High School

Strong communication skills are needed for live streaming work. Take classes in communications, English, media, as well as history and social sciences. Live streamers must have excellent skills in computers and technology, so be sure to take as many computer classes as possible. Art and music classes are also beneficial if you choose to live stream in these areas. Another area that some live streamers focus on is sports, live streaming games. If that interests you, participate in sports also to increase your knowledge and understanding of the games.

Postsecondary Training

A college degree is not necessarily required for live streaming jobs but some employers may prefer to hire people who have a bachelors degree. Course work in specialized areas that live streamers focus on is also especially beneficial, such as business, financial management, economics, social sciences, social media, marketing, communications, computer science, art, music, etc. The ability to speak and write clearly is also important, so classes in English, writing, and speech are important. Some live streamers may have a degree in broadcasting, which is helpful for understanding how to communicate with and maintain audiences.

Certification or Licensing

Certification is helpful for live streamers who are new to the field and also for those who want to improve their skills and knowledge in live streaming. The Streaming Learning Center offers the Streaming Media 101 certification which consists of a nine-hour online video course with lessons, exercises, and quizzes. Students learn the basic skills needed to produce live and video-on-demand media. Find further information at: https://streaminglearningcenter.com/encoding/get-certified-in-streaming-certification.html. Cisco offers certification programs for video network specialists, which includes several days of streamed video courses and five days of an instructor-led course. Find information at: https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/training-events/training-certifications.html. Live streaming sites such as Twitch, YouTube, and others also offer courses and webinars on various live streaming topics.

Live streamers typically have several years of experience in the topic they live stream about. Live gaming streamers often have years of experience in playing and competing in live games online. Strong knowledge of technology, webcams, cameras, and streaming software and platforms is essential.

Live streamers and live gaming streamers are able to multitask while broadcasting. They can discuss what they are doing and seeing while they are doing it, such as sharing thoughts about their approach to a challenging spot in a live game, and chatting online and through a headset with their audience and subscribers. They are able to handle difficult personalities and questions while staying focuses on their live streaming work. Individuals who are outgoing and personable do best in this type of work. Live streamers and live gaming streamers must also be able to handle working at different times of the day, especially evenings and weekends. Creativity is also important, as live streamers must always keep their content fresh and interesting so that people will be entertained and will keep coming back to experience their live streams. Self-initiative and a strong work ethic are also important, especially for running ones own live streaming business.