Going live on Facebook with OBS (Open Broadcaster Software) studio is a great way to engage with your audience in real time. With just a few simple steps, you can set up a professional live streaming broadcast on Facebook using OBS studio.
What is OBS Studio?
OBS (Open Broadcaster Software) Studio is a free and open source software for video recording and live streaming. It allows you to capture and mix various sources into one seamless broadcast. OBS is commonly used by gamers, vloggers, and other content creators to stream or record their gameplay, tutorials, unboxings, and more.
Some key features of OBS Studio include:
- Capturing your screen, webcam, games, and more
- Real-time audio and video mixing and editing
- Support for overlays, transitions, and other effects
- Built-in chroma key (green screen) functionality
- Options to stream to popular platforms like Twitch, YouTube, Facebook etc.
The best part about OBS is that it is completely free and open source. The interface is intuitive yet packed with advanced options and customizations for power users. OBS Studio runs smoothly even on low-end PCs and is available on Windows, Mac, and Linux systems.
Step 1: Install and Set Up OBS Studio
First, you need to download and install OBS Studio on your streaming computer. You can get the latest version from the official OBS website. Make sure to download the installer for your specific operating system.
Once installed, open up OBS Studio. When you first launch it, the auto-configuration wizard will run to detect and configure your audio and video sources. The wizard will prompt you to select which microphone, webcam, and other devices to use. You can rearrange the default scene layout if needed.
Next, you should configure your video and audio settings in OBS. For video, set your base (canvas) resolution and output resolution. A resolution of 1280×720 (720p) is recommended if you have a good internet connection. For audio, adjust the sample rate to 48kHz for best quality.
If your internet speed is on the lower side, choose a lower output resolution and bitrate. This will prevent video lag and buffering issues during your stream or recording. Don’t forget to select the audio device you want to capture audio from.
Step 2: Configure your Streaming Settings
The next step is to set up your actual streaming settings in OBS Studio.
Go to Settings > Stream. In the Service dropdown, select Facebook Live. Enter your Facebook Stream Key which will be used to authenticate your live stream to Facebook. To get your Stream Key:
- Go to the Facebook Live Producer page and click to connect your account if prompted
- Click on your Profile Picture > Creator Studio
- Click on Live Videos in the left menu
- Click on Stream Key to reveal your key. Copy this key.
Paste the Stream Key into OBS Studio’s Stream settings. Make sure to hit Apply to save the key. You can choose to show or hide the key here.
Next, configure the following settings:
- Stream Type: Choose Live Stream
- Service: Facebook Live
- Server: Automatic
For the encoder, select Software (x264) if your system resources permit. Hardware encoding via your GPU (such as NVENC) can also be chosen if you have a dedicated graphics card.
Set your Video Bitrate to match your internet capabilities. 3500-6000 Kbps is a good target range. Audio Bitrate can be kept at 128-160 Kbps.
The Keyframe Interval can be set to 2 or 4 seconds. Keep the CPU Usage Preset at Veryfast or Superfast for smooth performance.
Step 3: Set up Your Scene and Sources
Now it’s time to set up your scenes and sources in OBS Studio for your live stream.
Your scenes will be different windows or frames in your video layout. For example, you may want one scene to show your webcam video, another for screen capture, another for slides/images etc.
To create a scene, click the + (Add) button in the Scenes panel. Name your first scene something like “Webcam” or “Camera”.
Now you need to add sources – these are the different media and devices that will be displayed in your scene.
Some sources you may want to add:
- Your webcam – add a Video Capture Device source and select your webcam
- Your screen – add a Display Capture source and pick your primary monitor
- A media file like image, video or audio – add a Media Source and select the file
Arrange your sources in the scene by dragging them around. Use the handles at the edges to resize sources. Right click on sources to bring up transform options.
Create additional scenes for each unique layout or part of your broadcast. You can seamlessly switch between scenes during your live stream.
Step 4: Add Overlays, Visuals and Configurations
To enhance your live stream visually, you can add overlays, images, videos, visual effects and more using OBS Studio:
- Add Images and Text – Include your logos, graphics, captions and other images/text using the Image and Text sources in OBS
- Config Scrolling Text – Add a Text source, click on the gear icon -> Enable Scroll
- Install Plugins – Plugins like Move Transition and Scene Transition Matrix provide cool transition effects when switching between scenes
- Setup Hotkeys – Use hotkeys to switch between scenes and control your stream without needing your mouse
- Chroma Key – Set up a green screen to superimpose yourself onto a virtual background
- Window Captures – Display running programs and applications live on stream, like chat windows, game feeds etc.
Take some time to customize your stream layout and practice switching between your scenes and sources. Your viewers will appreciate all the effort!
Step 5: Connect Facebook and Go Live
Once your scenes, sources, overlays etc. are set up, you are ready to connect to Facebook and go live!
First, you need to connect your Facebook account in OBS’s Settings. Go to Stream > Facebook Live > Connect Account. A browser window will open asking you to sign into Facebook and grant permissions.
Now open the Facebook Live Producer page again. Click on your Profile Picture > Creator Studio > Live Videos > Posts.
Click on the Go Live button. A popup will appear showing your connected encoder software i.e. OBS Studio. Configure your stream title, description, visibility etc. and click Go Live.
Over in OBS Studio, click on Start Streaming. After a moment your live video will appear on Facebook! Monitor the stream preview in OBS and adjust audio, video and layout as needed.
Interact with viewers, moderate comments and maximize engagement while you are live. When ready to stop, click Stop Streaming in OBS Studio. The Facebook live video will end after 20 seconds. You can save the video to your Facebook page for further sharing or VOD (video on demand) viewing.
Optimizing Performance
Here are some tips to get silky smooth performance from OBS Studio during your Facebook live streams:
- Reduce video and audio buffering in Settings > Output > Streaming tab
- Enable multi-threading for improved CPU usage in Settings > Advanced
- Lower CPU preset if CPU usage is high (fast or faster) in Output settings
- Reduce number of sources and overlays in scenes to minimum required
- Use hotkeys to switch scenes and sources instead of clicking around
- Close other resource heavy programs before streaming
- Disable Aero theme on Windows to reduce GPU usage
- Try disabling Game Mode in Windows Settings while streaming
With some testing and tweaking you’ll be able to nail down the optimal settings for stable and smooth Facebook live streaming using OBS Studio!
Conclusion
Streaming live on Facebook using OBS Studio provides an interactive and engaging way to connect with your audience. The software gives you professional level control over your video sources, audio mixing, visual effects and stream settings.
The most important steps are installing OBS Studio, configuring your Facebook stream key, setting up your scenes and sources, and customizing overlays and layouts. Optimize performance by reducing buffering, enable multi-threading, lowering CPU usage and disabling background programs.
With OBS Studio you can achieve stunning results without expensive streaming hardware or an elaborate setup. Just follow the steps outlined here, do a few test broadcasts and you’ll be ready to go live! Your viewers await some amazing content.