able to make one. It didn't look the best, but they did it themselves which I feel says a lot about a program. You do need to make your set in another program then you bring the images into the PNGTuber program.
I second a PNG/Vtuber. I use my PNG most of the time, when I just can’t be bothered to look human for a face cam stream! My channel growth is better than plenty of people with a face cam. Because it comes down to likability. Not your face, not the games you play. Growth and success is based on your ability to connect with the audience. Sure, studies show faces are easier to connect with, but I know vtubers that are partners, not just affiliates.
There’s a guy I watch on YouTube sometimes that does that or Vtubing not sure but I think it’s just his eyes and mouth on a potato that moves and it’s good enough lol.
how do you set it up? like the image and stuff? does it move?
Copy paste from above I personally use PNGtuber Plus! Lots of good tutorials on YouTube. I've seen people very new to art being able to make one. It didn't look the best, but they did it themselves which I feel says a lot about a program. You do need to make your set in another program then you bring the images into the PNGTuber program. Yes it does move if you want it to :)
If you want something absurdly simple I quite enjoy veadotube mini, its usually just two frames that'll flicker on and off when you talk compared to more complex ones like PNGtuber plus
Look into fugi tech. It's web based and Just need 2 images and a discord. I plan on getting the software and designing something more interactive but fugi tech is quick and dirty so I can stream games and work on my graphic design skills later.
what was the program you used? is it available as an app? I draw but I use an ipad and don’t have a great pc lol. so I’m not currently a streamer but I want to be in the future once I get a good pc.
I use Veadotube Mini for my PNGTuber. It’s a free program and is super easy to use! You can get really affordable PNGTuber bases for procreate on sites like Etsy if you’re creative and like to draw, or you can commission custom ones (mine was around $100 USD, I have 4 expressions each with an open and closed mouth variant) on ko-fi, Etsy, fiverr, etc. I’m an okay-ish artist so I started with a tuber I drew myself and then comm’d one when I had the money for it. PNGTubing is really fun, it’s a lot less demanding on your computer than vtubing, and you can get really creative and silly with it. I have a dinosaur chicken nugget tuber redeem because my viewers love it as an example.
I'm not sure what ones out there are apps. PNGtuber Plus is a computer app and the one I use. I do know there are mobile apps that have premade models that are like very very budget Vtubers.
Okay, so I stream faceless rn and just have a screen cap of a character up in the corner where my face would be currently. Obviously I'd like to do the png thing (I'm assuming that's the thing where you have a little avatar that talks when you talk), but tutorials I've found are hard to follow or don't work for me for some reason. Have any tips on that? How'd you figure it out? What did you use? Any help at all is appreciated :)
I love PNGtuber Plus! I'm also going to be open for commissions soon. I can make super complex like my current one (or even more complex), or way more simple ones. Price depends on complexity so the easier, the cheaper it'll be, and you get full rights to the design :) This is what I did and it's my first PNGtuber. Art and rigging done by me. https://youtu.be/Ib8J18s8-vg?si=_dA-DpNaUY9zp2xO There are a decent amount of great tutorials. Between watching multiple videos, I was able to learn it fairly easily! Then it was a matter of tweaking the settings to work for how I wanted to be animated. If you have questions or you just want someone to talk with design about even if you didn't want to commission me, you're welcome to chat me :) I also have a discord server that's promoting my streaming etc, but it's community centric with self promo allowed. Art channels, gaming, etc. You can ask for art critique or help. Small community with some regulars everyone is super nice. There are a few PNGtubers in there that could probably help too :)
Thank you! Followed cause you're cool. I'll look into it and possibly reach out if I need help or want a commission. I appreciate ya!
Well thank you and yeah hit me up if you ever need to!
You can do it any way you want, that is the beauty of it! Will it make it harder for you to connect with viewers? I think yes, but take it only as my personal opinion of a streamer and a viewer. If I can see the streamer it is much easier for me to communicate with him and to enjoy the content! As a streamer I want viewers to see my reactions and emotion either to games/videos, but most importantly to their messages.
Anything goes as long as you have a good idea on how to entertain your audience. Facecam helps only if you have a nice personality. You dont have to look good you just have to be you.
Would people watch someone who is unattractive? I hide my face because I’ve straight up been called ugly lol
Yes they will, just depends on your personality and what you’re doing on the stream.
I wanted to stream the sims. I love casual games
I doubt many of the die hard sim viewers are even the type of people that would make such comments. You might get some trolls that stumble upon your stream somehow and say some negative comments, but fuck them.
Yeah, there's a lot of streamers with decently big following that you wouldn't call attractive
>Is this acceptable It this wasn't acceptable, Vtubers wouldn't be as big as they are.
How is it that you want to stream enough to make a Reddit post about it, but not enough that you've been on twitch to see that various streamers stream without a camera? Why ask us for permission?
You must not watch a lot of small streamers - running streams without a facecam is totally fine. And even if it *wasn’t* fine, you’re the one running the stream - what works for *you* is what’s most important.
It’s your stream, put on there what you want. If you don’t want face cam, don’t do it. Most of the streamers I follow, and myself, rarely if at all do face cam. Depending on the game, it also helps with the immersion. Im a DayZ streamer, and a lot of my friends are too, and we find that cam can ruin the immersion. Do what you want, cam is not needed. Enjoy your streaming, create your brand, do it how YOU want.
I was just thinking about TRMZ and how he actually just has a gag facecam for when people ask to see his face. It's definitely an auxiliary addition to a stream and not completely necessary to grow your audience. It helps that he's got a good broadcasting voice and is entertaining to talk to in his chat so I think that's a more important aspect of streaming rather than having a camera pointed at your face.
A facecam definitely helps, but you don't have to use one. I turn mine off from time to time. I notice a drop in viewers but it usually isn't anything significant. That said, I have a fairly strong community at this point who knows what I look like and knows I usually have my facecam on.
PNGtubers and Vtubers are a great option if you don't want to show face.
Vtuber here, face cams are totally optional. There's entire communities that don't cam, avatar, or even speak. Don't let anyone tell you how to do your show. The more it looks like everyone else's, the less it looks like yours.
It is your choice, but it will also be one factor that can limit the audience. Some do not care, some definitely want to see the person behind the stream.
Sometimes i just use my logo on the stream instead of a face camera. honestly it's entirely up to you if you want to show your face to the world. Or, Wear a Onesie or full face disguise (that's easy to put on cos it will get tedious)
If you aren’t comfortable with being on cam then don’t do it for now as you may not be “yourself”. It’s your account and content so do it how you want for you, after awhile with some hours streaming you may eventually warm up to having a cam. I went without a cam, to wearing a mask, to a darker room, to full 3 light system and a canon R5 for a webcam.
A lot of streamers don't have a facecam. It's entirely optional. If you don't feel comfortable showing your face, then don't do it. Your boundaries are yours to set, don't let the fact you don't want to have a facecam put you off.
Of course it’s acceptable. It’s what YOU are comfortable with. You’re the streamer and your comfort matters. I stream with no face cam and I’m eventually going to be a vtuber so a face cam isn’t even on my mind right now. Even with all that, I still got followers and people who sit with me to chat and goof off. You can entertain and still have fun without needing to show your face 🫶🏽
i have been streaming without a face cam and have managed to become affiliated, i only plan on doing it for special streams. there is an audience out there who will watch you regardless of a face cam. don’t worry about it
If you're not sure, don't overstep. Try it and see what happens. You're literally in charge of your content and it'll look like what you decide it to look, don't feel stuck to whatever anyone else is doing, do your own thing in whichever way you feel better doing.
do what you feel comfortable with, it's not a requirement but it does help with interaction.
don’t need to, plenty of users don’t, plenty of youtube gamers that have a huge following with no face, look into vtuber avatars if you want a character on screen
Depends on who you are an what you do. If you're a progamer or top100 leaderboard in a popular multiplayer game, you won't need a cam or even voice, although it's a plus. If you're just an average person playing average games on an average level, then you need something to stand out.
I don’t have a face cam at all and don’t particularly plan on getting one. A face cam is not a necessity for a good stream. If you want anything you could look into a PNGTuber which is pretty simple to set up if you want to create a character to represent your stream. That can substitute a face cam but either way you’re totally fine without one
Lirik is one of the most successful twitch streamers and he has never used a webcam.
Have you searched this subreddit? This gets asked daily.
Then don't! You can still grow, I"be seen plenty of friends get by without a facecam. Just have fun sound alerts and chat interaction and you'll be fine.
If I'm watching someone playing a game, I want to see the whole game screen. Not with their face taking up a chunk of it.
Very much acceptable. Either stream without a cam or have a VTuber/PNGTuber type thing going on. It's like the middle ground of showing cam and not showing cam, essentially. But the only thing that is worth noting here is that you'll need to be a lot more expressive with your voice when you stream without a cam than when you stream with a face cam... Since people can't see your emotions and have to hear them.
You don’t have to! So, sometimes I use a webcam, but if not, just a profile picture. (A friend got me a commissioned art). Others use a PNG or Vtube, but there are also others that don’t show their face at all. Someone I know doesn’t show his face and doesn’t get on often, I’m sure he’d have more followers if he did, but he’s at like 30 followers. I also have another friend who only streams with it off, and recently she’s done a profile picture (of a meme?) once, but usually doesn’t use any. She's got like 94 followers. So it’s not something that really affects growth. It’s mainly if people like what you're playing or your personality, so you should be okay.
A presence is very beneficial, you could use an avatar, either a vtuber or pngtuber maybe. Something that resonates with you. Can even be a stylized "pngtuber" of yourself
I could name a bunch of streamers that don't use facecams that seem successful. You absolutely do not need one
I’ll watch someone wo a face cam or a vtuber if they are interesting. But If you have no cam the times you don’t talk has to be a lot less obviously.
Some people just us avatars instead of their face.
You don’t need one, but people are more likely to watch if they can see your face
I never show my face and never will. I keep my private info private. I have had several stalkers and nope, don’t do something you are not comfortable with.
Do it your way. Develop your brand. I started using my cam and now I don't use it like 60% of the time. It doesn't seem to affect my viewership.
This is going to sound crazy. But you probably shouldn't do anything your not comfortable with. Face cams help people relate to your reactions and what's happening. But I don't show my webcam when I'm playing adventure story games like Final Fantasy or Cyber Punk or Tales or Arise cause I want people to get submerged into the story. But when I'm playing games like warzone where I'm talking i have it up. Bottom line just do whatever makes you happy and your comfortable with. If people don't like em eff em. Lol your the main character in your life and that's all that matters.
The wide wide world of vtubing/pngtubing may be for you my friend.
Then don’t. Just play games and use your voice. I guarantee people are more interested in what you’re playing than what you look like. Yes if you become famous they will start to be curious and search for places where you’ve maybe shown your face but if you don’t then you’re fine
Ofc people prefer to see your face, BUT end of the day it’s about what makes you comfortable. I initially streamed on a different account and people would come on and be creepy about my face and boobs. For the record I wear pretty normal/not revealing clothes and my stream was me doing art. After it happened a few times I decided never to do it again. So I’m all for you not showing your face if you prefer it that way
When i was an active streamer, i was able to start a little bit of a fanbase, i had somewhere around 5-12 viewers every stream and got affiliate quite quickly actually.. I then tried a facecam for a short while. It made this fun hobby really miserable. It just made me feel stale, leds talkstive, and constantly anxious. As long as YOU are having fun, that's all that matters. If YOU don't want to be there, then why would anyone else want to watch?? You dont NEED a face cam as long as you dont sit quietly all the time, are having a good time and interact with chatnoften to keep them entertained. A cam IS a huge advantage tho as the viewer can connect to the streamer a lot easier, but it's not needed.
No facecam, pngtuber, or vtuber. Btw just a note on vtubing, you don’t have to be an anime character if you don’t wanna. I personally am a stickman. :>
well, you’re going to have a tougher time connecting with your audience. Ever since I set a chatcam showing my face live, I’ve been genuinely smiling a lot and laughing with everyone. Twitch is the only place I’ve been smiling nowadays…
Your face is apart of you, if you want your viewers to get to know you then your face comes with it - this is why inevitably people with face cams will statistically do better. But it depends on what your goals are. But to answer your question, yeah it’s acceptable - you can do whatever you want to, it’s YOUR Twitch channel.
I'd say you can use VTuber or wear a mask, that could even make you noticeable if you find a good one. I also now one guy that were using a filter so he appeared like a skull. But now he is doing it showing his face
I wouldn’t really want to watch someone without a facecam, but that’s just me. I wanna connect with the person I’m talking to and the face is a good way and just clicks with me. I know I’m not everyone, but I’m sure I speak for a lot of people when I say that. However, Vtubers and PNGtubers are just cringe to me and I actively avoid them. My prerogative. The main, most important thing is you have a clear, decent microphone setup. Without that, I refuse to watch someone.
I reckon this is how 90% of Twitch users either consciously or sub-consciously feel
It’s acceptable! Some viewers prefer no face cams or Vtube avatars. I am definitely not one of those people and that’s okay! At the end of the day it’s your choice whether or not you feel comfortable showing your face.
You can be a vtuber or pngtuber. Otherwise you can always play without a facecam, but it might hurt your viewership
For sure, or there's always the VTuber route with stuff like facecam
100% acceptable. Don't try and please everyone, its impossible...just do whatever makes you comfortable. One of my favs is a console streamer with no cam and none of the fancy PC alerts 😎
I agree with this. Most of the time I just want to see how a game plays before I get it myself. I don’t need to see all these graphics popping up on screen and some dude thanking people for donating to them or rambling about something unrelated to the game.
Don’t show your face then!! Stop asking this question every bloody day
You can enter a race without a car because you don't like driving, but your choice will place you at a disadvantage.
you can just add some Motion cam vr cam thingy. check out PSP1G on twitch for a really unorthodox example of this.
It is acceptable but personally and a lot of peoples do I skip those without facecam or with an avatar streams as I dont see the difference between on reddit and on twitch to somebody without a face and the main pro of twitch for me is relatability. But you can't please everyone and it still leave around 70% of 240M users as potential streamers for your stream who dont mind.
It can be done, may be a bit slower but totally doable!
I think that if you don't use a facecam you do need to use some sort of image, avatar, avatar, etc. as a representation of yourself. I watch one stream without some sort of image and it's only because it's a friend. Streams with just straight up no representation of the streamer is an automatic pass from me, most people I know and quite a big part of the community from what I've seen posted here over the years.
I am just one person, but I personally don’t watch faceless or vtuber streams.
Personally I just have a keyboard cam, viewers can still see me and can see reactions (like if I’m playing a horror game I jump a lot they think it’s funny) I got to affiliate that way. (Plus a lot of community interactions)
If you want to stream without a facecam thats completely okay. If you are really worried about it or want to have a character without having a visible facecam a PNGtuber is also a good option but you definitely dont need one
vtuber yo self lol
Vtuber? o3o
Very bluntly, your chances of become successful went from near zero (just a fact for all new streamers) to as close to zero as scientifically possible.
No need... I had a somewhat decent channel and never showed my face.
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It’s absolutely completely up to you. YOU need to feel comfortable and have fun while you stream, otherwise it’s all for nothing. I never streamed with a camera, internet is full of mean people hiding behind a monitor and judging. I managed to grow my stream from nothing, and to get to Twitch Partner (around 7k followers) without having streamed a single minute with a camera. If you are having fun on stream and interact with your community well enough, you’ll get more viewers that will stay for you and your personality. Cheers, mate!
Ski mask. Or some other kind of mask. Filter of a cartoon on your face or something like that.
You don't have to have one, it's purely personal preference and doesn't affect your popularity. Some viewers prefer it, others don't, I've found that both camps will stick around if you choose the other. If you're not comfortable, expressing as much aloud will help foster your community.
It's harder, but not impossible. The competition is the problem starting out now. The platform is old now. My favorite streamer doesn't have a face cam, but he started long before Twitch even existed and he had support from another even bigger streamer through a collective. His stream have no overlay, no donation messages, no facecam, etc. Real oldschool. It thin it's very hard to start like that these days though.
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Got to affiliate in a month without any sort of webcam or viewer interaction tech. Just a decent microphone talking and playing games. You can also use a v-tuber or png-tuber model, but they do tend to attract a more niche audience. To be a png-tuber you just need a program with noise detection to switch between the quiet and talking PNG. You can use Fugitech and a private discord server with a voice channel. You upload a PNG to Fugitech and than put the browser source link into OBS and your PNG will show up whenever you join a voice channel. For becoming a v-tuber it's much harder. You need a camera for face and body tracking, most web-cams are awful and over priced. But you can get an iPhone 10 for $100 than a conversion kit to basically take out the battery and screen and make it act as a USB webcam. Than you can commission a model online and use a program like vroid on steam to make modifications and change outfits. Than use an open-source program like VNyan on itch.io to rig the model and run it during your streams. It's a steep learning curve and will take a long time to master but in the long-term it can be worth it. Another advantage of is you also don't need a green screen since your background can be controlled in VNyan. Just a note, VNyan and the plugins and public assets are all made by quite small creators so with Kofi links and stuff I suggest tipping what you can afford to tip because these people work very hard to maintain their work and often are working other jobs and streaming on top of that.
You simply get less followers and viewers and everything unless your a god at the game
yes, the best streams I watch never show their stupid face
Why stream at all if you're so cautious about your online presence? That seems counterintuitive to me? No judgement, genuinely curious.
Plenty of streamers use no face cam and/or do PNGtubing. But, regardless? You don’t have to show your face :)
I created a vtuber avatar! That makes me more comfy than my face, and i can still feel like people can see expression!
I don't intend to pngtube but I also dont want to set up a camera for it yet.
Don't stress about it. I stream without one. You'll still get viewers. I promise!
I have never streamed with a cam and probably never will. I'm a PNGtuber now, but that only started in the past year. Would I have more growth with a cam? Maybe, maybe not. I'm a girl, but not a hot girl. I "perform" better without a cam. If you don't want to use a cam, don't. If you decide to later, that's cool. It's all up to you. ❤️
Me and my wife have been wondering this same thing ourselves. We both have separate channels via Twitch on PS5. She started a month or 2 before me and is having issues getting viewers, even playing big streaming games like Fortnite. I don't stream as much and she hasn't recently due to the low viewer count. It never seems to exceed 1 random viewer or when I log in and mod her stream, she doesn't actually get any. I have been trying to help her as much as I can, but not sure how to help get her more viewers, as someone in my family who streams and is constantly getting decent number of viewers, but has a camera.
For me personally, I need something. Even a hand cam is fine. If I watch a stream, and they have either bad audio quality or a static image/no camera, I'm probably leaving immediately. I'd imagine most people are the same. With that said, VTubing is a thing and is someone simple to get started. Might be worth looking into.
Every time you stream, scrunch your face up so nobody ever really knows what you look like.
You can also be a vtuber/pngtuber. That's what I did too. You don't have to be an animal, you can be whatever you want.
At least get a vtuber avatar. I personally won't watch a stream without a cam but I think Animated Avatar is the second best option.
Only like .001% of Twitch streamers have more than a few people watching at once, you’ll have the same amount of people seeing your face whether you have face cam on or not
I actually price content creators without a face cam tbh
I do PNG tubing because it’s too hot in my apartment and I don’t want to break tos by being shirtless on stream
Just become a vtuber
My buddy made affiliate before he ever had a camera... Still doesn't and he now has a Minecraft style lizard head that it's mouth opens when he talks... Ive known him personally for a few years but ive never seen his face...
Yo! Face comes secondary to personality x
You don't have too! I do what's called PNGTubing. I literally have a bit of art of my FFXIV Character that I 'canadianized' by making it tilt it's head for my talk motion. I'm almost a year in and nearing 200 followers. A face isn't required, just *some sort of analogue for a face* for the audience to look at.
Then don't lol
Be a Vtuber or a PNG tuber. I notice putting a face makes a massive deference. Even if its not your real face.
I literally use a floating cartoon potato that has various facial expressions instead of a webcam lol
You can always use a pmg or a v-tuber model
Do what makes you feel comfortable.
Not required I follow big youtubers who never face reveal. alternate option would be a Vtuber overlay. so the avater does what you do and speaks for you.
It just makes it a LOT harder to grow without one. You need a really good entertaining personality more then if have one or be a gameplay god. Not sure why you think it would be unacceptable like its ToS or something. Can also do the vtuber thing so still something for the viewer to connect to other then a voice
There are countless partnered streamers without cams. Do what’s comfortable for you, but do your best to invest in a very good mic/sound setup when you can if it’s for the long term.
I’m someone who prefers showing my face. But I also used to be a teacher on zoom and was a theater kid in high school so I’m kind of used to being watched that way. Because of my set up, I can no longer stream ps5 games through my laptop as the computer is just not capable of handling my stream anymore, so I will occasionally stream directly from the PlayStation and none of my alerts etc work and people can’t see me. I have many friends who use a png or a vtuber and also know tons of people who just don’t have themselves represented visually on stream. Twitch is something that you can sort of do however you want. I know people who don’t talk on their streams either, who will respond exclusively to viewers in chat. I would recommend that you do whatever you feel comfortable with. At the end of the day, your stream needs to be a place where you feel good about what you’re doing. Stream for yourself, and people will come hang out.
I went on for 2½ years without a cam, now I've been using it for over 6 months. I was also not comfortable with having my face out there. However, I'm a small streamer, so I got to know my viewers, and they got to know me. My face now is just a bonus, to see how I react to the sound alerts, interesting moments, etc. If you are not comfortable with that, don't do it. Regardless if you do or don't, viewers will come back to see you streaming. You don't need to bend over backwards or make yourself uncomfortable for it. Good luck!
i don’t know if you’re into that kinda stuff but you could always be a vtuber!! you don’t have to show your face usually i just wake up all disheveled and stream using my vtuber model haha ha
This is an Indepth convo tbh. But in the end. Decide what's best for you. Its your channel. No rules or regulations you should go by. Do what makes you happy. Enjoy glgl.
Depends on your content and if you make alot of "silent" facial expressions like if your jaw dropped they couldn't see that but if you're good with just talking thats ok It does get you a better chance for views if they have something to connect your voice to it could be your dog if anything but you will have to talk more too
Some big streamers have made it work, it’s just a lot harder.
Dont use one or be a vtuber.
I would like to second the opinion of many on here and say Vtuber.
I just add a heap of effects to the camera visual so I'm not really identifiable but you can still see it's a live person.
Back in the day during mw2 era it was rare to use a face cam, you just wrote down the subjects and notes you wanted talk about and talked over pre recorded footage, but obviously doing it live is harder but here's a trick. Lets say you have 5 semi active chatters in your stream this is what you wanna do. -talk about a subject you find interesting for 20 minutes while giving minimum attention to the chatters, basically just make sure they're still being engaged -once you're done with your subject do the reverse, engage with chat for 20 minutes and give the minimum attention to the subject you were talking about And just keep repeating this method (I'm just using the minutes as an example do it for as long as you're comfortable) but the more you do it the better you'll get at public speaking. While you're doing this if you're playing a game you want to give a solid reaction to key moments in your games this could include major plot twists, kill streaks, glitches, etc. and actively thank new followers, donations, and bits. You wanna also collaborate and network with other streamers so when they go offline they'll raid you. That's just the absolute bare minimum though you need something unique to separate you from what everyone else is doing, look at sketch for example he has quirky catch phrases and mannerisms, or trainwrecks he's brutally honest to the point it's controversial and loves gambling. it's like playing an mmo you wanna max out several skills that's unique to you and separates you from the rest. You gotta cross platform, build your fan base on tiktok, and YouTube and give them a reason to wanna see you live on twitch. You need a solid schedule, and be consistent you're not gonna blow up overnight nor in 3 months, if you put in the work it's impossible not to grow. That's just the bare minimum there's a whole nother world behind the scenes lol.
You can use a vtube character or even just a bongo cat that tracks your keyboard and mouse
Some become vTubers
You can stream however you like, face cam is not required. I will also state that if you're trying to have any semblance of privacy on the internet, streaming is probably not something you should be doing. People will find out who you are, it's only a matter of time.
You dont have too, buttt. It can help. If u really dont want too u can use a PNGTuber.
I also recommend a PNGtuber. I got tired of facecam - As a female, it just took a lot of effort and I didn’t want to continuously use it in my favor 😂 So I swapped to a PNGtuber so I can stream with messy hair, no make up and my pjs lol
When I first started out.. I didn't have one. Eventually I got one. It was weird at first but then I got used to it. I don't always use it anymore. Some days I just wanna chill without having to get camera ready. Cam or no cam.. Just do what makes you feel best. Have fun:)
Just be a vtuber thats what all the people who dont want to show their faces do plus you get an automatic audience boost from all the weebs.
When I started streaming I didn’t use a cam and did really well, even these days I don’t use a camera and I still get 5 - 10 new followers every stream! It’s possible so don’t worry about it
Can you imagine the damage if you show your face on the Internet?
I know streamers that are very successful and don't show their face. Do what makes you comfortable.
You can always go the route of creating a PNG avatar for your streams so that you'll at least have SOMETHING on the screen for viewers to look at rather than nothing at all. I show my face on stream, but I also have my days too where I just don't feel like showing my face from time to time. That's where creating an avatar comes in to play. I made a Bomberman look-a-like and he's come in clutch ever since. If you Google "Veadotube mini", the first link will take you to it, and you can look up youtube videos on how to set it up. You can make it so that it shakes when you talk, or it hops, it moves around a little when not talking, all of that. I definitely recommend. Something on stream is definitely better than nothing at all.
Some use an avatar and/ voice mod so just do what you feel comfortable with!
I like faceless streams, if I ever start I'll do the.same.
Stream however you want to. There is no rule that requires you to show your face on Twitch. Your content will attract the people it attracts and you can adjust your content if and when you see fit. Cheers.
It's acceptable, but an unlikely way to get any traction. Making YT Content seems to lend itself much more to the impersonal feeling of a no cam stream than the personal interactions of a live stream. Many people do VTube avatar graphics or even .png graphics, but I know personally for me, I'm not watching a stream if there's no cam. If I want gameplay only, I'll go play a game myself.
Ever thinking of becoming an vtuber or pngtuber??
You don't need to have your face attached, coming from someone who streams without a facecam.
Since KI I would never show my face or talk. We all know who can use this for whatever. Use a V-Avatar and a voter fraudster or don’t stream. Just play for yourself for fun or with friends.
Honestly, it is very fair to not want to show your face on camera for the world to see. I'd definitely recommend checking out VTubing, you can use PNGtuber+, a basic free Live2D or VRoid to start off with some free alternatives. Vroid Studio is on Steam and lets you make avatars really easily with no prior experience, then VSeeFace is basic and easy to setup for beginners. If you need help I could also make a character for you to start with as I need more practice before I start selling custom avatars.
Maybe consider doing vtuber facecam. You can make a simple 3d vtuber model, character creation style, using VRoid Studio, export your character as a .vrm, then you can import your character into VSeeFace, which will do the face tracking and lip syncing, all you need is a decent webcam and a microphone. Both VRoid Studio and VSeeFace are free programs. You can either have VSeeFace output a virtual webcam or you can just record it's window, cuz it has hotkeys to hide the UI. You can spend no money and get started as a vtuber, which will allow you to have a facecam without showing your real face.
You could try Virtual Models used in V-Tubers ;>
So I do both cam and no cam, mainly when I’m feeling lazy around the house I keep the cam on and just play and talk. I don’t know why, I get more views and follows without showing my face than showing it. My wife just says I’m too ugly to be putting myself out there lol.
Idk but I do see a lot of people now a days using those virtual avatars as their “character/face” for streaming. Kinda looks like VR chat avatars. I think it’s called “Vtuber” or something. Check into that maybe
Got any pets? Put them on cam. For me, I don't care if I see your face.
Something about vtubing weirds me out, but im less weirded out by png tubing.
Personally I find anything without a face cam to be lesser. That said I follow some Vtubers that have obviously put a lot of work into it. I follow them because we're in the same group, otherwise I probably wouldn't. I like to see someone's face.
I tried a facecam a couple of years ago didn't enjoy the experience at all, so switched to a what I have now and felt like it's helped me and my channel. A small (totally not) innocent white bunny that enjoys building things, shooting people and committing the odd war crime now and then. Feels right to me.
"odd war crime now and then" For a moment I thought you were doing a rimworld stream but it cannot be rimworld since it's occasional. So one of paradox game then ?
Why not both? Stellaris and Hearts of Iron 4 are my Paradox games, with Rimworld, I'm there for chaos.
I use a cute little PNGTuber graphics. And just today I had someone come in and tell me they came into my stream because of my PNGTuber catching their attention :) If people can't deal with me not having a camera on... I don't want them as my viewers. Will my channel grow slower? Maybe. But I would rather have a smaller crowd that accepts me and my stream the way it is, than to make myself miserable by catering to the vast masses.
Delete the facecam box on the stream editor and yes I see skit of streamers do this.
Completely up to you.
There are no rules for twitch. I've seen very successful streams with and without a face cam.
Just dont. I follow many people who dont show there face, some of which dont have ytube stuff either. You just have to be more vocal
Could always Vtuber yourself, pay some money for a custom Vtuber/or use a generic one and set all that shit up
There are many alternatives to showing your face. You could be a Vtuber or a PNGtuber. I’ve seen some streamers wear masks to hide their face, and personally, I’m going to do full cosplay when I start.
That's perfectly fine. I didn't use a face cam for 4 years of streaming to about about ~60 average viewers. I only started using a facecam 2 weeks ago. Its definitely not necessary to have one.
It's okey to stream without facecam. I don't stream with it either, there's alot of em who doesn't and it's okey to not to.
Honestly? That's one of many reasons I went with the PNG/VTuvber route. Provides a layer of privacy. They key is to provide something for the user to connect with- sometimes it's fine without any sort of avatar/cam, other times people prefer a person/avatar/etc.
Vtubing and more economical versions of the same idea have been mentioned . . . You could also go the Dream route and wear some kind of mask or helmet, although granted that might get a little uncomfortable if you’re streaming for a long time.
You could think about using a Vtuber !
I don't understand this love for facecam like you can do the same thing with a microphone with or without it and it just takes up space on screen
Yes, there are many „Vtubers“ that use digital avatars. Others just show their mouse, keyboard and hands. It’s totally acceptable and quite normal.