Live streaming is the closest contact you can have with an audience: they ask, you answer immediately; they send a gift, you thank them by name. That is why streams bind viewers to a channel and are the most direct income source for creators. Starting is easier than most people think — you do not need OBS or any extra software. On Facetiv the stream runs straight from the browser.
1. What you need: the minimum kit
| Equipment | Minimum | Better |
|---|---|---|
| Camera | Phone or laptop webcam | 1080p webcam or a phone over USB |
| Microphone | Laptop mic | Lavalier or USB microphone |
| Light | A window | Ring light |
| Internet | 5 Mbit/s upload | 10+ Mbit/s over a cable |
Test your connection for upload speed — that is the number that matters for streaming. A cable instead of Wi-Fi removes most dropouts.
2. When live streaming unlocks
On Facetiv live streaming opens 30 days after you create the account — protection against spam and fake streams. Use that month to fill your channel, upload videos and gather followers so your first stream has an audience.
3. Setting up a stream from the browser (2 minutes)
- Live → Go live.
- Pick the camera and microphone; check in the preview that your face is centered and lit.
- Title — same rules as for videos: concrete, with a keyword ("Python lesson 1: live Q&A").
- Category — the stream appears in lists and recommendations by it.
- Record — turn it on: the stream stays on your channel as a video afterwards.
- Start. Followers get a notification.
4. Studio features — no OBS required
- Screen sharing — games, slides, code or a browser, with your camera in a corner.
- Scenes — "Camera", "Screen + camera", "Screen only", switched with one key (1–9).
- Audio — microphone and system sound levels with meters.
- Banner — text at the bottom: a link, a promo code, an announcement.
- Hotkeys — M (mic), V (camera), S (screen), B (banner), R (record).
If you already use OBS, you can keep it. But for a first stream the browser studio is enough, and there is nothing to configure.
5. A stream plan: 45–90 minutes
Longer streams get more viewers because people arrive at different times. A simple structure:
- 0–5 min — greeting, topic, what happens today. Welcome people by name as they join.
- 5–60 min — the main topic. Every 10 minutes ask the chat a question: "Which option would you choose?"
- Every 15 min — repeat the topic in one sentence for newcomers.
- Last 10 min — Q&A, the next stream time, thanks for follows and gifts.
6. How to get viewers
- Announce: a post a day before and an hour before, plus a 15-second teaser as a Short.
- Fixed schedule: "every Tuesday at 8 pm" — people build a habit.
- Talk to the chat: names, answers — a viewer who feels seen stays.
- Guests: a joint stream with another creator merges two audiences.
- Publish the recording: it works as a normal video for new viewers — edit the title and thumbnail.
7. Income: gifts and memberships
During a stream viewers send gifts that land in your wallet as coins. Thank every gift out loud — it motivates others. If your channel has a paid membership tier, mention its perks on air (members-only streams, a badge in chat). See all income options in How to earn money from videos.
Pre-stream checklist
- Cable internet, upload ≥ 5 Mbit/s
- Face lit, background tidy
- Microphone tested (the meter moves in the preview)
- Title, category, recording on
- Stream plan on paper (3–5 points)
- Water nearby, phone on silent
Three viewers on your first stream is normal. The tenth stream has thirty, the twentieth has a hundred. Consistency beats everything.