Streaming your jam on Twitch
How to get the best out of your streaming technology and make your jam known to the world.
Since 2020 we have been using Twitch as our main streaming platform.
There are two elements to this - managing your own jam stream, and broadcasting on the GGJ central stream.
Also, we encourage all sites to show the central GGJ stream on a screen or projected on the wall - so your jammers can see snapshots from sites all around the world!
If you do stream, be careful you don't reveal the theme until the time is right! Maybe even turn it off for a moment or pass a "break/informational" while revealing the Theme. This also goes for your Jammers and what they say out loud.
Setting up a stream for your jam site
If you have the internet bandwidth and the equipment, it is worth setting up a stream for your site, so that others from around the world can check in to see how you are doing. See below for the technical requirements.
Applying to be featured on the central GGJ stream
The central GGJ stream will be featuring sites all around the world throughout the event! Each site who is accepted will get between 30-60 minutes to showcase what they are doing. We encourage all sites to apply, and ask for active participation, so maybe interview jammers, do some showcasing of the projects, give a tour around your venue - something that will be fun and engaging for our viewers. Applications to be part of the central stream open early December.
Technical requirements
To set your site's livestream you will need:
A computer or phone to stream from, preferably one not being used for any other tasks
A suitable camera to capture video for your stream
Broadcasting software to stream your video feed to the world
A reasonably fast and reliable internet connection (remember you'll have extra traffic from your jammers to deal with during the event).
A Twitch account
The Global Game Jam and Twitch code of conduct
Computer
The recommended specs for a streaming computer are as follows:
CPU: Intel Core i5 (4th gen or higher) or AMD Equivalent (use this tool to compare your CPU)
MEMORY: 8GB DDR3 RAM (16 GB recommended)
OS: Windows 11 or macOS 12 (or later)
GPU should support DirectX 10 and up
If you can, we recommend that you have a computer set aside exclusively for streaming connected via a LAN/Ethernet cable. If your computer doesn’t have to share resources among multiple tasks, you will produce a smoother, higher quality video feed.
However, if you plan to stream gameplay from it when your Jammers showcase their projects, then specs go up a bit.
CPU: Intel Core i5 (10th gen or higher) or AMD Ryzen 5000 (or higher)
MEMORY: 16GB DDR4 RAM or Higher
OS: Windows 11
GPU: Nvidia RTX 20 Series (or Higher) or AMD RX 5000 Series (or Higher)
OS installed in SSD and games running from it.
Camera
The Logitech C920s is a widely-used webcam by broadcasters. For streamers using a more dedicated camera with an HDMI connection, we recommend the Magewell USB 3.0 dongle, AverMedia, or Elgato capture devices.
Broadcasting software
To broadcast, you'll need broadcasting software. This is the program that will encode video and audio information from your camera feed and send it to a streaming platform for broadcasting. There are several software solutions to choose from, including:
Streamlabs OBS - free, built upon OBS with automatic configuration and tuning (It's one of the easiest to get up and running)
Open Broadcaster Software (OBS) - free, open source
XSplit - basic version free, paid subscription for more features
FFSplit - free
vMix - Expensive, Complex, Windows only and extremely capable (this is the software running the Central Feed Mixing in 2020).
Once you choose your software, spend some time getting to know it. Play with the settings, and run some test streams and ask for volunteers to watch it and give feedback on the video and audio quality.
Pro-Tip: Figure out how to record locally to your computer (it's usually one extra button), that way if your broadcast is disrupted, you will still own a pixel-perfect copy of your GGJ adventures.
Recommended Stream Settings
1080p 30fps - 6000kb/sec (Twitch Maximum is 6000kb/s, so don't exceed this).
720p 30fps - 3000kb/sec (Good for lower bandwidth connections).
720p 30fps - 2000kb/sec (This is about as low as you want to go, maybe use a 4G phone if your main internet connection is struggling).
Pro-Tip: Once you've got your ideal setup, ensure you have a backup plan: e.g. 4G Dongle, Mobile Phone, or know how to put-out a lower quality/bandwidth.
Pro-Tip: Don’t leave your stream setup until the first day of the jam only to find that something isn’t working! As mentioned before, some venues network may block a few services, so test beforehand in case you need to ask for these limits to be lifted.
Internet connection
Venue bandwidth: For a smooth stream, 6 Mb/s (6,000kb/s) upload is recommended, and if possible it should be an isolated connection that is not impacted by traffic from other users. If you notice that your streaming software is dropping frames at any point, consider lowering the video quality or switching to your backup connection (just like you practised).
Accounts set up
Twitch account
Of course, you’ll need a Twitch account. Read more about how to set to stream for the first time.
Register for the GGJ directory widget
We will be listing an official GGJ channel directory, so viewers of the main feed may be tempted to check-in on you over the duration of the event. In order to be featured on this directory, you will need to include your twitch channel URL during registration.
Link your GGJ site page to your stream
Be sure to set the “Live stream link” on your GGJ site page to the URL of your Twitch stream page. This way, anybody visiting your page will be able to easily find your stream.
Code of conduct
Before starting your stream, please read the GGJ inclusiveness policy and code of conduct and adhere to them at all times during broadcast. These documents exist so that everybody can have an enjoyable and safe game jam, so any site broadcast that breaches them may be removed from the directory without warning. You will also need to adhere to the Twitch community guidelines.
Further reading
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