Streaming on Twitch can be a hobby, lifestyle, or simply a fun form of entertainment. Whatever the reason that you want to start Twitch streaming, anyone wanting to grow their own channel will first need to know how to get the ball rolling. Below, we will take a look at how to Stream on Twitch with OBS.
The Basics
To successfully use any streaming platform, you’ll need to know where to start.
We’re going to go ahead and go over the basics of getting your Twitch account set up and getting a channel of your own started.
What is Twitch.tv?
Just in case you don’t have much experience using Twitch, we will go over what it is and why it’s been growing in popularity so quickly. Twitch is a platform for gamers to broadcast their gameplay while online. It offers a live platform that others can view. Viewers can also participate via chat as they watch a live stream.
• Setting Up a Twitch Account
Before you can use Twitch, you’re going to need to first create a Twitch account. This is a pretty simple and straightforward process. Go to Twitch.tv and look in the top right corner. You’ll see two buttons: a login button and a sign-up button. Click the sign-up button. You simply fill out the online sign-up form and choose a username and password. We recommend picking a username that you really like. Your password doesn’t need to have a character or a number or anything like that. You’ll also need to enter your birthday. Keep in mind that underage users can’t create a Twitch.tv profile. Make sure that you choose an email address that you can access easily. Then, just hit “Sign Up”. There’s also an option to connect with Facebook. This is a good idea for growing your following, though it isn’t necessary. To use the connect via Facebook feature, you’ll have to have your Facebook login info. Now, just go to your email and verify your account. That’s it! You’ve got your account creation done.
• Setting Up Your Channel Page
Now it’s time to set up your channel page. This step is one of the most important parts of being a Twitch broadcaster. The way you set up this page will say a lot about you as a gamer. There are many aspects to consider when setting up your channel page; let’s go over it all step by step.
Graphics, Animations, and Designs
On Twitch, you’ll probably find that there’s a lot of room for creativity. That being said, creating in-depth animations and graphics can be a complicated process. This is why lately, many individuals and small companies offer their creative services to Twitch streamers. Owning your own custom images or emotes, banners, overlays, intros, or outros, can be a great way to make your channel look professional right off the rip. Shadey Designs specializes in graphics and animation for Twitch streamers so you may want to check out what we can do for you when you’re done reading this tutorial. The right designs can take your channel to a whole new level.
Avatar and Cover Image
Your avatar and cover image will be the most prominent features of your profile. You can use a picture or image that represents your brand. It will be the first thing that other users see. Your cover image should probably go with the theme of your channel. Don’t forget, Shadey Designs can help you create amazing custom images.
Offline Screen
Your video player banner will be an image that is displayed on the video player of your channel when you’re offline. You can capitalize on branding or provide information with a custom offline screen. Some streamers like to update their banners to give information on upcoming streaming schedules. Customizing your banner will help you grow your channel more effectively.
Info Panels
Your info panels will let you express your personality and give other users a chance to get to know you. When other viewers are deciding whether or not to follow a streamer, they will in many cases read through their info panels. This is essentially your ‘about’ section. In your panels, you will be able to post all relevant information about:
• Your schedule
• Any social media information
• The community shoutouts you want to give
• Your general stream overview
To create or edit a panel, you’ll toggle the panel edit switch from off to on. This will be in the top left corner underneath the video screen. You’ll be able to embed image links, add or remove information, etc. Click submit to save your changes. To see what everything looks like, click the on/off switch back to off.
• Choosing What’s Right for You
There are a few different ways that you can stream on Twitch. Actually creating a broadcast is usually an involved process that is constantly updating as games and software changes in this rapidly growing industry. Below, we are going to go over how to streaming with OBS. We will also try to include some relevant videos, as just reading about it may not be enough for novice users. Choose the streaming method that you prefer! Your Twitch channel will be an extension of your style, after all.
Here’s a link that can help you get going as you set up your really basic Twitch stuff.
How to Start Your Twitch Stream | Gaining viewers, community, and basic setup!
• Installing Open Broadcaster Software (OBS)
OBS software is a comprehensive software type that will help you broadcast your streams. Simply download OBS (Here’s the link) and set it up.
Open the settings and select Twitch as the service in the Stream selection section.
(Settings > Stream > Service > Twitch.)
Now, open Twitch in your browser and select dashboard. Go to settings, choose ‘stream key’, and then ‘show key’.
You’ll then need to paste the key in the OBS area called ‘stream Key’.
Now you’ll be able to start streaming.
There are other types of streaming software, so you can look around and decide for yourself which type you prefer. OBS is simply a comprehensive and powerful open source option that you can use to get started. It offers lots of flexibility. There’s also SLOBS, and many other types of software out there. The company Streamlab has created lots of helpful streaming software and software-related interfaces as well.
Decide What to Stream and Start Streaming
Now you need to choose what exactly you’ll be streaming. You can stream your game screen, yourself, or pretty much whatever you like! There are a few ways to go about streaming different things. Below, we will go over how to stream some of the usual Twitch channel stuff.
• Streaming Games or Yourself on Camera
Whether you want to stream yourself, games or yourself working, there are a few things you’ll want to do to set that up. We will now take a look at exactly what this will entail.
Game Streaming
Many streamers choose to stream games on their channel. Game streaming lets other users and viewers of your channel see exactly what’s going on as you play a game or interact with a desktop application. Viewers can comment and interact with each other and with you in the chat below the screen. You can (and probably should) add audio so you can tell your viewers exactly what’s going on. This will let you simultaneously allow you to show other users game features, strategies, or whatever, all while interacting with them and explaining what you’re up to.
Games and most other desktop applications can be streamed in essentially the same way. To start, first, you’ll need to go to the sources panel in your OBS program. Press the + button and choose ‘game capture’. Enter the name of the desktop application or game that you want to start streaming in the ‘create new field’ area. Open your game or application. Select ‘capture specific window’ and then press ‘OK.’ In the window drop-down menu, you’ll want to choose the application you want to stream. Press ‘OK’.
You may find that you need to resize the source. It should be at the bottom of your ‘sources’ list. This list has been designed to mimic the visual ranked overlays that will be layered. To resize the source, you’ll want to drag the corner of the source and snap into the edges of the full window.
This process can seem a bit vague when you’re just reading about it. Here is a comprehensive guide that goes over what we are talking about.
Desktop Streaming
If you just want to go ahead and show your entire desktop and everything in your workspace, there’s a way to do that too. For the record, if you have sensitive information on your monitor that you don’t want to share, you should probably not show everything. That being said, some streamers find it necessary to show everything so that their viewers can have an in-depth tutorial experience, among other reasons.
All you have to do to show your whole workspace is to choose ‘display capture’ for your source. Now just enter a name and then press ‘OK’.
Live Camera Streaming
In our opinion, one of the best parts about watching someone’s live stream is seeing the way that they react and express their opinions as they game. Streaming with a camera and also showing your game stream is a good idea as well. Some people feel awkward showing themselves on camera but if you really think about it, this is the way that the world sees you. Interacting on your camera can allow viewers to feel like they’re really socializing with you personally. To show your camera, you’ll choose ‘video capture’ as your source and then you’ll name your camera. We suggest naming it ‘camera’ for obvious reasons. Now you’ll choose your camera and click ‘OK’. You’re going to place your source right above the ‘window capture’ in the list of sources and then resize the source how you like it.
You’re also going to want to add your microphone. To add your mic, just put it in as an ‘audio’ source.
Configuring OBS Settings for Streaming
Okay, so your settings and preferences will really vary depending on the games your playing, your particularities, and your experience level. The way that you configure your OBS stream settings will be pretty much up to you. The way that one streamer configures their settings can vary greatly from the way that another streamer prefers to set things up. Professional streamers usually use an entirely separate second computer to encode their streams. This helps them avoid using up resources from their main device. To decide how to configure your settings, we seriously recommend looking up Youtube videos and hearing multiple opinions on the matter. In general, many people will set their Video Bitrate to around 4500. The encoder will be set to ‘Software(x264)’ and audio bitrate can be around 160. To get into these settings, go to ‘preferences’ in OBS. Click the ‘output’ category and then start settings things up. Once again, do your own research. Your bandwidth will be a big factor in how you configure your OBS preferences as well.
Advanced Settings and Tools
This is where you’ll mess with things like overlays, your logo and branding, alerts, and more. We could get into this category pretty deeply, but since this is just a quick guide about how to start streaming live on Twitch, we will try to keep it simple. We have included a video for setting up each category. This way, you can get a really comprehensive idea of how to get things started on the right foot. Let’s start with this tutorial video that shows you how to initially set up your OBS for gaming, desktop sharing, etc.
How To Use OBS To Stream To Twitch – Full Tutorial
OBS Studio – How to Add Game, Webcam, Overlay, Text Sources
Best OBS Settings for Streaming in 2018
Hopefully, these videos can help reinforce what we are trying to explain. Keep in mind that if you really want to learn a new platform, one of the best things you can do is dive in and start exploring on your own.
So there you have it! A fairly brief guide on how to get the basics taken care of and start Twitch streaming for yourself. Remember, your page set up and the quality of your broadcasts will be a critical part of building your audience. Shadey Designs can help you out! We offer an extensive range of professional animation and graphics services to Twitch streamers. Thanks for reading, and happy streaming!
