Video vs audio: which should you prioritize in your streaming set up?

webcam vs microphone
(Image credit: Future)

If you're thinking about picking up some ę¾³ę“²å¹øčæ5开儖号ē åŽ†å²ęŸ„čÆ¢:streaming gear on a šŸŒžbudget but you're not sure whether to prioritize your audio quality or video quality then fear not, we've summarised some benefits of investing šŸ»more in each so you can decide what's best for you. 

You might not be able to afford to pick up the ę¾³ę“²å¹øčæ5开儖号ē åŽ†å²ęŸ„čÆ¢:best webcam and the ę¾³ę“²å¹øčæ5开儖号ē åŽ†å²ęŸ„čÆ¢:best microphone meaning you may have to opt for a moą¼’re budget stand-in for one or the other, but which do you sacrifice? It's all down to what type of ā€streams you're hoping to do and what you consider more important. 

Why should you invest in a better webcam for streaming?

When live streaming it can make you feel much more connected with your audience if they can see your face clearly rather than jušŸ·st hear a voice and see a pixelated figure. This is both because you become recognizable from just your face, making itšŸŒœ a part of your brand, and also because your viewers will be able to see your facial expressions more clearly when you speak. 

This also means that your streams could come across as more entertaining with a bettešŸ¦¹r-quality webcam. This is because people can see your reactions morź¦‡e clearly, being the case for particularly expressive streamers. If you're someone who angers quickly or pulls faces then having a high quality video feed can help convey your personality to your viewers. 

Another thing to consider when deciding between a better qualityź¦” webcam or microphone is what type of streams you intend to do. If you're planning to do 'just chatting' streams, where you just speak to your viewers with no gameplay, then having a better webcam might be more important to you. This is because your video feed will likely be front and centrš“°e of your stream. 

It's also worth noting that if you already have one of the ę¾³ę“²å¹øčæ5开儖号ē åŽ†å²ęŸ„čÆ¢:best gaming headsets then you likely already have a good-quality microphone withoutšŸ„‚ even realizing it, meaning you don't need to splash out on a new one. Be sure to test the quality of your headset mic and see if it interferes with the audio output as this is sometimes the case with 2-in-1 headsets.

You can take a loošŸ”Æk below at out top picks for dedicated streaming webcams.