Why I love Mixer

Mixer!! A FAMER4 perspective

Mixer, a live streaming platform, owned by Microsoft (August 2016), but created by 2 teenagers named Matt Salsamendi and James Boehm, back then it was known as Beam. With a community that is like a massive family. Streaming is a massive industry these days, and it can be very difficult to get started. Here is why I think Mixer is an incredible streaming platform, and if you want to start in the streaming biz, why I would recommend streaming to Mixer.

1. Native Streaming from XBOX

Streaming can be daunting, but if you want a quick start broadcasting your amazing gameplay, then Mixer can help you get started.
It may seem obvious that XBOX would have native streaming support to Mixer, because they are both Microsoft products, but this has proven to be a massive help for me getting started in the streaming industry.

What's fun about streaming on Mixer, is that it will show your chat, time elapsed streaming and viewers currently watching the stream. It gives you the timely information about how long and who is watching your streams at the present moment, and that can help you get an idea of who likes your content.

Chat is a source of interaction on ANY streaming platform, this is the same on Mixer, and having the ability to see chat on the fly, on the screen you're playing on can help you get used to interacting on Mixer. It can show skills (when users use chat currency called Sparks on stream) as well as when someone follows, hosts or sends a message. (HypeBot will announce when someone follows or hosts your channel).

2. Automatic Chat Moderation

Speaking of the chat, what about when you get the trolls (or as I call them, blueberries, based on the profile picture of most trolls) come in, trying to ruin your day, by saying stuff meant to offend, or to basically bring you down? Then there is the "fearless" chat bot that Mixer provides called CATBot. Now CATBot filters out messages that have words that it knows to delete. It should NOT be a replacement to actual moderators, but it can be useful if used correctly.

CATBot is unreliable however, as depending on what mode it is on (Very Low, Low, Medium or High), it will randomly delete messages that appear to be innocent. This is one of the reasons why I say CATBot is not a replacement for actual mods, as it would require moderators to restore messages that CATBot randomly deleted.

** NOTICE ** CATBot will not ban, timeout or report anyone, it can only be used for filtering out messages! Always have actual moderators on hand!

3. Channel One, Channel One Plus, HypeZone and Mixer Matchups

Mixer does a lot to put upcoming streamers, partnered streamers, and regular gamers out there, giving them exposure and potentially cash prizes. This is done in Multiple ways, and I'll go over them all now.

3a. Mixer Matchups

From the Race to E3, to the Microsoft Store Fortnite Championships (US Only, sadly). Mixer Matchups provides a competition scene to Mixer, where as most other e-sports events and organisations use Twitch. FOR EXAMPLE, the Race to E3 was a 3 week, 24-7 non stop tournament in 3 different games (Paladins: Champions of the Realm, Halo 5: Guardians and League of Legends) where streamers could win anything from Embers (Mixers paid stream currency), to an opportunity to compete at the Mixer Dome at E3 2019.

Well, here is a video example of the Microsoft Store Fortnite Championship (courtesy of @WatchMixer on Twitter)

3b. Channel One / Channel One Plus

 Channel One Plus is just like regular channel one (see below) but for partnered streamers streaming 18+ rated, this could be due to games, or for the fact that they are drinking or smoking on stream, which is all ok on 18+ rating. The streams featured on both CH1+ and CH1 earn bonus sparks per minute, that can then be used to spend on partners, which can help them, by increasing the value of Embers in their streams.

Mixer Channel One is a channel that features partnered streamers and their content for 15 minutes at a time (due to there being so many Mixer Partners, CH1 would want to try and feature ALL of them at some point). They used to host Mixer shows like 'This Week in ESports' and 'Tips and Tricks' before starting to feature the partnered streamers for 15 minute intervals. One catch, if you want to be featured on CH1, you would have to be streaming Teen rated, as well as be a partner on the platform.

3c. HypeZone (for Fortnite, PUBG and Apex Legends)

 Fortnite is probably the most popular game in the world (other than Minecraft), so Mixer decided to make HypeZone for Fortnite, which is a channel that features streamers closest to getting the illusive victory royale, providing a boost for the streamers channel, and a bit of moral support, if you can say that, in the chat

 HypeZone PUBG is the same as HypeZone Fortnite, but for PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (A.K.A PUBG). PUBG games are longer, so it can be harder to get featured on the HypeZone, and it doesn't give your channel much of a viewer boost, but it can still be quite worth it, when going for the Winner Winner Chicken Dinner (you'll know it when you see it).

HypeZone Apex Legends!! Drop into Kings Canyon and fight to become the Champions of the Arena. With help and encouragement from HypeZone Apex Legends, nothing can go wrong. Just remember to always ping the Mozambique.

Final Remarks

So there are some of the reasons and pros to streaming on Mixer. I hope you've learned something useful in this post and hopefully you'll want to pop onto https://mixer.com and check out some of the streams!

FAMER4

The Weatherman of Mixer and Mod to the stars!!