An online streamer or live streamer is a type of social media influencer who broadcasts themselves online through a live stream to an audience.
An online streamer or live streamer is a type of social media influencer who broadcasts themselves online through a live stream to an audience.
Streaming arose in the early 2010s, originating on sites like YouTube where users could upload videos of themselves in the form of vlogs or Let's Plays. While not all content featured a live audience, users were still able to gain a sizable following and make a living off of their content. Other sites like Twitch increased this popularity by offering innovations such as video clippings and pay-for-play. [1] Due to the potential for high earnings from multiple income streams (e.g., ad revenue sharing, endorsements/partnerships, subscriptions), streaming has become a much-yearned-for career option. [2]
Let's Players have been the most popular streamers by far since the beginning of live streaming. Today, the majority of streamers make their living from doing Let's Plays, live speedruns, and walkthroughs of video games. The biggest video game streamers are PewDiePie and Ninja who make millions of dollars each year just from streaming. [3] [4]
While the majority of professional and part-time streamers play video games, many often do IRL (in real life) streams where they broadcast their daily life. At first, many streaming sites prohibited non-gaming live streams as they thought it would harm the quality of the content on their sites but the demand for non-gaming content grew. [5] Topics include answering questions in front of a computer, streaming from their phone while walking outside, or even doing tutorials. IRL streams are alternatives to viewers who do not necessarily like to play video games. [6]
Virtual avatars, commonly known as VTubers, are a branch of streaming in which virtual avatars, occasionally paired with voice changers, are used instead of the streamer's face. There are multiple companies focused on the promotion, support and merchandising of VTuber talent, including Nijisanji and Hololive Production. In 2020 alone, there were more than 10,000 active VTubers. [7]
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Pornographic streams are a way to directly communicate with porn stars. Camgirls and camboys broadcast while nude or performing sexual acts often on demand from viewers. Sites like Plexstorm have created a niche by streaming video gamers performing or showing sexual content including pornographic games. [8]
In South Korea, a streamer is called a "broadcast jockey". Broadcast jockeys have become popular over the years in Korea thanks in part to many of them being more relatable to viewers than some celebrities and becoming famous enough to appear on TV shows. While it is common for broadcast jockeys to become national stars, there has been a recent rise in the number of famous Korean idols and celebrities becoming broadcast jockeys either as a way to supplement their career or full-time as they make more money streaming than they would acting or singing. [9] [10] The number of famous stars becoming full-time broadcast jockeys has outpaced the number of part-timers as many prefer freedom over professional offers. [11] Politicians have streaming channels. [12] Korean sites include AfreecaTV, Naver TV, and KakaoTV in addition to worldwide streaming sites like Twitch, YouTube, and Bigo Live.
Mukbang, the live-streaming of eating a meal, originated in South Korea. [13]
China has become the largest marketplace for live streaming. A large number of streamers make $10,000–$100,000 a month without having to be a big name on the Internet. [14] This is due to the large population and the ubiquity of smartphones, where many Chinese citizens prefer to consume their entertainment. The live streaming market grew 180% in 2016 and has grown even more since then. [15] Chinese streaming sites may be restricted to Chinese content and audiences due to the strict Internet rules in the country and the difficulty of cooperating with the Chinese Communist Party. Many Chinese streamers average 100,000 viewers per stream and earn $29,000 per month just by partnering with an agency. [16]
Livestreaming, live-streaming, or live streaming is the streaming of video or audio in real time or near real time. While often referred to simply as streaming, the real time nature of livestreaming differentiates it from other non-live broadcast forms of streamed media such as video-on-demand, vlogs and video-sharing platforms such as YouTube.
Twitch is an American video live-streaming service that focuses on video game live streaming, including broadcasts of esports competitions, in addition to offering music broadcasts, creative content, and "in real life" streams. Twitch is operated by Twitch Interactive, a subsidiary of Amazon. It was introduced in June 2011 as a spin-off of the general-interest streaming platform Justin.tv. Content on the site can be viewed either live or via video on demand. The games shown on Twitch's current homepage are listed according to audience preference and include genres such as real-time strategy games (RTS), fighting games, racing games, and first-person shooters.
Thomas George Cassell, known online as Syndicate, is an English YouTuber and Twitch streamer. Regarded as one of the earlier known gaming personalities, his videography consists of Let's Play videos on Call of Duty and Minecraft. Born in Manchester, Cassell had passion for a career in the gaming industry, which he started by purchasing gaming equipment using his money from McDonald's. On 3 September 2010, Cassell registered his gaming channel "TheSyndicateProject", where he found success and an online community. His prominence online was recognized by Call of Duty publisher Activision and multi-channel network (MCN) Machinima, where he signed to the network to monetize his content. Cassell's channel achieved substantial growth, passing one million subscribers in June 2012 and one billion views in late 2013. He further expanded his career into livestreaming on Twitch, hosting the same commentary over his gameplays. His Twitch channel became the first to reach one million followers in August 2014.
A mukbang is an online audiovisual broadcast in which a host consumes various quantities of food while interacting with the audience. The genre became popular in South Korea in the early 2010s, and has become a global trend since the mid-2010s. Varieties of foods ranging from pizza to noodles are consumed in front of a camera. The purpose of mukbang is also sometimes educational, introducing viewers to regional specialties or gourmet spots.
The live streaming of video games is an activity where people broadcast themselves playing games to a live audience online. The practice became popular in the mid-2010s on the US-based site Twitch, before growing to YouTube, Facebook, China-based sites Huya Live, DouYu, and Bilibili, and other services. By 2014, Twitch streams had more traffic than HBO's online streaming service, HBO Go. Professional streamers often combine high-level play and entertaining commentary, and earn income from sponsors, subscriptions, ad revenue, and donations.
Paul Michael Joseph Denino, better known as Ice Poseidon, is an American Internet personality, live streamer. and YouTuber. He is primarily known for streaming the video game Old School RuneScape and his IRL streams. Denino gained peak prominence in 2017 when his IRL streams became popular. He is best known for his IRL streams, which he describes as "life streaming". Rolling Stone recognized Denino as a "pioneer 'life streamer'".
Thomas Chance Morris, known professionally as Sodapoppin, is an American Twitch streamer and YouTuber. He has one of the largest followings on Twitch, with over 8.9 million followers as of November 26, 2024; he also has over 1.1 million subscribers and over 480.7 million views on YouTube. According to Social Blade, Morris sits at the number 16 spot for the most followers on Twitch; he also ranks number 15 for the largest total number of views on the platform. He is a co-owner of and content creator for gaming organization One True King.
Imane Anys, known professionally as Pokimane, is a Canadian and Moroccan online streamer, YouTuber, influencer, and internet personality.
OfflineTV is an online social entertainment group of content creators based in Los Angeles, California. They produce a wide range of content, from prank videos to vlogs to the housemates playing games together. The group maintains a large following on their social media platforms.
A VTuber or virtual YouTuber is an online entertainer who uses a virtual avatar generated using computer graphics. Real-time motion capture software or technology are often—but not always—used to capture movement. The digital trend originated in Japan in the mid-2010s, and has become an international online phenomenon in the 2020s. A majority of VTubers are English- and Japanese-speaking YouTubers or live streamers who use avatar designs. By 2020, there were more than 10,000 active VTubers. Although the term is an allusion to the video platform YouTube, they also use websites such as Niconico, Twitch, Facebook, Twitter, and Bilibili.
Projekt Melody, or more commonly known as Melody for short, is an American 3D anime-styled live streamer, or VTuber, and pornographic actress. She first appeared when her Twitter account opened in July 2019, and she has live streamed on Chaturbate and Twitch since early 2020. During her first three days of Chaturbate streaming, Melody's Twitter followers rose from 700 to over 20,000, and her sudden rise in popularity had mixed reactions. In late 2020, Melody became a founding member of VShojo, one of the first VTuber talent agencies based in the Western world. She describes herself as an artificial intelligence, although she is performed by a real person.
VShojo is an American talent agency that focuses on promoting VTuber content creators based in San Francisco, California. VShojo bills itself as a "talent first" agency, oriented towards providing resources to its talent.
Youna Kang, better known by her online 3D Virtual YouTuber persona CodeMiko and alias The Technician, is a South Korean-American Twitch streamer and YouTuber. Kang is best known for her live streams on Twitch, for interviewing other streamers, content creators, and internet personalities as her alter ego persona CodeMiko, and for pushing the envelope with regards to interactivity in VTuber technology.
Crab Game is a free-to-play video game developed and published by Norwegian indie developer Daniel Sooman, also known as Dani. The game was initially released for Linux and macOS on Itch.io and for Windows on Steam on 29 October 2021; the Linux and macOS editions were later released on Steam on 16 November. Based on the Netflix series Squid Game, players compete with each other in minigames in order to be the last one alive.
Ranboo is an American YouTuber and Twitch streamer primarily known for their Minecraft content. They gained popularity after their inclusion in the Dream SMP and competing in MC Championship. As of September 2024, they have 4.4 million followers and over 100 thousand subscribers on Twitch, making them the 57th most-followed Twitch streamer overall and the 9th most-subscribed Twitch streamer overall.
Jeremy, better known as Jerma985 or Jerma, is an American live streamer, YouTuber, performance artist, and voice actor known for his elaborate Twitch live streams incorporating surreal comedy. He has been described as an online personality across multiple social media platforms.
Darren Jason Watkins Jr., known online as IShowSpeed or Speed, is an American YouTuber and online streamer. He is known for his variety live streams that showcase dramatic and energetic behavior, as well as his IRL streams in worldwide locations.
Ironmouse is a Puerto Rican-American VTuber, singer, and Twitch streamer. Active since 2017, she is a founding member of the VTuber group VShojo launched in 2020. As of 2024, she has over two million followers and is the second most-subscribed Twitch streamer of all time, surpassing Kai Cenat's first record during a September 2024 subathon, before being surpassed herself by Cenat during a November 2024 subathon.
Yoo Yoon-jin, better known as Jinnytty, is a South Korean online streamer. Jinny is best known for her in real life (IRL) livestreams on Twitch where she has garnered more than 1,000,000 followers as of March 15, 2024.
Neuro-sama is an AI VTuber and chatbot that livestreams on her creator's Twitch channel "vedal987". Her speech and personality are powered by an artificial intelligence (AI) system which utilizes a large language model, allowing her to communicate with viewers in the stream's chat. She was created by a computer programmer and AI developer named Vedal, who had the idea for an AI VTuber by combining a large language model with a computer-animated avatar. She debuted on Twitch on 19 December 2022.
