The Ultimate Guide to Kick Streaming: How to Get Started

Online streaming is big business. According to statistics by Vantage Market Research, the global live-streaming market is expected to grow from USD 1219.19 million in 2022 to USD 6555.32 million in 2030, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 23.40% over the forecast period.  

Livestreaming allows content creators to showcase their talents and possibly earn hefty revenues in return. It’s also one of the most realistic ways to engage with your online audience.  

But as you might expect, live streaming success depends on several factors. One such aspect is the website you’re streaming from.  

Kick has emerged as a favorite platform for aspiring streamers. The website is especially popular among creators who are averse to the stringent content moderation policies imposed by other leading streaming sites, such as Twitch and Facebook Live.  

Read below for a beginner’s guide to Kick-streaming. 

What Is Kick? 

Kick.com, more popularly known as Kick, is a livestreaming website founded in 2022. Kick Streaming Pty Ltd runs the service. Ed Craven and Bijan Tehrani, Stake.com co-founders, back it.  

Kick was established primarily to rival Amazon-owned Twitch, which still maintains a dominant share of the global live-streaming market. However, while it pales in comparison to Twitch, Kick has racked up a significant following in the recent past due to its favorable content moderation policies and attractive revenue-sharing model. The website made the headlines in 2023 after it notably poached prominent Twitch streamers, including Hikaru Nakamura, Adin Rose, Nickmercs, xQc, Amouranth, and Ice Poseidon.  

Kick also boasts a user-friendly interface. According to multiple reviews, Kick streaming requires minimal set-up, as the platform’s dashboard maintains all useful functions within reach.  

So, while Kick alternatives abound, there’s more than enough reason to consider this website as your number-one streaming platform.   

How to Stream On Kick 

1. Open a Kick Account 

It’s a no-brainer that you require a Kick account to broadcast on the platform. Fortunately, setting up a profile with the streaming website is a breeze.  

Simply head to https://kick.com/ and click on the green “Sign Up” button at the page's top-right corner. You'll then need to provide your email address, birthdate, and preferred username.  

Choose and confirm your password before hitting "Sign Up." Complete the sign-up process by verifying your email address. 

2. Prepare Your Content 

Kick is fundamentally a content creation website. So, you need proper content before you can go live on the platform.  

Videogames are the most popular genre on Kick. The website lets you stream different types of video games, including massively multiplayer online (MMO) games and esports events.  

Movies and music are other in-demand categories you may stream on Kick. And like most live streaming platforms, you can also broadcast everyday topics like gardening and cooking.  

However, choosing a popular live-streaming genre is only half the work. The other half entails creating high-quality content that captivates your audience.  

The surest way to determine if your broadcasts are achieving the desired results is to examine the level of audience engagement. You can analyze engagement by checking the number of views, comments, feedback, and click-throughs.  

It’s also worth noting that while Kick maintains lenient content moderation policies, certain topics are entirely prohibited. Avoid nudity and pornography, as well as content that glorifies terrorism, harassment, and narcotics. 

3. Assemble the Necessary Hardware 

You need a computer or smartphone to stream on Kick. You can choose either option depending on certain considerations.  

Laptops and desktops guarantee better-streaming quality (provided a stable internet connection). These devices also let you store high volumes of data, which can be particularly useful for pre-recorded broadcasts.  

On the other hand, smartphones are more desirable for on-the-go streamers. Mobile devices are especially suitable for streaming everyday events, such as road trips and outdoor festivals, where bringing a PC may be somewhat cumbersome.  

But whichever option you prefer, ensure it comes with the recommended CPU core count and clock speed. Insist on a minimum of 12-core Intel or AMD CPU. Your PC or smartphone should also have at least 32GB of RAM and GeForce RTX graphics.  

4. Check Your Internet Strength 

The worst nightmare for many Kick streamers is dealing with spotty Wi-Fi when they’re already live. That underscores the importance of double-checking your internet connection before launching your streams.  

More importantly, note that the quality of Kick broadcasts depends on the frame rates. The website supports streaming at 30 and 60 frame rates per second (fps).  

Kick also imposes a maximum bitrate of 8,000 Kbps. You can maintain the bitrate between 1,000 and 8,000 Kbps, depending on your streaming frame rate, audiovisual quality, and network strength.  

Even if your internet has delivered in the past, the conventional wisdom is to always test it before each live-streaming session. 

5. Find Reliable Streaming Software 

 Kick supports all major streaming software. Noteworthy mentions include XSplit, StreamsLab Desktop, and Open Broadcaster Software (OBS).  

However, not all streaming programs are made equal. So, proper research is necessary when picking a suitable application for you.  

User-friendliness is a top consideration when scouting for the right Kick streaming software. Prioritize web-based apps that you can readily deploy without downloading or installing.  

You may also want to pick a program that supports multi-stream capabilities. With such apps, you can broadcast to several websites simultaneously, giving your content higher visibility.  

Last but not least, choose streaming software that supports broadcast scheduling. That’s because there may be instances when you prefer to record your videos beforehand for later streaming. 

6. Go Live 

The process of going live on Kick ultimately depends on the selected software. But in most cases, the procedure would typically unfold as follows: 

1. Log into your Kick account.  
2. Locate the menu tab and click "Settings," followed by "Stream Key."  
3. In a separate dashboard, sign in to your selected third-party streaming software.  
4. Open the "Settings" menu in the streaming application, then locate the “Server URL” and “Stream Key” fields.  

You can locate both fields from the "File" menu using the OBS software.  

1. Copy the "Server" URL and “Stream Key” from your Kick dashboard and paste them on the relevant fields in the streaming application.  
2. Click "Apply" or an equivalent command to sync Kick with your broadcast software.  
3. Make the necessary edits and click your streaming software's "Start Streaming" button to go live. 

Summary 

Kick has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the global online streaming industry. The website’s main attraction is its permissive terms and conditions. It’s also remarkably user-friendly. Whether you’re an aspiring streamer or established creator, there’s more than enough reason to make Kick your top livestreaming website.