First Twitch stream checklist: what to check before going live
Updated November 11, 2026 · 4 min read
Your first stream is nerve-racking, and it's easy to forget something important: unmuting your mic, picking a category or checking game audio. This checklist helps you miss nothing and go live calmly.
Run through it half an hour before you start, and your first stream will go without technical surprises.
Run through this checklist an hour before your first Twitch broadcast: most first-stream problems can be spotted in advance if you know where to look.
Audio
Bad audio is the top reason new viewers leave.
mic selected in OBS and not muted;
voice louder than the game but out of the red;
noise suppression on;
game audio going to the stream;
a short test recording made and listened to.
Gear checklist
Even cheap gear looks and sounds good when it's set up right.
the mic is connected and selected in OBS;
headphones, so game and TTS audio don't leak into the mic;
the camera, if you use one, sits at eye level;
light falls on your face from the front, not behind;
a wired connection instead of Wi-Fi if you can.
Video and scenes
Make sure viewers see exactly what they should.
game capture works, no black screen;
camera, if you have one, framed and well lit;
«starting soon», «be right back» and «stream ended» scenes ready;
nothing private on screen: notifications, tabs, stream key.
Channel and broadcast
What viewers see in the directory and on your channel page.
a specific, lively stream title;
the right game category and tags;
avatar, banner and panels filled in;
schedule set on your channel.
Interaction for chat
An empty chat on your first stream is normal, but give viewers a reason to type.
chat TTS connected: with Chat2Speech it's one link in OBS and 7 free minutes of audio a day; test it with your own message;
a couple of Channel Points rewards created;
bot commands for common questions ready;
friends told and coming to support you.
A plan for the stream
You don't need a script, but you need a plan: what you're playing, what you'll talk about in quiet moments, which questions you'll ask chat. At the end, say when the next stream is and thank everyone who came.
The day before
Preparing the day before takes half the stress out of stream day.
announce the time of your first stream on social media and invite friends;
update OBS, graphics drivers and the game so updates don't start right before you go live;
make a 5-minute test recording and listen to it on headphones;
prepare «Starting soon», «Be right back» and «Ending» scenes;
write a list of topics and questions for chat.
10 minutes before going live
Start on the «Starting soon» scene: a few minutes of waiting gives viewers time to arrive and you time to confirm the stream runs cleanly.
close apps that load your PC and connection;
turn off notifications on your PC and phone;
check mic and game levels in the OBS mixer;
send a test message and make sure chat TTS plays;
keep water within reach.
If something goes wrong
Something almost always breaks on a first stream, and that's fine. If audio or video drops, switch to the break scene, fix it calmly and tell chat what happened. Viewers forgive technical problems, but not long silences. Note everything that broke so you check it first next time.
What to say at the start
The first minutes set the tone. Say hi, mention it's your first stream and what's planned. Explain how viewers can take part: type in chat, hear their messages in TTS, vote. People support newcomers more when they see honesty and enthusiasm rather than a perfect picture.
After the stream
Rewatch the VOD: what sounded bad, where there were long silences, which moments viewers liked. Fix your settings and note ideas for next time. And post your best moment as a short video: it brings in new viewers.
Questions
What should I check before my first stream?
Mic and game audio, screen capture, OBS scenes, stream title and category, channel setup and interaction for chat.
What if nobody shows up to my first stream?
That's normal. Talk as if viewers are there: the VOD is useful for clips, and your first viewers will come over time.
How do I test chat TTS before streaming?
Add the widget to OBS and type a message in your own chat: it should play in about a second.
How long should a first stream be?
1.5–3 hours: long enough for viewers to find you, short enough not to wear you out.
What if nobody shows up to my first stream?
Keep talking as if they're there: the recording is useful for clips, and anyone who drops in sees a live stream.