OBS Studio
many beginners do not understand the aspects of live streaming on Twitch. Some think they need technical knowledge and advanced equipment to get started. That is not true. The key to making a live stream look professional is not the equipment. It is all about understanding your encoding power. In other words, you need to know bitrate, resolution, and frame rate. But these need not be difficult if you have encoding software like the OBS Studio. If you use the software, you also need to get the best OBS settings for Twitch streaming.
OBS Studio is an encoding software program that streamers can use to stream videos. When you stream to your viewers, you need to ensure you are giving them high-quality content. One way of achieving this is to have the best OBS stream settings. But to get the settings right, it is essential to know how to use the OBS software.
Using OBS Studio for Twitch
To start using OBS Studio, you need to set up the software to stream on Twitch.
- Install the OBS Studio software on your device
- On the list of Streaming Services, select Twitch
- Open your Twitch TV dashboard
- Go to Settings, then Stream Key, then Show Key
- Enter the Stream Key into the Stream Key box. You will find this in the Broadcast Settings menu.
- Click Apply
After setting up OBS Studio for Twitch, next, configure your live stream layout and initiate the stream. You can do this by adding your game source, webcam, images, or text and then clicking on Start Streaming on the OBS Studio’s main window.
Why Bitrate is crucial
While it is easy to set up and initiate a live stream, you need to get your OBS settings right. But first, understand the following.
The bitrate you use in your optimal settings in the OBS Studio software matters a lot. Bitrate affects the file size and quality of a video you are streaming. Get the bitrate wrong, and you will experience more buffering. This will force you to lower your video’s resolution. If you choose a higher bitrate, you will increase the quality of your video and the file size will be large.
Large file size will cause a lot of buffering when your viewers are streaming. Most of your viewers do not have internet connections that can handle big file sizes. If you choose a low bitrate, you will decrease the quality of your videos. Ideally, you must figure out the right balance between file size and image quality. Getting the best bitrate without buffering will depend on various factors. These include:
- Bitrate
- Resolution
- Framerate
These three factors always affect the quality of a video. Also, they affect the amount of processing power for encoding a video and the bandwidth needed to broadcast the video. A rule of thumb is to ensure your stream is steady by lowering the framerate and resolution. You do not need a high-quality stream that will be buffering from time to time. If you are using the OBS Studio software, everything starts with your settings.
Best OBS Settings for Twitch
Not all settings work best for everyone. Some prefer settings with a high framerate of 60fps. Others prefer settings with the standard framerate of 30fps. But what are the OBS recommended settings for Twitch? You should have the following values on your OBS encoder. The values will depend on the quality of video you want for your stream.
- Full HD High Framerate
- Framerate – 50 or 60 fps
- Resolution – 1080p
- Keyframe interval – 2 seconds
- AVC (h.264) Profile – Main/High
- AVC (h.264) Level – 4.2
With these technical specs, you should have a bitrate of 4,500 to 6,000 kbps.
- HD High Framerate
- Framerate – 50 or 60 fps
- Resolution – 720p
- Keyframe Interval – 2 seconds
- AVC (h.264) Profile – Main/High
- AVC (h.264) Level – 4.1
You should have a bitrate of 3500 to 5000 kbps with the above technical specs.
- SD High Framerate
- Framerate – 50 or 60 fps
- Resolution – 480p
- Keyframe Interval – 2 seconds
- AVC (h.264) Profile – Main/High
- AVC (h.264) Level – 3.1
You should have a bitrate of 1500 to 3000 kbps with these technical specs.
- Full HD standard Framerate
- Framerate – 25 or 30 fps
- Resolution – 1080p
- Keyframe Interval – 2 seconds
- AVC (h.264) Profile – Main/High
- AVC (h.264) Level – 4.1
The best bitrate for these specs is 3500 to 5000 kbps.
- HD Standard Framerate
- Framerate – 25 or 30 fps
- Resolution – 720p
- Keyframe Interval – 2 seconds
- AVC (h.264) Profile – Main/High
- AVC (h.264) Level – 3.1
For these specs, the best bitrate to have is 2500 to 4000 kbps.
- Low Bandwidth Ingest
- Framerate – 20 or 25 fps
- Resolution – 240, 360 or 480p
- Keyframe Interval – 6 to 10 seconds
- AVC (h.264) Profile – Main/High
- AVC (h.264) Level – 3.0
The best bitrate for a low bandwidth should be 400 to 1200 kbps. Ideally, you should aim for an ingest of 1,000 kbps or less.
The above is the recommended stream settings for Twitch. To get the best settings for OBS streaming, play with the numbers until you find a setting that works for you. A rule of thumb is to get the right balance between bitrate and resolution. In most cases, blurring occurs when you have a low bitrate compared to the resolution.
As a beginner, the best stream settings you should consider are:
- Vertical resolution – 720p
- Framerate – 30 fps
- Bitrate – 3,000 kbps
OBS Studio is an encoder that will output the best quality streams. You only need to have the best settings.
Conclusion
It can be confusing to choose the best OBS settings for Twitch when getting started. But this should not be the case as the whole encoding process is about trial and error. Use Twitch’s recommended settings to determine which one works for you. If the settings don’t work, play around with the values until you get one that will ensure fluid streaming.