Green screens are great but can be difficult to set up and can take up a ton of space in any room. Set up a beautiful Twitch webcam background scene to keep your space functional and look as good or better than any green screen setup.
Here are some ideas taken from real Twitch streamers and YouTubers to inspire your own custom streaming background.
*I’ve included affiliate links to some Amazon products that can help achieve some of the effects in my examples. Purchases from these links help support the blog, so I thank you in advance if you make any along the way!*
Lighting Elements
A quick scan of the Twitch “browse” page shows that LED lighting is king right now. Gone are the days of hanging out in your white-lit bedroom with whatever is behind you. (Okay, that still happens, but I see way more purple and blue than anything else.)
If you’re not using a green screen, LED lighting is a pretty fast and relatively inexpensive way to make any room look like a studio setup.
Many LED light strips come with adhesive already attached so that you can customize anything. Stick them on the inside of a bookshelf to turn it into a showcase. Line the back of a monitor for a backlit glow. Or, like NickiTaylor above, line the floors to create some dramatic angles and add light to the whole room.
Recommendation: Govee 32.8FT LED LED Light Strip
Another popular addition is Nanoleaf panels or Nanoleaf lights. These individual light panels can be linked together and controlled by smartphone to accomplish any number of patterns, colors, and effects.
They’ve even expanded now to include square “pixel” panels to create larger displays.
Recommendation: Nanoleaf Canvas Starter Kit or Nanoleaf Rhythm Edition Smarter
These aren’t the only options either. Drop a color-changing smart bulb in a lamp for a simple, colorful spotlight. You can add string lights or fairy lights to walls or around decor to add interest. Or, invest in some lighted accessories like headphones or a keyboard that can be around you while you stream.
Memorabilia
We’re all gamers and geeks here. Even if you don’t have a sprawling collection of Funko figures (and especially if you do), your memorabilia collection makes a visually interesting background for a stream.
Invest in a simple bookshelf or display case and add things like plushies, figures, toys, costume accessories, props, or art. Anything you love that shows off your passions and fandoms is great.
Recommendation: SONGMICS 9-Cube Modular Storage
In Ninja614’s example above, you can see both personal and game-related memorabilia behind him and to his side. It tells your viewers a TON about your personality and style before they even start to watch you play.
No memorabilia to speak of? Acquiring enough new items to flesh out a full display may not be the most cost-effective way to build your webcam background. Keep an eye out at cons, thrift shops, and garage sales for things that match your aesthetic and add flair to your stream room.
Posters and Art
If you’re a big con-goer, you probably have a ton of art and posters either already on walls. Worse, they could be collecting dust in a closet or desk somewhere. Consider creating a gallery wall within view of your camera.
Whether framed or unframed, the collage effect is an explosion of visual interest. The effect works even when your video is shrunk down to its usual picture-in-picture size.
You don’t need a whole wall for it to make a difference either. Even a small composition of your favorite pieces can fill some whitespace around the main feature–you.
PCs, Monitors and Other Electronics
You don’t always need a ton of lighting and collectibles to make a visually appealing Twitch webcam background scene. With his own equipment, a close angle, and a wall-mounting kit, stoopzz_TV creates a great scene just using PC components. And a couple of plants.
The great thing about monitors is that they are simple and infinitely customizable. No configuration needed, no extra wiring or apps. Just put something up on the screen and reap the benefits of the visuals and lighting.
In this example, the large monitor in the background gives off a beautiful blue glow that matches the PC fans’ blue. It pulls the viewer’s eye into the center of the composition — him.
If you have a spare monitor or small television, mount it to the wall opposite your webcam and use it to show color-coordinated images for your scene, art you love, or even promotional material for sponsors or your own channels.
Recommendation: Pipishell Monitor Wall Mount Bracket (13-42 inches)
The possibilities are literally endless.
Collections
Whether you have a killer retro game collection like ProJared, an impressive manga library, or that Funko Pop collection we talked about earlier: They make a great webcam background.
This is another example where an inexpensive bookshelf and your own collection are enough to get your Twitch background going.
Recommendation: Atlantic Elite Media Storage Cabinet
I’m personally a big fan of “facing out” books and games if space allows so that covers and labels are visible. Even if they aren’t legible at your video’s size, the colors and images make for a cleaner presentation than book and game spines.
Smaller collection? Use it in conjunction with some of the other ideas on this list to put together a nice layered background.
Merch and Promotional Material
If you’re at the point where you have sponsors, products, or merch, use your background as a marketing tool. For example, Jeel_TV has Displate as a sponsor, a company that sells wall art printed on metal plates.
Like the gallery wall concept above, she uses a collection of Displate prints to show off how great they look in real life. She can reference her background and encourage her viewers to purchase their own Displate prints. In turn, it grows her revenue by generating referrals.
Not all sponsors are visual like this, but you can also get creative. Show off logo-laden merch, themed items, or other symbolic ways to represent your partnerships.
Chessbrah has his own line of apparel and uses a few sample pieces along with the previously mentioned lighting elements to show off what’s available. As a chess streamer, he creates layers and angles with modern shelving and a collection of chess pieces for visual appeal.
Having these on display prompts questions of “Where can I get that hoodie?” to which he can respond by directing to his store, Patreon, or however he gets out his merch.
A Little of Everything
Where would this article be if we didn’t suggest the “all of the above” option? SuperDerek has one of the most incredible setups I’ve ever seen. It’s more over-the-top than any normal person would ever create or want to, but the principles go a long way!
His strongest element? Theme. He uses his lighting, props, memorabilia, and a game collection to create a cohesive “RPG Themed” room with plenty of layers and interesting angles.
He even recently posted a video all about the full setup, which, again, is mind-blowing. But check it out below and see if there are any fun tips and tricks you can adopt for your own setup.
I also love the simplicity of MsAshRock’s bedroom setup. Let’s be real. Sometimes you’re not going to have a large dedicated space to implement elaborate webcam background ideas.
Sometimes, you have to stream in your bedroom. But that doesn’t mean you can’t create a cool scene! MsAshRocks capitalizes on some simple lighting elements like warm string lights and a small Nanoleaf feature. She shows off her memorabilia with a Funko Pop collection shelf and a small assortment of game/stream-related pillows. Then, last but not least, fan art on the walls brings together the whole vibe.
See? With a few simple additions to any room, you can upgrade your Twitch webcam background with no studio setup or green screen required. You may even have some easy ones laying around already!
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