Setting up your Discord server.
To stream on Discord, you need to have a server and a voice channel. You also need to install the Discord app on your system to be able to stream.
See you on the Discord download page and click on the “Download for Mac/Windows” option. Once the download is complete, start the installation process and follow the on-screen instructions.
Open the application on your system. You can log in using the QR code, an email, or your phone number.
If you are completely new to Discord, sign up by clicking on the “Register” option.
Once you've logged in, you'll see a screen with your existing servers in the leftmost frame, along with a plus icon and an option to explore public servers.
Click on the big green “Plus (+)” icon to create your own server.
Then, a “Create a Server” window will appear on your screen with multiple template options including games, artists and creators, local community, and more.
You can also start from scratch by clicking on the “Create My Own” option.
Add a server icon and give your server a name.
Also, be sure to read the community guidelines of Discord before continuing.
Your server is finally ready.
Now you can send invites to friends, share all types of content, start your live stream, receive donations, and more.
You can even create multiple text and voice channels for different topics. That way, you can separate your members into different channels to break them up into smaller groups of people who share similar interests.
You will have a default “general channel” for your voice channels as well as the text channels section.
Creating a new channel is also easy and only requires a few clicks.
Simply click on the small “+” icon at the right of the “Voice Channels” or “Text Channels” tab.
Choose the type of channel (voice channel or text channel?) , give your channel a name, and finally click on the “Create a channel” option.
You can also choose to make your channel private to allow certain members and roles to view it.
Now you can start broadcasting on any channel you want.
Streaming on Discord.
You already know that Discord only allows streaming on Mac or Windows applications. You can't stream from browsers like Chrome, Safari, or even smartphones (iOS & Android).
If you're using Discord for game streaming, the app will detect the game and show it in the chat itself. Its built-in system can recognize almost any video game you want to stream.
Besides gaming activity, you can also stream your favorite shows or other content to your screen with the option to show your entire screen. It's just that they offer a unique recognition system for games.
Switch on your camera
First, open Discord and join a voice channel on the server where you want to stream. You can join the voice channel of your choice by clicking on it.
A “General” voice channel is present by default in each server. Once you click on the channel, the option to turn on your video will appear in the lower left part of the screen.
Click on the “Video” button to turn on the camera that will appear on the screen. Click on the “Screen” option to share your screen (we'll get to that later).
You instantly appear on the screen, along with the screen you shared. No webcam setup is required.
Note that audio sharing is only available when using Windows 10 or macOS 10.13 or later. Follow this guide hither to enable audio sharing on your macOS.
After clicking the “Video” button, your primary will automatically go into conversion mode.
Share your screen with your viewers.
Screen sharing is also easy and requires only one click.
Then click on the icon
Screen to share your screen with your viewers.
A new pop-up window will appear on your screen. From there, you can choose to share an individual application, an open screen on your system, or the entire screen.
Select the screen you want to share, then you'll automatically be redirected to setting up feed quality in the feed settings.
If you're using a normal Discord plan, you can only stream 720p and 30fps.
To stream HD resolutions at a higher frame rate (60 frames per second) and get other chat benefits, you need to subscribe to Discord Nitro. It will cost you $9.99 per month or $99.99 for an annual plan.
Finally, click on the “Go Live” button on the right to share your screen with your viewers.
You can even switch to another screen or application of your choice in the middle of the stream by clicking on the “Screen” button and then on the “Change Window” option.
Finally, once you've set everything up, your friends can join your stream by clicking on the voice channel on the server where you're broadcasting.
Send an invitation link to a server.
If there's no one on your new server, you can also manually invite your friends to join you.
There are two ways to do this. You can either click the invite buttons to invite friends individually, or you can send an invitation link to the server.
Copy this link and send it to anyone you want.
You can still change the server invitation link by clicking on the “Edit invitation link” option.
You can change the expiration date, the maximum number of users, and the type of access granted to each user group. Here, the type of access means that you can choose to provide temporary membership to users.
Disconnect the flow.
Simply click the red Disconnect button at the bottom of your Discord screen to disconnect your live stream.
You can also click on the small logout icon at the bottom left (precisely above the “Screen” button).
Watch someone's Discord stream.
If you are already on a server where someone is doing a live stream, you can join the stream with a single click.
You'll see a red “Live” badge to the right of the server username. This indicates that the server is broadcasting a live stream.
Click on the server username in the voice channel, and a window will open, giving you the option to join the stream. Click the “Join the stream” button and start watching the stream instantly.
You can also double-click to expand the window and view the screen in full screen. Press the “Esc” button if you want to reduce the screen again.
Share your game on Discord.
If you're streaming your game on Discord, you don't need to add it manually. They have a method to automatically detect what you are playing.
First, open your Discord server and launch the game you want to stream.
The game you started will automatically appear at the bottom left of your screen. You'll also see a “Go Live” panel with the Stream button (along with the name of the game you're playing).
After pressing the Stream button, a Picture-in-Picture (PiP) window pops up to give you a preview of the game you're streaming.
Hover over the picture in the picture window to see options for adjusting or ending the flow settings.
What to do if Discord doesn't detect your game?
Most of the time, Discord automatically detects the game you're playing and want to stream.
However, some games may not be detected by themselves. It's not your fault. If you have problems with Discord not detecting certain games, there is a solution.
You can manually add the game by going to the User Settings menu by clicking on the cog icon at the bottom left of your screen.
Then click Activity Status under the Activity Settings tab.
You'll see a text “No games detected” and “Can't see your game? Add it!” just below.
Click on the “Add it” link Then, select the game you want to stream from the dropdown menu and finally click on the “Add a game” button.
Note that this dropdown menu lists all active programs that are running on your system, not just games. You can even select a video player, a document, or even your web browser.
Once you've added your game, the “No games detected” section turns green and shows the name of the game you're playing.
Then, follow the usual steps to stream your game by clicking the “Stream” button in the lower left panel.
Increase your audience on Discord.
Whether you want to create a gaming community or simply be a part of all the servers, knowing how to grow your audience on Discord is an essential skill for any streamer.
A Discord server is a great way to help you grow your brand, find new customers, and promote your content.
Here are a few quick ways to engage current viewers and increase your audience on Discord.
1. Hosting events.
Hosting events on Discord can be a great way to increase the number of viewers of your stream. You can offer special gifts and encourage people to join your server and watch your stream.
This will even encourage current members of your server to invite their acquaintances, which will increase the number of members on your server.
2. Promote your server on server lists.
You can advertise your server on numerous Discord server lists to get more traffic. Discord server lists are like directories of the best Discord server lists and communities to help find new servers on Discord.
They help people find communities of interest, meet new people, join guilds, and more.
These lists typically contain server descriptions and links in various categories. By being added to these lists, your server will be recognized by thousands of potential members.
Discords.com is one of those server lists you can try.
Additionally, you can also include your server on the following server lists:
Be sure to only list your server once or twice. If you go overboard and start spamming the list, you may be removed from the list and even banned permanently.
3. Advertise on Reddit.
If you want to share your Discord server with others and want more members on your server, Reddit is the place to go.
You can start by listing your server on the r/discordservers subreddit.
This is a subreddit dedicated to Discord that allows you to post a link to your server. With over 114,000 members, this subreddit offers you a great opportunity to get exposed to thousands of potential new members.
4. Get your viewers involved during the broadcast.
During a live stream on Discord, you can interact with your viewers and see comments and responses in real time. Responding to messages from your viewers or sending embedded GIFs is a great way to get them involved.
When you engage with people who are there because they want to be there, the conversation tends to be much more in-depth. And that's where the true value of a community is.
Once you've created a close-knit community, your current members will spread the word to promote your server.
Earn money with your Discord server.
Discord servers are small communities of people from around the world that come together in one place to share their ideas, stories, and interests.
It's like a community in real life. People can get to know each other, make friends, and share interests (like games) with like-minded members. There is a certain sense of shared connection between users, making it easy to get to know each other.
And that is perhaps the main difference with streaming platforms bigger ones like Twitch, where you can stream to thousands of viewers at the same time. Making money is also generally the primary motivation of users of these platforms.
That doesn't mean you can't earn passive income through Discord. On the contrary, Discord also offers plenty of ways to help you make money through the app.
Here are a few easy ways to make money with your server.
1. Connect your server with Patreon.
Connecting your Patreon server and Discord could unlock a ton of potential for you. And thankfully, Discord offers native integration with Patreon, making it easy for you to streamline them.
You can offer your viewers exclusive access to specific private rooms, give them the ability to post links, and participate in your private feeds and chats. And in exchange, they can buy your Patreon membership.
2. Get donations using the DonateBot.
DonateBot is Discord's own robot that allows you to accept donations via PayPal.
All you need to do is authorize the robot, and it will do the heavy lifting for you.
Then, you will be redirected to a page where you can select the server where you want to add the Donate Bot.
Select the server you want to add the robot to and click the Add Bot to “Server Name” button. The Donation Bot will finally be added to your server.
Now you can start receiving donations from your members in exchange for special benefits like custom roles. You can also sell your merchandise or any digital product and get paid through PayPal.
3. Offer affiliate products to your members.
In addition to offering memberships through Patreon and earning donations, you can also consider offering affiliate products to your members.
Affiliate products allow you to earn commissions on a product that you promote to your members. When they buy the product through your link, you get a commission.
However, make sure you're offering something that's relevant and valuable to your audience and make it clear that it's an affiliate product.
For example, if you manage a financial advisor, you might recommend a stockbroker you like, which could be useful to your audience. You can make the recommendation in your live feed and then pin the affiliate link to any channel on your server.
FAQs
What is a voice channel?
Voice channels are a place where you can spend time on video and audio. It's a lot easier than calling and it's one of the main features of Discord.
Can you stream your whole screen with Discord?
Yes, you can stream your entire screen with Discord. You can enable this feature when setting up your feed via the feed settings.
What are the screen sharing options on Discord?
Discord streams have multiple options for sharing your screen, whether it's individual windows, the entire screen, or a selection of screens.
Summary.
This article covers everything you need to know about streaming Discord, from getting your own Discord server to implementing streaming.
The number of gamers who want to stream video games by commenting on their game live is increasing every year. That's why we've also reviewed what you can do to stand out in the streamer crowd and how you can build your community for maximum effect.
And finally, you can try to monetize your flows and make money from your server once you have a significant audience.
Looking for more articles to read?
- Discover the best screen capture software to record your gameplay.
- Discover the best audio editing software that can improve the quality of your feed.
