About Squares TV Last Updated 18 November 2021 by Michael Forrest

What could possibly go wrong?

When you go live on your own, you’re the production crew and the talent.

You need to set up your lighting, cameras, audio, your internet, stream overlays, bots and structure. You need to promote your streams so that people turn up which means you have to be confident in what you have to offer and do all the work involved in building your audience.

While you’re live you need to transmit energy and engage with chat. You need to spot trolls and deal with the emotional ups-and-downs of your viewer count.

You need to appear comfortable and confident while providing your audience with something they value.

A lot that can go wrong.

I can’t make any great claims about my audience-building skills.

But I can certainly help you smooth out your tech and production workflow.

My name is Michael Forrest

I make music, I make videos, do live streams and record a weekly podcast. I have a knack for computers and spent many years as a professional software developer and digital creative.

SQUARES actually started as my club night back in 2013. I liked the idea that everything can be made from squares - pixels, voxels, samples; everything can be pulled apart and put back together from those little bits and bytes.

I started playing live music on Twitch in 2015. I was on a budget but I started improving the quality piece by piece. I got some lighting, I tried a GoPro, I got a DSLR, I tried different lenses. I tried different audio hardware, projections, equipment stands, wires (so many different wires). There was a lot to learn.

I built my own software like a chat bot that let people applaud or boo, and Shoot - a camera app that lets you stream the video feed from your phone.

I’ve been through phases with my live music streams but since starting Squares TV I’ve been feeling inspired. Here’s how my live music stream works now:

I’m not afraid of complexity but I’m firmly against unnecessary complexity. I’m always finding ways to simplify and consolidate technology and sometimes I’ll create a tool that others can use.

How did I get inspired?

I got out of my bubble and started talking to other people about their live streams.

With the growing popularity of my Shoot app, I’ve been afforded the freedom to work on things I care about. Through that app I started reaching out and joining others’ live streams.

Who is this for?

I like to help brave people. People with the strength to get out of their comfort zone. People whose need for meaning outweighs their need to chase pay rises and promotions.

Bravery is not fearlessness. This shit is scary. I can’t count the ways I’ve embarrassed myself on stream over the years. But I keep going back because those occasional moments of connection make it all worthwhile.

If this sounds good, why not start by joining the Discord where you can introduce yourself and say hi!