RECOMMENDED FREE Resources and software
The following is a list of free and/or open source programs and websites that can help you on your content journey. This includes streaming software, editing software, photo editing, free resources and more!
The most essential piece of software for any streamer! OBS is the gold standard of streaming software. It offers robust support for streaming to various platforms from almost any video or audio source you can dream of. Including vast community support and plugins, you can customize your experience to be exactly what you need to make your stream thrive!
It looks like it's 20 years old but functionally, it's hard to beat. Audacity is a free software with one purpose, editing audio! Get rid of background noise, splice audio clips together, increase the volume of a clip, record new audio... Whatever your audio needs, audacity has you covered!
If you aren't using this software yet, prepare to have your mind blown. Photopea is photoshop, but in your web browser. Did I mention it's also free!? Photopea has the ability to edit .PSD files, .AI files .SVG files, and every photo format you can think of! It's functionality is about as close to Photoshop as you will find with most of it's controls being very similar looks wise, and functionality wise. You will see a few ADs, but it is well worth it!
Our first resource on the list! Freepik is the best place to go for stock images, templates, background or really anything else you may need for graphics work and it's all free to use as long as you provide proper attribution! No need to shell out for expensive stock images. This site has almost anything you need! You may need to create an account depending on your usage level, as non-logged in users do have a download limit. But the account is free and signup is easy.
This is one of those pieces of software you're going to scratch your head and wonder how it's free. DaVinci Resolve is one of the best video editing softwares on the planet. Used extensively on some of the biggest movies and TV shows, it has all the tools you need to edit your clips, videos and VODs. You'll need to signup for an account, but the basic version of the software is free!
A cool website for connecting remote cameras! Have multiple people on the move or want to use your smartphone camera for your stream? This plugin for OBS will allow you to get a web link to directly add to OBS as a camera source to connect remote devices for FREE! Easy to use and adds major versatility to your stream.
A powerful piece of software for all of your VFX needs! Natron is an Adobe After Effects alternative that allows you to create powerful VFX effects for your video projects! Although not as robust as After Effects, it's completely free and open source!
If you've watched a stream, you probably know this one already. Nightbot is a free and helpful utility to help manager your stream! Set automatic messages for your chat for links, brackets, giveaways or anything else you might want to promote! You can also set custom commands for your chat to interact with.
A powerful set of tools and integrations for your stream! Setup alerts, overlays, starting soon or thanks for watching screens and more! StreamElements is an easy way to make donation, follower, sub or any type of alert you want for your stream all for free!