Streaming is a way for streamers to build a tightly-knit community, entertain their viewers, and receive donations. Sometimes, it’s done to support, raise awareness for, or fund a cause.
However, streaming for 24 hours can be mentally and physically taxing. Here’s what you should and shouldn’t do before, during, and after your full-day stream.
Streaming for 24 Hours: The Dos
There are several things you should do before starting the stream to ensure its success. Let’s look at them.
#1 Plan Content Ahead
Whether you’re doing it for fun or to raise awareness for a cause, streaming for 24 hours requires extensive planning and preparation.
Focus on preparing a list of activities you’ll do during the stream to keep your viewers entertained. It’d help if you prepared an interesting list if you’re going to play games. It’s difficult to focus on a single game or genre during the entirety of the stream, so a little variation will make your stream less stale.
Other ideas include movie marathons with commentary — prepare an intriguing list of movies. In case you’re streaming a day in your life, remain productive and discuss interesting topics with your viewers. An art 24-hour stream is more fun when you accept your viewers’ suggestions. For a talk show, cover different topics and be open-minded.
Viewers love to be involved. Your stream’s success weighs heavily on your interaction with them. So, make sure they have a say in what you do during your stream.
#2 Create Hype
Streaming for 24 hours without a prior announcement will net you a small number of viewers. That’s why it’s necessary to inform your followers beforehand. They’ll be even more excited to come to watch your stream if they know you’re planning something special, such as a difficult challenge or a vital fundraiser.
We recommend you let them know a few days or a week prior. This way, more of them will be aware of your upcoming stream, and they can also spread the word around to bring even more viewers on board.
Make sure you post an announcement on every social media account, use reminders, and create a countdown.
#3 Notify Your Moderators
Your moderators help you maintain a welcoming and positive attitude during the stream. After all, having a tidy, respectful chat during your stream is key to keeping a stable number of viewers. If your chat is plagued by disrespect and spam, it’ll drive your followers away.
In planning your 24-hour stream, let your moderators know beforehand so that they can plan accordingly and adhere to the schedule you’ll discuss with them. This way, managing and keeping track of the stream won’t affect their busy daily lives.
Here’s a tip: try to diversify your Twitch moderators by hiring some from different time zones to receive support throughout your stream.
#4 Get Enough Sleep
Streaming for 24 hours isn’t easy. Full-day streamers often end up severely fatigued and take prolonged breaks afterward.
So make sure you get enough sleep during the week before your stream. Follow a healthy sleep schedule of at least 7 hours per night, eat well, and exercise regularly to increase your energy levels.
#5 Troubleshoot Your Equipment
Many things can go awry during a 24-hour stream. As such, it’s necessary to troubleshoot all your equipment before you begin execution to avoid problems down the line.
Review your streaming software, game, overlay, and bot settings. Make sure your sound and microphone levels are appropriate and double-check your peripherals’ functionality.
#6 Plan Your Meals
You’ll need to take breaks to eat and re-energize during your stream. Have a good meal before starting, and prepare snacks and meals to consume during your stream. It’s also important to keep several bottles of water nearby.
We recommend that you focus on eating meals with high carbs and proteins. Avoid sugary foods, as they might tire you out quickly. Drinking coffee is also a good idea, but consuming caffeine too soon can wear you down the line, so leave caffeinated drinks until the end.
#7 Take Breaks
This is important! Human bodies aren’t designed to spend an entire day sitting — it can severely impact your health! Make sure you get up every couple of hours to walk and stretch to get your blood flowing. Head to the bathroom, have a snack, or spend a few minutes by your window to get some fresh air.
An appropriate time to take extended breaks is during giveaways or game and movie intermissions.
#8 Engage With Your Audience
While it’s difficult to talk throughout a full-day stream, it’s necessary to chat with your audience to keep them interested and entertained. React to the chat, comment on what they say or what you’re doing, challenge them, etc.
Remember: no one enjoys silent streams!
#9 Thank Your Audience
If your viewers feel appreciated, they’ll keep coming back for more. During the stream, thank those who stuck around, donated, or engaged with you. After your stream ends, thank those who made it possible, including your moderators, viewers, and sponsors.
Celebrating the 24-hour stream is a great way to finish things off. Announce it on social media and declare your achievements. To top it off, on your next stream, thank revisiting viewers and reminisce by including the best moments from the previous 24-hour stream.
Streaming for 24 Hours: The Don’ts
Assuming you follow the dos down to the letter, there are a few things you should avoid doing before and during your 24-hour stream.
#1 Ignore Your Commitments
Consider your daily life and don’t neglect what’s important. If you work in a physically taxing or focus-demanding job, it’s best to schedule your stream in a way that gives you enough time to recover from the potential fatigue.
And if you have other responsibilities beyond streaming, such as a family to take care of, please take care of them first.
#2 Give Up Early
Don’t give up if you notice a dwindling number of viewers. They have different time zones, and you might be streaming outside their time zones’ peak times. By remaining online, you’ll be more visible and attract more viewers later!
#3 Start Streaming Late
We recommend you start streaming soon after you wake up. If you start later in the day, you may end up staying up for more than 30 hours, which will significantly impact your health.
#4 Feel Apprehended
It’s critical to keep your cool whether you can’t continue the stream due to personal reasons or a technical problem.
Your viewers are more than understanding when it comes to full-day streams. They know that they can be taxing and challenging to pull off. They’d prefer you stop than watch you half-asleep and struggling to remain coherent. So explain your reasons, excuse yourself, and try again later.
If a technical problem arises during the stream, remain calm and work on solving it. Explain to your audience that they’ll have to wait for a few moments and put up an appropriate overlay.
#5 Ignore Your Needs
Listen to your body! If you’re struggling to remain up, go to sleep. If you feel hungry, eat. If your limbs begin to ache, get up and walk around to get the blood flowing. Make sure you remain in the best shape possible and put yourself first!
We’re not meant to stay up for 24 hours straight, so don’t neglect your health.
Can I Stream Longer Than 24 Hours?
You can, but we don’t recommend it. People are programmed to have a 24-hour sleep-wake cycle, and staying up longer than that can have countless negative effects on your physical and mental health. You’ll be subjected to fatigue and decreased cognitive functions. Additionally, prolonged sleep deprivation can lead to severe health risks, such as heart disease.
Conclusion
Streaming for 24 hours is possible but demands extensive preparation. For it to be successful, make sure you plan your content, create hype, and prepare physically and mentally for it.
Remember that streaming is meant to be fun and fulfilling, so engage with your audience, have fun, and don’t neglect your needs.
