How To Be a YouTube Gamer

Richard Bennett

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

From hardcore gamers to anybody who likes watching adults freak out about zombies, a lot of people really enjoy gaming vlogs. YouTube gamers are among some of the most popular vloggers on YouTube. To be a successful YouTube gamer you need have both gaming skills and a great vlogging presence.

Posting a cool gaming videos once in a while for your friends is fun, and if that is all you want to do then the first tip on this list should help you out. If you are hoping to build a popular YouTube channel centered on gaming then you will want to read further. Gaming vlogs are more than just hobbies for successful YouTube gamers. They put a lot of work into them.

The first thing you need to know about being a gaming vlogger is that gameplay footage is protected by copyright. Some game creators will allow for the use of this footage in gaming vlogs because it helps promote their games, but others see these videos as competition for their games. There will usually be information on the manufacturer’s website, often in the ‘Terms of Use’ section, which explains their policy. If you have questions about it, or want permission to use footage from a game you are not allowed to, you should ask. There are YouTube gamers posting videos of games the copyright does not allow them to who have gotten special permission, although this is more likely to be given if your channel is already popular.

Looking for a good video editor for your gaming video? Wondershare Filmora is recommended. It is not just a video editor which allows you to cut, split, add text, apply background sound to your video clips, but also a screen recorder which helps you record videos from PC screem webcam, and voice over. What's more, you can find lots of special effects for gaming in this software.

<2> Four tips for YouTube gamers:

1. Equipment

For some types of vlogs, beauty vlogs for example, the camera is the most important piece of equipment. For a YouTube gamer the most important piece of equipment is a game recorder, such as the Elgato Game Capture featured above. The Elgato Game Capture costs about $150 online, which is a typical price for a quality game recorder. Most of the footage you record is going to be from inside your games, so a game recorder is a must. Nobody wants to watch footage recorded from a camera pointing at your tv screen.

You will need a camera if you want to record reaction videos, which you probably will if you are going to be playing horror games where your reactions enhance the viewing experience. You do not need to record a reaction video for every game you play, though. So, it is not necessary for you to pay upwards of $1000 on a DSLR for your gaming channel. A good webcam will do, or you could even use your phone’s camera.

Aside from your game play the most important thing you will be recording is audio. It is worth investing in an external microphone. Since you do not need to worry about the range of your microphone for a gaming vlog something like the Blue Snowball USB mic is a great choice. These cost about $50 online. LAV mics are also popular among vloggers because they can be clipped onto your shirt while you record. An entire Lavalier system can cost over $100, sometimes around $600, but it is less expensive to buy a single LAV mic that plugs into the audio jack of your phone or computer.

If you cannot afford to invest in an external microphone then you should download a free audio editing program called Audacity from Audacityteam.org. You can use Audacity to improve the quality of the sound you record using your computer or camera.

2. Developing Your Voice

The reason a lot of people will want to watch your gaming videos while they could be watching someone else’s is not because you are a great gamer. It is because you are a great entertainer. Your vlogging voice should be a lot like a DJ’s radio voice; clear, confident, and louder than you would ever be at the dinner table. People do not tend to actually talk in the same voice they vlog in and YouTube gamers are no exception.

Forcing yourself into a fake voice is awkward, though, and while your vlogging voice is something you will need to develop it should not be fake. Remember to speak up and focus on your games. Some of your best commentary will happen while you are completely absorbed in what you are doing. Talking while you game and sounding natural will not happen right away, but it will with practice. When you start getting comments on your videos keep that feedback in mind and try to work the kinds of things your viewers like into your gaming voiceovers more often.

3. Time Management

Recording a gaming video you are happy with takes time. Editing that video can also take up a lot of time, depending on the style of video you want to post. These are the time commitments that most people expect to have when starting a gaming channel, but they are not the only ones.

Initially, you will need to spend a lot of time thinking about what kind of gaming channel you want to run. Are you more focused on game reviews, or on comedy? You will also need to consider whether your target audience consists of serious gamers who are looking for something informative or casual gamers – perhaps even non-gamers – who just want to watch entertaining YouTube videos. The answers to these questions will lead you to building your brand, which can also be time consuming. You will need channel art – like an icon and a banner – as well as intro and outro sequences. Plan to think about and create these things early or you will end up getting busy and rushing through them.

The other things related to your gaming channel which will be taking up your time are: researching gaming trends, networking with other YouTube gamers, and promoting your channel. You need to plan out times for these activities, as well as time limits. These are the things that can eat up all of your personal time if you let them.

4. Channel Promotion

In order to start getting more views and subscribers you will need to promote your channel. Part of this is having searchable video titles and descriptions, but you also need to get involved with the communities surrounding the games you are playing. These communities are more likely to want to watch your videos if you are a part of them.

Besides creating your own gaming videos you will need to watch other people’s and reach out to these gamers through comments. If you find another YouTube gamer with close to your same number of subscribers then you may even want to approach them about collaboration. This is one way you can promote your channel; by introducing yourself to the other gamer’s subscribers and allowing them to be introduced to yours. You will also need to put time into being active in gaming forums and communities in order to show people you know what you are doing and tell them about your channel.

You should not use the comments sections of other people’s videos, or gaming forums, just to promote your own channel. You can and should promote your channel through these mediums, it just cannot seem like self-interest is the only reason you are bothering. When you comment on another gamer’s video actually say something that gamer might want to respond to, not just ‘I did a video like this too, check it out!’. It is the same when you start getting involved with gaming forums. You need to participate in conversations and take an interest in people if you want them to take an interest in you and your work.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

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