Are you getting ready to start live streaming and don’t know where to start with your lighting? This blog post will go over the basics of setting up your lights for a successful live stream. We will cover everything from camera positioning to lighting tips that will make your stream look professional. So, whether you’re a beginner or experienced live broadcaster, read on for some helpful tips!

What kind of lighting do you need for streaming?

Lighting has often been called the final frontier of in-stream production. While we all love an elegant desk setup or having colorful backgrounds at events, too many producers, lighting requires a fundamental shift away from what they’re doing to accommodate streaming. Of course, this isn’t true for everyone, and certainly, there are several people out there that already have setups that work, but when it comes down to knowing what you should be lighting, how you should light it, and the setup, you might need to do this, there are some key things to consider.

We can start with what we’re trying to achieve. The lighting goals in your live production are pretty straight forward; establish mood, highlight your physical presence (player or caster) on screen, and fill out dead space. Before we get too deep into it, though, talk about our lights’ sources. First off, I truly believe every streamer needs to have three points of light at his or her desk at all times. A good option for this is standard lamps from Target or other big-box retailers that can give you excellent color temperature bulbs in soft white (3200k-4000k).

You need good lighting. I mean, it’s the key to a successful stream! If you’re streaming in areas with low light conditions, your stream will generally look bad. Also, you want to work with different types of lights that will improve your “gameplay” or face footage in general. That’s why many people use different light setups for their streams. Unfortunately, there are no golden rules for buying lighting equipment so let us show you some examples of popular setups out there.

Where should I place my ring light for streaming?

When it comes to streaming, lighting is key. So naturally, you want to make sure you have good illumination so your viewers can see you properly. But with all the different types of lights available, it can be tough to decide which one is right for you.

There are many different ring light placements, depending on what you’re trying to do. The backlight placement shows most of your face while becoming more subtle in front of you. Ring lights can be angled high or low, with tilt and rotation features included on some models.

Backlighting is very popular for streaming because it does two things: it helps with eye contact by providing a catchlight in your eyes (which is what we usually look at when speaking to someone), and it lifts shadows under your nose, reducing the appearance of any double-chin if you have one. It’s also great for making hair glow! However, placing the ring behind the lens might not be the best idea because it could cause a reflection on your lens or add a lens flare. For maximum potential, the ring light should be roughly 1ft (30cm) away from you.