Insane Changes in Volume

Some streamers are naturally quiet and some are naturally loud. The important thing is to be consistent about the volume level.

This doesn’t keep certain streamers, though, from oscillating between “way too loud” and “way too quiet” over and over again. This means audiences have to alternate between straining to hear and plugging their ears before giving up on that stream altogether.

Crappy Mic

Fortunately, streaming doesn’t have to be a rich man’s game. There are cheap ways you can get started. But one area to never go cheap is the microphone.

A good mic (and a good mic setup) can instantly boost sound quality while a bad mic (and bad mic setup) can reduce everything to a tinny noise. Even if the stream is otherwise great, it’s tough to stick around when the streamer sounds like they are making morning announcements on a middle school’s 1980s microphone.

Fake Celebrity Ego

Should we treat big Twitch streamers like celebrities? That’s one of those questions gamers constantly debate, and we’re not likely to settle it today.

One thing we can all agree on, though, is that a fake celebrity ego is always a bad look. When someone acts like the king of the world after getting 100 subscribers, it’s tough to not mash the “unsubscribe” button out of pure spite.

Reading Too Many Messages Out Loud

When it comes to reading messages out loud, there is a kind of “sweet spot” for streamers. After all, if you barely read any messages at all, your fans will start to wonder if you really care.

However, reading too many messages out loud gets very boring, very quickly. Especially because we can see the typed message long before the streamer reads it!

Long Waits Before Playing

Nobody likes to sit around and wait. And even when you’re just chilling out at home in your pajamas, this is still true.

A few streamers, though, are convinced they can’t begin a game until more people begin watching. This means you are forced to sit around watching someone say and do very little, all in the hope that they might start playing something before you fall asleep.

At this point, you’d be better off watching the paint dry in your doctor’s waiting room.

Eating While Streaming

Occasionally, streamers keep some really long hours. This is especially true of charity streams that may run for one (or more) days at a time. When this happens, it’s understandable that the streamer needs to take food breaks.

But most streamers can afford to grab a bite before or after the video. Instead, so many streamers choose to eat a big meal right there on stream. And just like that, those hoping to watch someone play a video game are treated to nasty ASMR sounds and extreme closeups of someone’s cakehole going to work.

Distracted Streamer

It’s an open secret that streaming can get kind of boring. When you first start out, you’re basically playing alone and trying to be happy if a handful of people tune in.

But as streamers get discouraged or simply bored, some of them get distracted and begin playing with their phones, talking with roommates, or even watching a movie. If the streamer can’t pay attention to their own damn stream, then why should anyone else?

Annoying Facecams

Most streamers are gamers first and videographers last. And we can tell thanks to the number of streamers that take up the entire camera with their damn face!

Honestly, watching these guys play is like watching grandma try to figure out how video calls work. And calling grandma would be far more entertaining than watching these floating heads on a screen scream about video games.

Whining About Teammates

Arguably, the most human thing about streamers is that they also have good days and bad days of gaming. Even streamers at the top of their game can occasionally get completely hosed by a better player or better team.

But egotistical streamers will rant and rave, complaining about their teammates being the only reason the streamer lost a game. Not only is it shortsighted to overlook your own faults, but it’s tough to root for someone who can’t even stand by his teammates.

Overlays Blocking the Game

On paper, the optimal design for a stream seems pretty simple. Just a game, a player, and an audience...right?However, many streamers use different overlays to keep track of new subscribers, donations, and everything in between. While this can be useful in moderation, annoying streamers use so many overlays that we can barely see what they are playing.

Calling People Out for Not Engaging

Sometimes, Twitch is a bit of a paradox. For example, it is set up so you can sit back and just watch streams. But the community also encourages you to bust out the keyboard and interact.

Most streaming fans eventually find a balance between engaging and simply watching. But petty streamers will actually call users out by name for not engaging “enough” (whatever that means). And it’s tough to support these hall monitor streamers who trip on the tiniest bit of power.

Begging for Money

Look, we get it: very few people are streaming out of the goodness of their hearts. Instead, most streamers dream of making it big and achieving a life of fame and fortune.

But certain impatient streamers like to beg for money every chance they get. It comes across as rude and also ruins the whole vibe of hanging with a digital buddy. After all, would you want to spend much time with a friend in real life if they only spoke to ask you for cash?

Bans for Lurking

Many Twitch fans aren’t looking for a super interactive experience. Instead, it can be fun to just put on a video and zone out while watching someone else play games.

Sadly, some paranoid streamers will call out or insult people for lurking. And some go as far as to ban lurkers altogether. This makes virtually hanging out with these streamers feel like an annoying job instead of a chill way to relax.

Ignoring Non-Subscribers

The whole thing that makes streaming work is our love of parasocial relationships. That’s a fancy word for the feeling you get when you think that comedian, podcaster, streamer, or other entertainer is actually your friend.

And good streamers actually engage with their community. However, some of them choose to ignore anyone who hasn’t subscribed to the channel. Not only is this a jerk move, but it’s a guaranteed way of driving people away.

Too Close to the Microphone

Sometimes, it’s the little things that streamers manage to screw up. And that includes committing the worst sin of streaming: speaking too close to the microphone.

No matter how funny or charming the streamer is, this causes distortion that will have you covering up your ears. And depending on the streamer, you might have to donate money before they even notice your message about backing away from the mic.