Using OBS to Stream on YouTube – A Quick Guide

We saw how to go live on YouTube from your phone in a previous article. The native YouTube live function, on the other hand, does not allow you to use custom layouts, display your desktop screen, or go live with more than one person. Fortunately, you can get around all of these restrictions by utilising an encoder such as OBS. Here's all you need to know about using OBS to stream to YouTube.

Prior to Going Live

Make sure you have at least 1,000 subscribers on your channel. You must also verify your channel, which is a simple process. Finally, make sure you haven't had any live stream restrictions in the previous 90 days.

What Is OBS and How Does It Work?

If this is your first time using OBS (short for Open Broadcaster Software), you might find things a little confusing. OBS is a video encoder that digitises videos and delivers them to YouTube to be live-streamed to your audience. You can also use Wirecast, Stage Ten, Streamlabs OBS, and other encoders in addition to OBS. OBS, on the other hand, is the most often used encoder for going live on YouTube. We also use OBS with a TechWiser live stream for our SNL.

Steps to Streaming Live on YouTube Using OBS as a tool

We've broken down the technique into three basic stages to make things easier for newcomers.

1. Getting YouTube to Work

Follow the instructions assuming you already have 1000 subscribers and have authenticated your channel as described at the beginning of this guide.

1. Go to studio.youtube.com, select Go live, and then click the CREATE button in the upper right corner.

2. If it's your first time going live, you'll get a handful of popups asking when you want to go live. Choose an option that is appropriate for you. In this case, I'll go with Right now.

3. YouTube will ask you to choose a type of stream to start with in the next step. Select Streaming software because we'll be using an OBS here.

Following a recent uproar, YouTube now asks, "Is this video intended for children?" before you put a video or a live feed on the internet. Unless you run a YouTube channel for children, most producers should choose the second option, No, it's not meant for children, and then click the Save button.

4. After that, you'll be taken to YouTube's live streaming setup page. Consider it a command centre for your live stream. It provides a preview window, metadata setting, analytics, stream health, and other statistics. Let's do it one at a time.

The Edit button is located at the top of the page. Select it by clicking on it.

5. Next, give the video a title and description, as well as a visibility setting. We recommend going with Public, but if you want to play around with it first, you can go with Unlisted. Unlisted, on the other hand, can be accessed by anybody who possesses the live stream's exact URL.

After clicking Save, you will be sent to the live dashboard.

6. Next, we'll need a secret key called Stream key to synchronise your OBS with YouTube. The stream key can be found at the bottom of your YouTube live dashboard. Simply copy the stream key and put it into a notepad. It'll come in handy later.

For the time being, our work on YouTube is complete. Let's go to OBS now.

2. Configuring OBS

1. After that, download OBS and install it like any other programme. For a better experience, we recommend using a Windows PC and running it as an administrator. If you're using a Mac, go to the Security and Privacy option in System Preferences and grant the necessary rights. For the changes to take effect, you may need to restart your computer.

2. After you've successfully installed OBS, go to the bottom right corner and click the Settings icon. You can adjust the audio/video settings here, as well as enter the stream key you copied in part 1's step 6.

3. Select YouTube -RTMPS from the Service drop-down box under the Stream tab on the left side.

Paste your YouTube stream key from the notepad into the Stream Key area. This will establish a connection between OBS and YouTube. The OBS app does not require you to enter your YouTube credentials. Simply double-check that the key in your encoder matches the one in your Stream Settings, or the stream will not begin.

4. Choose frame rates, resolution, and bit rate under the Video and Output tabs. Using an ethernet cable, we recommend 4K or at least 1080p. If you're using Wi-Fi, make sure you're on the 5GHz network to avoid jitter.

5. After that, go to the Audio tab. Set one of the Desktop Audio options to your system's audio output if you want viewers to hear desktop audio. Select microphone from the drop-down box next to Mic/Auxiliary Audio if you want your viewers to hear you instead. Due to Apple's constraints, sharing desktop audio on a Mac is difficult. As a result, you'll have to devise a workaround. This is also why we recommend using a Windows computer.

When you're through making changes, click Apply and then OK to close the settings panel.

6. In the main window, go to Sources and click the Plus icon. Select the desired option from the pop-up menu. Select Video Capture Device if all you want to do is go live on YouTube with your camera. Select Game Capture and so on if you wish to stream game footage.

I'm going to use the Video Capture option to capture webcam footage in this case.

7. Give your webcam a name, then click OK to save your modifications.

3. Begin to stream

It's ready to go live on YouTube now that you've modified your settings.

1. On the OBS dashboard, click the Start Streaming icon in the bottom right corner. In the YouTube Live control room, you'll see a preview once a signal is received. Keep in mind that between your live stream and the public page where your viewers are watching, there will be a 20-second delay.

2. To stop the stream, go to YouTube's upper right corner and select the End Stream icon.

Final Thoughts:

Stream on YouTube With OBS, you'll be able to

Other programmes that connect to your YouTube Studio account and allow you to stream are available, but OBS is the most popular. Why? Because it is simple to use and implement. You can also use the default option in the official YouTube Studio, however it lacks modifications. Have fun streaming!