Choosing a Live Stream Font
Live Streaming has become the focus of attention of many productions. Many rushed to implement their streams or do adapt the live broadcasts to broader audiences online. In the rush to get to the scene, it was easy to just “get it working”. I know what it’s like, sometimes when your boss says something needs to be done, and fast, we don’t always get to make it pretty. So today, let’s work towards making our live streams pretty!
Let’s focus on fonts. Font style matters. They determine if the text we want people to see is readable, clear, and eye-friendly, or if it’s distracting or not viewer-friendly.
The Best Fonts for Live Streaming
Here is a list of versatile fonts that have worked in big organizations and have the potential to bring some eye candy to your live stream, but also to make your stream legible and online ready
Futura Pt Medium
Looking for a classic font with a modern edge? Futura is a good place to start. It features many sharp edges, making it easy to read and easy to distinguish from any live content behind it. Futura has a more narrow look to it compared to some out there. Futura is great in ALL CAPS. Personally I like to add some character spacing when using Futura to give it great clarity and visibility. In this picture, character spacing is set to 6.
Neris Thin
Sometimes you need a font that puts an emphasis on the “casual.” Bold or sans serif font’s aren’t always the best choice for lyrics that have a more raw feel. That’s where Neris Thin comes in. It’s a solid choice when you don’t want to seem so loud with your font choice.
Milea
Handdrawn fonts aren’t always the best choice for live streams when thinking about clarity. Finding the right one is an important task, “Milea” is a great solution. It’s got the authentic and genuine look you might be looking for but is still very easy to read. It also works well with moving content behind it!
Montserrat
Would this even be a font list if we forgot to include some standards? Montserrat is a great choice for your broadcast AND your live stream feeds. It is easy to read, and timeless. Montserrat is similar to other big-name fonts like Gotham but is available for free. It has become a standard in the broadcast world.
Willful
Let’s end this post with a creative font! Sometimes you need something that doesn’t fit the usual mold. But you still need it to be easy to read fast and to stand out from any live content behind it. Willful might be the fun and creative font just for you! It works especially well if your lyrics involve water. 😉
Try something new. Don’t stay with the same old same old. It’s okay to branch out! As you’re thinking through your fonts and what song’s you’re doing keep in mind some things:
1. Is this font easy to read and easy to read fast? Most of the time your audience doesn’t have time to decipher what your text says, make sure the font itself isn’t hard to read.
2. Is this font visible even when there is content behind it? If you’re choosing what fonts to use for lower thirds then knowing if it’s visible with your live video feed behind it is important.
3. Does this font represent the lyrics well? It’s always good to make sure the font you’re using actually makes sense with the lyrics. Keep energetic songs with bolder fonts, and lower energy songs with simpler or more creative fonts.
