Starting soon screens are a helpful way to bring your stream together in preparation for your next big stream. Acting as a pre-stream waiting room, these screens usually have a countdown so your viewers know when you’ll start your stream.
You should use a starting soon screen if you have a dedicated community that understands your streaming schedule. As you aren’t technically streaming when you go live with one, you may turn new viewers away, as they will be less likely to hang around.
Starting soon screens don’t necessarily work for every audience, but they’re another option in the streaming toolkit to use if you need a little extra time before appearing on the screen.
Let’s jump into learning more about them and how to make one.
P.S. If you’re about to go live and need a summary of this post asap, check out the FAQ at the end.
Why Do Streamers Have Starting Soon Screens?
Starting soon screens indicate that your stream is about to begin rather than being in full swing. Streamers won’t be on camera or engaging with their audience during this period. Instead, they’ll use this time to sort out pre-stream activities, such as posting their going-live notification to other platforms like Twitter, Instagram and Discord.
If you consider your stream more of a production than a regular stream, then starting soon screens are an excellent way to create that starting point to help you immediately get into the main entertainment once everyone is prepped and waiting.
For example, if you’re running a charity event, challenge or unique stream, a starting soon screen can act as the waiting room for the event, allowing you to immediately begin without waiting for viewers to hurry to tune in.
How Should You Use a Starting Soon Screen?
Starting soon screens divide the streaming community a fair bit; some people love them, some hate them.
The dispute surrounding them comes from the “importance” of using one.
Some streamers enjoy having a few extra moments to attract their viewers while being able to tie up loose ends with their pre-stream responsibilities. Conversely, other streamers feel it’s a waste of time and that ‘good’ streamers should have everything ready to go when they prepare to stream.
In reality, a starting soon screen won’t break your stream or ruin your growth, regardless of whether you use it on Twitch, YouTube etc.
Using them correctly, however, is essential. The idea of ‘starting soon’ implies that viewers are waiting for you to be live; however, if you set these screens active at the start of your already established streaming schedule, you may be doing viewers a disservice.
Starting soon screens, therefore, should be used a few moments before your actual scheduled streaming time, not during.
Your schedule may need altering if you stream between 16:00 – 19:00, but your starting soon screen runs till 16:10. Instead, it should be running from 15:55 – 16:00, allowing viewers to enter the stream and wait for when they know your stream starts.
These screens should be considered a pre-stream asset rather than something that gives you more time to fire out going-live messages or check your equipment.
Should You Use a Starting Soon Screen?
Many new streamers can fixate on the idea of a starting soon screen; as they see top streamers use one and may come to believe that their presence is necessary.
In short, if you’re looking for a quick-fire answer:
Yes: you should use one if you can provide value with the starting soon screen or if your streams are events. Similarly, it is an effective pre-stream hype tool if you have a dedicated viewer community that engages with one another before you start.
No: You shouldn’t use a screen if you’re not prepared to add value to it. A basic graphic won’t help you attract new viewers, nor entertain your current ones.
That said, use one if you want to use one. Remember that streaming is about finding what you enjoy and setting your space up how you like it.
There is no right or wrong when it comes to starting soon screens.
The truth is, many viewers may never see your starting soon screen. If they aren’t able to catch the beginning of your stream or aren’t fully aware of your schedule, then it won’t be positive or negative for them.
The below poll published to Reddit a few years ago shows that many people wouldn’t leave a small streamer’s stream if they had a starting soon screen set up. With a decent sample size – 153 votes overall – this is a helpful indicator of what Twitch viewers, for example, think.
In reality, however, when your stream is small, viewers likely aren’t pouring in by the dozen to wait for your stream to go live. With that being the case, is a starting soon screen even worthwhile, to begin with?
To answer that, consider the following points:
- Are my streams ‘events’, and does my audience needs to see it from the start to gain the whole experience?
- Can I prepare for my stream ahead of going live?
- Do I have a small, dedicated viewership that will interact with each other before I appear on screen?
- Can I make my starting soon screens more interesting?
While these questions may seem simple, they can profoundly affect how you see starting soon screens. With any on-stream assets, it’s crucial to consider their application from a viewer standpoint, not a streamer standpoint.
Analysing whether additional graphics, sounds or cutaways create a positive or negative viewing experience will help you retain users for longer. For example, the above starting soon screen was one that I used for a short while.
At the time, I had a few regular viewers that didn’t mind waiting. However, I asked myself the above questions and realised it wasn’t providing any value at all.
That said, if I had added a reel of stream clips that engages viewers, it would have made for an entertaining prelude of what to expect from the stream.
Creating value with your starting soon screen can be an excellent way to capture new viewers and help them decide whether they should wait for your stream to start. Edited stream clips, for example, give them a slice of what to expect and help to showcase your personality and streaming atmosphere without you being present.
How Long Should a Starting Soon Screen Be?
Duration is a critical component of a starting soon screen. Too long, and you run the risk of pushing viewers away to a channel that is actually live, and it becomes useless if it’s too short.
A few minutes is the best time frame in my experience.
At most, five minutes, and ensure you have a timer on screen so viewers know when to expect you. Any longer than five minutes, and it quickly comes into question why you started with the screen at that time in the first place.
Remember that the purpose of the starting soon screen is to gather an audience and to entertain those that may stumble upon your stream, not to wrap up any outstanding streaming tasks quickly.
Thus, short and sweet works best.
Now let’s say you want to start using one; what should you put on it?
What Should You Include on Your Starting Soon Screen?
Starting soon screen best practices require us to focus on new viewer perception – what will they think of our stream, and what do they need to know before the stream starts?
While creating a starting soon screen is helpful for your current viewer base to get seated and prepared, they will likely have tuned into the stream regardless of whether you had a starting soon screen.
New viewers, however, won’t know who you are, what you do, your personality or whether or not they should even wait until you start. Thus, it makes significantly more sense to tailor your starting soon screen to them if you’re going to use one.
It’s helpful to provide a new viewer with the following:
- Your social media handles
- Your streaming schedule
- Information about your stream
- Value
Social media handles: These do wonders for conversions. Viewers will be waiting for you to start, so in the meantime can check out your social channels to get a glimpse into who you are. Ensure you link to channels with content that accurately reflect your values and interests.
Streaming schedule: An essential element for viewers to understand – are you someone they can watch consistently? Be sure to add time-zone’s so viewers across the globe can better know when you are live for them.
Information about your stream: Having a small snippet of information that describes your stream, what you do, or your goals can be impactful for new viewers. While they may be able to discern this information through your panels – assuming you have them set up to provide such information – having it presented on screen helps take away the responsibility from them.
Value: Whether edited clips, on-stream games that viewers can play while they wait or something else, value is the most important element here. A starting soon screen only serves a purpose to new viewers with this.
Consider also adding any elements you believe will provide an entertaining wait time for your viewers. Music representing your tastes can also create an enjoyable waiting atmosphere – avoid elevator music, please!
How to Create a Starting Soon Screen for Free.
If, like me, you have as much creativity as a bowl of oats and aren’t adept at Photoshop, you may be punching the air believing you’ll need to pay a designer for your screen.
While that’s a possibility and something I can vouch for, it should only be the go-to option if you earn from your stream.
Fortunately, creating a simple starting soon screen for free is unbelievably easy…
Like, seriously.
For this, I’ll be using Canva. Other tools are available, but I’ve found Canva to be the most straightforward. I’ll show you the simplest method of ‘creating’ a starting soon screen, but if you want something more extravagant, be sure to check YouTube for more extensive tutorials on how to spice this up.
Note: you will need a free Canva account to do this.
Step 1: Head over to Canva’s Twitch Screen Templates.
Step 2: Select your favourite pre-built template. Look for a layout that suits the vibe of your stream, but don’t worry if the colours need to be corrected, as we can do that in the next step.
Step 3: Alter the colours, text and additional elements on the screen to make it your own.
Step 4: Download your screen by clicking ‘share’ at the top right, then download. Make sure to download as a PNG for the best quality or as an MP4 should you have added any animated elements.
Once downloaded, add the screen as an image in your streaming software of choice.
If you haven’t used Canva before, it’s super simple. When you select an element – such as text – the editor will change to present options to customise it. Clicking the colour swatches on the top bar will allow you to alter the colour of any element.
Similarly, you can drag and drop any of their assets from the ‘elements’ tab to create a starting soon screen that is more bespoke to you.
Finally, leave space if you plan on adding clips or videos to your screens. You don’t necessarily have to add a custom area for this, although you can if you want; just a space where you can overlay a video file for your clips without cutting off any important information.
If Canva isn’t your thing, you can try Kapwing, or Adobe Express, as they appear to offer similar functionality and free options – although I haven’t used these before, so have a deeper look at them before you try.
Where Can You Buy a Starting Soon Screen?
Let’s say you’ve started earning from streaming and want to spend some of that on improving your quality, or you have some disposable income and want something more bespoke.
There are a few great options if you want to snag something that looks and functions great without doing it yourself.
Owned.tv
Not sponsored, but I used some Owned.tv elements for my starting soon screen, as it added an animated component that I was looking for. Their catalogue includes far more than starting soon screens, so you might find other streaming assets in a bundle for pretty cheap.
You may need Photoshop experience to alter some of their assets, though, as they come pre-packaged.
Fiverr.
Fiverr gets a bad wrap, but if you spend some time sourcing a good freelancer, you’re in for a treat. I’ve used Fiverr many times, from logos to illustrations, and I’ve had a good experience.
My Biggest tip for Fiverr is to provide as much information as possible and a set of reference images where possible. Never leave the designer to guess what you want.
Social Media
I wanted to label this section ‘Twitter’ but wanted to avoid triggering you if, like me, you’ve experienced a landslide of Twitch designer bots spamming your inbox like you’re the last streamer on earth.
When I suggest social media, I specifically mean everything but those accounts.
My Twitch panels, emotes, and badges were all designed by a talented designer I encountered via Twitter. However, I reached out to them after doing some designer account snooping. Similarly to Fiverr, to find talent on social media, you need to be the one that looks for them.
It’s rare a genuinely talented and sought-after designer will be spamming the inbox of random streamers.
Look for ones that have unique references on their feed – i.e. not ‘that’ template that you see all the bot accounts posting. Similarly, when they post examples of their work, check the comments to see if the streamer they did the job for is responding to the post.
That’s an excellent way to tell whether the ‘streamer’ they did the work for is made up for a reference.
Finally, even better if they have an independent website with a portfolio! That’s a good way to know that they value their craft and are serious about attracting new viewers – if they have a waiting list, then you can rest easy knowing they’re legit.
Implementing Your Starting Soon Screen Effectively.
Adding any new screen, media, transition, or other element comes at a cost, whether viewer retention, production quality or something new added to your ever-growing list of things to do as a streamer.
Thus, identifying whether a starting soon screen is a good fit for your stream is necessary to ensure you don’t dilute your content or make it more challenging for new streamers to engage with your stream.
The best part about starting soon screens is that they are easy to implement and remove, so you can test one for a while and see any positive or negative drop-off.
Similarly, consider how it impacts you as a streamer. I removed my starting soon screen as the build-up to getting on cam made me more anxious. If that’s the case for you, it’s worth removing.
If this has been helpful, you may also find my post on how important streaming schedules are equally impactful, as they’re often the starting component of any stream.
FAQ
Should I Use a Starting Soon Screen for My Twitch Streams?
You should use a starting soon screen if you have regular viewers that are excited to wait for your stream. You can also use them to add value to new users by adding streaming clips and vods to your screen. If, however, you are only using them to give yourself more time to send out social go-live messages, then they may not be purposeful.
Why Do Streamers Use a Starting Soon Screen?
Streamers use starting soon screens to allow time for their regular viewers to enter the stream. This allows them to start their stream immediately at their schedule with an active community already engaged.
What Should I Include on My Starting Soon Screen?
Consider including your social media handles, streaming schedule with time zones and edited clips of your stream.
How Can I Create a Starting Soon Screen for Free?
You can use tools like Canva, Kapwing, and adobe express to create a free starting soon screen. Similarly, if you have Photoshop experience, you can use that to create a custom starting soon screen with a little more time investment.
Where Can I Get Custom Starting Soon Screens?
You can buy custom starting soon screens from sites like Owned.tv or hire a freelancer from Fiverr to create one for you. Similarly, you can engage with designers on social media to create a bespoke starting soon screen.
Will Adding a Starting Soon Screen Impact My Streaming Growth?
It is unlikely that adding a starting soon screen will negatively impact your growth. Ensure that if you do use a starting soon screen, that you enable it prior to your scheduled start time, not after. You may lose viewers if your screen is overstaying its welcome.
How Long Should My Starting Soon Screen Last?
A few minutes is best, as this allows regular viewers to enter your stream and wait, while also being enough to capture the attention of new viewers. Any long and these viewers may opt to go to a stream that is actually live.
