ReelShiftHow to set up
OBS for streaming.
OBS Studio is free and works with every big streaming platform. Here is the setup in the order OBS itself recommends, plus the one step people skip.
Guides · Published 2026-09-19 · Updated 2026-09-19 · 7 min read
Short answer: download OBS Studio from obsproject.com. On first launch, run the Auto-Configuration Wizard (also under Tools) and choose streaming. Add a scene, then add sources: Game Capture or Display Capture, plus Video Capture Device for your webcam. Check your mic moves the Audio Mixer meters. In Settings, Stream, pick your platform and connect your account or paste your stream key. Test for a few minutes, then click Start Streaming.
1. Download and run the wizard
Get OBS Studio only from obsproject.com. It is free. Per the download page, the Windows version supports Windows 10 and 11, and the Mac version supports macOS 13 and newer. There is a Linux version too.
The first time you open it, OBS offers the Auto-Configuration Wizard. It sets resolution, frame rate and bitrate based on your hardware and your connection. Choose to optimize for streaming. You can run it again any time from the Tools menu.
2. Scenes and sources
A scene is a layout, like "Starting soon", "Game" or "Just chatting". Sources are the things inside it. Add them with the + in the Sources dock at the bottom of the window:
- Game Capture (Windows only): OBS's recommended way to capture 3D games with the best performance.
- Display Capture: your whole screen. Window Capture: one app.
- Video Capture Device: your webcam or capture card.
- Image and Text: overlays, your name, your schedule.
Sources higher in the list sit on top. Put your cam above the game.
3. Audio
OBS captures your desktop audio and default mic automatically. Talk and watch the Audio Mixer meters at the bottom. If a meter does not move, open Settings, Audio and pick the right device by hand. The cog next to each source opens filters, like noise suppression for your mic.
Aim for your voice to be clearly louder than the game. Viewers forgive a blurry picture far more easily than bad sound.
4. Output and stream settings
In Settings, Output, OBS says to set your video bitrate based on your upload speed and your platform's limit, with audio around 160 kbps. The limits, from each platform:
- Twitch: 1080p up to 7.5 Mbps. In OBS 30.2 and newer, go to Settings, Stream, choose Twitch, click Connect Account and tick Enable Enhanced Broadcasting to let Twitch handle quality settings. Twitch guide.
- Kick: up to 1920x1080, 60fps, 8,000 kbps, H.264, keyframe every 2 seconds. Choose Custom and paste Kick's Stream URL and key. Kick guide.
- YouTube: 12 Mbps for 1080p60, 6 Mbps for 720p60. Choose YouTube and connect your account, or paste the key. YouTube guide.
- TikTok LIVE: TikTok uses its own desktop app, LIVE Studio. TikTok LIVE guide.
5. Test before you go live
OBS strongly recommends testing for a few minutes first. The easy way: click Start Recording, play and talk for two minutes, stop, and watch the file. Check that your voice is clear, the game is not choppy and nothing important is hidden behind your cam.
OBS's recording guide recommends MKV, because an MKV file is not ruined if OBS stops unexpectedly. Use File, Remux Recordings to turn it into an MP4.
Where ReelShift fits
OBS gets your stream out. ReelShift turns it into clips: it watches your public stream on Twitch, Kick, YouTube or TikTok LIVE and cuts vertical, captioned clips while you are still live. Nothing to install in OBS, no plugin. See clipping with the OBS replay buffer for the manual way, or the live stream clipper.
Pick your plan.
Every plan starts with a 7-day free trial: 1 channel and 5 streaming hours to try it on a real stream. Nothing is charged today, and we email you the day before it ends.
Quick answers.
Is OBS free?
Yes. Download it only from obsproject.com.
Where is the Auto-Configuration Wizard in OBS?
It opens on first launch. After that, it is under the Tools menu.
Why is my mic not working in OBS?
Check the Audio Mixer meters while you talk. If yours does not move, open Settings, Audio and choose your mic manually.
What is the best bitrate for OBS?
It depends on your upload speed and your platform. Twitch goes up to 7.5 Mbps at 1080p, Kick up to 8,000 kbps, and YouTube recommends 12 Mbps for 1080p60.
Can OBS stream to two platforms at once?
Not by default. You need a multiple outputs plugin or a restream service. See how to multistream.
Last updated 2026-09-19