The milk and cookies are laid out, the baubles are glistening like fresh snow under winter sun, and the doors are securely barricaded against carol singers. Everything is as it should be in the week before Christmas. But wait! There are no presents under the tree! If only there were someone who could come along with a ready-made list of surefire gift ideas while there’s still time for a last-minute trip to the shops.
What’s that? Just About Content Creators popping down the chimney with the perfect Christmas gift guide? All of the ideas have come exclusively from content creators’ recommendations? There are no affiliate links or sponsored products? Elvis found alive on the Moon? It can’t be! Pop the Buck’s fizz: we’ve got a veritable Christmas miracle on our hands!!
Ahem. Enjoy:
A new microphone
Content creation is an audiovisual medium. A decade ago, creators could make it big with just their charms and a cheap microphone, but those days are largely behind us. Audience expectations for audio quality are higher than ever. Here’s avrona:
“Especially when you’re starting out, there’s always a better microphone to buy. Audio can make a huge difference.”
Microphone prices range from a $20 plug-and-play USB mic to a $1,000+ broadcast-quality device. Chances are you’re going to want to go for somewhere in between, but with cost-of-living crises continuing across the world, there’s no harm erring toward the lower end of the scale until you’re sure the creator in your life is committed - as our budget setup guide shows, you can get decent results without breaking the bank.
“I have seven children, so I have to make sure my setup is done on a budget. Last week, my third monitor broke, and I certainly didn’t have the cash to buy a new one! A friend of mine heard through another friend what happened and thankfully donated a spare monitor to me.
“Streaming and content creation is an expensive habit. The need to constantly upgrade can push our wallets to the absolute maximum. Often, however, there are workarounds for such things so it can be done.
“A microphone is always going to be a great gift for any streamer or YouTuber. I was using a $25 mic for a long time. When I saved enough to buy myself a new studio microphone, my community noticed the difference immediately.”
A microphone arm
What if they already have a great microphone sitting on their desk? Alex has the answer:
“Just two words: microphone arm. Seriously the easiest gift, hands-down. They’re not super expensive. The cheapest I’ve seen is $50. I have a Rode mic arm, which cost roughly $80. It’s honestly changed my life in terms of content. I used to have my mic sitting on a stand that would sit on my desk. However, it often got in the way, and I kept knocking it. But now I don’t have to worry about that because I can move my mic arm around and have greater flexibility.”
A personal lightshow
That’s the audio covered, but what about the visual? Content creators should opt for an aesthetic that’s representative of their content and personality. A popular choice for a fun, modern look is LED lighting. You can find LED lighting options as standalone decorations or on countless gadgets from headsets and keyboards all the way to desks and chairs. Some LEDs can be combined with a few clever tricks to automatically react to achievements like new subscriptions. Although, as Schadsquatch points out, not all LEDs are born equal:
“I recently bought myself a few different Nanoleaf products online. There’s an app that connects the lights to your Twitch chat, and it’s so cool to add more hype to raids and subs. The problem is the price tag. You can definitely get cheaper RGB lights, but the quality can be dodgy and have less Twitch chat support.”
Custom neon signage
MURRRAAAAY has another fantastic idea for using lighting to show off your personal brand. Having a personalised neon sign in the background of your videos is a great signature prop and statement piece.
“This was actually a gift from my best mate to me. I was super shocked, over the moon, and blown away! Gifting your creator friend a neon sign personalised with their channel or page name is such a wonderful surprise. The sign looks great when featured in any pictures or videos.”
“Speaking personally, it also helped motivate me and make my studio space feel more special. It makes you feel good. Being a creator can be challenging, it’s a different career path from the norm. So having someone you’re close to giving you something like this is special as it feels like they believe in you and your journey ”
Other visual flourishes
There are plenty of other ways to make your creator’s content pop. Avrona suggests buying cool props to hang on the wall or integrate with b-roll. But what if the content creator doesn’t show their face or space? You can keep your gift in the digital sphere while still adding personal flourish. Schadsquatch recommends paying digital artists to create custom art, logos, and emotes for content creators’ channels.
Games
While not all streamers are gamers, many are. Letitia Lemon points out that, all good intentions aside, many streamers might prefer to choose their own tech or set dressing rather than being gifted it - but they’re always happy to receive a new game.
“I always suggest games. Gaming-focused content creators can never have enough games, even if their backlog is hundreds deep! There’ll always be more games. Sometimes they can be a little pricey but, with most people doing Christmas shopping around Black Friday or Cyber Monday, plenty of games can be found on sale. As someone who doesn’t like playing games as soon as they come out because the number of creators playing them can be overwhelming, I tend to wait a little while anyway. So having recent games go on sale just in time for the holidays is super useful for gaming creators.”
Big gaming platforms like Steam tend to have generous winter sales too. And if you’re not sure which games your loved one already owns, or which they prefer to play on their stream, don’t worry - getting them a voucher can be a nice easy option that puts them in control.
Wishlist items
That same principle of putting the creator in control also applies to other tech purchases. You could buy them a voucher with their favourite brand or store, or you could check whether they already have a wish list. That’s what Lanah Tyra recommends:
“Many content creators have a wish list set up via throne.com. If your planned gift recipient has a list set up, I’d pick something from there. I’ve seen everything from expensive tech and games to collectors’ items, music, and decorations. Buying something from a wish list means that you’ll definitely buy something your loved one wants, and you won’t buy them the same thing as someone else. And if you’re a content creator and you don’t have a wish list set up yet, this might be the time!”
If you’re looking for some wallet-friendly options for content creators who are just starting out, check out this budget content creator setup guide for more ideas. Have a wonderful Christmas!
Some text has been amended for brevity. You can find the original wording at the bounty post.
Created at . Page last updated at .
