Proudly Sponsored by Capital One Shopping
This is a paid promotion by Capital One Shopping - but before you click away two things -
1. I bought the Elgato Stream Deck over a year ago with my own money.
2. I had already been using Capital One Shopping when they contacted me for this promotion.
In other words, I would be saying everything in this post anyway, and it’s an opportunity to talk with you about a great device and a way to save money if you choose to get it.
Let’s cut to the chase, if you want a great time saving and workflow smoothing device at a great price, click this link: Elgato Stream Deck
Now, you might be asking why this device? Isn’t it just a glorified mouse?
In a word, no. It’s not. I thought the same thing and resisted buying it, but then after some consideration I gave it a whirl. I originally thought that I would only use this in my live streams, but I quickly started to use it during lessons and general system usage. In other words, all the time.
While it’s great at being able to access an app with a single button press, the real power of the device comes in being able to program sequences of events, all of which are executed at the touch of a single button.
For example, during a live event on YouTube, if I want to create a short of a topic that I’m about to cover, I can press a single button that will start the recording, stop the recording, open the folder that the recording is in, and open the upload page for shorts in Chrome so that I can send it out. If you’re streaming on Twitch, the integration is even better as the final upload stage can be automated as well.
During lessons, using the Stream deck allows me to switch between apps discreetly, so I can monitor recordings without disrupting the flow of the lesson. I’m also able to switch scenes in OBS, if, for example, I need to show my student my iPad screen or one of a variety of other input sources. All with the touch of a button.
I might also add that all of these integrations are very easily accomplished. The Stream deck software is easy to use, and even multifunction sequences are created in a minute or two.
I try to only talk about equipment purchases that really make a difference in my workflow, and this is one of those devices. As a musician and YouTube content creator, I want to save myself (and you) both time and money. When this opportunity came up to discuss this, I felt like it was a good fit. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
