StreamLabs 101
Getting Started
We covered the very basics in our post Setting Up Your First Twitch Stream, Part 1 which you can check out here if you missed it (Part 1). So for this one, we are going to assume you have set up all your necessary accounts and hardware and need some help getting well... anything to show up on Twitch. Let’s dive in and get started so you can get on the road to becoming the next Twitch Superstar!
First off and probably most obvious make sure you download and install the newest version of StreamLabs OBS, SLOBS as I prefer to call it since that is what we will be using in this tutorial. After you get the software installed just open it up and click the login with Twitch button if you are already logged into Twitch on a web browser it will automatically import all the necessary info from your twitch account to start streaming!
If not you just need to provide your login information and the magic will start on its own! Ok, sorry it's not actually that easy, we have a bit more setup to do before we are ready to go live.
Choose A Theme
Now, let's get some content on the black screen you are staring at! First, you will want to click the “Themes” tab at the top of SLOBS and click the theme button.
Scroll through and select a theme that fits you best! The animated themes can add a bit more life to your stream but they are not required so just grab whatever you like. We are going to use LiveWire in this tutorial but the instructions will be universal.
Jump back to the “Editor” tab at the top of SLOBS and select your newly installed overlay from the theme dropdown shown in the picture below.
You should notice that you now have some elements showing up in that vast black space we have been trying to fill, SUCCESS! We are a little over halfway there, so stay with me!
Adding sources
Next, let’s get some real content in those fancy frames you just installed! Click the “In Game” scene from the scene list to get started. First, we should add that webcam I know you bought after reading the first post. Under the “Sources” pane click the + button to add a new source. Then select video capture device followed by adding a new source, then just choose your webcam from the drop-down menu and click add.
BOOM! We have our first piece of real content on the screen! Now just resize it to fit in the camera frame of your overlay and drag it into place. You may be sitting here asking, “wait my beautiful face is on top of this awesome camera frame I just installed!” Don’t worry, just go back to that “Sources” panel, then click and drag your webcam source to the bottom of the list.
Adding a Game Capture
Now that we have an overlay and a webcam setup it is time to add a game to the mix. First, you will want to launch your game and change a few settings to make your life a bit easier during the stream. Mainly you want to make sure that you play in “Windowed Fullscreen” or “Windowed” mode. This will allow you to seamlessly switch between your game and SLOBS so you can make any adjustments or scene changes while streaming.
Jump back into SLOBS and add a new source, just like you did with the webcam, but this time select “Game Capture”, name the source the title of your game and hit add a new source. You will see a familiar looking drop down with a few more options.
Under mode select “Specific Window” then move down to the window option and select your game title from the list. For now, you can leave the rest of the settings at default and we will cover those in the future when we touch on more advanced streaming techniques. Click done and magically you have a giant oversized corner of your game showing. Just resize it like we did with the webcam to fit the screen and drag it to the bottom of your sources list.
The Home Stretch
We’re almost there! Now that we have all of that setup it is time to change a few settings and get you streaming! Click the “Settings” at the top right corner of slobs and navigate to output. Under “Output” navigate to the streaming section and select your encoder from the list first. If you are using a Nvidia card you should try the NVENC first to take the load off your computer's CPU. If that is not an option for you try H.264 if your CPU can handle it.
Next, you want to select your rate control and bitrate. Make sure the rate control is set to “CBR” and not “VBR” so you get a nice consistent bitrate for your stream. You will want to step up that bitrate a bit from the default 2500 to something like 3000 or if your internet upload can handle it 5000. This will ensure that your viewers get to see every frame you want to send them with no lag.
We are done with the input tab so let’s go ahead and check to make sure the audio setup correctly. Click the “Audio” tab in the same settings window and ensure you have your headphones and ModMic (or some lesser microphone) selected as your default devices.
It is finally time to click that awesome green button on the bottom right-hand side that says, “GO LIVE!”
These are the basics on how to setup SLOBS to get you up and running. Keep an eye out for the next episode, where we will cover more advanced techniques like scene transitions and the new “Studio” mode.
