Best OBS Settings for Streaming

Many gamers and entertainers are turning to live streaming as a form of live content. While the streaming process seems easy at a glance, the initial setup can be complicated.

Every streaming setup and PC has its own series of complications that arise, and need settings that meet their hardware and internet capabilities.

The OBS settings are separated into different menus which can be switched between using the left panel. When streaming, there are multiple settings that you will need to change to have your stream run smoothly. All of the OBS settings can be found by clicking the “Settings” button in the “Controls” panel.

Best Stream Settings for Twitch

Encoder: NVIDIA NVENC H.264
Resolution: 1664×936
Framerate: 60fps
Bitrate: 6000
Keyframe Interval: 2
Preset: Max Quality
Profile: High
Look-ahead: Checked
Psycho Visual Tuning: Checked
GPU: 0
Max B-Frames: 2
Audio Bitrate: 160kbps

Best Stream Settings for YouTube

Encoder: NVIDIA NVENC H.264
Resolution: 1920×1080
Framerate: 60fps
Bitrate: 9000
Keyframe Interval: 2
Preset: Max Quality
Profile: High
Look-ahead: Checked
Psycho Visual Tuning: Checked
GPU: 0
Max B-Frames: 2
Audio Bitrate: 128kbps

Alternative Stream Settings for Different Resolutions

NVIDIA NVENC H.264 (New) Encoder Settings

x264 Encoder Settings

Finding the Best Bitrate for Streaming

When streaming you will want to use a bitrate that does not exceed the limitations of the platform you’re streaming to and is only 60%-70% of your upload speed. You can find your upload speed by running a speed test.

Your upload speed will be given to you in megabits per second. Multiplying this number by 1000 will give you the bitrate or kbps. Because you only want to use a maximum of 70% of your upload speed you will need to multiply your bitrate by .7 to get your max bitrate.

Example: 10mbps upload speed = 10000 x .7 = max bitrate of 7000.

• YouTube has a maximum bitrate of 9000..
• Twitch has a maximum bitrate of 6000.

Finding the Best Resolution for Streaming

Once you have found your maximum bitrate you can work out what resolution you should be streaming in. The lower your upload speed the lower the resolution that you want to be using. You can use the table above as a guide for determining what resolution best suits your stream.

Best Resolution for Twitch

The best resolution for streaming to Twitch is 1664×936 as it allows for the best pixel to bitrate ratio. However, you may also want to try 1080p if you also plan to record video content with OBS.

Best Resolution for YouTube

YouTube has a higher possible bitrate of 9000, meaning streaming at 1080p is the best option for quality. However, if your upload speed isn’t capable of streaming at 9000kbps then you will want to use a 1664×936 resolution or lower.

Output Streaming Settings

The output settings will be set to simple by default. You can change the mode to advanced using the drop menu at the top. With the advanced mode selected you will have access to more streaming settings. Advanced mode will also separate the streaming, recording, audio, and replay buffer settings.

Encoder

The encoder references how the video stream is created, and what piece of hardware is being used. Typically there are two encoding options inside OBS; x264, and, NVIDIA NVENC H.264 (new).

Using the NVIDIA NVENC H.264 (new) is typically the best option, especially when streaming gameplay. The NVENC encoder uses a dedicated chip of the graphics card to encode and create the stream.

Encoding with the x264 method will use the computer’s CPU for creating the stream. When streaming and using the CPU for encoding your PC can run slower and underperform. This occurs due to the CPU processing power also being used to run other applications on the computer.

Bitrate

Your stream’s bitrate is how many bits or pieces of data are being transmitted every second. A higher bitrate is preferred when streaming as it clears up the image and improves the overall video quality.

Preset

OBS stream preset controls how much work is being used in the encoding process. The preset allows you to select if your preference between video quality and low latency. Low latency will allow the encoding process to be completed faster at the expense of the image quality.

When using NVENC encoding it is best to use the quality or max quality option. For x264 software encoding, you will want to use medium, fast, or faster. The medium preset will provide the best quality of the three.

Audio Track

Streaming only allows for one audio track to be used. This means that only one audio track will be streamed to your viewers. For inputs and outputs to be heard you will need to ensure they’re all on the selected audio track. By default audio track 1 is used for streaming.

VOD Track

When streaming to Twitch the stream can be saved as a replayable video or VOD. Enabling the VOD track feature in OBS allows you to use a different audio track for your saved stream. Most people use this as a method to exclude music from their saved stream.

Best Audio Bitrate for Streaming

The audio tab under the output settings allows you to choose the audio bitrate for streaming. The recommended bitrate for audio differs depending on the website that you are streaming to.

• An audio bitrate of 128kbps should be used for YouTube.
• An audio bitrate of 160kbps is recommended when streaming to Twitch.

When adjusting the output audio settings you will need to ensure you’re changing the bitrate on the streaming audio track. If you haven’t changed the track then the stream will use track 1.

Audio Settings

Audio settings allow you to set up your inputs and outputs. These are all of your devices that OBS will source sound from for the stream. The two desktop audio options are for sounds that come from your computer. However, the Mic/Auxilary options allow you to add your microphone or other inputs for your stream.

The audio settings will be different for every setup, however, desktop audio should be set to default or the main device you use on your computer. This will allow gameplay and other computer audio to be heard on stream.

The first Mic/Auxilary option should also be used for your microphone. If you are using a GOXLR or a USB microphone then you can select it here.

Video Settings

Video settings control the general settings of your recordings and streams. The settings here are the base that the output settings work off to create the stream or video.

Base (Canvas) Resolution

The base canvas size should always be set to the same resolution as your screen or gameplay. Most modern monitors will use a resolution of 1920×1080.

Output (Scaled) Resolution

The output resolution is the resolution that the stream will be. You will need to set the output resolution based on your capable bitrate. A higher resolution will require a higher bitrate due to more pixels of information being encoded.

Downscale Filter

Downscale filter settings affect how sharp the pixels and overall image of the stream will be. We recommend using Lanczos 36 samples for the best quality.

There is a minimal difference between downscale options when it comes to the load they put on your PC. However, you can use Bicubic 16 samples if your PC is struggling.

Common FPS Values

The FPS value refers to how many individual images are being rendered to make up the video per second. FPS can also be referred to as framerate or frames per second.

The two most common FPS values used for streaming are 30 and 60. A high framerate requires a higher bitrate to be used as more information is being processed every second.

Adding a Stream Delay

Another useful OBS setting for streamers is the ability to add a stream delay. You can find the stream delay option in the Advanced OBS settings. With stream delay enabled you can enter the number of seconds you want the stream to be delayed by.

Final Thoughts

OBS has a wide range of options that allows you to completely customize your streaming settings to suit your setup. Although the settings can be overwhelming once you understand bitrate and resolution the rest is fairly simple.

With streaming comes a lot of trial and error. The easiest way to find the settings that work best for you is to run test streams and adjust the settings until you’re happy with the quality and performance. It is common to run into issues when streaming, such as dropped or skipped frames. Resolving OBS issues can be difficult unless you understand the software.