Get started with live streaming using an open source broadcasting software.
This is the same free app I use to record my computer screen with my face.
In this beginners guide, I will show you how I set up and use OBS Studio.
- Go to https://obsproject.com/ . Install OBS Studio.
- Open OBS Studio.
- First, I will go click on the Settings button under the Controls section in the bottom right.
- These are the General Settings I use. I try not activate too many options so that it won’t slow down any live operations.
- In Stream Settings, I usually choose either YouTube or Facebook Live and enter the Stream Key provided. We can stream to only one platform at a time.
- In the Output Settings, choose Simple Output Mode for a start and follow these selections as shown. Later I will reveal my advanced output settings.
- Under Audio Settings, set Desktop Audio Device to Default, and Mic/Auxiliary Audio Device to Built-in Microphone. We will add more audio devices when external cameras are attached.
- For Video Settings, these are my selections.
- Hotkeys Settings is where you can assign keyboard shortcuts to commands. I rarely use them.
- For Advanced Settings, I have used these selections for a long time and never changed them.
- Back to the main workspace. Go to the Scenes box in the bottom left. Click on the “+” button to add a new scene if you do not already have “Scene 1”.
- Adding Display Capture. Do this if you want to display your desktop screen.
- Go to the Sources box in the bottom left. Click on the “+” button. Select Display Capture.
- Ensure Make Source Visible is checked.
- Ensure Show Cursor is checked. We will talk about Display and Crop options later.
- You will see an infinite display inside the same display. This will go away when we minimize OBS later when we go live. Right-click on the display and select Transform > Fit to Screen.
- Go to the Sources box in the bottom left. Click on the “+” button. Select Display Capture.
- Adding Video Capture Device. Do this if you want to display your face.
- Go to the Sources box in the bottom left. Click on the “+” button. Select Video Capture Device.
- Go to Device and select Facetime HD Camera or other cameras that you attach.
- Resize Video Capture to create a picture-in-picture style screen.
- Go to the Sources box in the bottom left. Click on the “+” button. Select Video Capture Device.
- To remove a source, select the source, and click on the “-” button.
- The Audio Mixer section is where we adjust the volume levels of each sound input.
- Before we can capture the Desktop Audio, we need to install Soundflower and make changes to the Audio MIDI Setup.
- The Output Sound Preferences will look like this.
- The Input Sound Preferences will look like this.
- Set Advanced Audio Properties so that we can monitor the audio without having feedback.
- Before we can capture the Desktop Audio, we need to install Soundflower and make changes to the Audio MIDI Setup.
- Finally, the Controls section in the bottom right again. Click Start Streaming to start streaming online. Click Start Recording to start recording on a local storage drive. We will leave Studio Mode for advanced usage.
Look out for Part 2 of “Using OBS for Mac 2018” series. Subscribe!
Adrian Lee
VIDEOLANE.COM
PS: Alert!
TIP:
- To prevent lip sync problem, always add a new Video Capture Device Source before starting a new stream. Then remove the previous Video Capture Device Source.
