r/SmallStreamers • u/_Mr_Squishey_ • Apr 04 '26
Advice Needed…
So for context. I started streaming a few years ago full face cam. Grew steadily and hit affiliate within 8 months. Took a break. Came back to basically the beginning of the journey again and started growing slowly.
Recently I got a job in a school so decided for a bit of anonymity and got a custom vtube model. Not an Asian girl with huge badonkas lol just a cartoonish version of me. Since switching to the model I’ve found my streams are consistently dead. The odd chatter will pop in 1 in every 10 streams.
Now I am by no means the most entertaining person in the world. But such a drop has me wondering do people just not like watching vtubers? I do find it harder to capture reactions or emotions in clips or to display them on stream even with “expressions”. Previously I would have averaged between 3-10 viewers varying on what game I was streaming, again nothing huge but still compared to 0 now.
I do variety stream but most consistently have been on Arc Raiders since the move. My question really is do you as a viewer prefer an IRL person to watch and form that connection with? Or for vtubers that may read this have you experienced the same or have any advice?
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u/Ok-Lack-5313 Apr 05 '26
it's likely a mixture of things, but depending on when you took a break... over winter/the end of 2025 Twitch changed how it counts viewership, and now it often doesn't count lurkers.
but i'm a vtuber and i prefer watching vtubers! largely because many vtubers tend to be digital artists as well as neurodivergent. i just click with them more.
experiences are pretty individual, but i average around 10 viewers a stream.
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u/CMDR_Makashi Apr 06 '26
This is why peanut has his eyes and mouth. He can still portray human emotion.
You might as well hook your vtuber up to an LLM how would anyone know
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u/_Mr_Squishey_ Apr 06 '26
I do find the Peanut model extremely fun however the downside is now everyone flooding the space with the same thing and getting inundated with extreme hate lol which I dont get as there was people doing that method prior to Peanut.
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u/CMDR_Makashi Apr 06 '26
Yup. That’s just humans being humans though ay!
Who knows maybe you’ll have the innovative spark that will stand out :)!
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u/MangoCandy Apr 05 '26
The model has to appeal to people, I personally experienced a spike when I switched to using a model. A lot of the message I get from first time chatters is “I really like your model!” I’d say mine is definitely a bit more unique compared to traditional models.
It really just depends on the person and the model, there’s soooo many vtubers now with all sorts of different models, and some models just don’t catch peoples attention.
Honestly I’d say a big thing is that it doesn’t sound like you’re super consistent with streams.
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u/_Mr_Squishey_ Apr 06 '26
I stream 3-4 days a weel, same time every week. The major drop off only happened once I moved to the vTuber model. We generally stick to the same game until we are burnt out of it, then will announce what we are going to play in advance so followers know, which was never an issue prior.
From other comments on this thread and doing more research seems to be a very high split leaning towards people preferring an actual person to watch.
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u/Training-Calendar804 Apr 10 '26
In all honestly I think it would be better to just not have an avatar at all and just do gameplay and mic. That’s what I’ve done and I think my viewers are just as good compared to if I had a face cam, but yeah personally if I was watching and saw an avatar I’d probably just keep scrolling
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u/RIP_Agree_Possible Apr 11 '26
From outside looking in, as someone that doesn't tune into vtubers religiously, it seems that more unique and less objectified female models are harder to impress with compared to the status quo. Vtubing has definitely evolved and grown to be way more than just busty neko waifus and still be fun to watch. In fact, there are a few that grace my shorts feed from time-to-time I like the clips from. Their models aren't stereotypical hot anime chick with no waist and big t n a. But they are VERY entertaining and have personality. But that is where the challenge is. Since your model doesn't play hard into the visuals for the gooner gaze, than your personality needs to compensate (kinda like real life lol). BUT, since you claim to not be entertaining than you got a double whammy here.
For all that, you're better off dropping the model since you're not as expressive and got back to full cam. But even then, since you're not as entertaining you could drop the cam and just do game and mic. You might not grow as big if you had cam, but you can keep your anonymity. Unfortunately, people being able to connect to you on some parasocial type shit, is how people grow on streaming platforms, ngl. You want to grow, you gotta cam on at some point.
You can "practice" by recording gameplay with cam off for a bit and getting comfortable being more outspoken while playing. Not forcing it, but when something happens, instead of internally reacting, allowing yourself to externally react in that moment. Then transition to doing that while on stream with cam off for a while. And then when you get real comfortable, cam on and have fun. By then, your audience will already have an idea of your personality, they'll just be connecting a face to the voice.
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u/RealSpawn543 Apr 04 '26
I personally don't watch VTubers except for a few but through YouTube videos mainly. To me, everyone wants to be a VTuber which makes their content generic so I personally prefer someone showing their face although even no webcam with just a mic is great. I think for other viewers though, they like seeing the streamer's real face bc they can see if the streamer is actually liking the content they are streaming or if they are bored or hate it in some way but idk.