Obs Studio Step By Step

I continue writing near alive-streaming like it'southward accessible and piece of cake to practise — which information technology'south non. It'due south actually quite hard to get started. Sad! My bad. I didn't mean to lead you astray. If yous're still Twitch-curious, I have a gift for you: a guide for how to go started.

Before I dive in, I'll begin with a few caveats. Starting time, there are many ways to stream. Zoom allows you to stream directly to YouTube, for example, and yous can ever become live on Instagram. Some means of streaming are easier; others are more difficult. All crave a fleck of knowledge about how to read forums and non want to die while doing the necessary troubleshooting. This is not a comprehensive guide.

Second, this isn't meant to be exhaustive. I've been streaming for a picayune while on my own channel, and most of what I'chiliad going to lay out is merely the stuff I've picked up since I've been on Twitch. Third, please know that fifty-fifty if you do everything correct, something will still probably not piece of work. That's okay. Go one with the troubleshooting, and practice things systematically so you lot're always able to work backward and notice the source of your problem. Also, retrieve that troubleshooting alive on stream is a rite of passage.

Fourth, this guide also assumes you're a beginner and that y'all're not planning to either buy a new PC just to stream or to extensively modify one you already own (due east.m., ownership an internal capture carte du jour). Information technology's as well focused on streaming using Open Broadcaster Software (OBS), an open-source slice of software that a ton of people use to live stream. (If y'all've already got your setup working and simply want to learn how to use OBS, feel free to skip ahead to the section "How to Stream with OBS.")

If that'southward yous, let'due south dive in!

Footstep i: Hardware

This is where your journey begins, traveler. Really, now that I think of it, nosotros should back up a lilliputian.

Pace 0: Why exercise you want to stream, and what practise y'all want to get out of it?

This is the real offset of your adventure. Why do you desire to stream? Be honest with yourself. (And feel costless to message me about why! I will probably include your answers in a futurity entry of this column.) Is information technology because yous desire to proceeds fame, fortune, and influence online? Is information technology because you want to take your friendly gaming sessions up a notch? Is information technology because you lot have a specialized skill — e.k., cooking, yoga, etc. — that you lot want to share with people? Is information technology but cause it seems like a fun matter to practise?

These are all valid reasons to start streaming, but it's also important to ask the questions in the first place considering it'll influence what kind of setup you're eventually going to want. Merely that'southward a later step.

Footstep 1 (again): Hardware

This is where you'll determine the actual quality of your stream. There are iii questions to ask: What machine do y'all plan to stream on? What kind of webcam and microphone do y'all take access to? What'due south your internet connection like?

Any answer is fine; I used to stream PS4 gameplay through a 2017 MacBook Air via the panel's remote play function, which should honestly be illegal. (It did work; still, I would not recommend doing this.) The reason these questions are of import to reply is twofold: your software options volition change based on what operating organization you're running (Windows, macOS, mobile, panel), and the quality of your stream will differ based on what your webcam / microphone / cyberspace connection is like.

Ideally, y'all're going to want to apply the fastest, newest computer you've got, and the best microphone and webcam in your arsenal. Your estimator is the brains of the operation, no affair what you're streaming. It has to exist fast enough to both handle any you're doing on it — DJing? Gaming? — while it's likewise encoding and uploading a video stream to Twitch (or whatever platform you've chosen to utilize). If it's older, your computer will scream at you, which is fine. Ignore its screams and the wild corporeality of oestrus information technology's generating. Do not wonder whether you could bake a cookie on the heatsink.

Then here's what to do: connect your mic and your webcam (no shame if those are on board) to your estimator, and test them to see if everything is working. A tip: getting clear sound is more than important, at least initially, than having great video. If everything works, nifty!

Next, cheque your cyberspace speed. You're going to want a fast connection — specifically a fast upload speed. I'd say around eight–9 Mbps upload is the minimum for a stable HD video output. If y'all don't quite take that, don't fret! There are some software settings I'll go over later that yous can crunch to fit your pipes.

If you're planning to stream console games, the other piece of gear you might want to have on paw — aside from extra HDMI cables and a long Ethernet cable — is a capture card. A capture bill of fare is a cool device that duplicates the audio and video coming out of your consoles and sends it to your computer equally a video input, which your streaming software tin can then recognize and stream. The current standard is Elgato'southward HD60s, which retails for effectually $200, though you can get a refurbished one for a slightly cheaper toll. (The S+ has way more features merely is commensurately more expensive.)

Other hardware to consider: lighting and dark-green screens. Probably the most important thing you can do for yourself afterward getting a good mic is investing in good lighting for your streaming space. Information technology helps your camera do the vital piece of work of making yous look skillful. That can mean anything from setting up a lamp backside your camera so it lights your face / torso properly to investing in a dedicated ring light that volition ensure that everything looks even. Green screens are some other popular tool to upgrade what your stream looks similar. Basically, y'all set it up backside y'all, and you tin apply your streaming software to edit out your background so you're directly in front end of your video output. (Think Zoom's virtual backgrounds, merely with the game you're playing.)

Got all that? Dandy! Now information technology's time to motility on.

Pace 2: Software

I'm not going to lie to y'all: there are a lot of buttons, and you're going to need to click a lot of them. This can be intimidating. But you lot can do it! It's a matter of trying everything until you find a solution. It's time to wrinkle your brain.

I'll dissever this section by platform.

Windows

Congratulations! You have the near options. In the beginning, alive-streaming was developed by and large for enterprise users and hardcore gamers, which means the software was developed for people who had Work Machines — machines that needed to be powerful plenty to return Crysis or practise corporate Excel sheets.

Permit's focus on the free offerings. You have basically three options: Open Broadcaster Software (OBS), Streamlabs OBS, and XSplit. (In that location'south also Twitch Studio, which streams specifically to Twitch.) Each has its charms; of the iii, I prefer regular OBS because it feels standard in a way that my brain appreciates. In fact, I'd recommend using OBS for the majority of people. Streamlabs is also incredibly customizable and fairly easy to gear up up, with a built-in ecosystem of overlays, extensions, and themes baked right in.

macOS

Hullo, Mac users. Yous're really quite lucky because it's just within the last year that it's become easier to stream on a Mac. Elgato introduced OBS Link, which profoundly simplifies the use of a capture carte on Macs — which y'all literally couldn't practice before without processor-intensive, hacky workarounds — and Streamlabs made its macOS debut, at very long last. Your options are Streamlabs OBS and regular OBS, which are both very solid.

Mobile

The beginning thing I should say is: yes, you tin can do this. Twitch and Mixer will let you stream from your phone if you download their dedicated apps, for example. Only your options will be limited and fragmented by platform. There'southward Periscope, which lets yous stream to Twitter, and Instagram Live, which does exactly what information technology sounds like it does. (You tin too alive-stream to YouTube from a mobile device if you have more than than 1,000 subscribers.)

What you tin can stream depends on the platform and the app you're using. Mixer allows you to stream mobile games, while Twitch doesn't. Streamlabs' mobile app, on the other manus, volition permit y'all to broadcast any's on your screen to the platform of your selection. If you lot're really dedicated to streaming off your phone, godspeed. You lot take a tough row to hoe. While information technology's possible to stream, the audio and video quality is generally much lower, information technology's harder to customize the stream itself, and it's very limiting in what you can actually practise on stream. (Information technology should be said that you tin, in fact, stream from iOS devices to OBS using Elgato Screen Link — which is good if you'd like to stream mobile games.)

Console

This is the easiest way to stream. All y'all accept to practice is connect your Twitch / Mixer / YouTube account to your PlayStation 4 or Xbox One panel, and you're good to get. There are, however, significant drawbacks. Yous can't customize your stream at all, and there are weird UI elements that kind of make it the way of gameplay. The consoles handle audio just fine, merely adding video gets a lot trickier. (Translation: If you desire to upgrade your stream, you're going to buy a console-specific webcam. Sorry!) Here'southward a more in-depth guide for how to start streaming on console.

How to stream with OBS

Right. So at present that we accept the options out of the way, it's time to dive into the software. For this office of the guide, I'chiliad going to stick with regular OBS because it'south what I know best and because it as well translates to Streamlabs OBS. (Information technology'due south also the same on both macOS and Windows.)

Step 2.5: OBS

Don't be afraid, traveler. OBS tin can seem similar the Big Bad in the live-streaming universe, only it's actually a powerful ally — if you can chief what it's trying to tell you. OBS is a way station: it is the betoken where your inputs (webcam, microphone, game capture) and outputs (your stream) merge.

The first thing to know virtually OBS is that it looks like this.

This used to scare me; now, it comforts me because I am in control (generally).

The first thing you'll notice are the menus down at the bottom: Scenes, Sources, Mixer, Scene Transitions, and Controls. The 2nd thing you should look at are the numbers at the very lesser, labeled "Live," "REC," and "CPU." Once y'all open OBS, y'all should start to see your CPU usage ascent. When you're live, await that number to get higher.

Basically, OBS works like this: scenes are the building blocks of any stream. Whatever's in a scene is what's put on your stream. You customize scenes with sources, which yous can add together, and you lot check audio levels for basically whatsoever source within a scene via the mixer.

*From left to right: Scenes, Sources, Audio Mixer, Scene Transitions, Controls.*

Scene transitions are at that place if you lot desire to customize what it looks similar when y'all switch between scenes, simply I haven't institute that it matters much, personally speaking. (Think PowerPoint transitions.) Controls does exactly what information technology says. Those little gray buttons are how you lot'll push everything live. We'll render to Settings in a moment.

What we're going to practice now is prepare up three scenes in OBS: a "stream starting presently" scene, a "live" scene, and one that'due south for intermissions — you know, merely in instance y'all accept to run to the bathroom or refresh your drinkable.

Then let's first with the Stream Starting Soon scene. The commencement affair y'all should do is delete all of the preprogrammed scenes because they're empty and considering renaming them is about 5 pct more than of a pain in the ass than it should be. To practise that, highlight the scene and click the minus button at the bottom of the box. Great!

Now click the "+" push button next to information technology, and enter the name of the scene. Something like "Stream Starting Soon." Yous're going to want to exist articulate and specific considering you don't desire to be hunting for scenes while you're streaming. This is part of OBS's flexibility: you lot can have as many scenes as you want, and they can be as specific as y'all want them to be. If you desire to accept silly graphics and not have to remake them every time you lot want them on-screen, the Scenes tool is what you're going to use.

You'll notice I'm using a Mac here because that'due south what I write on. It's likewise cool because information technology'southward the same for Windows, fifty-fifty if the UI looks a picayune different.

Now that we have a scene, let's move to sources. Click on the "+" push button nether sources. Whoa! It'south a long list!

Unfortunately, all of these things mean something. For at present, let's focus on the most important thing: creating a cool graphic that shows off our personality for the people who are going to come across our channel. So now: open up Photoshop / MS Paint / etc., and go to work! Save that file somewhere specific, too, because we're going to demand information technology.

Okay! Fourth dimension to become back to OBS. Highlight your scene once again, and click the "+" push in sources; next, navigate to "Image" and proper name the source — over again, exist very specific — and make sure the "make source visible" box is checked. Perchance proper noun information technology something similar "This is my starting before long screen lol." Hit browse, observe the image file, upload it, and and then click okay. Here's what mine looks like then far.

Oh no, my epitome doesn't fit my streaming sheet because I didn't size it right in Paintbrush! If this is you, that's an easy enough prepare. Just manipulate the prototype the same manner you would if you were resizing annihilation else, by dragging the corners effectually. If y'all really beefed information technology, resize the image in your image editor so that information technology fits your screen dimensions, which you can discover in Settings > Video > Base of operations (Sheet) Resolution.

Anyhow, corking! We have our first scene. That wasn't so hard, was it?

The next thing y'all should know is what those things nether audio mixer actually do. Pound for pound, Desktop Sound is probably the nigh powerful thing yous should know about in the audio mixer settings. Basically, Desktop Sound sends whatever sounds are on your computer out onto your stream. That's Spotify, YouTube, game music from whatsoever y'all're playing on your computer — everything. With ane major caveat: it plays everything that's pointed at Desktop Audio. If you become into its settings past clicking on the gear just below it, you lot'll see a number of options for where it tin become audio from. And this is where it starts to become complicated. Yous can prevent a ton of troubleshooting down the line if you lot brand sure your audio is routed to the same place.

This setting is not scene-specific, although it does modify based on where the sources in the scene accept their outputs pointed. Basically, if there is an audio source that has its output pointed at Desktop Audio, and the source is in the scene that'southward currently active, y'all'll hear it. Sources don't output video or audio if they're not in an agile scene. Let's take a look at the scenes / sources / audio mixer triumvirate again. No reason, it'south merely overnice to look at.

When I'k streaming, I like to do a little pre-testify to give people time to filter over to my channel. Mostly it'southward only a "alive soon" scene with some chill beats playing under it, while I putter around my apartment and finish setting things up. I apply YouTube; you tin use whatever you lot want — whatever you're playing on your estimator will output to desktop audio, provided desktop audio is getting audio from the identify you've sent the music. Copyright policies differ based on the platform you're using, but it's more often than not a slap-up thought not to utilize copyrighted material; you don't desire a strike on your account or a temporary suspension. (If you're into more than advanced stuff, you can find and make animated overlays for your starting before long screen, only that is definitely beyond the scope of this how-to.) We'll talk briefly almost audience stuff later, merely the main thing to remember is that streaming is something of a second-screen activity — like a podcast, nigh.

The next thing you should exercise is repeat the aforementioned steps equally to a higher place to create an intermission scene that you tin quickly flip to if yous need to. You lot got this!

Finally: the live scene. This is where things go a bit more complicated. Beginning the same fashion you did earlier by creating a new scene. In the source tab, add two new sources: one for audio input capture and one for video capture device. What we're going to practice here is add your webcam and your microphone to your sources, so that your audience can see and hear you. In the menus that pop up for those sources, select the devices that you're going to use, and give the sources appropriate names ("logitech webcam," "blue yeti microphone," etc.).

The video capture device — your webcam — should pop up on the OBS sail, merely your audio device won't. A note hither that should save you lot some troubleshooting time: if your webcam is being used by a unlike piece of software, it volition not bear witness up in OBS. Brand certain you lot close any other software that might be using your camera.

Your microphone will show upwards equally a new set up of bars in your audio mixer. Now'southward the time to make certain your levels are appropriate. Generally, y'all want to be peaking in the yellow function of the mix for everything; if you hit the red bit of the bar, it's going to audio terrible. Your audition will tell you lot to accommodate as needed — just slide the volume confined underneath the offending input to change the levels.

Now information technology's time to build in everything else. I of the best things about streaming is that it's infinitely customizable; you can add browser sources to capture sound, play alerts on your channel when someone subscribes or follows, and basically annihilation else y'all can think of. For right now, we'll proceed it unproblematic. Let's add a game to your streaming output. (If you're not planning to play a video game on stream, feel free to skip this bit.)

We'll showtime with games on your computer because the process is slightly easier to explain — and it's different on Mac and Windows. Nosotros'll starting time with Mac this time.

To add together a game to your sources list in OBS, you're going to have to exercise a bit of a workaround, for now, and utilise a Window Capture. These work similarly to Video Input Capture sources, but instead of capturing a video, you lot're going to capture the specific window of the game you're playing. Observe the window that has the game running in the carte in the same way, and add / proper noun the source in the same way yous did the others. On Windows, in that location's an option called Game Capture, which allows yous to either capture any currently full-screen window or selection a specific game to broadcast.

To add a console game is harder because it introduces some other slice of software — Elgato Game Capture HD. (This is if you've decided to go with the Elgato HD60s/due south+.) Think, yous're going to demand the capture card to send its video and sound to your computer and your television at the same time. We'll offset with Windows.

First, make sure your panel is on, and that y'all've correctly fastened the HDMI cables to the capture bill of fare and that the capture card is plugged into the appropriate USB port on your streaming PC. (If you're using a PS4, make sure you disable HDCP copy protection on PS4 in settings, as you'll make your screen look weird and accept horrible clicking noises come out of your TV otherwise. For other consoles, go here.)

Adjacent, you lot'll need to boot up Game Capture Hard disk drive. Y'all should see whatsoever's on your TV in this app. Look at the height right where a small image of your capture card should be, and click through to its settings past clicking on the gear nether it. You should exist able to modify the settings there based on which panel you have plugged into your capture carte du jour. Information technology'southward important to change the settings to match your panel here because this changes what'due south going on inside the menu itself, and the signals it outputs to your calculator.

Finally, render to OBS and add a new video capture source to your live scene. Y'all should meet your Elgato capture card as an option, labeled past the port it'southward in; choose it. Your console'south video will now be mirrored in OBS.

For Macs, the procedure is different. You have to download a separate piece of software called OBS Link, which is what volition allow your estimator to recognize the input signal from the Elgato capture card as a video capture device, which you can so add to your stream. (It'due south important to annotation that the S+ can connect to Macs directly and doesn't need OBS Link to part.) You can find more information about how to ready that up here.

Phew. Lots to do, correct? And you're not ready to stream yet. But you do have a alive screen!

Step 2.7: OBS Settings

Now we swoop into the settings. This is extremely important because, as I mentioned to a higher place, this is how nosotros're going to optimize for our pipes. (If you're using Streamlabs, the software has probably done this for you at startup.) The first thing y'all should exercise is open up settings, navigate to video settings, so alter the frame charge per unit — "Mutual FPS Values" in OBS — to 30. This will drop the processor load considerably. To futz with it further, feel complimentary to become to town on the "Output (Scaled) Resolution"; if your stream is still choppy, drop the output resolution. Your viewers will probably notice a commensurate drib in quality, however.

There are a ton of other options in here. The other important box is nether output where you can detect your reckoner's streaming settings. Irresolute the encoder, bitrate, and presets will modify how your viewers experience your stream, and so experience free to play effectually in here. If something breaks, you'll know what did it.

But the most important part of this section is connecting OBS to your streaming platform. Go to the Stream tab and choose your service. If information technology asks you for a stream key, go to your settings on the platform you've decided to use; it should be in there somewhere. Never give out your stream fundamental considering if someone else has it, they tin stream anything they want to your channel.

Step 2.97: Record yourself

You're almost at that place. And yous're probably wondering: huh, what does this really await similar? Well, I have some good news for y'all. Whatever is showing on the screen in OBS is what the stream will output. Merely if you lot want to meet and hear what your mic and webcam are like in action, you lot should grab a quick recording of yourself so you can see for yourself earlier you stream to an audience. To do that, hit the "Start Recording" push under Controls. It'll record whatever is happening in OBS, and save it to the location delineated in Settings > Output > Recording. You lot can watch your broadcast at that place!

Stride iii: Stream!

At present that you lot accept your hardware set upwardly and your software configured, it'southward fourth dimension to exercise some final checks before y'all go live. The first: do you accept a place where you can hands read chat? That tin be your telephone, a tablet, an old estimator — just some place where yous can come across what people are saying and reply to them. The difference between live-streaming and something like live TV is that streaming is virtually interaction; yous talking with your viewers is what people come up for. The other thing is having a channel page that shows yous off: what you're interested in, what you lot play, and what kinds of things you like to exercise. Get ahead and play effectually with themes, overlays, and extensions until you find a look and branding that you like.

The chief thing to remember, though, is that streaming isn't really nigh the audition you lot draw in — though that is really cool — it's about being social and having a good fourth dimension.

If you know you can keep information technology fun, you're ready to get live. Go ahead and press that button. (You'll immediately exist live with whatever is on your screen in OBS, just in case that wasn't clear.) One last affair: to switch scenes while OBS is running, just click on the scene. A terminal tip: if you're taking an break and your microphone is active on the intermission scene, make certain you mute it until y'all go back.

Oh, and if y'all take whatsoever questions, you know who to call.