Reflecting on the Past, Refocusing on the Future
Since I started streaming on Twitch almost a year and a half ago, I've experimented with various formats and equipment – even a second channel. But I'm finally figuring out the experience I want to create – and in a sense, I'm returning to my roots.
In the Beginning
I started with a single, basic (but decent) Audio-Technica LP60X turntable, a Sony cassette deck that I purchased over a decade ago at a thrift store, and for a short time, a portable CD player until I was able to source the Pioneer CD deck I use now. I purchased a small but capable mixer and a reliable mic and, for a good while, that's the gear I used starting out as a DJ streamer (a year before DJ streams were officially a thing).
I played full albums from my small collection of a couple hundred CDs and a handful of vinyl records and cassette tapes.
Learning and Growing
Since then – with the generous help of many viewers – I've been able to obtain and try a couple different DJ mixers, 3 DJ turntables, 2 DJ CD players, and have grown the music collection to over 1100 titles.
Over the course of many months I experimented with radio-style DJ streams, mixing tracks from different albums and singles on vinyl and compact disc. And while I did enjoy trying the format and putting together DJ sets, I eventually decided that I don't want to be a DJ in the traditional sense. I most enjoyed the more casual, long-form full-album streams I started with.
When the Twitch DJ Program rolled out last year (2023), we learned that the program terms prohibited playing full-albums from a single artist, and no more than 30 minutes of music from a single artist per stream. So I started playing album sides/haves (unless it's a compilation or soundtrack featuring various artists).
While there are occasions where I would very much like to listen to a full album – especially if it is newly acquired and I'm listening to it for the first time – switching to playing album sides/halves has been a net positive. It's a good balance between keeping things fresh over the course of a 4+ hour stream while still allowing us to explore deep cuts and really get to know the artists' work.
Full Circle
After everything I've tried, the casual, long-form listening experience is the core experience I keep coming back to, and the one I want to work on improving over the coming year. And so, I'm experimenting with a new vibe for the stream – refining and polishing the experience I originally set out to create.
I often say on my stream that I'm trying to preserve and share the experience of listening to records with friends. I want to really focus on presenting the stream in a way that makes the viewer feel like they are in the room with me. Like they're sitting on the couch and we're listening to music and chatting – connecting with each other through a shared musical experience. So you'll notice some different camera angles and simplified scenes in future streams.
Physical Authenticity
I also want it to be as authentic an experience as possible. When it comes to gear, the vast majority of people who listen to vinyl records have only one turntable, so I'm returning to a single-turntable format, using the Audio-Technica AT-LP120X turntable I bought towards the end of last year. I hope to eventually upgrade to an even better quality turntable, but this one will be more than sufficient for a good while.
I hope to sell the trusty AT-LP60X turntable I started out with and put that money towards a Humminguru ultrasonic record cleaner, which is now my top priority gear-wise. The Sony cassette and Pioneer CD decks will, of course, continue to play their respective formats for the enjoyment of all.
Visual Authenticity
When it comes to visual authenticity, I'm trying to keep things as simple as possible. I've tinkered with custom stream overlays, emote walls, scrolling album info, videos, and many other things that are commonplace across Twitch. But if you were visiting me in-person and we were listening to music together it would just be you, me, and the music.
So going forward, there there will be no more overlays, no more videos. You'll see brief on-screen alert messages when someone follows, subscribes, etc. and a few other visual items as needed like the Genre Wheel (which I may actually convert into a real-life physical wheel that I physically spin!), but visually, the stream will otherwise be as uncluttered and non-distracting as possible.
If I may be candid, I find a lot of streams on Twitch to be almost unwatchable due to sensory overload. They are cluttered with visual effects, text, videos, text, animations, etc. layered on top of each other – so much that it's difficult to make sense of what's going on and can actually make me feel disoriented and anxious. By contrast, I have always tried to take a minimalistic visual approach to my stream, and I'm taking that even further. Now it's the most basic and simple it's ever been. And I think I like it that way!
Personal Authenticity
From the beginning, I've tried to be my authentic self on-stream. Taking a page out of Fred Rogers' book, if you ran into me in a public venue, I'd want you to come away from our encounter knowing that I'm the same person in real life that you see and interact with on the stream. I will continue to work hard at this and make sure I'm not portraying a fictionalized version of myself or anyone else. There's too much fakeness out there. People need authentic – and kind – human interaction. You can tune into my stream and feel like you're hanging out with a good neighbor. Even a friend.
If you've read this far, thank you for coming to my TED Talk (haha). I hope you enjoy the changes and renewed focus of the stream. Let me know what you think. I always appreciate sincere feedback.