Recurrent Aspiring Vtuber Questions

General Questions That /Asp/irants have had in the past:

1> What's the best software and hardware for 3D tracking a model?
Warudo on Steam, and for hardware a complete body suit is THE best, but getting one is nigh impossible for the average vtuber, so the second most recommended hardware is just a VR set.

2> What are the essential plug-ins you need to install on OBS?
Aitum Vertical and Multistream (if your internet can handle multistream)

3> Should you start with streaming if you're not entertaining or try your hand at making short form curated content first?
Try it to see if you even like it. If you do, make some clips and upload them to Youtube shorts

4> What's a healthy amount of growth for a starting streamer?
300 followers/YT subs and at least 10~30 CCV within the first six months

5> How to network?
Socialize with the goal of obtaining consistent collaborators and colleagues in the vtubing sphere

6> Who to network with?
Mostly, those who you vibe with. There is no real point in just networking with someone because they have better numbers or similar

7> How many collabs per week/month?
As many as you can if you truly enjoy them, try something like once a week, and you will get consistency with a group! Probably one every other month is a safe spot if you think you are not doing enough

8> Multiple POVs when doing collabs?
It depends, if the main reason is numberwise, then having as few POVs as possible was the best choice for a long time, but nowadays, that piece of advice finds itself almost devoid of real meaning since you can merge viewership with the stream together feature; perhaps the only piece of advice to take into account when it comes to this is that, so far, twitch only allows for up to six participants in any given instance of stream together

9> Which games to collab on?
The ones that would allow the easiest time for both of you is the easiest choice, but you should always aim at something that can simply bring joy to all three sides (You, the other Side of the collab, and the Viewer)

10> Which timeslot works the best for collabs?
Weekdays: Between 4 PM and 10 PM Eastern Time (ET)
Weekends: From around 12 PM to 8 PM (ET)
But, if you both have coinciding time slot, that should be the best one to aim for

11> Should you play FOTM Games?
It depends, are you a variety streamer? Would you be willing to get an audience that depends on every FOTM game to keep watching you? Would you have a good time playing it instead of one of those games that you have in the backlog? Also, these games take a toll on your wallet, but if you can compromise to these things then you should for sure go ahead

12> Should you avoid any type of game?
Not per se if you truly like the game, but if you are just trying out different kinds to find out, it's advisable to avoid games that you for sure don't like, games that you don't want to truly play, and anything in between those lines; it can and probably will dampen the mood of your stream
Also, if you are talking about just categories to avoid altogether: J-RPGs are not apt for the average viewer since they require too much engagement from the audience to maintain a stable viewership, and most sport games at a base level also underperform because they suffer from the same issue of requiring knowledge of the field to even understand what's going on in the screen

13> What games are the best to play when you are just starting out?
There is a category of so called "comfort-games", and this is used to simply describe all of those games that you can play the best without ever worrying about anything else, the games that you can flow on the easiest, all those games that you know from head to toes and that can allow you to easily talk over
If you have no game that can fall under this category, or feel like those who might do will not perform well enough in your streams, you can always look into Sandboxes and RPGs, some of the most well-known are Minecraft, Terraria, Path of Exile, Diablo...

14> Should online games be avoided, due to the risk factor?
If by risk factor we are referring to the possibility of someone using words prohibited by twitch, then you should assume that they might be indeed a thing to avoid; but luckily, nowadays, all online games possess tools to filter out certain risky words or outright mute everyone in the off-chance that they might bypass the filter

15> How much of a game is too much?
The best answer is a game that has either bored you or your audience

16> Are there any -must play- games?
Certainly a lot, but for twitch general audiences there are some games that always get dedicated viewers to anyone who is doing their first blind play-through, a good example is Outer Wilds

17> Can you play games that don't allign with your main content for collabs?
The real question is why wouldn't you? If you can have a good time with your friends, you should go live! There are few things that make viewers have a good time as it is something like a light-hearted and joyous atmosphere between friends, even if it were to not be with the exact same type of content that you and your colleagues do stuff on; everyone deserves to unwind and relax for a bit sometime, after all

18> is there any alternative to OBS?
There isn't much, or at least equal/better than obs for streaming software; that combined with the extensive documentation created for OBS also makes it the best choice in many ways. But no, there isn't really that much of an alternative
If, after accepting this, you are still willing to give other softwares a chance, then you have things like ShareX (open-source), Xsplit Broadcaster, and many more out there; but the main point still stands to the degree of most "alternatives" just being forks of OBS, like streamlabs -obs- and similar

19> Are there some things I should make sure of before my first stream?
You should try to check if you have VOD saving activated or not! If you don't, please go ahead and turn that on, it will be one of the best ways to ensure that other people can give you feedback on your stream and easily fixable issues even when you are not streaming; if you don't, everyone will have to rely just on the stream itself. Think about the potential viewers!
Also, an easily adjustable thing is for the first stream: Try to make sure that, in OBS, your voice audio level is sitting right in the middle of the yellows. You can use multiple methods to achieve this, but the easiest one is always just to increase gain through advanced audio properties. This at the very least guarantees that you are audible

20> I had been having problems with keeping up my throat healthy when streaming, are there any guides or tips that I can follow?
Yes, we have a lot of information on the topic from a certain /asp/ie who has studied the topic a lot on his free time: https://bsky.app/profile/megino.bsky.social/post/3lank54mfv22w - twitter link - https://x.com/MeginoMagus/status/1894947279179514221 - If you follow this guide, you will have at least a starting point on making sure that your voice remains healthy for as long as you need it to!

21> Which software is recommended as a PNGtuber?
The always recommended one was Veadotube since always, but this software has been abandoned by its own developer and newer iterations of it have come out with improved and simplified ways of integrating stuff in order to allow everyone an easier time when trying to be a PNGtuber (both in terms of pc requirements and a more user-friendly UI), the best option is so far: https://riselown.itch.io/gazo-tuber

22> Who should I try to raid?
Those people who you vibe the most with! Those friends who you haven't raided in a long time! Those unknown streamers who share the very niche category which you are in! Raid and diversify your audience, also raid to help others grow!
If you are looking for a more specific response, you should probably aim to raid those people who you know are safe, and you should try to ensure that you raid out whenever you end stream

23> What is networking? How to network with someone completely new (as in, outside the threads)?
We can define networking as the act of purely socializing and obtaining a bond of trust between you and another person, this for the sake of creating meaningful connections which allow in the world of vtubing what can be called a collaboration, as both sides possess enough trust between each other that they have the possibility of joining and sharing a stream space without interfering or hurting each other nor each other's audiences in a detrimental way, with this said then it can be more clear a further clarification for the sake of this one second question: If you treat all possible connections as potentially beneficial ones for both sides, you can discover quite rapidly that networking with everyone is just to ensure reiterated interactions where you try to vibe as much as you can with the other side, and where all that matters is just trying to maximize enjoyable experiences so that later on said potential collabs can exist!
Now, as a quick note, this doesn't really mean that you need to take this as a game where every interaction needs to be a positive one or anything like that, but we are just trying to explain how to visualize the idea of networking and how to be capable of utilize said concept in a meaningful way in order to not deal with problems later on due to a lack of said activity

24> Is consistency relevant in any way?
Being consistent is, in your beginning, one of the most crucial things to have. As long as you can show up to stream every single time that you said you were going to, more people gains certainty in when and where is it that they can start to find this one stream who they enjoy, building up the habit of being consistent allows you to start with the so-called number grind, as that is the foundational base in which everything else resides, if you can't ensure that you stream at least a certain amount of time every so often, how can you ensure anything else?

25> Why is Zatsuing - Just Chatting such a common thing amongst vtubers? How can I get better at it?
Just chatting has been a predominant category, and not just amongst vtubers, it has been one of the biggest categories in all twitch since it was implemented due to its versatility, it allows for the free expression of yourself and the most sought after thing when it comes to streams: interactability with the streamer itself, zatsuing is a must in many cases as it lets you also go for one of the easiest things possible: story telling, if you can zatsu well enough you can rest asured, because everything else depends on your capacity to tell stories like you do when you just chat.
Now, onto the question of how might you get better, the simplest and quickest way that has been always recommended for those who are trying to ensure at least some amount of zatsu-segments on their streams: write stuff down, if you see an interesting story you appropiate that narrative as if it were yours and learn to retell it, if you see something in the news you write down some details so that you can later on discuss it on stream, if you have a wild experience in your life you note down what happened so that later on you don't need to be subjected to your haphazardous memory but rather you can easily recall what happened; just chatting seems so intimidating for those who are starting on it because you are dealing with all of the pressure of it in the moment, while in reality there are many ways in which you can get accustomed to it before the streams themselves. And, the best tip for those who already apply the already mentioned one: Consistency, practice and dedication to the zatsu grind

26> I have social anxiety, is there a place for me in the vtubing world?
Vtubing is not shy of people with these and many more similar conditions. As long as you can accept that it isn't a terminal problem and shut down from the rest of the people who might have an interest in approaching and befriending you, there should be no problem at all!

27> is my voice good? does my voice fit me?
The reality for most vtubers is that your voice doesn't really matter, and this applies to around 95% of them. As long as you are understandable, your voice will slowly blend with who you are as a vtuber, and your voice will become part of your brand. Even the gap-moe cases serve as a good example of how voices that are utterly different from the model and the idea of the character, can still be associated with time to the person itself and make themselves at home

28> how do I make my voice more appealing? will girls/boys like my voice?
There are certain things that can be done to assist the appeal of your "voice" in a more general level, and these are mostly related with -mannerisms, understandable/intelligible speech, and finally particular quirks- when speaking; these tools existed since a long time and they can assist anyone (mostly the first two, integrating quirks could be dangerous and is mostly just to add a finer flavor to how you normally speak, they don't "make or break" your strength in terms of voice as much). Then, if you are paying attention to how to improve in the basics, you will have an easier time with your further refinements in order to cater to any audience, so you can increase the chances of having a boy/girl like how you sound!

29> Should I stream for longer? Is there any point in going on for so long during just ONE stream?
This one needs a lot of unpacking. It has been noted since years ago that twitch seems to have a sort of hidden algorithm for how they deal with boosting long streams; it has been observed that there are points, to be more precise some specific hours, at which you end up getting a tiny boost in viewership, and these seem to around the 3rd (Third) hour mark, the 5th (Fifth) hour mark, and the 7th (Seventh) hour mark. Most noticeable, also, for those who go far and beyond in the realm of Twelve+ hours of stream at a time, there seem to be other even bigger/more noticeable boosts
With the objective data out of the way, now the real questions come into play: Can you handle streaming for longer and remain invested? Can you, and would you, dedicate that much time to doing it? If you can find it a possibility, it could be a highly useful thing to try, to go for long hours, but it also takes a toll on you that many might not be capable of handling (those who work a job and come home tired, those who live in a tight schedule and can only fit so many hours of streaming in a day, those who live a messy life that would require a lot of prior organization before they can even begin to dream about remaining live for so long, etcetera) so, this is one of the questions that cannot get an easy "yes" or "no" answer in principle... But at least it shows some existent information on the topic!
(Tiny mention also to the fact that, if you have been around for long enough or played your cards well enough, you will ensure raids by staying live for more time)
29.1> - Is it better to stream more time less often, or less time more often?
This one can get a sort of better reply, because it doesn't that much consideration: If you aim to stream for longer, will you have to sacrifice more than three days of regular streaming just to fit one twelve hours stream in your schedule? That might be a bad play; since we are aspiring vtubers, most of us are just starting to build up an audience, so you are trying to capitalize on some boost that could not result to be that useful for you, and you also have to sacrifice a lot of possibilities just to do this one twelve hour stream every so often. And, on the other end, you also have the streaming less time more regularly concept, would you have to do just one hour streams or two hours at most in order to stream every single day of the week? Would you truly enjoy going for such a short time, instead of getting all your juice out in one or two long streams per week?
This is, certainly, not a direct response, but it tries to highlight a clear need for balance in most cases. If you are going to try and opt into longer streams, don't do it while sacrificing your consistency; if you are trying to be as consistent as possible, don't play it easy and just stream half an hour or just one hour every day in order to remain "consistent"

30> How do I know if I am networking correctly?
The easiest way to tell is based purely on how many people who you have talked with show up on stream, even if the goal isn't to create your audience purely on other content creators, it is important to note that most of them also have at least some free time, so they can easily drop by and chat with you; this is the same with outside of stream interactions, you could say that you properly networked with someone if you can DM them at any point in time without it representing an issue for any both sides. But here also comes into play something that most people can realize by just staying in the hobby for long enough: vtubing allows a lot more introversion than many other places, so it also doesn't mean that, just because you haven't talked with someone in X days you already failed to network with them

31> should I try to have a certain amount of collabs?
If your goal is to get any particular number, just aim for one every month if possible. If you think about this question due to worrying about it, just go with what you feel would be nicer: Not everyone needs to actively be on the lookout for every single collab with any new person that they can find, nor it is useful to just become a collab-vtuber who only does that sort of content; if you are worrying about not having enough collabs, it could be a somewhat good sign that you might need to work on that end for now, if you are worrying about it just because one guy in your audience keeps nagging you, it might be in the best of your interests to consider if the things that this person is saying come from a place of real interest on your "career" as a vtuber, or just because they want to see their new clapping monkey perform for them

32> is there any game I can rely on if I don't have particular ones in mind for streaming?
Yes! The best games are those sorts of arcade ones, multiplayer ones, or just story driven ones, you can just go right ahead and explore the catalog of steam until you find anything that suits your specific taste to go live with it! You can also just try some pure zatsuing, it is a much-needed skill for all streamers so you can just default to "today we will try to just talk" and see how it goes; if your chat is lively, you can count on them!
The idea of relying on games is mostly to keep the viewer entertained, you can always count on those games that provide little to no mechanical complexity so that you can do your job of yapping while also making sure that you have some game to actually show (and, as they were mentioned before, there are a handful of categories that seem to be designed exactly for this reason, just something to keep your hands busy while talking)

33> Are there better niches to cover?
If it comes from a point of view of wanting views, certainly there are more populated and potentially more successful niches, but if its about any one niche that is just better to go into, you won't have any luck here, that is something that you have to decide; the best niche is the one that you like the most (and obviously, that you can do on stream without the risk of being banned)

34> Should I try to have multiple niches?
Why are you worrying about it? Is it because you believe that just one niche might not have enough content for you? If the issue is just because you feel like doing one thing might not be enough to give you that something that lets you differentiate yourself from the other vtubers, then aiming at multiple niches won't solve the issue itself of a lack of a good enough selling point, the niches might as well be just gimmicks that don't really have that much depth onto them unless you are willing to go deep onto the topics and things that the niche provides you with
On the other hand, if the question comes because you have multiple things that are actually proficient at, then it might be a good idea to consider adding those multiple things to your repertoire of "things to do while streaming", but if not you are just grabbing too many things without really focusing on anything, even more if they are unrelated; thing that could very well create a rip between the audiences of both niches, leaving you with not that much actual success since you would be locked within two different areas of expertise that will require your attention every so often, while at the same time they both don't overlap in terms of people who tries to consume said content produced in the other niche that you mingle with