There was a time when Microsoft wanted to purchase Twitch, and one could see why the company had that intention. However, things didn’t work out as planned because Amazon came along gobbled up the popular streaming platform for a pretty penny. To get over the loss, Microsoft chose to acquire Beam, a small streaming platform with the sole purpose of overtaking Twitch in the future. At a later date, the software giant decided to change the name to Mixer, and since then, it has garnered millions of new streamers.
Mixer vs. Twitch for streaming
Mixer is still lagging behind Twitch and even YouTube where live streaming is concerned, but it’s still growing, which is great for Microsoft and the streaming market in general. Now, for those who have yet to give Mixer a chance, we’re going to discuss it today in great detail, and from there, you can decide if it’s worth the time and effort. Bear in mind that it is not on the same level as Twitch and YouTube where viewership is concerned, but it’s not bad either.
1] Design
When it comes down to the design and user interface of Mixer, one has to agree that it looks great. The featured streams are shown at the very top, while the top games being played on the platform are shown below that. This section also shows the channels you’re following, the top streams, among other things.
We like the fact that most of the important things are shown on the main screen; therefore, the need to move away is not required.
2] Account
The next thing you’ll want to do is create an account, or simply sign in with your Microsoft account. Doing this gives you a lot of perks, of course, and that’s why we recommend going down this route, especially for those who plan on becoming regular viewers or streamers.
3] Perks
Yes, let’s talk about the perks because these are important for account holders. You see, whenever folks watch videos, they are granted Sparks and XP on a regular basis. XP is used towards leveling up, while Sparks is for some aspects of interacting with a streamer.
Outside of what we just mentioned, there’s something called Embers, but users are not required to have this. Embers is all about using premium skills to supports Mixer partners. Folks must spend real money to earn these tokens, and that’s unfortunately sad.
But if you’re willing to pay, then go on ahead because in many cases, this helps your favorite streamers, and this means, more content from them.
4] Ready to Broadcast?
Broadcasting is easy once all the right tools are in place. After gathering all things, then its time to make a move to begin your first broadcast. To get this done, click on your profile photo then select Broadcast Dashboard. It should open in a new window right away.
Look for the button that says Stream Setup, then click on it. After that, please choose from the list your preferred streaming software. Be sure to copy the Stream Key because it is always required when completing the setup.
Overall, we like Mixer because its easy on the eyes and a lot of room to grow for new streamers. Other platforms such as Twitch has a huge audience, that’s for sure, but it also means the competition is extremely tough
