Ironmouse shares her advice for new streamers: “It’s a learning experience”

We caught up with Ironmouse as she signed with Razer to discuss her streaming career. How is VTubing different from streaming regularly, and did she have any key advice for upcoming streamers?

Ironmouse is still fairly unique in the world of content creators. VTubing blew up in 2020, as worldwide events drove us further into internet rabbit holes. The virtual anime models entertaining their audience rather than showing themselves on camera became a huge hit in the West, following in the footsteps of predecessors like Japanese VTuber Kizuna AI.

While the VTuber format is now a staple among streaming sites, Ironmouse can always be found with some of the highest concurrent viewers from a VTuber on Twitch.

Her blend of combining the VTuber character experience with a genuine and sincere personality has captivated fans for years. She recently won big at the 2023 Game Awards, securing Content Creator of the Year. Earlier in the year, she was also nominated for a Streamy award.

We got to sit down and talk with Ironmouse, who has recently partnered with Razer, about her experience as a streamer. It unlocked a key understanding of her outlook on broadcasting and why she’s managed to make it six years with ever-growing popularity.

“Start small”: Ironmouse shares how to get started with streaming

With all this experience under her belt, we wanted to know what her advice would be for anyone starting out in streaming. Ironmouse advised would-be streamers not to be intimidated by other VTubers’ expensive rigs or hefty setups, saying they just need to start streaming – even if they have to “start small.”

“I think I think the worst mistake that you can make is thinking that you need a lot of extra technology to get started,” she answered. “Just start streaming if you want to stream. Start small and learn as you go.”

This is a sentiment we share, with the possibility that large-scale productions – or even VTubers – could put people off from even attempting to start up their first broadcast.

“It’s a learning experience. Don’t let yourself think that like, ‘Oh, I have to be like this, or this other streamer, that they have like this expensive setup and stuff.’ Start small and see if you really like it. And if you do, just keep on going and build and it’ll just be a really, really satisfying journey, I think.”

Ironmouse, being a VTuber, has a slightly different perspective on the tech side. VTubing requires a model that can potentially be mapped to the host and controlled via software. Some apps will build it for you, but Ironmouse again echoes the sentiment that streamers should bring themselves to the table first:

“I mean, just be yourself when you can get a good mic. And I know that [when] a lot of people start off, they don’t even use a VTuber model.”

“They start off with a graphic. Just try to see what type of character and what type of streamer you want to be, and make that dictate where you’re going to go.”

Having sat in front of a camera for hours at a time, I was curious to know what the difference is between on-screen streaming and VTubing. Ironmouse doesn’t see it in a way that was expected:

“I feel like I feel like it’s very similar. There are so many similarities because, at the end of the day, it’s all streaming. You know what I mean?”

Ironmouse opens up on VTubing: “I feel like myself”

Some VTubers will play an onscreen character, rather than an animated adaption of themselves. They might debut as a particular stereotype, but soon drop it in favor of connecting with their audiences a bit more.

However, Ironmouse feels much more comfortable behind the pink and purple than she would in front of the camera. That being said, she doesn’t see the difference between herself and streamers like xQc, but it’s more to do with whether to keep up with being a “character” or not:

“You could be yourself with a graphic representation of yourself, or if you want to be a character, be a character. But I feel like it’s a bit more difficult. It’s crazy because, at the same time, it’s harder to connect to your audience, but it’s also easier to connect to your audience at the same time. It’s so strange.”

“For me personally, VTubing is kind of like a superpower, I guess, or some sort of magical costume that I put on. I feel like myself, but I feel like an extra-extra extra version of myself, like a heightened version of myself.”

“The me that I feel confident in being and I feel like that’s something that’s very special.” She says. “I don’t know. I just feel like it’s really special to be able to feel like, ‘Oh, I can I can basically connect with all these people and have a great time and just create content, and hopefully people like it.'”

Ironmouse’s escapades on Twitch have allowed her to grow to be one of the biggest personalities on the platform, with accolades and awards to show for it, to boot.