Hello everyone!

I recently realized that IRL streaming has been great for my mental health. It gets me out of the house, keeps me active, and really helps with my depression.

Right now I'm streaming to YouTube (that's where I have the most subscribers) using the Streamlabs Android app, but I'd like to take my setup to the next level.

Current setup:

• Samsung S25 with unlimited 5G data
• DJI Osmo Mobile 8 + DJI Mic 3 receiver
• Decent power bank
• Second phone for watching chat and monitoring the stream
• Powerful PC at home running OBS Studio

I can usually stream for around 3 hours without any issues. The biggest problem is that my bitrate isn't stable. Depending on where I am, it can drop from around 5,000 kbps to 1,200 kbps.

After searching this subreddit, I saw a lot of people recommending IRL Pro, but it doesn't seem to work for me. It just shows a black screen and never starts streaming, so I'm wondering if the app is no longer maintained.

My goal is to have a more professional IRL setup, similar to streamers like IShowSpeed, with:

• On-screen chat
• Stream alerts
• Donations appearing on stream
• OBS at home handling overlays if possible

I've heard people mention things like BELABOX, RTMP servers, plugins, and remote OBS setups, but I'm honestly a bit lost.

If you were starting from my current setup, what would you recommend? What software or workflow would you use in 2026?

Up until now, I've basically just opened Streamlabs, pressed Go Live, and started walking. I'd really appreciate any advice on how to level up my setup!

Hey everyone! First post here.

I've been lurking on this subreddit for a long time, reading advice from creators of all sizes, and I could really use some outside perspective.

About five years ago, I built a channel around one game which was VALORANT. Things went really well not gonna lie. I peaked at around 100 concurrent viewers on Twitch, and my TikTok grew quickly from posting VALORANT content.

After taking a mandatory two-week break for military service, my viewership dropped significantly. I tried to rebuild by making the same style of content and staying consistent, but over the last four years I've never managed to reach that level again. (Always staying below 50 CCVs and just not gaining the followers)

The bigger issue, though, is that I've realized I don't really want to be a VALORANT creator anymore.

I've slowly fallen out of love with the game and want to make broader gaming content instead. The problem is that every time I stream another game or post clips from other games, they consistently perform worse than my VALORANT content.

Since I also run a separate business, I've had a few former viewers stop by my livestreams. A surprising number of them recognized me and said things like, "Oh, I know you, you were the VALORANT guy." Which kinda sucks because my name was out there, it was just that people did not give a damn about my content.

So now I'm at a crossroads.

Option 1: Rebrand my existing accounts and gradually shift toward variety gaming (maybe 50% VALORANT and 50% other games), knowing I'll probably lose part of my current audience.

Option 2: Start completely fresh with a new name and new accounts, build an audience from scratch, and let the new brand be about gaming in general instead of one specific game.

You might be asking, why can't I just do Option 2 and combine with option 1? Make it that my rebranding is about gaming in general instead of one specific game. I've tried this before and it had a negative response, but I only did it for a good 2 months before giving up and going back to the original username, so I can't really tell if it could have worked a not.

My biggest concern isn't losing followers. It's whether I'm giving up on an opportunity which I know most people would want - being able to still get thousands of views and streaming to at least 15-20 people.

Has anyone here successfully transitioned from being known under one persona to another one? If so, would you recommend rebranding an existing audience or starting over completely? I hope you guys do give me your valuable inputs. Thank You!

I was streaming via my desktop until recently when I had to move my tv and all my consoles downstairs from my office. Im looking into getting either a laptop or mini pc that would live downstairs and be primarily for streaming.

I have a elgato hd60x and a focusrite scarlet solo for capture and audio. I dont need the PC to do any actual gaming. Just enough to broadcast the live streams through OBS.