How long does the lifespan of a personal broadcaster, aka streamer, last?
Just like in the arts, it varies from person to person.
Some manage to live long and thriving, while others make a name for themselves but only last three months before hanging up their mics. Some go on for years, and some just a day, and the list goes on.
With so many broadcasters and various situations, it’s impossible to pin down an exact average.
But generally, the consensus is that their lifespans aren’t very long. If you look around the industry, there aren’t that many broadcasters who last a decade or even twenty years.
After all, the history of internet broadcasting isn’t that long. Has it been nearly 20 years since it began? Even if you started from the early days, it barely exceeds a decade.
Since then, there aren’t a lot of people still broadcasting today.
The reasons are manifold. Some don’t achieve the success they hoped for despite investing time; others get embroiled in controversies and find it impossible to recover; or maybe they’ve already made enough money to live on and just get tired of broadcasting.
That’s why the lifespan of a broadcaster isn’t exactly lengthy.
There are dozens who ambitiously start only to face setbacks; hundreds who establish themselves only to collapse and disappear in an instant; and many who just vanish into thin air.
Even if a broadcaster is doing fine, no matter how successful they are, they can disappear in a split second. This is why those who last long and continue broadcasting without much drama deserve respect.
One of the broadcasters who’s been at it for over ten years is a Taker, who, no matter how much hate he gets, is considered the GOAT of the internet broadcasting world.
“Now do you understand how amazing I am? Do you?”
[Uh, yeah….]
[What’s with the sudden self-promotion? lol]
[I just got here; what’s with this talk?]
[Someone asked how to last long in broadcasting.]
[Seriously feels like a grandpa with dementia bragging about his youth; kinda cringy lol.]
[Recorder on]
[I’ve already heard this over ten times; is it just me?]
[You must respect me. I’m a veteran broadcaster with 2.2 million subscribers and have been doing this for ten years.]
[Honestly, broadcasting for over ten years is respectable lol.]
[No controversies? That’s rare; stuff like that usually comes up in broadcasting.]
[There was a recent controversy, though.]
[Taker/Controversies and Incidents/Fear Experience Kayak Fainting]
[It was half an accident, and the parties involved worked it out, so it’s not really a controversy lol.]
“The lions figured it all out, so no controversy there, haha.”
“Seriously, saying Kayak gets along with everyone is such forced drama, it’s hilarious, lol.”
“Giving Kayak a housewarming gift worth 2 million won is the real controversy.”
“As expected, bribery is Taker’s specialty, haha.”
“Anyway, to sum it up, you need to keep grinding, be careful with your words to avoid drama, and while doing that, always look for fun things to keep from falling into a rut. The beginning of broadcasting is always fresh and exciting, but once you get used to it, it gets boring, you know? Well, isn’t that true for anything…?”
Taker explained the secrets behind long-lived broadcasts, including his methods and history.
Here’s what the viewers thought about it:
“Isn’t he just saying to do well on your own?”
“Summary: Just do it well!”
“I studied mainly from textbooks and slept well for over 8 hours.”
“Honestly, all those successful people sound pretty similar.”
“Sounds like he really did put in the effort.”
“But Taker never had a Hako phase.”
“True, he spoke so smoothly, but I also think I was lucky. Everyone has different situations, and what works for one might not work for another. I shared what I’ve realized, but I wonder if it helped.”
[Hikkman donated 50,000 won!]
“Thank you! You helped solve some of my worries!”
“I’m glad to hear it was helpful.”
During this warm exchange, Hikkman, a first-year streamer who sought Taker’s advice, thanked him through a donation.
Then Taker suddenly added something, as if an idea just popped into his mind.
“Oh right, since we’re talking about it, I prepared some content. We have a guest coming tomorrow.”
“You’re telling us this now?”
“Oh, a guest!”
“Who’s the guest?”
“Is Kayak coming?”
“It’s probably Han Kang again.”
“Are you bringing them to the studio?”
“What’s with the surprise, haha?”
“Seems like you’ve gotten into the habit of dropping surprise announcements lately, haha.”
“What other content do you have?”
“I find surprising people really fun these days. Hikkman, you should find something enjoyable like I do, so your broadcasts don’t get stale, just a heads-up.”
Taker nodded while looking at the chat and continued speaking.
커가 말을 이었다.
“Guess who the guest is? It’s a secret! If you’re curious, check the broadcast tomorrow!”
*
[Tehahaha]
[So who’s the guest?]
[Kayak? Kayak? Kayak? Kayak?]
[Taker♥Kayak]
[Yeah, leave the couple shippers alone ㅋㅋ They’re really trying to pair Taker with Kayak now.]
[So what’s today’s content?]
[I feel like I’m losing my mind!]
[Today’s content is a secret and the guest is a secret too. What’s this guy up to?]
[Taker, the man of many secrets ㄷㄷ]
[They say mysterious guys are more popular, probably because of that mysterious vibe ^^]
[Is he enjoying the attention now, hmm…?]
[Last time Kayak fainted, he got roasted so badly that he seems half-crazy ㅇㅇ;]
[Gunhee, if you don’t turn on the cam and show who the guest is, I can’t promise what I’ll do!]
[Hey, stop it.]
[A tactical nuclear strike in the chat is a bit extreme….]
The next day, Taker’s broadcast started.
Due to the comments from the previous day and the announcement before the broadcast began, people were buzzing about who the guest could be.
In the community, predictions about who would appear flooded in. Meanwhile, Taker turned on the broadcast without saying a word, causing the eager viewers to squirm in the chat and cause their usual chaos.
“Alright, nice to see you all! May 8th! Let’s jump straight into today’s broadcast.”
[Who’s the guest? Who’s the guest? Who’s the guest? Who’s the guest?]
[So what are we doing today? I’ve asked ten times already.]
[Turns out it was Taker’s lounge show all along ㅋㅋ Nothing was prepared, not even the guest or content ㅋㅋ]
“I know what you’re all expecting. Let’s not beat around the bush and reveal the guest. Please welcome them in!”
Taker quickly turned on the cam with a lively intro. As his words ended, intense BG music played, and the entrance lit up with dazzling blue and red lights.
These were the special studio setups Taker invested in from the earnings of his broadcasts.
After a couple of minutes that felt like 3 minutes to the viewers, finally, the entrance Taker was looking at opened, and someone walked in.
“…The studio is bigger than I thought. I guess people should succeed to enjoy this—.”
“And today’s guest is Kayak! Everyone give a round of applause!”
“Here comes our guest, Kayak! Let’s give her a round of applause!”
[Clap clap clap clap]
[(A cute teddy bear emoji clapping repeatedly)]
[Wait, it’s really Kayak?]
[Oh man, LOL Taker, you jokester!]
[How did you even get Kayak on here? Haha!]
[Guess all those gifts worth over 200 were worth it, LOL!]
[Taker♥Kayak, Taker LOVES Kayak!]
[Looks like Taker’s hanging out with Kayak a lot lately.]
[Hmm hmm hmm.]
[Kayak looking surprised is adorable.]
The door swings open to dazzling lights, Taker’s rich voice booming, and the rapidly scrolling chat.
Kayak, standing there wide-eyed, turned to Taker.
“Did you really turn on the broadcast already? You said you’d do it after I arrived.”
“Well, Kayak, you got here way too late! You said you’d be here by 7!”
“The bus driver ignored me and just drove off! I was clearly waving my hand! So I had to wait for the next bus.”
“Why not just take a taxi? You’re doing pretty well for yourself!”
[Of course, Kayak is frugal, LOL!]
[What’s with Kayak’s half-formal speech? What’s their deal?]
[Stop the awkward makeouts, it’s uncomfortable to watch!]
[Can hear the stuttering fans from here, haha!]
[Can’t help being late because of a missed bus, true that!]
[Scotch has donated 10,000 won!]
-So, what’s today’s content? I’m dying to know, Kayak!
The electronic sound of the donation rings out, and Kayak looks at Taker.
“I don’t know either! I just came because you said it would be something simple… So, what are we doing today?”
“Well, I’ll let you know in just a moment. First, sit down, and let’s have a little catch-up talk, shall we?”
Taker deliberately dodges the content details.
But Kayak, about to sit down, leans toward the monitor in front of her.
“Is that some weird thing stuck to the monitor? Is that today’s content?”
“Stop, stop! Yes, that’s it, but please just sit down. Let’s slow the tempo down a bit. I have a whole procedure set up here…”
“Um… okay.”
Thanks to Taker’s quick intervention, Kayak reluctantly sits back down, leaving the monitor alone.
She looks at the viewers with a puzzled expression, not quite getting why Taker is hiding today’s content.
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