I haven't used the 8GB version and, while I've heard good things, I don't think you should buy it if you're a livestreamer shopping around for a new setup.
The Mac Mini M1 base model, with 256GB SSD and 8GB RAM, starts at $699. Higher quality video will require a plan with higher upload speeds.) Which one is right for you? For that reason, I'd recommend an internet plan that provides at a minimum of 10mbps if you're streaming in HD at 30fps. And many factors are at play too such as how many other people are using the service at the time. If your upload speeds are low, your stream quality will suffer. (Also worth noting: Broadband speeds from your internet service provider play a huge role here too.
I use a $250 dynamic mic from Shure for my livestream and you could still sometimes catch the annoying hum of my Macbook Pro fans in the background trying to cool down the computer while I was streaming. This makes for a quiet computer, which is important to a lot of livestreamers. Along with being able to handle everything I threw at it and still outputting a smooth livestream, the Mac Mini has remained cool the entire time. My Mac Mini M1 handles it without breaking a sweat.Īlong with being able to handle everything I threw at it and still outputting a smooth livestream, the Mac Mini has remained cool the entire time.Īnd I mean that, too. The live video would start moving in slow motion as it tried to keep up with everything. Having multiple web browser tabs open to monitor the streams and live comments as it multicast to multiple platforms via Restream while also sharing a tab to screenshare with my viewers? Forget about it with my previous setup. Not enough ports so you'll likely have to purchase a docking station. My MacBook Pro's internal fans would be audibly blasting on the stream at this point. I've added a webcam as a second camera, recorded video and audio locally as separate media files while simultaneously streaming, streamed games via an Elgato HD60 S+ capture device, and added multiple live guests from different locations – all on the screen at the same time via Skype. My previous streaming computer struggled to stream above 720p.
I have run hours-long livestreams through a livestreaming app called Ecamm Live, streaming to multiple different platforms at 1080p via a mirrorless Panasonic Lumix camera connected via an Elgato Cam Link. I put my new Mac Mini M1 through the wringer, or at least what my previous streaming computer - a 2.8 GHz Intel Core i7 Macbook Pro with 16GB RAM - would consider to be the wringer. I doubt you will find a device this powerful, at this low of a price, that can seamlessly handle the very specific needs of livestreamers. If you're going live on YouTube, Twitch, or whatever your favorite platform is, the Mac Mini M1 is made for you. After a few weeks of using it, I can now join the chorus of livestreamers praising it. That's when I went all-in and purchased the Mac Mini M1. The Mac Mini M1 packs a lot of power into that classic Mac Mini design. And they were specifically doling out high praise to the new Mac Mini. And most importantly, as someone who regularly livestreams, I heard the reviews from my fellow livestreamers, the types of users who would need to push these devices to their limits on a daily basis. Over the past couple of months, though, I've started to see the rave reviews coming in from consumers using the M1 Macs themselves. And I certainly wasn't going to be the test dummy for the first generation of the brand new M1 chips. And I read the reviews talking about what great machines the M1 computers are. I understood that it was significant for Apple to ditch Intel and develop its own chip that powered its computers. If you were to tell me I'd end up buying an M1 in those first couple of months after they launched, I never would've believed you. So are Apple's new M1 computers with the hype? Emphatically, yes. You've probably seen the latest addition to the M1 family, the new Apple iMacs which the company announced at its most recent event, too. You may have seen the positive reviews, heralding the new line released in November 2020 which includes Macbook Pros, Macbook Airs, and Mac Minis all powered by the M1. Perhaps you've seen the news articles trying to explain why this is significant. You've probably heard about Apple's latest line of computers, the first powered by the company's own M1 chip. The Mac Mini M1 is made for livestreamers.