How to Become a Twitch Streamer in Singapore: Average Equipment Costs & Salary (2022)

Do you have what it takes to be a livestreaming, internet sensation? We uncover the startup costs and potential earnings of an average Twitch streamer in Singapore.

In a relatively traditional yet modern society like Singapore, sometimes it feels like we’re stuck at a crossroads… career-wise anyway. Our perspectives of what’s considered a successful job are slowly but surely shifting, especially in terms of high-paying roles.

Gone are the days when conventional occupations like data analytics and software engineering are the only options for earning a five-figure pay. Nowadays, people have become innovative in transforming their passions into alternative careers.

For instance, the streaming business has picked up traction tremendously in the past few years – evolving into an impressive S$2.6 billion revenue industry with 2.78 million concurrent viewers at any given time.

If you enjoy entertaining, interacting, and documenting some aspect of your lifestyle to others – be it gaming or vlogging – here’s why becoming a Twitch streamer might be your calling.

• What is a Twitch Streamer
• Becoming a Twitch Streamer
• Average salary of a Twitch Streamer

Disclaimer: The prices and item recommendations below are general suggestions. SingSaver bears no endorsement or affiliation with the products and brands listed. Please conduct more research personally for the products you are interested in. 

Overview: Average costs of equipment needed and salary of a Twitch Streamer in Singapore 2022

*Currently out of stock

What do you need to become a Twitch streamer?

To start streaming your favourite gameplay, commentary, or lifestyle content, you’ll need a decent set of equipment to get you started. Thus, the type of equipment you prioritise varies slightly depending on the type of streaming content. 

For instance, lifestyle or IRL (in real life) livestreamers who film content surrounding their everyday lives or fun IRL activities wouldn’t need massive gaming set-ups. Rather, they’ll probably prioritise buying a reliable and high-definition camera. 

Conversely, gaming livestreamers would definitely need a proper console or PC set-up consisting of a powerful CPU, GPU, memory card, and storage among other things. Basically, there are more hardware logistics involved for gamers.

But in general, the standard equipment needed is more or less the same to get a basic streaming set-up going.

For example, every Twitch streamer will need to use a streaming software like OBS Studio or Streamlabs. 

A streaming software is basically software or program that helps convert live video input into digital format via encoding for livestreaming. It usually also comes with nifty stream themes and overlays as well as multi-stream function to cater to your customised streaming needs. 

And the good news is, that they’re usually free unless you want to upgrade to their premium version! If not, the features offered in their free versions are usually enough.

For gamers

Overall, gamer livestreamers would definitely require equipment on the higher cost end of this spectrum — just because of the nature of the tech.

You’ll need a decent gaming laptop or PC set-up, a webcam and/or camera, gaming keyboard and mouse, headphones, microphone, game capture card, stream deck, LED lights, and perhaps even a green screen.

1. Laptop or PC

While not all of these pieces of equipment are necessary for a stellar stream session, each item certainly adds value to your streaming experience.

For example, general hardware recommendations today are a minimum of GTX 1070 GPU with 4.5/4 GB of VRAM and an Intel i5-9600 CPU and above to run your favourite titles in 2022.

Of course, to achieve the most seamless gameplay and recording sessions, some professional gaming streamers treat their gaming set-up as an all-out expense. They won’t hesitate to invest in higher-tier, quality PC components to build their dream set-up from scratch. 

But then again, some of the greatest gaming “Let’s Play” content creators (like Pewdiepie) started from the most basic equipment — so let success stories like his be your inspiration. You really don’t have to be rigged out from the get-go.

Basic gaming laptop: Acer Nitro 5 (From S$1,298)
Basic PC set-up: Alienware Aurora Ryzen Edition R10 (From S$1,260)

See also: Best Gaming Laptops in Singapore For Every Budget (2022)

2. Gaming keyboard & mouse

This is another fairly important piece of equipment you shouldn’t scrimp out on if you don’t want to blame your subpar Kill-Death ratio on latency lag. 

A good gaming keyboard is typically...

• Wired (for stronger connectivity)
• Preferred key switches (brown, blue, or red basics) and keycaps 
• Ergonomics (to hinder carpal tunnel syndrome)
• RGB backlight (for typing visibility and aesthetics)
• Battery life (for long gaming hours), and
• Enjoyable user experience

Meanwhile, a good gaming mouse is slightly more straightforward in consideration. Some key factors include mouse size, dots per linear inch (DPI) for mouse sensitivity, and accessory buttons to name a few.

Oh, and don’t forget to throw in a mousepad for grittier surface sensitivity if your table is too smooth.

Basic keyboard: Redragon Fizz K617 (S$48)
Basic mouse: Original Razer Mouse DeathAdder Essential (From S$12.80)

3. Gaming headphones & mic

Even if you’re not an audiophile, your gaming audio quality can make or break your immersion. Whether it’s competitive play or a solo run, you need a good set of headphones to hear your in-game surroundings well.

💡 Fun fact: The true gamer nerds out there will know how important being able to hear the enemy team’s footsteps around you in competitive play is. In a lot of cases, it determines who eliminates the other first.

Owning a decent microphone also goes a long way in enhancing your interactions with your Twitch chat/audience. 

Basic gaming headphones: Razer Kraken Gaming Headset 2019 / Ultimate: Ultimate(S$55.77 or S$84.31)
Basic microphone: Razer Seiren Mini (S$79.90)

4. Stream deck

For that extra spice, a stream deck comes in useful more than you think. It’s every streamer’s right-hand (not literally) companion to control all sorts of customised functions for more integrative streaming. 

It plugs directly into your computer via USB and loads via dedicated software. After setting it up, you’re free to program the buttons and commands to your liking such as muting your mic, ending a call, game shortcuts, switching camera and scene inputs, moderating fast-moving chats, and more.

You can purchase the Elgato Stream Deck MiniElgato Stream Deck Mini for S$111.55.

5. Webcam

Last but not least, we highly recommend every budding gaming streamer opt for a good-quality webcam. Unless you intend to remain anonymous, then that’s another story.

💡 Pro-tip: You can refer to successful anonymous streamers like Corpse and more formerly, Dream on how they concealed their identity over the years.

But why would an external webcam be better than an embedded webcam (like in a laptop)? In general, the former has major advantages over the latter such as autofocus, field of view, light filtering, built-in mic, and fewer overheating issues.

In order to capture your reactions in crispy HD quality, find webcams with 3840 x 2160 pixel/4K resolution and at least 60 FPS frame rates to match your gameplay.

Basic webcam: Logitech Webcam C920 Pro (From S$79.90)

Want to save some coins while building your dream set-up? Just like when choosing the best gear for your livestream, we’ve helped you eliminate your options in choosing the best cashback credit cards for your needs! 

For lifestyle/arts & crafts/music creators

Conversely, for lifestyle, arts & crafts, music, and other miscellaneous categories of streamers, your priority would be more so on a reliable camera for filming, microphone, and LED lights or green screens to liven up your stream background.

1. Camera & microphone

Never underestimate the quality of a good camera. A camera with decent specs can elevate your content, make it more visually appealing, and in turn, potentially increase viewership too. 

When browsing for a camera for livestreaming, your main focus should be on video resolution and framerate. Resolution affects the footage’s quality and a fast framerate gives you smooth, unfragmented footage.

For musicians on Twitch, a quality microphone would be one of their bigger investments since you’d want your voice and instrument to translate well over stream. To facilitate that, the Shure SM7B is a legendary professional microphone by Shure, popular among vocalists and even ASMR streamers. 

Notable streamers who use this mic model include Shroud, Tfue, and Sodapoppin.

Basic camera for livestreaming: Sony Alpha A5100 (S$366.90)
Excellent mic for music and vocalists: Shure SM7B (S$429.29)

2. LED lighting panels & green screens

This point is pretty self-explanatory because who doesn’t like aesthetic backgrounds right? But perhaps, casual streamers in the lifestyle, arts, and music categories would prioritise this more than gamers.

And since many streamers like to film at night in the dark confines of their enclosed rooms, good LED lights to brighten up the space (and their face) definitely come in clutch.

For example, the Nanoleaf Shapes Mini Triangles Light Panels are famous among the Youtube and Twitch communities alike. Compared to regular LED lights, these panels give creators more bandwidth in creatively arranging them into aesthetic formations in their backdrops.

Oh, and a green screen helps with creating meme content too.

Basic LED lights: Selens 26-cm LED Ring Light (S$15)
Aesthetic LED light panels: Nanoleaf Shapes Mini Triangles Light Panel (10 pcs)Nanoleaf Shapes Mini Triangles Light Panel (10 pcs) ($169)
Basic green screen: Selens Portable Green Screen (S$47)

When purchasing your equipment, why not rack up some sweet mileage while you’re at it? Who knows, if your Twitch career takes off, you might find yourself jet-setting across the world to attend Twitchcon, Vidcon, and other amazing creator conventions!

How much can Twitch streamers earn in Singapore?

According to an unfortunate breach in Twitch’s database back in October 2021, some light was shed on the earnings of our local streamers. This hack revealed the highest earnings from Twitch streamers between a period of two years — 2019 to 2021.

Some of Singapore’s top Twitch streamers earned more than S$100,000 in just two years. This passion-turned-lucrative alternative career might just be the mid-career pivot that some of you are looking for.

Read more:
I’m a Tech Executive by Day, and Run a 7-Figure F&B Business by Night
Highest Paying Jobs in Singapore 2022
How to Turn Your Hobby Into a Career (Without Losing the Passion For it)

Here were the top three earnings of Twitch streamers in Singapore between 2019 and 2021:

Essentially, the average expected annual salary of a Twitch streamer in Singapore can go up to as much as S$43,000 per year.

In terms of being your own boss, that’s pretty worth it if you ask us.

All of this goes to show that it is possible to earn (an above-average) salary while pursuing a non-traditional career in digital media. 

In fact, this new form of content creation has only truly emerged in the last decade or so with the advancement and accessibility of all these livestreaming technology and equipment. 

And our local livestreaming community has begun to make a mark in the Twitch community, proving that it’s feasible to build a flourishing career despite not having a standard 9-to-5 corporate job.

Do you have what it takes to become a Twitch streamer?

It’s a common misconception that your streaming equipment needs to be pricey and top-tier in order to perform well. Besides the basic equipment, any accessories or additional electronics are optional.

In reality, it’s really the content creator that carries the heart and soul of the stream. So if you have a passion for content creation – be it gaming, lifestyle, music or others – and connecting with others, why not give Twitch a try?

After all, creating a sustainable livelihood and establishing a local (and even international) following is no longer a farfetched dream.

Read these next:
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