Short answer
Before you start
- A stream that's set up, even if it isn't perfect yet
- A game or activity you actually want to show
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What to do
- 01
Talk to the person who'll hear you
Nicole Rojas | YouTube | 1:55 ↗It's you, a camera and a viewer count stuck on zero. Rough. Nicole is blunt about it: friends might drop in for 10 or 30 minutes to support you, but at the start you'll usually end up alone with your chat. In her view, the silence at the beginning is part of the process. Her trick is to imagine that people will be listening to your voice at some point, paying attention to what you say even if they never type. She'd never worked on camera herself before she started streaming.
How you'll know it's working: Within the first few minutes you've said hi and explained what you're doing today, even with zero viewers.
- 02
Narrate what you're doing
Nicole Rojas | YouTube | 2:23 ↗If you can't think of anything clever to say, Nicole calls this the easiest tip: say what you're doing. No acting required. She plays a lot of horror, puzzle and riddle games, so she'll say what the puzzle just told her and what she has to look for next. The point is to say out loud the conclusions you'd normally keep in your head. In daily life you think them quietly. On stream, they need to come out.
How you'll know it's working: In any ten minutes of your VOD, you can hear yourself explaining what you're doing and why, with no long silences.
- 03
Add copyright-free background music
Nicole Rojas | YouTube | 3:06 ↗Nicole's second tip is to have music or something playing in the background, as long as it's copyright-free. You'll find the Audio Library in YouTube Studio, in the left-hand menu, and Nicole also mentions Pixabay and no-copyright music channels as places to look. If you use Pixabay, read its license: it lets you use content for free without credit, but warns that some content may carry third-party rights. She's upfront that she isn't sure how much it helps with monetization, because some things get complicated for her. YouTube's help page says Creative Commons tracks from the Audio Library need the artist credited in your description, and YouTube says it can't give legal guidance on music issues that happen off its platform. If you stream on Twitch or Kick, keep a note of where each track came from.
How you'll know it's working: You've got a folder or playlist of tracks with the source and license of each one written down.
- 04
Stream with someone else
Nicole Rojas | YouTube | 3:37 ↗Her third tip is to start with Stream Together, a Discord stream or a co-op game with someone. When you're new and the chat is quiet, feeling like you have to be the center of attention and talk nonstop can be a lot. Nicole says playing with another person loosens you up, relaxes you and helps you find your personality on stream. If you want to use Twitch's feature for this, the Stream Together guide is in the related links.
How you'll know it's working: You've got a stream booked with at least one other person, with a day and time.
- 05
Find a duo in a community
Nicole Rojas | YouTube | 4:13 ↗No one to play with? That's what a community is for: people who are up for playing with you. Nicole's community runs co-op Mondays, which she thinks now happen every two weeks or once a month, and lots of members end up playing together on other days too. Her advice fits in three words: find your duo.
How you'll know it's working: You've posted in a streamer community that you're looking for someone to play with.
- 06
Treat your first streams as practice
Nicole Rojas | YouTube | 4:33 ↗Nicole won't pretend otherwise: your first streams won't be perfect. They'll freeze, some settings won't work, and lately her own internet keeps cutting out, which she can't control. So she asks you to see it as practice and go live anyway, whether or not anyone's in chat. Starting with few people, or just friends who already know you, gives you room to shape your personality.
How you'll know it's working: When you end the stream, you've got a short list of what broke to fix before next time.
- 07
Watch yourself back
Nicole Rojas | YouTube | 5:21 ↗Seeing yourself on stream is, for Nicole, a huge step. A member of her YouTube channel told her that doing his first stream and watching himself helped him a lot. He felt nervous, but from chat she thought he looked completely calm. Yes, it'll feel cringe. Nicole still cringes when she has to watch and edit her own videos, and she admits she talks nonstop. And that's it: little by little the empty chat stops being a problem and becomes your practice room.
How you'll know it's working: You've watched a stretch of your VOD and written down one thing you liked about how you talk.
If something does not work
- I feel like I'm talking to myself and it's embarrassing
- Nicole feels it too. She says it feels like cheating, because there's a camera in front of her instead of people. Picture whoever will hear your voice later and narrate what you're doing. Describing your next move is far easier than inventing a topic.
- My friends join and leave after ten minutes
- That's normal, and Nicole expects it: they come to support you for a while, then you're on your own with chat. Instead of hoping they'll stay, invite someone to play co-op with you or join you through Stream Together.
- My stream froze or my internet dropped
- Nicole's internet has been cutting out lately, and she says it's outside her control. Your first streams will freeze, she says. Write down what broke, fix it calmly before the next stream and keep going. That's exactly what practice streams are for.
- Watching my VOD makes me cringe
- Nicole still cringes watching and editing her own videos. Start with a short stretch and look for one thing you liked. Watching yourself is how you find the way you want to talk on stream.
- I'm not sure the background music is safe
- Nicole mentions YouTube's Audio Library and Pixabay as places to look. Read each site's license: Pixabay lets you use its content for free without credit but warns that some content may carry third-party rights. Credit the artist wherever the platform has a description and the track asks for it. Nicole herself says she isn't sure how it affects monetization, so keep track of where each song came from. For a safety net, the OBS audio tracks guide shows how to keep music out of your VOD.
Before your next stream
- You know which game or activity you'll narrate next stream
- In a test, the background music sits below your voice
- You've messaged someone about playing together this week
- Your last stream's recording or VOD is saved so you can watch it
¿Qué Hacer cuando No Hay Nadie en el Chat? | Te & Preguntas con Nicole Rojas
Watch the full video (in Spanish) ↗Common questions
Is it normal to have zero viewers on my first streams?
Yes. Nicole says it plainly: at least at the start, you'll usually be alone with your chat, and the silence is part of the process. What you control is using that time to practice.
What do I say when nobody's typing?
Talk through what you're doing and thinking: what the game just asked of you, what you'll try next, why you're picking one path over another. It's Nicole's first and easiest tip, because you don't need to come up with a topic.
Where can I find copyright-free music for streams?
Nicole mentions YouTube Studio's Audio Library and Pixabay. In the Audio Library, Creative Commons tracks require crediting the artist in your description. YouTube says it can't give legal guidance on music issues off its platform, so read each site's license and keep a note of where each track came from.
Should I stream with friends when I'm starting out?
Nicole thinks so. Playing with someone takes away the pressure of being the center of attention the whole time, helps you relax and loosens you up. You can do it with Stream Together, over Discord or in a co-op game.
How long will my chat stay empty?
Nobody can tell you, and Nicole doesn't give a number. What she suggests is changing the question: treat it as practice, so when people show up you're relaxed and everything already works. If someone promises you an exact date, be suspicious.
