The honest truth

Brainflood does not sell equipment and does not endorse specific brands. Every recommendation on this page comes from what working hosts actually use in the field. You are an independent entrepreneur, so buy what works for your budget, your venues, and your style.

Why Equipment Matters (and Why It Doesn't at First)

Here is the thing most people get wrong about hosting: they think they need to show up looking like a mobile DJ before they have ever run a single game. That is backwards. The venues you are starting at (local bars, breweries, community centers) most of them already have a sound system, a TV behind the bar, and WiFi. That is genuinely all you need.

Your first gig should cost you nothing beyond your Brainflood subscription. Show up with your laptop, plug into the house system, and focus on learning how to read a room. The equipment conversation only matters once you have proven you can fill seats.

That said, there comes a point, usually around gig number five or ten, where you realize that owning your own gear changes the game. You stop being dependent on whatever janky speaker the venue has behind a stack of boxes. You control your sound quality. You can take gigs at venues that do not have any AV setup. And you start looking like a professional, which means you can charge like one.

We have broken this guide into four tiers based on investment level and where you are in your hosting career. Start at Tier 1. Move up when revenue justifies it.

Tier 1: The Starter

$0-$200

Everything you need for your first gig. Seriously, you can start tonight.

Venue reality check

Many venues already have sound systems, TVs, and WiFi. For trivia, you might not need ANY of this gear. Just your laptop and the venue's existing setup. Ask the venue manager before you buy anything.

Tier 2: The Serious Side Hustler

$200-$800

You are running 2-4 gigs a week and venues are starting to ask for you by name. Time to own your sound.

Recommended

Tier 3: The Professional

$800-$2,500

This is your full-time job or a serious income stream. You run 4-8+ shows a week, handle venues of all sizes, and your gear never lets you down.

Tier 4: The Premium Operator

$2,500-$5,000+

You run multiple venues, take corporate events, or manage a team of hosts. Your rig is a business asset that pays for itself every month.

The Venue Display: Putting the Show on the Big Screen

One of Brainflood's most powerful features is Display Mode: a dedicated second-screen view that shows questions, answer reveals, live scores, and leaderboards to the entire crowd. It turns a casual trivia night into an event that feels produced and polished.

The display runs in any browser. You open it on a second device, cast it to a TV, or plug in via HDMI. The crowd sees everything in real time while you control the game from your hosting device. Here are the most common ways hosts set this up:

Option 1: Connect to the venue's existing TV (most common)

Most bars and restaurants already have TVs. Ask the manager if you can plug in via HDMI or cast via Chromecast/AirPlay. This costs you nothing and works great. Bring a long HDMI cable (15-25 feet) and the right adapters for your laptop.

Option 2: Bring a portable monitor

A 15-17 inch portable USB-C monitor works well for smaller rooms or tables near you. They are lightweight, run off your laptop's power, and cost $150-300. Not ideal for a crowd of 80, but great for intimate trivia nights.

Option 3: Bring a projector

A portable projector ($200-600) can throw a massive image on any blank wall. Great for venues with limited TV access. You will need a somewhat dark room and a reasonably flat surface to project onto. Mini projectors like the XGIMI Halo or Anker Nebula are popular with hosts.

Option 4: TV on a rolling stand (premium)

For maximum impact, some professional hosts bring their own 55-inch TV mounted on a rolling floor stand ($400-700 total). You wheel it in, plug it in, and every venue gets the same consistent experience. This is the move if you are doing corporate events or venues without screens.

Pro tip

Always visit the venue before your first gig there. Check where the TVs are, what inputs they have, where the power outlets are, and how the WiFi holds up. Five minutes of scouting prevents an hour of scrambling on game night.

For Karaoke Hosts Specifically

Karaoke has different equipment demands than trivia. People are singing through your system, and bad audio does not just annoy people; it embarrasses your singers. Nobody comes back to a karaoke night where they sounded terrible through a cheap speaker.

If you are running karaoke through Brainflood or alongside it, here is what changes:

Smart Buying Tips

Buy used first

Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and local music store trade-in sections are goldmines. Professional audio gear is built to last decades. A used Shure SM58 mic works just as well as a new one. They are nearly indestructible. You can often build a Tier 2 setup for Tier 1 prices if you buy secondhand.

Start with what you have

Do not buy anything until after your first gig. Use the venue's system. Use your phone as a mic. Use whatever is available. Upgrade only when you know exactly what you need, because what you need depends on the venues you work and the shows you run. Every host's setup is different.

Your equipment pays for itself fast

At $150-400 per gig, a $300 wireless mic system pays for itself in one or two shows. A $450 PA speaker pays for itself in two or three. Think of equipment as an investment with a 1-3 gig payback period, not a cost. Every dollar you put in comes back as higher-quality shows that command higher rates.

Keep every receipt

As a self-employed host or side hustler, your equipment is a business expense. Speakers, mics, cables, your laptop, your Brainflood subscription, even the gas to drive to gigs: all tax deductible. Keep a folder (physical or digital) with every receipt from day one. Talk to a tax professional about Schedule C deductions.

Invest in quality mics first

If you can only upgrade one thing, make it your microphone. Bad audio kills a show faster than anything else. A clear, reliable mic through a mediocre speaker sounds better than a great speaker with a cheap mic that cuts out, pops, or feeds back. The mic is your voice to the room, so do not cheap out on it.

Gig Night Equipment Checklist

Print this out or screenshot it. Run through it before you leave the house for every gig.

Pre-gig checklist

Devices

Audio

Display

Power and Connectivity

Extras

The Bottom Line

The best equipment in the world will not save a boring host, and the worst equipment in the world will not stop a great one. Start with what you have. Run your first shows. Learn what you actually need based on the venues you work and the shows you want to run.

Then upgrade deliberately, one piece at a time, funded by the gigs you are already doing. Within a few months, you will have a professional setup that was entirely paid for by the job itself. That is the beauty of this business: the barrier to entry is almost zero, and every upgrade pays for itself immediately.

The host makes the show, not the gear. But good gear lets a good host be great.