Thewebcamandmicrophoneare typically the first two pieces of gear people pick up when they start streaming, but often, the lighting is left out. However, lighting is one quick way to make your stream look so much more professional and add a bit of flair to your setup. Whether you go for a more traditional look with white lighting, that classic gamer stand-by of RGB, or a bit of both, it is hard to go wrong with adding one or two lights to your streaming setup.
NEEWER RGB Softbox Lighting Kit
Nanoleaf Shapes
You don’tneedto purchase lights made for streaming, as with some clever positioning, you can easily use a lamp you already have. However, most lights that include streaming as part of the design process make the setup process incredibly straightforward and easy to replicate during multiple takes.
Game Rant’s Picks For The Best Lighting For Streaming
Elgato Key Light Air
The Elgato Key Light Air is a content creator-friendly desktop light solution that offers soft, even illumination without any eye strain or noticeable heat. The Elgato air comes with a stand to make set up a breeze while keeping your desk nice and tidy.
Elgato has firmly established itself as a one-stop source for streamers and content creators. Whether you want a webcam, a macropod, or lighting, Elgato has it all, and it does it all well. The Elgato Key Light Air is such a versatile and easy light to start or add to your streaming setup; plus, the integration with other Elgato products easily makes the Key Light Air one of the best overall lights for your streaming setup.
The included desk stand might not be ideal for everyone as the base does take up a fair amount of desk space, but it also makes moving around the light a breeze compared to a desk clamp mount like the Razer Key Light Chroma. Most people are probably going to just set and forget the Key Light Air in one spot on their desk, but if you do hobby streams where you like to show what you are working on from above, the easily moving stand makes switching light setups a breeze.
LED panels don’t have the best reputation for producing a soft, diffused light, but inGame Rant’s full review of the Elgato Key Light Air, we found that Elgato did a great job of retaining a good amount of brightness without making it too straining to look at the light. With a foot or two of space between your face and the light, you can easily evenly light your face with just one light panel.
Besides being a gorgeous light, the Elgato Control center integration is one of the main reasons this light is the best overall option. You can control everything you need from this app, and you can even set up different lighting scenes and program them as macros to the Elgato Stream Deck.
Logitech G Litra Beam LX
Logitech G Litra Beam LX is essentially two lighting setups built into one piece of equipment. The dual-sided streaming light is equipped with a key light on one side that delivers natural skin tones and a radiant look for your streams, while the other side illuminates your space with LIGHTSYNC RGB accent lighting.
Logitech has been making its way into the streaming world for some time now, and while the Logitech Litra Beam LX is not the first Logitech streaming light, it is one of the best. This light not only provides you with nice, even lighting for streaming, but the backside also produces RGB lighting for nice ambient lighting in your streaming room. So, if you want a light that is essentially a two-in-one option, be sure to check out the Litra Beam LX.
The overall shape and design make the Litra Beam LX stand out quite a bit compared to most other streaming light options. Instead of the standard square panel seen with most options, the Litra Beam LX has more of a light bar design meant to sit along the top of your monitor. You can also vertically mount it and set it along the side of your setup. However, this way of mounting it typically works a bit better with two lights for more even lighting.
Logitech rates the Litra Beam LX for up to 400 lumens, which is a bit dimmer than most of the other options in this guide. However, unless you are in an incredibly bright room, the 400 lumens still make quite the difference. Plus, the “TrueSoft” LEDs do provide very natural looking skin tones. The RGB lighting on the backside is not nearly as powerful, but it does do a great job of diffusing against a wall behind your desk, creating a nice ambient glow.
Unlike the Elgato Key Light Air, the Litra Beam LX does have onboard controls alongside an app for remote control. Either way, making changes on the fly with this light-like color temperature is fairly straightforward and can easily be done mid-stream if need be.
Razer Key Light Chroma
Set the scene for a stream that truly shines with the Razer Key Light Chroma. This all in one setup easily gives professional-looking studio lighting to any streaming setup. Whether you want to fully light up your face or just set the mood with some RGB lighting, this light can do it all.
The Razer Key Light Chroma is not the most affordable way to build a lighting setup for your stream, but if you are looking for an incredibly powerful light that can easily light a whole room in white light as well as RGB in a compact form factor, this is the light for you.
Even though its high price tag can make this light seem a bit unreasonable, the build quality and the performance of this light provide more than make up for it. The included desk clamp arm takes up zero desk space, making it easy to perfectly position the light on your setup without having to make compromises. And don’t worry if you have athick gaming desk; this mount should still be compatible thanks to its 75mm opening.
As far as lights are designed for streamers from the ground up, the Key Light Chroma is probably one of the most powerful options currently available. Rated up to 2,800 Lumens, this light rivals some film lighting setups for peak brightness. Most streamers will probably not need to use it that brightly, but having that option opens up a ton of versatility beyond just the day-to-day stream.
Lume Cube Ring Light Pro
With the Lume Cube Ring Light Pro, you’re able to easily customize height, angle, temperature, and brightness to illuminate and elevate your content. Collapse the cordless ring light and pack it into the carry case to easily create professional content anywhere, anytime. Even if you are not near a power source using Sony NP batteries, this light can be used fully on battery power.
For a while, ring lights were the go-to lighting source for online content creators and streamers. However, with the number of options now available, they have lost their popularity a bit, but there is still always a place for them. The Lume Cube Ring Light Pro is one of the most reliable ring light options. It can be set up at your desk for streaming and is powered entirely via batteries for on-the-go content creation.
Because it’s not as gamer-focused, the Ring Light Pro does take a bit more room to set up; the included stand is a traditional tripod light stand. However, thanks to a standard-sized 1/4" screw mount, you can easily pick up a third-party stand if the included one does not work with your current setup at all. The extra height of the included stand does make it very nice for eye-level lighting while standing or if you do stream in various locations.
There is no RGB lighting to speak of, but the Ring Light Pro more than makes up for it with gorgeous bi-color white lighting. The built-in diffusion makes the lighting nice, soft, and easy to look at, which is especially important with ring lights, where the camera is typically mounted in the middle of the ring.
Unlike most other lights in this guide, the Ring Light Pro offers remote control, but instead of through an app, you can control it with a physical remote. Having an app is convenient, but even the best of them have connectivity issues at times, though the remote is rock solid all the time. The changes are responsive and quick.
Neewer NK800 RGB Softbox Lighting Kit
The Neewer RGB softbox lighting kit allows users to set up a professional lighting set with diffusers and even RGB lighting for a very affordable price. This kit includes everything you need to get started with lighting. Using the two lights, you can create even lighting across your face and make you pop out from the background.
A two-point light kit might seem a bit overkill for some streamers, but for those who are looking to take their lighting set up to the next level and play around with some different lighting effects, a two-light kit is a great way to do it. The Neewer NK800 RGB Softbox Lighting kit isn’t the fanciest option out there, but it is incredibly reliable, delivers gorgeous lighting, and does not have a high price tag, making it an easy investment, no matter your level.
This kit includes everything you need to successfully set up two-point lighting. From the tripod stands to reflectors and even a nice carrying case, this kit is easy to transport around with no need to worry about bulbs rolling away or something breaking. While the bulbs may look like a traditional light bulb, especially compared to the LED panels in this guide, they are actually LED bulbs. So, they don’t give off heat like incandescent, and they draw way less power. Not to mention, it allows the bulbs to produce adjustable RGB lighting.
If you have never set up two-point lighting before, especially with softboxes, it can seem pretty intimidating, but after playing around with it for a bit, you can easily create some gorgeous lighting with this kit. When it comes to lighting setups like this, the bigger the softboxes are, the softer the diffusion is going to be, and while these are not massive, they do make for some fantastic diffusion whether you are using them as a key light or a fill.
Nanoleaf offers a flexible solution to RGB home decor lighting with its Shapes wall lights. Using Connect+ technology, shapes can be interconnected using triangles, mini triangles, and hexagon panels for a completely customizable design. Shapes can sync with moving images on PC monitors, using the Nanoleaf app. Host a concert at home with Shapes lights reacting to pulsating music. Nanoleaf lights are easily mounted on smooth surfaces with included double-sided mounting tape.
Ambient light is not great for actually lighting up your face, but it does make for some fun, interesting background for your stream. Nanoleaf Shapes are a great way to add some ambient lighting that sets the mood for the stream, but isn’t overbearing or distracting to have in the background.
Nanoleaf Shapes require a relatively pain-free installation process that is also renter-friendly, with solid double-sided tape on the back of each panel and mounting bracket. While the installation is not permanent, it is better to have a planned-out design before you start sticking them to the wall because they are kind of a pain to rearrange after sticking them up. After everything is set up, though, the rest of the process will feel pretty familiar if you have ever used smart home lighting before, and if not, the Nanoleaf app does a pretty good job of walking you through it.
Shapes produce some very cool lighting effects that even tie in with Razer Chroma, so you’re able to sync up your other peripherals to match the lighting. Although on stream, if your headset and ambient lighting in the background change at the same time, it can look a little weird. The RGB lighting that comes from Shapes is very nicely diffused and can easily blend into any setup, and even if you are not feeling the RGB that day, you can set it to a nice warm white for a chill stream.
How To Choose The Best Lighting For Your Stream
Lighting can come in all shapes and sizes, but picking out the best option for your particular setup can be a bit daunting when you first start looking at options. verify to consider these three key factors to make the process a bit easier.
FAQ
Q: How do streamers get good lighting?
There are multiple options when it comes to lighting for streams, but for the most part, LED lights are going to be one of the best options. Most LED lights are able to produce a very bright light with minimal heat, so your room won’t get too hot while streaming.
Q: Do I need a ring light for streaming?
Some sort of lighting is essential for a full streaming setup, but that lighting does not need to be in the form of a ring light. You can use LED light panels like the Elgato Key Light Air or even lighting kits with softboxes like the Neeweer RGB Softbox kit.
