What gear you need to stream and record, and what you can skip
Cameras, microphones, lights and stands, explained by what they do for your stream. Start with what you have, then add only what your show needs.
Best Webcam for Streaming: What Matters
What to look for in a streaming webcam: sharpness, low-light performance, field of view and the frame rate it holds steadily.
Best Microphone for Streaming: What Matters
What makes a good streaming microphone: a clear voice, low background noise and a level you can control. Test before you buy.
Do You Need a Capture Card?
A capture card brings a console or another computer into your stream. You do not need one for a webcam or a phone.
Best Lighting for Streaming
Good light matters more than an expensive camera. Learn the simple set-up that makes your face clear on stream.
Is a Ring Light Worth It for Streaming?
A ring light gives even light on your face. Learn when it helps and when a window or a lamp does the same job.
Best Tripod for Streaming
A steady tripod keeps your camera or phone still on stream. Choose the height and the clamp, then test the picture.
Phone Clamp for Streaming
A phone clamp holds your phone steady on a stand or a tripod, so it is in the same place for the whole stream.
Stand for an Overhead Camera
An overhead stand holds a camera above a table for cooking, art or tabletop games. Choose the reach and the stability.
Audio Interface for Streaming: Is It Needed?
An audio interface connects a professional microphone to your PC. For many streams a USB microphone is enough.
Headphones for Streaming
Headphones keep the sound your PC plays out of your microphone, so viewers hear it once.
Green Screen for Streaming
A green screen lets you put yourself on another background. Learn the cloth, the light and the chroma key set-up.
Capture Setup for Game Streams
For a game stream you need a PC that can handle the game and the stream, a webcam or phone, and a microphone.
Cables for Streaming: Wired Is Steadier
A cable between your PC and the router gives a steadier stream than Wi-Fi. Choose the cable and test the difference.
Router for Streaming: What to Look For
A router that keeps a steady connection matters more than its top speed for streaming. Look at steadiness and wired ports.
Internet Plan for Streaming: Upload Matters
For streaming, upload speed matters more than download. Learn how to check your plan and what to ask your provider.
Capture Card for a Console
A capture card for a console brings the picture onto your PC for a stream or recording. Learn what to check before you buy.
What PC You Need for Streaming
What a PC needs for a stream and a recording: a processor and graphics card that can run the game and the encoder, and disk space for the files.
SSD for Recording: Why It Helps
A fast SSD keeps recordings smooth, especially at high quality. Learn why disk speed matters and how to check yours.
External Drive for Recordings
Save your recordings to an external drive with plenty of space and a fast connection, so the disk on your PC stays free.
Keyboard for Streaming Shortcuts
A keyboard with easy-to-reach keys helps you switch scenes during a show. Set your shortcuts to keys that suit your hand.
Controller and Stream Control
You can control a stream from a controller or a phone. Use the phone remote for scenes, alerts and extensions.
Audio Mixer for Streaming
A small mixer lets you balance the microphone and the game sound before they reach the PC.
Desk Setup for Streaming
A tidy desk with the camera, the light and the microphone set out in advance makes a stream easier to run.
Background for Streaming
Choose a background that looks clean on camera: a plain wall, a bookshelf or a branded backdrop.
Cheap Camera for Streaming: Start Here
You do not need an expensive camera to start. Your phone, a webcam or a cheap camera can begin a stream.
Stand for Phone Streaming
A phone stand holds your phone in place for a stream. Choose the height, the angle and how firm it is.
Best Camera Angle for Streaming
The camera angle sets how you look on stream. Eye height and a slight above-the-eye angle look most natural.
How Far Should You Sit From the Camera?
Sit far enough from the camera to show your face and your hands, without being too far away to read.
Streaming Gear on a Budget
Start for free with your phone, the PC you have and the light you can find. Upgrade only the piece that limits your show.
Want all of this in one app?
Streamdzy is a free streaming and recording app for Windows: several cameras, your phone as a camera, going live to many places at once, and recording first so a bad connection never costs you the show.