Time for a new tastemaker spotlight! Where we showcase amazing tastemakers from our roster, discuss their relationship with music & hear valuable insights about their creative process. This time we talked with Maria The German - Twitch streamer, gamer & music fan.
We talked gaming, music discovery, building a relationship with your audience through music.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
I'm little, old Maria and I am a streamer on Twitch, but also a massive music enthusiast. I love being able to help people forget about their days and just take them on a fun ride through whatever game we are playing.
When did you start streaming your games? I started streaming about 2 1/2 years ago now. Before I started streaming I was creating content on YouTube and Vidme, both were predominantly gaming, with the odd Vlog thrown in there. Streaming is quite a lot different to creating videos. There is no re-do's or "I just edit that out" it's very raw and sometimes reminds me a bit of live music. You get an instant reaction from your community which is what I love about it.
What are your top 3 games of all-time? My Top 3 are: Last of Us (I cannot wait for the new one already pre-ordered it), Classic Tomb Raider (This one got me into gaming so it will always have a special place in my heart), Red Dead Redemption 2.
Which streaming service are you using? I stream on Twitch and I use Spotify for music.
Where do you find music for your streams? I actually currently am using my Tunesies playlist, which is songs I've found through MySphera. In general though the discover section on Spotify is great to find some new tunes.
How do you choose which music is best for the streams? I mainly only play music when we are not in game, as I don't want it to clash with the game audio. I prefer a mix of different styles and moods, that way there is always something for someone on my playlist, I try to keep it mainly upbeat though.
Why do you think music is important for your streams? Personally I think it really is another great tool to connect with your community. Sharing music is something so special and personal that it can tell you a lot about a person, so I think it's important to show that.
Name 1 game and 1 album you’ll take to a deserted island.
Game would probably be Zelda:Breath of the wild as there is still so much for me to discover! Album would have to be III by Banks I adore her and I cannot get enough of her music!
Which gamers do you watch? And who's stream has the best music? I actually watch a lot more smaller streamers in my community. Some of my favorites are: Hekimae, SariaSlays, Salberry, Bamyleaf. Going for girl power haha! I'd probably say Bamy out if these guys, she's partnered with Revival Records so she always has some great tunes on.
Twitch, Mixer or YouTube? I stream on Twitch, although I did at the very beginning try it out on YouTube!