Live streaming and twitch were the first platform where I actually gained any sort of following. It worked really well for my personality and what I already knew how to play as a musician.
Live Video streaming is changing the way audiences are interacting with the creators they love; Similar to other content creators such as gamers more musicians are discovering the power of live. Luckily we've got the chance to chat with Megan Lenius, musician and streamer on Twitch.
Megan shared her thoughts about embracing live in times of Covid-19 alongside a few tips every musicians should check if he considers live streaming.
Here's the full interview;
Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
Im a full time music streamer on Twitch. I've been a professional musician for about 10 years and have been streaming music on Twitch for the last 3 years.
How did you start your career as a musician?
I've always been singing and playing music. A lot of my start was just playing open mics and taking whatever gig I could get. Twitch was a good replacement for a lot of those smaller coffee shop gigs.
When / why did you start using live stream?
I started streaming after I saw an old friends music stream and all of the success he had gained from the platform.
At the time I was living in LA doing the whole acting thing and not working at all so a lot of boredom made me actually start streaming.
as a musician, how do you feel live streaming has helped you?
Live streaming and twitch were the first platform where I actually gained any sort of following. It worked really well for my personality and what I already knew how to play as a musician.
Where do you stream and which tools do you use?
I stream on Twitch.tv/MeganLenius. For stream software I use SLOBS and StreamElements.
Music hardware I actually route all of my audio through logic on my spare laptop, then into my streaming PC.
In the current health circumstances, how do you think live streaming can help musicians cope?
Live streaming is a great way to make some income while you're practicing. I've always looked at my performances and my twitch streams as two separate things. Twitch is where I practice my songs and get feed back from my fans. Live shows are where I show them the finished product. I think it engages fans more because they saw the process and work it took to get a song performance ready.
Can you share 1-2 tips for musicians who want to start leveraging live streaming?
Just start streaming. It's easy to get caught up in the technical aspects, and the nitpicking to make your stream great. But the time you spend doing that is time you could have already started making your following on the platform.
My other piece of advice is be nice to everyone. Twitch music is unlike any other platform I've been on. In the sense that the creators on the platform all want to support each other and grow as a whole. Go to other people's streams and say hi become friends with people (I'm not telling you to self promote in another stream, that's a big no no) but go and support other musicians like you would if they were all your best friends.
Can you name a few streamers you follow and inspire you?
Twitch.tv/Raquel is one of my best friends and an amazing musician and all round bad ass.
Twitch.tv/SamuelTuckerYoung is another close friend of mine and can play guitar like a mad man.
Twitch.tv/DanDrumStone is an amazing drummer and one of the nicest people on the platform.
Twitch.tv/ACoupleStreams and Twitch.tv/SceneOfAction are both pioneers and the platform and have the technical aspects and business aspects of streaming down to a T.
Which musicians has the best streams?
All of the streams on Twitch are amazing, and I couldn't choose any of them as the best.
Can you share a few resources you love when it comes to improving your streams?
Check out the book Twitch For Musicians, it was written by my manager and is a good step by step on what music streaming is. Other than that Google is your greatest resource!
Watch Megan live on Twitch