How to do Facebook live on OBS?

Facebook Live allows you to broadcast live video straight to your Facebook page or profile. It’s a great way to connect with your audience in real time. OBS (Open Broadcaster Software) is a free and open source software for video recording and live streaming. With OBS and Facebook Live, you can stream professional looking broadcasts on Facebook with ease. In this guide, I’ll walk you through the complete process of setting up OBS and using it to live stream on Facebook.

Requirements for Facebook Live

Here are the requirements for doing Facebook Live:

• A Facebook page or profile
• The Facebook app installed on your smartphone, or access to Facebook on your computer
• A good internet connection – use Ethernet if possible for maximum stability
• A webcam or video camera
• A microphone
• Streaming software like OBS installed on your computer

As long as you meet these requirements, you can start broadcasting live video on Facebook. You don’t need any fancy equipment to get started. Even your smartphone camera can work. But for a more professional look, consider investing in a decent webcam and microphone.

Download and Install OBS

OBS (Open Broadcaster Software) is a free open source software for video recording and live streaming. Here are the steps to download and install OBS on your Windows PC:

1. Go to the official OBS website – https://obsproject.com/
2. Click on the Download button and download the installer for Windows.
3. Once downloaded, run the OBS installer .exe file.
4. Go through the setup wizard, accept the terms of use and choose your installation options.
5. When the installation completes, OBS will launch automatically.

The process is similar for installing OBS on Mac or Linux. You can refer to the OBS website for OS specific instructions. With OBS installed, you are now ready to configure it for streaming to Facebook Live.

Configure OBS Studio for Facebook Live

When you first launch OBS, it will look fairly bare bones. Here are the steps to configure OBS for Facebook streaming:

1. In the Sources panel, click the + (Add) button and select Video Capture Device.
2. Select your webcam from the Device menu and click OK. Your webcam video will appear in the preview.
3. Click the + button again, select Audio Input Capture and choose your microphone.
4. Right click on the webcam source and select Transform > Fit to Screen to fit it correctly.
5. In the Scenes panel, click the + button to create a new scene. Name it something like “Facebook Live”.
6. With the scene selected, go to the Controls panel and click Start Streaming.
7. In the window that opens, select Facebook Live from the Service dropdown menu.
8. Enter your Facebook login credentials and click Connect. OBS will now connect to Facebook Live.

Your OBS is now connected and ready to stream to Facebook Live. The next step is to configure your Facebook page for live video.

Configure Facebook for Live Streaming

To go live on Facebook, your Facebook page needs to be set up for live video streaming. Here are the steps:

1. Go to your Facebook page and click on Publishing Tools below your cover photo.
2. Click on the Live tab and toggle Live Videos to On position.
3. Facebook will now show your Stream Key which you’ll need to enter in OBS.
4. Copy the Stream Key or click to Show to reveal the entire key.

This Stream Key allows OBS to authenticate with your Facebook account and stream to your page.

Start Streaming on Facebook Live

We’re now ready to start broadcasting live on Facebook. Here are the final steps:

1. Go back to OBS Studio on your computer.
2. In the Stream settings, select Facebook Live from the Service menu.
3. Enter the Stream Key you obtained from Facebook into the Stream Key field.
4. Click Apply to save the stream settings.
5. In the Sources panel, select your Scene.
6. Click Start Streaming.
7. Your live video will now appear on your Facebook page.
8. To stop streaming, click Stop Streaming in OBS.

Once you click Start Streaming, after a short buffering time, your live broadcast will appear on your Facebook page. Viewers can now watch it in real time and interact via comments and reactions!

Streaming Tips for Facebook Live

Here are some tips to help you stream like a pro on Facebook Live:

• Always maintain a strong internet connection, preferably wired Ethernet.
• Position your camera at eye level and frame yourself correctly.
• Ensure sufficient lighting on your face and avoid backlight.
• Use a good quality webcam/mic for best video and audio quality.
• Interact with viewers via comments and engage your audience.
• Promote your live stream on your page in advance to get more viewers.
• Keep your stream title and description appealing.
• Stream at optimal times when most of your audience is online.

The more you stream, the better you’ll get. So don’t worry about mistakes initially. Just focus on providing value to your viewers with great content.

Advanced Streaming with OBS Studio

OBS provides several advanced features to help you stream like a pro:

• Scenes: Set up multiple scenes like intro, game screen, countdown etc and switch between them.
• Overlays: Add overlays with your branding colors and logos.
• Lower Thirds: Add graphics with your name, location etc on the video.
• Transitions: Use transition effects when switching between scenes.
• Chroma Key: Use a green screen to remove background and replace with virtual sets.
• Media Sources: Add videos, slideshows and picture-in-picture to your streams.

With OBS Studio, the possibilities are endless for creating professional streams. Be creative and engage your viewers in new ways!

Conclusion

Going live on Facebook using OBS is easy and opens up professional streaming capabilities. Simply install OBS, configure your webcam, mic and Facebook stream key – and you’re ready to broadcast live to your audience on Facebook. With an engaging presence and premium content, you can grow your viewer base on Facebook in no time. So set up your streaming gear, and press start to become a Facebook Live streaming star!