How to Start a Gaming Channel on YouTube in 2024?

Do you want to share your gaming skills with everyone? Or do you love gaming and want to be a pro gamer? Making your own gaming channel is a great idea for these reasons. But how to start a gaming channel?

It might not be as simple as creating your YouTube account and uploading your videos. There’s something more than meets the eye.

We’re here to guide you on launching a YouTube gaming channel. We’ve broken down the tutorials into 15 simple steps so you won’t overlook any crucial details that can make your channel standout. Ready?

How to Start a Gaming Channel in 15 Easy Steps

If you want to start a successful gaming channel on YouTube, here are 15 steps to help you get started:

1. Focus on Your Target Audience, Not a Particular Game

You need to always start with your audience first. To identify your target audience, think about the games you enjoy playing most.

Are you into action games like “Hades 2,” RPGs like “The Witcher 4,” or sports simulations like “EA Sports FC 24”? The games you play can help you understand who might watch your YouTube gaming channel.

Then figure out the type of gamers who might enjoy watching you play them. Try to understand your audience’s preferences, age group, and interests.

For example, if you’re into RPGs, your audience could be guys between 30 and 40 who appreciate games with big, detailed stories.

And the most important thing when you start a gaming channel is to pick games that you’re passionate about and that have a big following. This way, you’ll make great videos that your fans love.

So, basically you need to look at these two important things:

• Popularity: Popular games like “Minecraft” or “League of Legends” draw big crowds, which can help your channel grow. But keep in mind that with more players comes more competition, so it’s tough to stand out.
• Viewer Engagement: Research shows that interactive elements are key in single-player gameplay streams. For example, Twitch chat rooms help viewers, moderators, and streamers chat and hang out, keeping viewers interested.

Not sure what the best game to stream? Among Us and Valorant are great options. You can then re-upload the recorded streaming into great gaming video content.

2. Get the Right Equipment

The next thing you need to do when starting a gaming channel is to get the right equipment. You should research and buy equipment that fits your budget.

To get the right equipment for your game streaming setup, consider the following:

Invest in a Powerful PC

You need a strong computer for smooth streaming. Look for one with a fast processor, lots of RAM, and a good graphics card to handle all the streaming requirements.

For example, a setup with an Intel i7 processor, 16GB of RAM, and an NVIDIA RTX 3060 graphics card would be perfect for most streaming needs.

Choose Great Audio-Visual Equipments

Always go for the best audio-visual equipment to ensure your gaming content is awesome by using:

• Awesome Headset: Choose a high-quality headset like the HyperX Cloud II for clear, professional audio during your streams. You can also explore both wired and wireless gaming headsets. If you’d rather go for a standalone microphone, cheap gaming mics like the Audio-Technica AT2020USB+ offer fantastic sound quality.
• Great Camera: Choose a high-quality webcam or camera for sharp and clear video to enhance your streams. The Logitech C920 is popular for its reliability and quality among streamers. If you have high-speed internet, consider using a 4K streaming camera like the Sony Alpha a6400 for high-quality video.
• Proper Lighting: Use proper lighting for a professional stream. Think about diffused lighting to reduce eye strain. Softbox lights or LED panel lights provide even lighting without harsh shadows.
• Green Screen: A green screen like Neewer Chromakey Backdrop can enhance your streams by overlaying gameplay on different backgrounds.

Use Top Notch Audio Mixer

An audio mixer is software that combines and adjusts various audio streams into a single output signal. This tool can help you fine-tune your audio for an improved streaming experience. It ensures balanced sound quality.

The GoXLR Mini is a popular choice among streamers for its ease of use and functionality. It can be an option for you who have just started.

Prioritize Comfort

When creating content for your gaming channel, prioritize your comfort to maintain a steady flow of fresh content. Try to make this equipment available:

• Gaming Chair and Desk: For long streaming hours, invest in a comfortable gaming chair like the Secretlab Omega and an ergonomic desk to maintain good posture and reduce fatigue.
• Mousepad: Consider a quality mousepad for smooth and precise mouse movement during gameplay. The SteelSeries QcK is a popular choice among gamers for its durability and performance.

Explore Additional Accessories

Think about adding extra gear to enhance your streaming setup. A stream deck can make it easier for you to manage your stream. Or maybe you’re into using a mini punching bag?

Start with affordable equipment and upgrade gradually as your gaming channel grows. Focus on providing high-quality streams for your viewers, regardless of your initial setup.

3. Choose a Catchy Name for Your Channel

You know your target audience and you have your equipment. So now, how do you start a gaming channel?

You can’t just make a YouTube account and pick any name for your channels. That’s not how it works. You need to pick a memorable gaming channel name. This can help your channel stand out and get more viewers. So, what’s the next step?

• Brainstorm Creatively: Think of words, phrases, or game-related references for your channel’s name. Use puns, alliteration, or nods to popular games. For example, names like “Pixel Pixies” or “Fortnite Nirvana” are catchy and stick in the mind.
• Prioritize Simplicity: Choose a name that is easy to remember and spell. This makes it easier for viewers to find your channel. A name like “Game or Never” is memorable and gives a clear idea of the content.
• Research Competitors: Check other gaming channels on YouTube to understand naming conventions. Learn from their choices. For instance, “Minecraft 360” is a unique and memorable name that stands out.
• Utilize Online Resources: Tap into tools like Business Name Generator and NameMesh for name suggestions and inspiration. These tools can help you brainstorm and ensure your name is unique.
• Stay Original: Avoid names resembling others to prevent confusion and potential legal issues. Stand out with a unique identity. For example, using a name like “Fortnite 40” can set you apart from the crowd.

4. Pick The Right Content Type for Your Channel

The next step when starting a new gaming channel on YouTube is to decide what kind of videos you will make. This can really make a difference in whether your channel takes off or not.

Content type is the kind of videos you make as a content creator. It can be anything from gameplay to tutorials, debunking myths, and more. This type often plays a big role in your growth, likes, and the overall success of your channel. Some of the gaming content types you can explore are:

• Gameplay: You play a game, and people watch to see how you navigate through it. This is one of the most common types of content for those who start a gaming channel on YouTube.
• Tutorials and Guides: You show others how to play a game, solve puzzles, or become better at it. It’s helpful for those who want to learn and improve.
• Reviews: You share your thoughts and opinions about games, helping others decide if a game is worth playing or not.
• Live Streaming: Instead of uploading a recorded video about your gameplay, you can play a game live and chat with viewers in real-time.
• Challenges and Let’s Plays: You set challenges for yourself in games or simply play games and share your reactions with the audience. Just like Markiplier’s “Try Not to Laugh Challenge.”
• Walkthroughs: You teach your viewers how to play a game all the way through, usually trying to beat it quickly. And these videos are popular for tough games like “Dark Souls.”
• Reaction: These videos show your immediate and natural responses to certain game scenes. “NickEh30 reacts to Pirates of the Caribbean in Fortnite!” can be one of the examples
• Game Updates: The content that inform your viewers about the latest gaming industry news, including new releases, patches, and updates.

5. Define Your Content Style and Format

You know the kind of content for your new gaming channel. Next, define its style and format when you start a gaming channel to build your brand and engage with viewers better.

Your content style is the way you sound and act in your videos. The format is how you present your content. Together, they affect how viewers feel, interact, and stay interested in your gaming channel.

That’s why Jacksepticeye shows himself as a lively content creator with funny comments, right? This is what has helped him get a strong and loyal group of fans.

And don’t forget about the content format. It affects how your audience engages with it. Choosing between live shows, pre-made videos, or a combination of both can greatly influence the number of viewers and their level of interest.

Live streams like Ninja on Twitch let viewers chat in real-time and feel part of a community. While pre-recorded videos are more polished with great effects and transitions

6. Research Your Competition

It’s hard to start a gaming channel without seeing what other channels are up to. You could unintentionally copy them or miss out on a unique niche that could set your channel apart.

So, what should you do?

• Use Online Tools: Tools like TubeBuddy, Social Blade, and VidIQ can help you research your competitors’ video views, engagement rates, and subscription growth. Analyze factors like their video views, engagement rates, and subscriber growth to understand their performance.
• Study Other Gaming Channels: Watch different gaming channels on YouTube to learn about their content, style, and formats. This helps you figure out what makes good and bad content. Markiplier and PewDiePie are popular YouTubers, so there’s a lot to learn from them, right?
• Identify Market Gaps: Look for chances that your competitors might miss on YouTube. By finding these gaps, you can stand out by creating content that people want but isn’t available. For example, if there are no detailed game tutorials, you can make them.
• Analyze Their Content: Examine your competitors’ content to understand their strategies, content, and audience engagement. This helps identify what your audience likes. For example, if live streams are popular, try adding more to your content.

7. Create a Content Calendar

If you don’t regularly post videos on your gaming channel, you might miss out on opportunities to attract more viewers. This is because people enjoy channels that provide new content regularly.

When you use a content calendar, it helps you plan better, get ready for big events, and make sure you put out videos regularly. This helps you manage your time well, feel less stressed, and make really good videos.

The calendar helps you keep track of how you’re doing and remember important things as you grow your YouTube gaming channel. It also helps you show how dedicated you are.

This is what you should do when you start a gaming channel:

• Use Online Tools: Google Calendar, or Trello, can be great tools to plan and organize your content. You can easily remember deadlines to post your content as planned.
• Decide Posting Frequency: How often are you going to post videos? You can choose to do it every week, every two weeks, or even every day.
• Plan Your Content Themes: Make different video series like “Tutorial Tuesdays” for game guides or “Throwback Thursdays” for old game reviews to make your gaming channel unique.
• Batch Production: Make and edit several videos at once to save time. Use scheduling tools on platforms like YouTube to make sure your videos are posted regularly.

8. Optimize for “Watch Time”

It’s not just about starting a gaming channel but making it a hit, right? To do that, you need to be aligned with YouTube’s algorithms. And having a good Watch Time is one of the way to do it.

Keep viewers interested from start to finish with engaging content. Keep them entertained with useful information, humor, or thrilling gameplay. Ask for likes, comments, and subscriptions at the end.

These are the things that we recommend you do to optimize your channel’s watch time:

• Titles: Create catchy titles that describe your content well and include keywords for better search results. For example, a title like as “Epic Fortnite Victory Royale – Tips and Tricks” is descriptive and keyword-rich. This increases its chances of getting clicks and ranking high.
• Descriptions: In the description box, add more details about the video and links to related videos or social media. A good description boosts your video’s SEO and keeps viewers interested in your channel. “Game Theory” really hit the mark by breaking down the video and connecting it to other theories in their channel.
• Tags: Use relevant tags to help YouTube’s algorithm understand your video’s content and increase its visibility. Include specific keywords related to the game, topics, and popular search terms. If your YouTube video is titled “Minecraft Building Tips,” use tags like “Minecraft,” “building tips,” “Minecraft tutorial,” and “how to build in Minecraft.”

9. Take Advantage of New Features And Trends

It’s important to keep up with YouTube’s new features and trends to make sure your channel is relevant and more people see it.

YouTube often adds new in-app tools to help content creators connect better with their viewers. Using these features can help you stand out and get more people to watch your videos. How to do it?

• Post YouTube Shorts: YouTube Shorts is a great new feature where you can make short videos up to 60 seconds long. These videos are great for catching people’s attention fast and showing off awesome content, tips, or previews of longer videos. And famous gamers like Ninja and JuegaGerman often use this feature.
• Use Premiere Well: YouTube keeps adding new features like Premieres. This feature lets you plan when a video goes up and make it a live event, which can get people excited and involved.
• Try Community Posts: You can use this feature to interact with your viewers with polls, pictures, and updates. This way, they will stay interested even when you’re not posting videos.
• Stay Updated on Gaming Trends: Keeping an eye on new games and trends is key to creating fresh content. Remember when “Cyberpunk 2077” was released? Channels that covered it saw a spike in views. Google Trends confirmed that “Cyberpunk 2077” was a hot search topic during its release week.
• Create Trend-Based Content: Staying current with new games and trends can draw in viewers looking for the newest updates and games. Channels that talk about popular trends like “Among Us” or “Fall Guys” often see a big increase in viewers because of the strong interest in these topics.

10. Maintain Video Quality

When you start a gaming channel, your top priority is to make sure you keep posting videos regularly. We agree with that. Video quality is important but don’t focus too much on it, or you might end up getting behind and not posting new content when you’re supposed to.

We know this idea, but it’s mostly for the beginning. To make your channel stand out, focus on making all your YouTube videos awesome.

These are some tips for starting a gaming channel with awesome video quality:

• Choose a DSLR over a Webcam: Webcams are good, but using a DSLR is better for controlled environments like studios or rooms. High-quality phones like iPhones are also good for top-notch video quality.
• Ensure Good Lighting: Good lighting makes videos look better and more attractive. Natural light is great, but if you’re inside, think about getting softbox lights or ring lights.
• Do Proper Editing: If it’s not live, edit out boring parts or long pauses in your videos to keep viewers interested. Free video editing software like DaVinci Resolve or Shotcut can help.
• Take Extra Video Footage: To make your videos better, add more footage for storytelling and transitions. Use B-roll footage for extra details and background.

11. Balance Consistency with Innovation

How to start a gaming channel with a long-term perspective? You need to strike a balance between being creative and consistent. What do we mean by that?

Posting content regularly helps get loyal viewers, but having new and unique ideas is important to keep it interesting. Getting the right balance can bring in more viewers.

Not only new content ideas but also new formats, or angles can attract new viewers and keep your existing audience excited. You can keep the balance by:

• Stick to Your Content Calendar: Keep making a monthly calendar to have a clear plan and avoid last-minute chaos. This also keeps content production duration consistent.
• Experiment with New Ideas: Sometimes come up with new video ideas, like special episodes, behind-the-scenes looks, or interactive games. Look at how PewDiePie mixes gaming videos with vlogs, meme reviews, and more.
• Monitor Performance: To see if your new idea is doing well, check how many people watch it, how long they watch, and how much they like it. See which types of content are popular.

12. Collaborate with Other Gamers or Creators

When you collaborate with other gaming channels, you can reach more people, bring new perspectives to your content, and create valuable connections in the gaming community.

Whether it’s co-op gameplay, joint live streams, or cross-promotions, game channel collabs can lead to exciting and mutually beneficial content opportunities.

Working together with others can help you get 30% more views on your videos compared to creating them by yourself, as they are exposed to a larger audience.

If you want to start a gaming channel by teaming up with others, here’s what you should do:

• Reach Out to Fellow Gamers or Creators: Find and reach out to creators who make similar content. “Ninja” played Fortnite with “DrLupo” and “TimTheTatman.” What happened? Their followers reported to grow, and viewers had more fun.
• Multiplayer Gameplay Sessions: Play games with other creators. For example, “VanossGaming” often plays with friends like “H2ODelirious” and “Terroriser” in games like Grand Theft Auto V and Garry’s Mod.
• Co-Hosted Videos: Create videos where you and another creator co-host, discuss various gaming topics, review games, or provide tips and tricks. Look at “The Game Grumps” with Arin Hanson and Dan Avidan for inspiration on how to do it right.

Read: How to Become a Gaming Streamer

13. Build Industry Connections

Building industry connections for your gaming YouTube channel involves actively engaging with the gaming community and industry professionals. Attend gaming conventions to network, stay updated on trends, and promote your channel.

Join online gaming communities, such as forums and social media groups, to connect with like-minded gamers, share your knowledge, and potentially collaborate with others.

Additionally, networking with fellow creators in the gaming niche can lead to partnerships, learning opportunities, and staying informed about industry news and trends. Building these connections is a valuable strategy for enhancing your channel’s visibility and growth within the gaming community.

14. Join the YouTube Partner Program

The YouTube Partner Program (YPP) is a way for you as a creator to make money from your gaming videos on YouTube. When you join the YPP, you can earn money from things like ads, channel memberships, and selling merchandise.

But to be part of the YPP, you need to meet certain requirements, like having at least 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 hours of people watching your videos in the last year. Once you’re in the YPP, you can turn on ads on your videos and start making money from them.

You can also offer channel memberships where viewers pay a monthly fee for special perks. Joining the YPP is a way for you to earn money from your gaming channel on YouTube.

15. Promote Your Channel

Starting a gaming channel is just the first step. You can’t just upload videos and hope people will find you, right?

Many videos are uploaded to YouTube every day. It’s hard for people to find your channel through a simple search, especially if it’s new. Luckily, you can use social media sites like Twitter, Reddit, and gaming forums to share your videos.

This isn’t unique since content creators like Pokimane and SSNiperWolf are using cross-platform promotion to increase their followers, too. Here are some tips to start a gaming channel and promote it:

• Use Different Platforms: Twitter is good for event announcements and updates. TikTok attracts a broad audience with short, engaging videos. Instagram helps interact with others, respond to comments, and direct people to your videos.
• Community Participation: Post on subreddits and forums related to your interests to share and talk about your content. For example, joining “r/Twitch” can help you meet other gamers.
• Collab Videos: Collaborate with other content creators to promote each other’s channels. This works well on YouTube and Twitch, just like what Pokimane and even PewDiePie did.

Conclusion

Now you know how to start a gaming channel. Whatever your reason, it’s important to focus on your strengths and be patient. This will help you create good gaming videos and keep your channel going for a long time.

If you want to be a pro gaming content creator, you should consider ways to make money to support your career. You can start with income from ads, but there are many other ways to earn money like selling merchandise.

If you want that, you might want to check out something besides YouTube. A great option is a membership site like Gank. You can join for free and start selling exclusive merch, receiving donations, and earning money from tiered memberhip plans. Interested?

FAQ

Here are the questions many people ask when figuring out how to start a gaming channel: