OBS Studio
OBS Studio (Open Broadcaster Software) is free, open-source software for recording video and live streaming from a computer. It captures cameras, screens, microphones and media files, mixes them into scenes, and sends the result to a streaming service using a server URL and stream key. OBS Studio runs on Windows, macOS and Linux.
Why it matters
OBS Studio lowers the cost of going live to zero for software, which is why so many hosts already know it. Video products that support OBS let creators, teachers and sellers start streaming without buying an encoder or learning a new tool.
How it works
- You add sources such as cameras, screen captures, images and microphones.
- You arrange sources into scenes and switch between them during the stream.
- In settings, you enter the streaming service's server URL and stream key.
- OBS encodes the output and sends it to the service, or records it to a local file.
What are the best OBS settings for streaming?
Good OBS settings for most 1080p streams are 30 frames per second, a keyframe interval of 2 seconds and a bitrate your upload can sustain, often 5 to 14 Mbps with H.264. Use constant bitrate (CBR) for live. Check your streaming service's guidance, since recommended values vary.
Is OBS Studio really free?
Yes, OBS Studio is free and open source, licensed under the GPL. There are no paid tiers or watermarks. It runs on Windows, macOS and Linux. Many plugins are free too, while some third-party add-ons and overlays are sold separately.
Where it's used
Creator platforms, online learning companies and live shopping apps give hosts a server URL and stream key so they can go live from OBS Studio without paying for software.
Where it usually goes wrong, and how FastPix handles it
Many hosts default to plain RTMP in OBS, which sends video unencrypted, or struggle on unstable networks where packets get lost.
OBS Studio and vMix can stream straight into FastPix over RTMPS or SRT, using the ingest URL and the stream key created for each live stream. Hosts go live from a tool they already know, with the feed encrypted on the way in and steadier on unstable networks.
By the numbers
- OBS Studio was first released in 2012 by Lain Bailey and is licensed under GPL-2.0-or-later. (OBS Studio (Wikipedia))
