Anyone who hopes to stream gaming content will need to consider what kind of audience they’re hoping to attract. The needs of people who enjoy watching highly strategic play in grand strategy titles like Crusader Kings 3, for example, will be a different type of person than those who appreciated FPS esport leagues. There can be overlap, of course, but it’s best to brand yourself consistently for outreach, and to nail a particular niche.

However, choosing the platform itself will help you decide where to go first. There are many out there, as even TikTok is starting to invest more into its gaming side. But which one is best for you, and which has the audience you’re looking for? Let’s consider that, below:

Twitch

Twitch is the biggest platform out there, with useful and worthwhile monetizing features. They have a robust terms of service, the largest outreach, and the best features. However, the market is quite saturated, with many of the same streamers dominating the platform. There can sometimes be controversies in terms of the fairness of bans and what content is permitted on the platform, but overall, if you’re looking to build a niche, this is it.

Kick

Kick is known for big streamer contracts for those with big audiences, and it sometimes does allow casino content. It’s also known as a refuge for those who may have been banned elsewhere. Depending on the content you stream, such as IRL or arcade, this can be a good choice.

YouTube

If you plan to make your YouTube channel big or already have an audience of saved content, then streaming on YouTube isn’t a bad idea. It means you won’t expect your audience to create another account just to see them, and will give a notification to your subscribers. It also has a large audience on the streaming side, although most people use the platform to watch videos on demand. The platform isn’t as well-known for newcomer streamer discovery as a platform like Twitch, so that’s something else to keep in mind as you think about building and networking as you may otherwise hope to do.

Facebook Gaming

Facebook Gaming is the least popular of those included here but they are continually investing in new features and it integrates well with the Meta VR headset platform, too. You can easily share and clip your streams on Instagram thanks to them being owned by the same company, and while there’s a nicher, older audience, there is the chance to appeal to a more direct userbase. Facebook Gaming also pairs well with the “page” functionality of Facebook which you can use to schedule events, brand yourself and network with other pages. This could be ideal if you run many special events or you like the functionality and layout of the platform.

With this advice, we believe you’ll be much more able to stream games on a platform of your choosing, one that appeals to you most.