Best Streamer Gear

Streaming is an awesome hobby that has the potential to turn into a well-paying job. It's open to all types of creators- Gamers, art, hangouts, you name it. If you're passionate about something, you can share it live with real people. Who doesn't love being appreciated? To be a successful streamer, you want to give your audience a good and memorable experience. You might be entertaining, but if your audio or video quality is bad, it could be hard to appreciate your content fully. If you're ready for an upgrade or are just starting off, read along for my recommendations of good value, reliable, and high-quality streamer gear. They are suitable for YouTube, Twitch, Spotify podcasts- Almost every digital streaming service.

Best Premium Camera

The Canon EOS 90D is my personal recommendation for a very high-quality camera. It offers practically everything that a hobbyist and small professional would need. Although it is primarily a DSLR camera(What photographers use), it also offers very powerful and useful recording capabilities. It is good in dark environments, records in 4K, has a clean HDMI output for use in streaming software, and has an AUX port to connect a high-quality microphone.

Many large creators have used this camera for streaming and general recording. The 90D is the successor of the 80D, which was especially tried and true over the years in the content creator world. Think of famous YouTubers, Casey Neistat and David Dobrik.

Elgato Cam Link

If you have a DSLR camera with clean HDMI output(Such as the camera above), you need additional hardware in order to use it with your computer in full quality. They aren't some cheap USB webcam after all. The Elgato Cam Link is exactly what you'd need. It is easily the most popular go-to solution.

Explained simply, you can connect your camera to the Elgato Cam Link via HDMI. Then you plug the Elgato Cam Link into your computer via USB 3.0. Just like that, your computer thinks you plugged in a webcam. A very high-quality and expensive webcam. You can then select it from your stream software such as OBS Studio. Fun fact, it also lets you use your camera for Discord and Zoom video calls.

Best Microphone

The AT2020USB by Audio Technica is absolutely my favorite microphone. Anytime I know I'll be recording stationary, this microphone is out. Follow the basics of audio recording and you might make some great ASMR audio.

The audio recordings are accurate and of high quality. It is small when compared to monsters like the Blue Yeti and Snowball(Yet sounds much better in my opinion).  It fits into many standardized microphone arms. With a decent pop blocker, you can get rid of the bulk of pops. Thanks to the built-in sound card, the headphones/speaker aux port will likely sound better than most computers' aux ports.

Microphone Arm

If you don't have an ergonomic microphone arm, you're missing out big time. Leaving your microphone on your desk significantly reduces audio quality. Think about it, microphones perform their best when they're close to your mouth and in the right spot. If the microphone is on a desk, your head is way above the mic; Nowhere near the ideal location. Having an expensive microphone won't mean a thing if you can't get the right placement.

They serve an especially clear benefit for those who actively use a keyboard during the stream. Such as gamers and software developers. The sound of your keyboard presses travels through the desk. With your microphone on the desk, it may pick up this additional bass, recording a horrible clunky keyboard sound. A microphone arm will isolate and disconnect your microphone from your desk. Even more so with a shock mount.

This microphone arm stand is actually a cheap option, but we're also looking out for value here. Its quality is high enough to serve its purpose very well. Where the quality is cheap, it likely won't be noticed by your viewers as long as you aren't knocking it around. It is ergonomic, which gives you the freedom of putting your mic almost anywhere in the air. This microphone arm includes a shock mount compatible with most slim microphones, such as the AT2020 mentioned above. Hooking to a desk from the sides and hanging your microphone in the air, it returns valuable desk space.

Best streaming software

Are you using OBS? Try out Streamlabs. It is based on the original OBS recording software but modified specifically for streamers. In my opinion, it is much more user-friendly; The UI is very clean, easier, and faster to work with.

Just search up a YouTube tutorial on it and you'll fall in love.

Best keyboard

If your stream requires active keyboard use, you likely don't want your stream to pick up keyboard noise. It annoys many. Aside from getting a microphone arm, how can you reduce keyboard noise? Simple, get a quieter keyboard.

If your keyboard sounds clicky and mechanical, this suggestion is for you. Shop around for another keyboard, but look for a "red switch" keyboard. They're smooth action and as a result, make little noise.