How to Start a Gaming Channel on YouTube

Last Updated: November 24, 2021 References

Want to know how to be a gaming YouTuber? Starting a YouTube gaming channel is easy, but it does take some planning, especially if you want your YouTube channel to be successful. This wikiHow teaches you how to start a YouTube gaming channel.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Planing your YouTube Channel

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Research other YouTube gaming channels. There's no shortage of gaming channels on YouTube. You'll need to do a little research if you want to compete. Check out the most popular and up-to-date YouTube gaming channels to see what others are doing. Ask yourself the following questions and try to find the answer:^{[1]
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- What games are trending on YouTube?
- Who are the most popular YouTube gamers?
- What are their personalities like?
- What is the format of their content?
- What type of videos to they produce?
2
Figure out what your skills are. After you understand what other YouTube gamers are doing, figure out what you can do to stand out from the competition? Are you a pro at Fortnite? Maybe you can do some really good builds in Minecraft? Do you have a funny or lively personality? Maybe you're knowledgable about gaming or tech? Are you a skilled video editor? What do you bring to the table?

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3
Figure out what game you want to cover. After you figure out what the most popular games on YouTube are, decide which of those games you want to cover. If you really want to attract more views to your channel, the best thing you can do is pick one game and produce content around that game. This will establish you as an authority on that game in YouTube's algorithms and recommend your channel to more people. As your channel grows, you can branch out to other games that are similar that will still interest your viewers.^{[2]
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- When picking a game to cover, it's worth thinking about which games will produce the most unique content. Games like Call of Duty and Fortnite already have hundreds of thousands of YouTube channels dedicated to them. Can you really do something with these games that hasn't been done by other YouTubers? Is there a similar game that you can cover that isn't as well known?
4
Decide on the format for your content. YouTube gaming videos are more than just videos of people playing through their favorite games. There are a variety of formats you can produce for your videos. Some gaming video formats are as follows:
- Walkthrough: A walkthrough video is like a strategy guide. A walkthrough video shows a player playing through an entire game from start to finish in order to show other players how to complete the game. They often feature detailed explanations of how to get through each step.
- Let's Play: Let's Play videos are similar to walkthrough videos in that they feature a player playing a game from start to finish is. The difference is that a Let's-play is focused on a player's experience while playing a game. They generally feature the player's reaction to the game as well as their commentary. A Let's Play video may contain a complete playthrough fo the entire game, or it may be a curated video that features highlights of the player's experience while playing the game.
- Tips & Tricks: Tips & Tricks videos are meant to show players how to accomplish certain tasks within a game. This may be how to do a build in Minecraft, how to get an achievement point, strategies on how to win at Fortnite, how to defeat a difficult boss or level, how to solve a puzzle, or how to find an item.
- Multiplayer: Multiplayer videos feature a player playing a game online with other players. They may be playing with their friends as a team, or they may be playing against other players (PVP).
- Speed Run: Speed run videos feature a particularly talented player playing through an entire game or level as quickly as possible.
- Reviews: Reviews feature a player telling the audience what they think of a game or game expansion. These are meant to inform the audience about the quality of a game. What's good about the game? What's bad about it? Is it worth buying?
- Machinima: Machinima is when video games or a game engine is used to create scripted content, such as comedy sketch or music video.
5
Come up with a name for your channel. Before you can start a YouTube Gaming Channel, you need to know what to call it. Think of a name that is unique, interesting, and easy to remember. It should fit your personality and format.
- It's not a bad idea to do a search for whatever channel name you decide on. Make sure it's not too similar to what somebody else is doing.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Creating a YouTube Gaming Channel

1
Create a new Google account. Your YouTube account is tied to your Google account. You can sign in to YouTube using your Google account and start uploading videos. Even if you already have a Google account, you should create a new one specifically for your YouTube channel. You can create a Google account by creating a new Gmail account. You can also use a non-gmail email address to create a Google account.
2
Go to https://www.youtube.com/ and log in. To log in to YouTube, go to YouTube in a web browser and click Log in in the upper-right corner. Then log in with the email address and password associated with your YouTube channel's email account.
3
Upload a profile image. Your profile image is the circular image associated with your Google account. It's also used as the profile image on YouTube. For your profile image, you should either use a close-up of your face taken by a professional photographer, or a logo that is easy to read in a small, square format. Use the following steps to upload a profile image.
- Go to https://myaccount.google.com/ in a web browser.
- Log into the Google account associated with your YouTube gaming channel.
- Click the camera icon in your current profile pic or the icon with an initial at the top of the page.
- Click Select a photo from your computer..
- Click the photo you want to use as your profile picture to select it.
- Click Open.
4
Create and upload your YouTube channel banner art. The channel banner art is the image people see across the top when they click on your channel. The image file you upload must be a maximum of 2560 x 1440 pixels and a minimum of 2048 x 1152 pixels. Parts of the image may be cropped when viewed on smartphones and tablets. It's recommended that you download a template and use it to make your YouTube banner art. Ensure that all the text, logos, and relevant artwork are within the 1546 x 423 safe area in the middle. Use the following steps to upload your YouTube banner art:
- Go to https://www.youtube.com/ in a web browser.
- Log into the Google account associated with your YouTube channel
- Click your profile image in the upper-right corner.
- Click Your Channel.
- Click the pencil icon in the upper-right corner of the YouTube banner art area.
- Click Edit Channel Art.
- Click your channel art image to select it.
- Click Open.
5
Add a description to your channel. This tells potential subscribers what your channel is all about. Use the following steps to edit your channel's description:
- Go to https://www.youtube.com/ in a web browser.
- Log into the Google account associated with your YouTube channel
- Click your profile image in the upper-right corner.
- Click Your Channel.
- Click Customize channel
- Click the About tab.
- Click the pencil icon next to the field below "Description".
- Type a brief description for your channel.
- Click Done.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Producing Content For Your Channel

1
Purchase the equipment you'll need. You don't need fancy equipment to start a YouTube gaming channel. Your channel will be defined by you and your talents, not your equipment. However, better equipment will allow you to produce better quality videos. Some of the equipment you might need is as follows:
- High-end gaming PC: Gaming in general often requires pretty powerful PC hardware. Gaming while recording your screen, webcam footage, and audio is especially taxing on your computer's hardware. Make sure you have a decent i7 processor, with a decent graphics card, and about 16 GB of RAM.
- Screen capture and recording software: Both Windows and Mac have built-in screen recording software. You may want to try more robust screen capture and recording software. OBS is a popular screen capture program that is free to download.
- Capture Card: While Playstation 4 and Xbox One have their own game capture technology built-in, the functionality is limited. A capture card can capture a video signal from an external device (such as a game console) and save it to your PC. If you plan on covering game console games on your YouTube channel, you may want to invest in a capture card. Some capture cards include Elgato Game Capture HD60S, AVerMedia LGP Lite, and Magewell USB 3.0 HDMI HD Video Capture. ^{[3]
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- Video Editing Software: After you capture your gameplay footage, you will need to edit your footage. There is plenty of free video editing software option, including OpenShot, Shotcut, and Lightworks. For a more professional option, you might want to look into Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut, or Sony Vegas.
- Video camera: Your computer's camera may be suitable when you first start making YouTube videos, but eventually, you may want to invest in a good quality video camera to record better quality video.
- Microphone: While most computers have a built-in microphone, purchasing a decent microphone will make your voice sound a lot better in your YouTube videos.
- Lighting: Proper lighting will make you look much better on camera. Ideally, you should use soft lighting placed in front of you. Avoiding recording in rooms that are too dark or have too much light in behind you. You can use desk lamps placed in front of you, or you can purchase an inexpensive webcam lighting kit.^{[4]
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2
Do some test shots. Before you start filming videos on YouTube, it's a good idea to test your equipment and filming techniques before you upload videos to YouTube. Make sure the picture quality is good. Check the lighting to make sure your face is clearly visible. Make sure the background or room you film in is neat and tidy. Listen to your speaking voice and make sure it is clear and easy to understand. Be careful of any verbal ticks you may have, like stuttering or saying "Um" or "Uh" too much.
3
Familiarize yourself with the YouTube Community Guidelines. Before you start uploading videos to YouTube, it's a good idea to make sure your content meets the community standards. Content that contains shocking graphic violence, sexually explicit content, threats or harassment, fraudulent information, encourages dangerous behavior, or private information, or copyright material may be removed by YouTube and possibly get your channel deleted.^{[5]
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- If your gaming videos do include any sexual content or graphic violence, it's a good idea to put a warning in the description and metadata so that people are aware of it going into the video. ^{[6]
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4
Familiarize yourself with YouTube's ad-friendly guidelines. If your goal is to make money on YouTube, you'll most likely need to rely on ad revenue from the YouTube Partners Program (unless you are able to find your own sponsors for your videos). Not all videos uploaded to YouTube are advertiser-friendly. Videos that contain bad language, sexual or violent content, controversial topics, or use of drugs, tobacco, or firearms may be demonetized, which prevents you from receiving ad revenue from those videos.^{[7]
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Record your videos. After you have your channel and your equipment all set up, you can finally start recording. Make sure you have an idea of what kind of video you want to produce before you start recording. Don't just record Let's Play videos. Find out what kind of searches people are doing on YouTube and Google about your game. Do a video to try to answer those questions or entertain people.
6
Edit your video. After you've recorded your gameplay footage, you don't just want to upload everything that happened. If you are getting bored spending hours level grinding, or trying to solve a puzzle, chances are your viewers will get bored too.. Look for highlights of your gameplay footage. Look for you best reactions, unexpected events, or things that are relevant to what you want to talk about in your video. Include voice overs and reaction shots. Take the time to craft a good quality video that is entertaining to watch.
7
Come up with a good title for your video. Don't just name your video something like "Dave Plays Roblox Episode .1". Find out what people are searching for when they search for the game you are playing. Come up with a title that will help your video come up in those searches. Engage with the gaming community to find out what fans of your game are interested in. If you are doing a Let's Play series, name your video after a funny or interesting event that happened during your gameplay. Come up with a title that will interest people.
8
Create a custom thumbnail image for your video. The thumbnail is the image that appears next to video titles when you do a video search in YouTube. When you upload a video, you can select a frame for your video, or you can upload a custom thumbnail. It's recommended that you make a custom eye-catching thumbnail. Make your thumbnail colorful with the title of your video in large letters. You can also include a thumbnail of yourself.
9
Upload videos often. YouTube's algorithm favors channels that upload new content all the time. Schedule a time to upload new videos and hold yourself to that schedule. If you can, upload videos every day. Add a category and search tags to your video, as well as an end card and video cards. You may even want to add subtitles to your video.
10
Listen to your community. Pay attention to the comments section when you upload a video. Listen when your viewers make constructive criticism and try to implement it. It will help you become a better content creator.
11
Promote your channel. YouTube gaming and streaming is a huge and competitive market. Don't be surprised if your channel doesn't grow quickly. It takes time and energy to grow your YouTube channel. You should be spending about as much time promoting your channel as you do filming and editing videos. Post your videos across as many social media platforms as you can. Stay up-to-date on YouTube's algorithm. Check the analytics in your YouTube Channel dashboard to see which videos are performing well, and do more of those types of videos.

Community Q&A

Question

Is it possible to have a good gaming channel without using a microphone?

Victoria Tsukayama

Community Answer

Yes, but it is definitely preferred that you use a good quality mic because people will be able to hear you better and easier.
Question

What if I don't wish to show my face? Possibly never. Is it possible to become semi-successful? What if I'm not that great at commentating? Is it possible to learn how? And if so where can I learn?

Grace

Community Answer

First of all, you can have a very successful channel not using your face. For example, Sunset Safari is a Roblox YouTuber with a million subscribers who has never shown her face. Commentating is something you can learn; try practicing before recording or writing a script.
Question

Is there a website for like posting or promoting?

Iris8989

Community Answer

You can promote yourself on social media (Facebook, Tumblr, Instagram, VK, Snapchat, etc.). Doing that is the easiest way to promote yourself.