In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to connect and live stream to Twitch using OBS studio in 4 simple steps! You can be up and running in under 10 – 15 minutes and show off your live streaming skills and gameplay to the world.

Thanks to its ease of use and open-source philosophy, OBS Studio is among the most popular streaming programs. It is well integrated with Twitch, giving gamers plenty of ways to make their stream unique while also running smoothly.

This article will show you how to connect OBS Studio with this popular platform in a few easy steps.

If you are new to OBS Studio, then check out our tutorials on OTTVerse to get familiarized with OBS Studio’s installation, setup, and streaming settings.

If you are familar with OBS Studio, then let’s move on to the fun part – streaming to Twitch from OBS Studio.

Check out our Top 12 Tips to Improving the Quality of your Live Video Streaming now and beat your competition!

Table of Contents

1. Getting a Stream Key from Twitch for LiveStreaming

First, let’s locate the Stream Key to connect Twitch with OBS Studio. To do this, first go to Twitch.

Visit Twitch

Click on your account in the top right corner and choose Creator Dashboard.

Copy the Stream Key in Twitch

Go to Settings > Stream, and you will find a Primary Stream Key. It’s hidden, but you can click Show to see it if you really want to. Just make sure to keep it private. For now, click on Copy to move the key to your clipboard.

2. Configuring OBS Studio for Streaming to Twitch

Now, we can jump to the OBS Studio setup. If you don’t have it installed on your computer, you can download OBS Studio here. This software is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux, and go here for a detailed installation guide.

After installation, there are 2 ways you can set up OBS Studio –

2.1 OBS Studio Setup with Auto-Configuration Wizard

If it’s your first time running it, a wizard will pop up to guide you through the setup. We recommend that you go through this process first but expect to fine-tune your setup later.

From the 3 options, pick Optimize for Streaming, recording is secondary. It’s best to use 1080p for Base Resolution and set fps to 60. In the next window, select Twitch as your Service, enter your stream key, and hit next. It will take a few moments before you get the results.

Livestreaming using OBS Studio to Twitch

If you don’t know what is Bitrate or Resolution, check out our beginners article on Bitrate and Resolution in Video Streaming and Compression.

Note: You can also access this process by going to Tools > Auto-Configuration Wizard.

However, if your setup is limited, that may not be possible. If that’s the case, take a look at Twitch’s broadcasting guidelines to find out how to make your stream run smoothly.

2.2 Manual Setup of OBS Studio

Although useful, this wizard is often not as reliable as it could be. That’s why you might want to visit Settings and change a few things at your own discretion.

First, let’s go to the Video section to play with resolution, framerate, and filter settings. Base Resolution is what you will see in OBS Studio, while the Output Resolution is what you will broadcast to your viewers on Twitch. Make sure to hit Apply before you exit.

Now, let’s move to Output and focus on Video Bitrate. If you are going to stream in 1080p, your bitrate should be between 4500 to 6000 Kbps (4.5 to 6 Mbps). However, keep in mind that if your internet speed is insufficient, higher resolution may result in an unwatchable stream. You can test your upload speed here and then compare it with the guidelines we mentioned above.

Go to Audio and let’s focus on Global Audio Devices. For in-game sounds, you’ll want to make sure that the right source for Desktop Audio is selected.If you want to comment while streaming, turn on your mic via Mic/Auxiliary Audio and hit Apply.

Lastly, we will go to Stream. Make sure to select Twitch for your Service before pasting the stream key in the box below.

3. Adding Scene and Sources

As you open OBS Studio, you will notice a Preview Window in the middle. This shows exactly what your viewers will look at when you begin streaming. For now, it will appear black, so let’s fix that.

In the bottom left corner, there are 2 important functions: Scenes and Sources. Sources are all elements that can be seen during the stream, such as chat, webcam, and such. Scenesare used for changing multiple sources at once, in case of intermission, technical problems, beginning of the game, etc. Start by creating a game scene.

To make your stream complete, we will add multiple sources, such as:

3.1 Game Capture

For sources, we definitely want to capture in-game action, so hit + sign and select Game Capture.

In Properties check Capture 3rd party overlays and click OK. Your game should now appear in the preview window. If that isn’t the case, you can try with Window Capture.

3.2 Webcam

Go back to sources and select Video Capturing Device. In properties, make sure that you’ve selected the correct Device, FPS, and Format before clicking OK.

4. Adding a Twitch Chat

Finally, let’s make sure that your fans can communicate with you. Go to Twitch, click on your profile, select Channel. Click Chat, Switch to Non-Mod Settings, and select Popup Chat.

Copy the URL from this new window and go back to OBS Studio. Go to View > Docks > Custom Browser Docks. Name it something cool, paste your link and click Apply.

Great, now you have a dockable chat window that you can resize and move as you see fit! Just hit Start Streaming in the bottom right corner of OBS Studio and you are ready to go live.

Conclusion

Congratulations! This is all it takes to start live streaming games on Twitch using OBS Studio. It may seem overwhelming at first, but it’s straightforward once you got the hang of it. We’d also recommend that you ask your fans for feedback so that you can make slight adjustments to the bitrate and quality of your stream.

Check out our Top 12 Tips to Improving the Quality of your Live Video Streaming now and beat your competition!

Until next time, take care and keep streaming.

Krishna Rao Vijayanagar

Website

Krishna Rao Vijayanagar, Ph.D., is the Editor-in-Chief of OTTVerse, a news portal covering tech and business news in the OTT industry.

With extensive experience in video encoding, streaming, analytics, monetization, end-to-end streaming, and more, Krishna has held multiple leadership roles in R&D, Engineering, and Product at companies such as Harmonic Inc., MediaMelon, and Airtel Digital. Krishna has published numerous articles and research papers and speaks at industry events to share his insights and perspectives on the fundamentals and the future of OTT streaming.

Livestream to Twitch using OBS Studio in 4 Easy Steps