Backstage Pass #35

On this edition of Backstage Pass, I’ll be talking about…

My stream setup! Because anyone who follows me knows I like to stream quite a bit.

So let’s start with my programs! Generally I like to use XSplit over OBS due to a generally friendlier interface (since I’m baby and need UI spoonfed to me), and since when I initially tried OBS for the first time years ago it wasn’t compatible with the computer I was using at the time. Sometimes old habits die hard.

My streaming platform of choice meanwhile is Picarto for its art-based platform! Though you may not know, I also have Twitch and Youtube set up for livestreams! I unfortunately rarely use them though since Picarto has my largest following and I want to keep an eye on chat during streams, which is hard to do when I’m outputting to multiple sources at once.

As for actual stream setup, for the uninitiated my streams tend to look something like this:

Pretty nifty, right? One goal I have with my streams is to make clear my current audio status (such as if I have mic or music on), my current level of attention (such as whether I’m tracking stream chat), and some sort of animated cue to help folks check and see whether my stream has frozen or if I’m just sitting and staring at a blank canvas. Along the bottom I may have scrolling text with an announcement- whether that be notifying users that I have stream jukebox enabled, or notifying chat of what commission I may currently be working on! The fancy overlay is actually a very simple transparent PNG that looks something like this on its own:

I also have a BRB screen for when I’m away from work. That looks like this:

You might notice that the sleepy Wooloo there is dreaming of one of my streams! That’s because this overlay is also transparent:

And underneath that transparent layer, I place footage of a previously recorded stream! XSplit saves all recordings of livestreams locally on my computer, and it’s as simple as plopping one in under the overlay to make a neat thing for people to watch even if I’m busy afk.

In addition, I have premium subscriptions to both XSplit and Picarto to allow for maximum capabilities of the programs! With XSplit’s subscription, I’m able to save stream recordings and have many more streaming “scenes” than with a standard subscription. And with Picarto’s subscription, I’m able to make private streams for Patreon viewers such as yourselves, as well as host multistreams with other artists! I think it’s all worth it, considering how often I stream. There’s something fun about sharing the workflow with other folks!