Get a taste of what it’s like to play video games for a living! Shahmeen Kasim, or @LifeWithLaughs, reveals what it takes to be a professional live streamer on Twitch. Simply put, she does what she loves to do — mostly gaming and crafting — with a live community.
What to Know
- Building a team of moderators for your channel is helpful. They can help answer questions on chat and flag inappropriate content.
- Have fun! People like to watch people have fun.
- Display objects that you like in the background. It helps newcomers know something about you immediately.
Local
What does it take to be a professional Twitch streamer? Shahmeen Kasim, aka @LifeWithLaughs, allowed us into her home for a peek behind the stream. Plus, she shared with us her tips for becoming successful in the live streaming space.
Kasim is featured in the newest installment of Bay Area Revelations, "Evolution of Video Games," premiering Saturday, March 9 at 10 p.m. on NBC Bay Area.
“You can’t put up an act,” she explains while walking through her live streaming routine. @LifeWithLaugh’s cat, Tracer, knows the drill very well (watch an extended YouTube video featuring more of Tracer).
Kasim describes the unique challenges and rewards that come with creating live, unedited content for a living. It’s a hectic lifestyle that can be draining at times with so much social media and production planning on top of the live stream itself.
Nevertheless, she laughs a lot throughout the process. “There are people filming me filming myself playing games!” Kasim jokes before her interview for Bay Area Revelations.
She fosters a cheerful, positive environment where friendships spark. “I’ve had people meet through the chat and community and then end up getting married,” she says.
The Twitch live streamer shares many of her best practices. Here are some of her tips:
LIVE STREAM BACKGROUND
@LifeWithLaughs says that using a green screen is clean and easy. It also works if you don’t have much space to work with. However, if there is a background, she advises taking advantage by displaying things that you like. "If a new person comes in, they can already know something about you before they even talk to you,” she says. Kasim has a rainbow stuffed animal and a transparent, iridescent backpack as some of the many items in her backdrop. She adds, “If holographic was a color, that would be my favorite color.”
WORK-LIFE BALANCE
She stresses work-life balance. “Who you are is your brand,” she says and “you also need to make time for yourself.” For her, having a separate life from streaming is a must. Kasim is learning Japanese on her free time.
TEAM OF MODERATORS
Chat is an important part of the Twitch experience and @LifeWithLaughs has built a personal online team that helps her moderate and answer questions -- especially when the chat is going too fast. They also police the conversation and make sure there is no inappropriate content. She conducts weekly meetings with the team to keep everyone on the same page about events.
HAVE FUN
“People like to watch people have fun,” Kasim says. “What’s gonna keep them here and stay is your personality.”
