How to stream to twitch

Quick Start Guide to Streaming on Twitch

Stream your art, music, gameplay, or all the best sports action in just a few simple steps.

1. First, if you don’t have one already, you’ll need to create a Twitch account. Don’t forget to turn on Two-Factor Authentication to keep your account safe. We also recommend downloading the Twitch app on your iOS or Android mobile device. Not only can you use it to watch streams wherever you are, you can also access your Creator Dashboard to modify basic settings, run ads, and even go live.

2. Review the Community Guidelines and Terms of Service fully. It’s also recommended that you establish your Moderation and Safety settings before your first stream to ensure the best experience for you and your growing community. AutoMod is a great tool to serve as your first line of defense for moderation, with settings you can adjust to your preferences.

3. Customize your channel so new viewers know who you are when they find you. You can modify your profile photo and bio via your mobile device, or customize a number of additional settings via a web browser. We’ve set up an entire Creator Camp page on Personal Branding to show you all of the places you can customize your channel page to reflect you and your brand.

4. Optimize your set up! You’ll want to consider which hardware you’ll need to stream your audio and visuals. We’ve created some helpful guides to help you get started in Setting Up Your Stream. Keep in mind, it doesn’t have to be complicated! If you’ve got a Playstation or Xbox, it’s likely you could be live in just a matter of minutes.

5. Select and set up your broadcasting software so you can get your content out there! Twitch Studio, available on both Windows and Mac, is Twitch’s first-party streaming software that makes it easy to set up a stream and go live in minutes. Guided onboarding helps automatically detect your microphone, webcam, and other technical aspects of a stream, and pre-loaded starter layouts help creators effortlessly personalize the look of their stream. Alerts and Chat are built-in, helping you easily monitor channel activity and interact with your community.

6. Add a few extensions to your channel. Visit your Creator Dashboard and navigate to the Extensions tab right above the Creator Camp link. As an example try out the CTRL+ and Sound Alerts extensions to enhance your community viewing experience and drive viewer participation.

Now, you’re ready to go live, just don’t forget to title, categorize, and tag your stream so viewers can find you! Below you’ll find a list of references to help you troubleshoot if you have issues. And, once you’re ready to upgrade, we’ve got you covered with tutorials to help you with hardware, software, and strategies.

How to Stream on Twitch With OBS: PC, Mac, Xbox, PS4

Setting up Twitch is simple, but the amount of configuration options could be overwhelming. In this blog, we’ll walk you through the entire process — from setting up to creating the most engaging game stream content.

The influx of viewers and streamers on Twitch has been on the rise for eight years. The coronavirus pandemic also contributed to the increasing number. From January to September 2020, Twitch saw a 37% growth in its average users (from 1,357,375 to 2,162,870)

For content creators, especially game streamers, this is a promising opportunity. If you’re already a professional game-streaming enthusiast, or looking into making a hobby or career out of game streaming, you may want to look into Twitch.

Table of Contents

Before You Begin

Twitch has a friendly interface for newcomers to stream their content. But a lot of streams get shut down due to violations of Twitch’s community guidelines. So make sure you carefully review their policies, terms of services, and moderation and safety rules before setting up your streams.

What You Need to Stream on Twitch With OBS

Create a Twitch Account

Twitch released a new user-interface update in 2019. But the signup should take less than a minute

You’re all set to get started!

Get Stream Key From Twitch

OBS allows you to connect to Twitch via your account or a stream key. If you want to connect from an account, skip this step.

A stream key is a unique code that you use to connect Twitch to OBS, or any other livestreaming platforms. Your stream key should be kept secret. Do NOT share this key with anyone as they can broadcast on your stream.

To get a stream key from Twitch:

Connect Twitch to OBS

Open Broadcaster Software (OBS) is a free and open-source software program. OBS is often used as a software encoder, but many streamers customize it for advanced usage.

First off, you can install OBS here. OBS is available across Windows, macOS and Linux.

After installing, open OBS:

If you connect via Twitch account, click Connect Account > sign in to Twitch > input your 6-digit two-factor authentication number.

If you use your stream key, paste the stream key found in Twitch to your OBS.

Click OK, and now you’re connected.

Alternatives to OBS

If OBS is not your encoder of choice, there are several software encoder programs that serve the same functions. Here are some of our suggestions:

Learn more about the differences of software encoders

How to Stream on Twitch with OBS

Setting up a basic streaming session on Twitch should take less than 5 minutes — but OBS’ interface and configuration numbers could get you lost. You may look at your computer’s capacity to define the right specs for your streams. Here’s a reference on choosing the right resolutions, bitrates and framerates.

It usually takes several trials and errors to get the smoothest streams possible. We recommend that you experiment with different setting combinations before going live.

Step 1: Bitrates, Video, and Audio Settings

Bitrates

Bitrate is the number of bits processed in one second. In general, the higher the bitrate is, the better the quality of your stream turns out. However, high bitrates can also put a massive strain on your hardware, causing unstable video streams.

Your chosen bitrates depend on your computer, encoder type, and internet upload speed. It also depends on your resolution and framerates. Bitrates are only expected to go up when the resolution and frame rates increase.

For example, Twitch recommends a bitrate of 6000 kbps when streaming at 1920×1080 and 50 fps, or 3000 kbps at 1280×70 and 30 fps.

Once you have determined your bitrate, go to OBS > File > Settings > Output > under Streaming, enter your Video Bitrate and choose your Encoder (Software x264 or Hardware QSV)

Video Settings

On the left sidebar, go to Video > choose your Base (Canvas) Resolution, your Output (Scaled) Resolution, Downscale Filter, and Common FPS Values.

Twitch recommends a Full HD resolution setting is 1080p with 60 fps. The higher your frame rates are, the more encoding power you’ll need — so choose a frame rate according to your device’s capacity.

Audio Settings

Audio is another essential factor of the quality of your livestream.

On the left sidebar, click Audio > choose a sample rate between 44.1 or 48 kHz.

Then pick your audio device. If you broadcast sound from your computer, choose your Desktop Audio. If you have a microphone, select your device from the Mic/Auxiliary Audio section.

Step 2: Assemble

For game streamers, a typical stream on any platform requires three main components: Your game, your audio, and your webcam.

Set up your game:

Note: If the Game Capture mode does not work, try Sources > (+) icon > Display Capture

Set up your webcam:

Step 3: Test

At this point, you are almost ready to start streaming your game. But to be extra careful before going live in front of your audience, we recommend that you do a test run for audio and video.

In the Audio Mixer section, you can adjust the volume of your game sound and sound from your microphone.

To test, click the Start Recording button on the right. Briefly play your game and speak to your microphone > click Stop Recording and watch through your test. If the volume is too high or too low, you can always adjust using the Audio Mixer.

Another trick you can do for stream testing is to broadcast to a dummy Twitch account, in which you make sure nobody has access to it.

Step 4: Go live

One final step and you’re done:

How to Stream to Twitch from Xbox and PlayStation

You don’t need a whole gargantuan gaming PC to be able to stream games on Twitch. In case of a limited budget, you can still stream from your own game console. Here’s how you can stream games to Twitch from Xbox One and PlayStation 4.

To stream from Xbox One:

To stream from PlayStation 4 (PS4):

Tips for Streaming Success on Twitch

Build rapport with your viewers

A common issue that many Twitch streamers encounter is low audience reach. Twitch suggests that you should customize your channel so your viewers know who you are, what type of content you provide, and even a bit of your personality!

Stream consistently

Consistency is another key to streaming success. When you stream on a regular basis and on a fixed schedule (i.e., a certain day of the week), your audience will know in advance when to show up.

Set up notifications

One more tip: notify your audience before streaming. Twitch has a notification feature, which automatically sends messages to your frequent visitors whenever you go live. Make sure you customize and optimize your notifications, so your viewers will want to tune in right away!

Take it to the Next Level with Multistreaming

If you are a pro-gamer or pro-streamer and want to reach a larger audience, multistreaming is your key.

Castr can help you multistream from OBS to Twitch and any other platforms such as Facebook Gaming, Facebook Live, YouTube Events, DLive, Mobcrush, and more. This can be done in three simple steps:

Takeaways

Join 200,000+ streamers worldwide

With Castr, you can easily livestream and multistream videos to 40+ platforms.

No Castr Branding

No need to remove Castr branding on your videos

No Commitment

No contracts. Cancel or change your plans anytime

Cancel anytime

Highly skilled in-house engineers ready to help

The Basics

Now that you know how to stream, let’s take a look at some best practices to keep your channel growing and your community happy.

JessicaBlevins, LobosJr, and Venalis

Customize your channel page

Your channel page is the home for your stream and a hub for your community. It’s also a reflection of who you are as a streamer, so make it stand out! This is where you can set the tone for your community and showcase your personality. From the actual design of your Channel Page and the Panels you define, to the extensions you choose to use, to the Moderation settings for your chat, and the behind the scenes Account Settings for things like Bits (more on those later) and filters, we encourage you to customize your page to make it uniquely ‘you’.

In addition to your video player and chat, your channel page is also home to various panels that you can use to give viewers information about yourself, post your streaming schedule, and much more. It’s up to you what you use panels for, but for your safety remember that it’s best not to include personal information like your full name or address.

Stream on schedule, consistency is key

We’ve done a little research and discovered that the majority of content watched on Twitch is on a consistent, regular basis. It’s just like when you get familiar with a favorite TV show being on at the same time every week. If the showtime suddenly changes without you knowing it, it’s annoying.

What does this mean for you? Stream on a set schedule even if it’s just a few hours a week and do it consistently. You don’t have to stream at the exact same time every day, just find times that work for you throughout the week and stick to them. Don’t forget to add your schedule on your channel page (and on your social media accounts!) so your viewers know when to tune in.

Let viewers know you’re live

When you are ready to stream, be sure to notify your viewers. Notifications are an important way to build a relationship with your viewers and remind them to tune in to your channel.

When you tap the “go live” button notifications are sent to viewers on the website, to their mobile device, or via email. Go Live notifications are “smart” so viewers will only receive one notification in the most relevant place.

Viewers that visit your channel from a notification are often the best users that participate in chat and hype your stream. Here are some tips for making the most of your notifications:

More resources on Go Live Notifications can be found here.

Have a purpose

Viewers come to Twitch for all sorts of reasons and knowing what they’re looking for can help you decide what kind of stream to develop. Below you’ll find some of the most common themes, but many of the most successful channels contain a mixture of two or more of these elements.

A particular game

If you love a certain type of game or subject, own it. Viewers often visit Twitch because they have a passion for a specific game or hobby and look for channels that specialize in that content. You can be that channel.

Skill

Some streamers focus on the ins and outs of a game, provide tips and tricks, and display a level of skill many viewers aspire to. If you’ve mastered a game try sharing some “behind the scenes” info with your viewers like your favorite tricks, and put your skills to the test by streaming competitive matches.

Entertainment

Some of the best experiences on Twitch are built around pure entertainment. Try talking with your chat about anything you find entertaining, even if it’s not related to the game or hobby you’re streaming. And remember, because you’re streaming live, spontaneous moments are par for the course. Embrace them!

Social

Streamer communities center themselves around shared interests and those are largely determined by you and what you share on stream. But Twitch is a two way street. Let your community help guide your stream, remember your most common viewers names, talk to the ones who like to chat, and learn about them.

Introduction to Streaming Set Ups

There’s so much to consider when starting your first stream, and the technical aspect alone can seem overwhelming. It’s not just the hardware you need to game, but all of the other necessary components and peripherals to get your stream live on Twitch.

With the right combination of tools, you can have a high quality broadcast without breaking the bank.

Mrgregles

Getting Started

When you start streaming, there are some basic essentials you need to get started, but you don’t have to break the bank! Budgeting can be an issue for many hobby streamers, so if you have to prioritize which items to spend on and which to save for later, the most important things to consider are:

Streaming Software

There are many options when it comes to streaming software. Twitch Studio is our free streaming app designed from the ground up to meet new streamers needs. It enables you to stream directly on Twitch and provides a guided and intuitive experience when setting up your stream. If you’re thinking about becoming a streamer or tried and gave up because it was too difficult, Twitch Studio is for you! It’s a great place to start as a beginner streamer, however, you can also run OBS, XSplit or others. You can dive deeper here in this help article to find the software that’s right for you

Hardware

Your machine is the essential component needed when it comes to your stream. Running your stream software will be the main task on your PC, so you need to make sure it’s built with the minimum requirements for the software you use, in addition to encoding. Most mid-tier computers (including PCs and Macs) should be able to run a basic game, webcam/audio software, and your broadcasting software.

Audio

Providing good audio can significantly change the perception of your stream, and sometimes even make or break the entire viewing experience for your audience. From budget to high end to headset microphones, the cost and quality aren’t as impactful to your audio as how you set it up. To increase the quality of whichever microphone you use, make sure you assess the type of content you create and choose your microphone accordingly. Is the area you stream in noisy or soundproofed? A condensed microphone will pick up lots of environmental sound, while a dynamic microphone will pick only what is directed at it. With proper research and consideration, your audio will be great and your stream will thrive!

Video

While many streamers choose to show their facial reactions while they stream, you certainly don’t have to! However, if you do plan to stream with a camera, you don’t need to start with the most high-end option. What you should consider however, are aspects like camera location, angle, lighting, and positioning. These can enhance even the most basic camera without breaking the bank.

As with audio, the type of content you create may help determine how much effort and budget you place into your camera. For example, if you plan on streaming to “Just Chatting” or stream non-gaming content like Art & Illustration, you may want to consider investing more in a camera or lighting since this is your primary content. If the majority of your stream focuses on a game you are playing, the camera you choose will have less of an impact on the overall quality of your stream.

How to Stream on Twitch

Everything you need to know to set up your first Twitch stream.

As a new streamer, you may be asking yourself how to start a live stream on Twitch? You may even ask yourself which platform you should stream on. While there is no right answer, Twitch is continually breaking records and the most-watched platform compared to YouTube and Facebook.

We recommend getting familiar with each platform. If you already have an established community on Facebook or YouTube, start there. You may find it helpful to Multistream at first to see which platform gets traction.

In this blog, we are going to focus on Twitch. The platform allows for a ton of customization and has tools to help you create and establish a unique brand.

Setting up a Twitch stream can seem like a daunting experience. In this blog, we are going to discuss several key factors you should consider before going live on Twitch.

Before we begin, it’s important to remember there is no secret to success. If you’d like to become a full-time streamer, hard work, dedication, long hours, and a deep commitment to creating engaging content is required. For many people, becoming a full-time streamer isn’t necessarily the end goal, and that’s okay. Either way, these tips will help you create a great Twitch channel.

Table of Contents

How to create a Twitch account for streaming

Setting up an account on Twitch is easy.

1. Reference community guidelines.

Before you start creating content on Twitch it is a good idea to reference the community guidelines. Any content that is deemed inappropriate or legal is grounds to get your account on Twitch and Streamlabs suspended. So read them carefully, and make sure you are streaming approved content for the website.

2. Create an account.

On a desktop computer, simply click the “sign up” button and fill out the appropriate information.

3. Enable two-factor authentication.

Before you can start broadcasting you’ll need to enable 2FA. On a desktop computer, log into your account, navigate to security settings, and enable 2FA.

Download Streamlabs Desktop

Download Streamlabs Desktop here. Once installed, launch the program, and it will ask you to sign in, so it knows what channel you’re going to stream with. Click Twitch and fill out your login credentials. This information is only used to link your account and authorize streaming from the Streamlabs software.

Connect Paypal and Create a Streamlabs Tip Page

Setting up a Streamlabs tip page is one of the easiest ways to start earning an income from streaming. Setting up a tip page is entirely free and will never take a cut of the money you receive. Setting up your tip page only takes a few seconds, so let’s dive into it.

If you are logging into Streamlabs.com for the first time, the onboarding process will ask you to add your Paypal email address or other supported payment processors. Once you finish that step, your tip page is ready to go; this is the fastest way to set up your donation page, but if you’ve already logged in or skipped the onboarding, you can also set up your tip page from the settings. To do that:

2. Click on Donation Settings > Methods and choose your preferred Payment Processor.

3. Go through the necessary steps to connect your account.

After your account is connected, your tip page will be available at Streamlabs.com/USERNAME.

Manage Tip Page Settings

You can manage a range of tip page settings from the Streamlabs dashboard. Not based in the US? You can choose which currency you’d like donations to appear in. Set the minimum amount required to donate, and even adjust the recommended amount that appears for a user when they visit your tip page.

You can also edit the message that appears on your page when users visit, adjust profanity filters to block out offensive words, and even customize the image that appears as your donation page header.

Visit the dashboard to view all of the tip page settings.

Create a Consistent Brand

You may find that creating a unique look or aesthetic for your channel is a good way for people to remember you. The best ways to create a unique brand include:

Social Media

Your brand starts with social media. There are many social media platforms to choose from, but we recommend starting with Twitter because that is most popular in the creator and gaming space. Start communicating with the world about your stream. Promote your social channels when you stream. Plug your handles when you are live. Include links in your about section. Social media acts as a way to amplify your reach when you stream and gives your community a place to interact with you.

Stream Overlays

Stream overlays make it easy to grab people’s attention while showing off your personality and unique style.

There are over 250 free overlay themes available in Streamlabs. You can also get access to hundreds of stream overlays, assets, and templates designed by top artists in the industry like Nerd or Die, Visuals by Impulse, OWN3D, and more when you subscribe to Streamlabs Prime.

Visit our theme library to browse all of the overlay assets available to you.

Twitch Panels

Panels help keep your brand cohesive and consistent throughout your channel. Panels provide viewers with links to important websites that you want them to see. This can be everything from your Twitter, Instagram, tip page, and anything in between.

TimTheTatman’s recent rebrand is a great example of Twitch panels with a consistent theme. While not absolutely necessary for everyone, a professional-looking stream can encourage new viewers to stick around and drop a follow.

If you have skills in photoshop you can create Twitch panels yourselves. Or, you can use Streamlabs’ new Twitch Panel Editor.

Our Twitch panels are professionally designed and come with over 50 different templates.

Each template comes with a panel for your donations, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, merch store, and Creator Site.

Don’t see a panel for a website you want to promote? There are 20 different additional icons you can choose from to match the website or social media you want the panel to link to. Completely customize the font style, text, size, and position.

How to Add Live Stream Alerts

Having alerts is a crucial element of any live broadcast on Twitch and helps you stand out from the crowd, keep viewers coming back, and encourage others to interact with your live stream.

On-screen alerts are often your viewer’s first impression. We recommend spending time to make them unique and memorable.

Add an Alert Box Widget

The first thing you want to do is add an Alert Box widget to your live stream. Widgets are features you can add in Streamlabs Desktop to help you interact and engage with your community. You can learn more about the top widgets we recommend adding to your live stream by watching our video here.

To add an Alert Box, press the plus sign in the “Sources” section of Streamlabs Desktop.

Now select “Alert Box” from the pop-up menu.

After you are done adding the source, viewers will see our default alert appear on the screen when you get a new subscriber, bit, follow, host, etc.

Use this opportunity to acknowledge your viewers for contributing to the stream. Recognition makes your viewers feel good and also encourages others to support you.

Pre-Made Alerts

If you don’t want to use the default alert, Streamlabs offers pre-made alerts created by top designers in the industry like Nerd or Die, Visuals by Impulse, and OWN3D. You can visit our Alert Box Themes page to browse the full collection of alert themes.

Create Custom Alerts

If you don’t want to use a pre-made alert, you can manually customize your own by navigating to the Streamlabs dashboard and clicking on “Alert Box” on the left-hand side.

This page is your command center when it comes to editing your alerts. From here, you can choose to edit your “General Settings”, which will affect every single alert type and/or further customize specific alert types.

Depending on the platform you choose, your alert types will differ. For example, in the picture below I’m logged into Twitch, and therefore have options to customize my alerts for Follows, Subscriptions, Hosts, Bits, etc.

Alert General Settings

General Settings apply to every alert type. You can edit the alert delay, mod approvals, profanity filters, add custom bad words, etc.

How to Customize Specific Alert Types

To customize an alert click on the specific event type you wish to edit. In the example pictured below, we are editing alerts for new Twitch followers.

On this page, you can customize the layout of the alert, the image or gif that’s played, sound, font, animation, duration, etc. Now when I receive a new Twitch follower my viewers will see a sweet gif of Obi-Wan Kenobi.

How to Add Alert Variations

Now your alerts should be set up and ready for your first live stream. If you have any questions or comments, please let us know. Remember to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Download Streamlabs Desktop.

If you would like to get started or learn more, please visit our website here. Remember to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

How to Get The Best Streaming Settings on Twitch

Having settings that are too high for your computer’s hardware can cause performance issues for your live stream. For new Twitch streamers, Streamlabs Desktop has an Auto Optimize feature that automatically scans your internet speed and computer hardware to give you our recommended settings. Access this feature by opening Streamlabs Desktop, navigating to Settings > General. It’s a fantastic way to jump right in without having to mess with the finer details.

If you are more technically savvy, you can adjust settings within Streamlabs Desktop to help ensure optimal quality.

Quality and Resolution

The output of your video resolution can have a significant impact on the quality of your live stream and the performance of Streamlabs Desktop. For example, streaming at 1080p vs 720p will double the number of pixels, meaning your computer will be using more resources.

To adjust your resolution, select “Video” from the side panel in the setting window.

You can leave the base (canvas) resolution as your computer’s native resolution. We recommended lowering the Output (Scaled) Resolution since streaming in 1080p can have a significant impact on your CPU. We recommend lowering the Output (Scaled) Resolution to 1280×720 for a good balance between performance and quality.

Choose your Encoder

When it comes to encoders, there are two types: software (x264) and hardware (NVENC). The software encoder (x264) will use your CPU to encode video, while hardware encoders like NVENC utilize a dedicated encoder in the GPU, allowing you to play and stream without compromising game performance. If you are using an NVIDIA graphics card we recommend you stream with NVENC.

Change the CPU Usage Preset

To change the CPU usage preset, navigate to “Output” in the settings window.

x264 offers a range of usage preset. This refers to how fast the CPU encodes video. The faster it encodes, the less CPU it uses. By default, this is set to “Very Fast”, which provides the best balance between performance and quality.

NVENC presets range from low-latency, optimal performance, and max quality. We recommend starting with the “Quality” preset and experimenting from there to find what works best for you.

Enable Dynamic Bitrate

In a recent update to Streamlabs Desktop, we included a feature called Dynamic Bitrate. This feature allows our software to automatically adjusts your bitrate based on network conditions to prevent dropping frames.

If you’re computer and internet speed can’t handle the bitrate you’ve set, you may experience dropped frames to improve the stability of your stream and minimize latency.

To enable Dynamic Bitrate, navigate to the settings window, and click “Advanced.” Scroll down and toggle the box next to the option that says “Dynamically change bitrate when dropping frames while streaming”.

Edit Bitrate Manually

You can also manually edit your bitrate. Below is Twitch’s own recommend specs for NVIDIA NVENC depending on the resolution and fps you’d like to achieve.

1080p 60fps

1080p 30fps

720p 60fps

720p 30fps

Please remember, everybody’s setup is going to be different so make sure to play around with the settings yourself to find out what works best for you.

If you have any questions or comments, please let us know. Remember to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Download Streamlabs Desktop.