Initial Configuration

When you launch OBS for the first time, it will offer to run the Auto-Configuration Wizard. This is convenient for beginners — OBS will choose the best settings based on your computer's specs and internet speed.

If you'd like to configure settings manually:

• Go to Settings → Output:
  • Encoder: x264 (CPU) or NVENC (NVIDIA GPU)
  • Bitrate: 2500–6000 kbps depending on your desired quality
• Go to Settings → Video:
  • Base Resolution: 1920x1080
  • Output Resolution: 1280x720 or 1920x1080
  • Frame Rate (FPS): 30 or 60

Creating a Scene and Adding Sources

1. At the bottom of the OBS interface, click the + button in the Scenes panel to create a new scene.
2. In the Sources panel, click + and add the sources you need:
   • Game Capture — to stream games
   • Display Capture — to stream your entire desktop
   • Window Capture — for a specific application window
   • Video Capture Device — to add your webcam
   • Audio Input Capture — for your microphone
   • Audio Output Capture — for desktop audio (system sounds)

Connecting to a Streaming Platform

1. Go to Settings → Stream.
2. Choose your platform (e.g., Twitch, YouTube, Kick).
3. Paste your Stream Key, which you can find in your platform's account dashboard.
4. Click OK or Apply to save the settings.

Starting Your Stream

1. Review your scene setup and sources.
2. Click the Start Streaming button on the OBS main screen.
3. OBS will connect to your selected platform and begin broadcasting live.

Tips

• Use a wired internet connection for a more stable stream.
• Set up Hotkeys under Settings → Hotkeys to quickly switch scenes or start/stop streaming.
• Try a test recording with Start Recording to ensure audio and video quality before going live.
• Save multiple scene collections if you stream different types of content.

You're now ready to go live! 🎥 Happy streaming!