The Best Tools, Extensions, Programs and Apps for Streamers

Every streamer has a tool box, maybe not a physical one like the local mechanic, but in the depths of their C: drive there's a wealth of tools and programs with one common purpose: To make a streamers life easier whilst making their stream look better. 

Today we'll be taking a look at some of our favourite integrations for streamers - we'll be skipping over the very entry level kit, for example broadcasting software like OBS or Streamlabs OBS themselves. We will, however, be spending some time looking at a couple of OBS plugins and some other extremely useful tools to have in your kit. Let's cover the obvious choice first. 

Lumia Stream

Lumia Stream is the perfect way to integrate your devices and RGB lights into your stream. Whether you create content on Twitch, YouTube, or other streaming platforms, Lumia Stream brings a whole new level of viewer interaction to the table. Lumia Stream has functionality that allows your devices such as smart lights, smart plugs, applications like OBS and more to all work together to produce a seamless, highly customisable stream for your viewers. Have your devices react to alerts like new follows, subscriptions and more. Let your viewers control the colour of your lights or the scenes in your broadcasting software with channel points or chat commands. 

OBS Websocket

Moving on from Lumia Stream but staying loosely related, we have OBS Websocket. OBS Websocket is an OBS plugin that allows external devices to communicate with OBS. If you want Lumia Stream, or any other program for that matter, to be able to communicate with and control parts of OBS then this is the plugin that you'll need to do so. OBS Websocket is very easy to set up. Once installed, it should provide you with a port number and a password. Select a password of your choice and use the port number on your external devices/programs to allow them to communicate with OBS. 

Transition Table

Sticking with OBS plugins for a moment, I feel that this plugin is widely underrated. If you have a host of scenes inside of OBS and a few different transitions that you utilise like I do, then it can get frustrating trying to make sure you've got the right transition set before changing scenes. There are apps out there that allow you to set up hot keys in order to change the current active transition, and whilst that's a small improvement on OBS' native functions, Transition Table takes it to the next level. Once you've downloaded and installed Transition Table you'll be able to tell OBS which transition to use when switching from Scene A to Scene B, or from Scene B to Scene C and so on. This allows you to build up a database dictating to OBS which transition to use in which scenario, meaning once you've set it up once, you never have to touch it again (until you add new scenes or transitions, of course!).

VoiceMeeter

Most streamers will not be surprised to see Voicemeeter on this list. Voicemeeter is an Audio Mixer Application with utilising Virtual Audio Devices to replicate a studio mixer in software form. It's become common place amongst streamers as a way to split their audio channels when streaming. It's functionalities are far too advanced for us to cover here, but if you're asking questions like 'How can I make it so that my viewers can't hear my music but I can?' or 'How can I make it so that my teammates on Discord can't be heard on stream?' then Voicemeeter is the program for you. As well as allowing you to split and route audio channels, Voicemeeter also has noise gate and mild EQ built in as well, which you can use to help improve the overall sound of your microphone. Note that when using Voicemeeter to split audio channels you'll need to make use of Virtual Audio Cables. Luckily, VB-Audio, the company that makes VoiceMeeter, can supply those for you too!

Snap Camera

Love Snapchat filters? Want to bring some of the fun into your stream? Consider it done! Snap Camera is an application that allows you to add Snapchat style filters to your webcam in real time. Once you've downloaded and installed the program, simply launch it and select your camera to start adding filters. To use the filtered camera on your stream go to your broadcasting software, find your camera source and change the input to be Snap Camera - You now have snap chat style filters showing on your stream! You can even hotkey different filters to different keys allowing you to swap between filters seamlessly. 

Sound Alerts

There are very few things that give me as much pleasure as showing up to a horror stream and scaring the life out of the streamer by playing a sounds alert! Now you can let your viewers play custom sound alerts on stream in exchange for a custom amount of bits. Sound Alerts is a Twitch Extension unlike the other items on this list, meaning it's not an application or program that you download and install. Instead the whole intergration is hosted on the Twitch website. Follow this link https://dashboard.twitch.tv/extensions/bttsqjy6dnv05acplp5vy0mflgrh3z to install the integration. Follow the on-screen insctructions to set up the integration, including uploading your own custom sounds. Now, viewers will be able to pay a set number of bits to play a certain sound alert on your stream!

Input Overlay

Input Overlay is another OBS plugin which allows you to display which keys or mouse clicks are pressed on your keyboard and mouse or gamepad. Where a keyboard and mouse cam is not available, this can be a great alternative. This program is especially useful if you want to show your viewers particular techniques or key combos. You can customise your layout to show only the relevant keys so you don't have to display a full keyboard if you don't want to. Create a new source in OBS and point it to the presets that come with the plugin, or alternatively create your own.

Twitch Switcher

This is one of the more advanced and practical tools that I've come across whilst compiling this list, although its usefulness may be a little more 'fringe'. When you change game, you've got a host of things to think of. You may need to change scenes, you may need to adjust your overlay, you may need to make sure Discord is/is not audiable to your viewers. On top of all of that, you need to remember to change your stream title AND the stream category. With so much to remember, it's easy to miss something. Not any more! Twitch Switcher allows you to set some predefined stream titles and categories based on your current scene. So, for example, if you have a scene for when you're playing Valheim, and you switch to your 'just chatting' scene, Twitch Switcher can automatically change your stream title and your game category to whatever you've previously configured. 

All of these tools have been of great use to me throughout my time streaming. I hope they can make your life a bit easier and help you advance your stream to the next level!