Streaming backgrounds are an integral part of your streaming setup. They keep the viewer engaged, provide a cohesive look to your stream, and can help you stand out from other streamers.
Streaming background design is not something that should be taken lightly or rushed – it’s important to consider many aspects before deciding on a final design. This article will walk you through some things to think about when designing your own streaming background so that you can have beautiful images behind you as well as in front of the camera!
1. Determine Your Streaming Platforms & Design Style
Which platforms do you want to broadcast on? Which style will best suit those platforms? And how much time are you willing to invest into this project? These questions are key to determining your design direction.
Each streaming platform has different requirements for upload file sizes and resolutions, so you’ll need to decide how many platforms you want to stream on at once and what their specifications are. This will lead you towards the type of background images that will work best with each of your chosen popular streaming platforms – this is why it’s important to know the specifications of your main broadcast platform before designing anything! Following that, it’s also important to understand which style or styles of images align best with these platforms. For example, if you’re looking for more static backgrounds (i.e. landscapes), Twitch is likely where you’ll want to focus most of your attention because it does not allow animated graphics in its backgrounds.
Once you’ve determined the platforms that you’ll be streaming on and the specifications for those platforms, you can start designing your images. There are a few styles of images that work well with popular streaming platforms:
– Images with a transparent background (i.e. GIFs)
– Large static backgrounds (i.e. landscapes)
– Static backdrops with simple animations over them
Note that any type of image will work as long as it complies with Twitch or whatever other streaming platforms you’re using – feel free to mix and match different styles to create a cohesive design! If you aren’t sure which style will work best, I recommend starting off with simple static images so they can easily be edited later.
2. Know Your Goals
What are you trying to accomplish with the streaming background? Are you looking for something that matches your branding perfectly, or are you wanting something quick and simple that just gets the job done? Do you have a certain image in mind that you want it to look like, or do you want to create your own images from scratch? Knowing exactly what kind of image(s) will best achieve your goal is crucial when designing your streaming background.
For example, if this is your first time creating a streaming background, It is recommended to stick with an easy style so it’s easier to edit later on without having to worry about learning new software or spending hours editing images – save more complex edits for later! If you’re looking for something quick and simple, animated images tend to be easy to do in streaming software such as OBS Studio or XSplit. If you want your background images to match your branding perfectly, designing them yourself using a digital design tool such as Adobe Photoshop will likely give you the best results (though it will take more time).
3. How Often Will You Change Your Streaming Background?
How long do you plan on keeping the images you’ve designed for your streaming background? If this is a short-term change to make your stream look more professional or give it a “brand new feel,” then using pre-made images (such as stock photos) without editing them will be fine. But if you plan on keeping these images for the long term, save yourself the hassle of re-editing all of your graphics when you want to update them – they can easily get out of date!
If you are someone who wants to have changing backgrounds in your stream so they don’t become stale, here are some great options:
– Use different styles/types of images that work well with each other
– Rotate through different images in an automated sequence
– Use a different image for each day of the week so they don’t become repetitive
Just remember to give yourself enough time to learn how to use whichever streaming platform you choose, as well as the software used for editing your background images. You can always use a free trial or test out a few different options before committing to one! Remember that preparation is key when it comes to being prepared and ready for your first stream, so try your best not to rush through anything. Knowing how long you’ll be using these streaming background images will help you create a schedule that allows plenty of time for designing and learning any new software involved in the process.