Beginner's Guide to OBS Studio Setup

Sep 18, 2024

OBS Studio Tutorial for Beginners

Introduction

  • Presenter: Justin Brown from Primal Video
  • Purpose: Help grow audience and scale revenue with online video
  • Software: OBS Studio (Open Broadcaster Software)
    • Functions as Live streaming software and screen recording app
    • Platforms: Mac, Windows, Linux
    • Streaming support: Facebook Live, YouTube Live, and other platforms

OBS Studio Overview

  • OBS Interface
    • Preview Area: Central black box - displays broadcast view
    • Controls: Start streaming/recording, switch modes (Preview Mode, Studio Mode)
    • Settings Button: Access all OBS settings
    • CPU Usage Indicator: Alerts for computer load and dropped frames
    • Transition Panel: Adjust transition types between scenes
    • Audio Mixer: Adjust volume levels for different elements
    • Sources Panel: Add webcams, images, videos, websites
    • Scenes Panel: Configure different stream sections

Setting Up OBS Studio

  • General Settings
    • Personal preferences: Theme, output confirmations
    • Stream Settings
      • Choose streaming service (YouTube, Twitch, Facebook, etc.)
      • Enter stream key
  • Output Settings
    • Video bit rate configuration based on resolution
    • Audio quality recommendation: Not less than 128 kbps
    • Recording settings: Format (MKV, MP4, MOV), quality
  • Audio Settings
    • Channels: Stereo by default
    • Primary audio source: Set to actual microphone
  • Video Settings
    • Base resolution and output resolution settings
    • Frame rate adjustment (commonly 30fps)
  • Hotkeys: Set shortcuts for streaming/recording functions
  • Advanced Settings: E.g., auto-reconnect feature

Configuring Scenes

  • Creating and Managing Scenes
    • Main Camera Scene: Add video capture device (e.g., Cam Link 4K)
      • Set resolution to match OBS canvas size
    • Webcam Scene: Add secondary video source
    • Screen Share Scene: Capture entire monitor or specific windows
    • Duplicate scenes, add multiple inputs and adjust hierarchy
    • Advanced Scene Configuration: Add intro videos or animations
      • Use media sources for videos

Customizing Inputs

  • Properties and Filters
    • Access properties for configuration changes
    • Use filters for look and feel adjustments (audio and video)
    • Apply effects like LUT, chroma key, color correction

Adding Text and Images

  • Text Management
    • Add text sources, customize font and color
    • Position and toggle visibility during live stream
  • Image Input: Add logos or graphics, customize with filters

Going Live

  • Start Streaming
    • Verify YouTube settings, start streaming in OBS
    • Monitor CPU usage, bandwidth in OBS
    • Check stream health and live chat on YouTube
  • Studio Mode: Pre-set and transition scenes for more control

Summary

  • Complete walkthrough of OBS setup for live streaming and recording
  • Additional resources for creating custom animations and graphics

For further details, check additional tutorials on creating custom graphics and animations for live streams.