How to use OBS – Beginners Guide
Are you looking to get started live streaming to YouTube or want to stream to Twitch? There are lots of benefits to be able to interact with your audience LIVE – and in this video we cover how to do that with the OBS software. We’ll explore using the M1 Max Macbook and my personal favorite the 2021 Asus Zephyrus G15
How to Use OBS – What is OBS?
OBS is a powerful open source app that allows you to record multiple windows, desktops and audio sources directly as an output to Local File recording or to streaming platforms such as Twitch.TV or YouTube.
After you download OBS – you’ll want to make sure you configure some basic settings to get good video output and streaming output on your MacOS.
How to Use OBS – OBS Settings you need to adjust
One of the first things you’ll want to configure is the Video Output settings when you first start off. You can accomplish this with the CMD+, hotkey – or hit settings
The settings below are configured on the new M1 Max Macbook Pro .
For your individual laptop, you may have to tweak your computer settings to get optimal performance. Below are settings I was able to achieve and record basic tasks such as Word Processing, Final Cut Pro, and Powerpoint presentations for tutorial creations.
With these settings, you should be able to record and stream the favorable most apps that you may want to stream live.
Though so far in my testing – I have found that if you are looking to stream video games with MacOS – you will have to bump settings down to the following:
M1 Max Optimum Settings
Video output – 1080p
Video FPS – 60FPS
CPU settings (SUPER FAST)
Windows Zephyrus G15 Optimum Settings
Video output – 1080p or up to 4K!
Video FPS – 60FPS
Recording Settings – NVENC
I am running more benchmarks for Video Game settings and performance that will be shared on my YouTube Channel and written for the website.
How to Use OBS – Setting up your OBS SCENES
One of the first things you will want to understand is the relationship between SCENES and SOURCES in OBS.
SCENES are a collection of sources that can be organized, scaled, and placed in whichever format you would like to output them for streaming or for recording.
SOURCES is what program OBS will record. It is important that in MacOS – if you want the best performance – to choose Display Capture to use as the method to capture what is on your screen. Video Capture Device should be used to record your Webcam or External DSLR if you are connecting it to MacOS
How to Stream on YouTube – Connecting OBS to Youtube
The last step you will have to do is to go into Settings > Stream and select the Twitch from the dropdown and then login to Twitch your credentials
How to Stream – Video Guide
As always, sometimes it is easier to follow along if it was done in a tutorial. I have included my guide (recorded on the M1 Macbook Air) showcasing its performance, settings and video output.
Check it out below: