Best OBS settings for Twitch streaming:Twitch has risen to be one of the top streaming services in the US. Twitch allows you to broadcast or stream a wide range of content. Ranging from games to music, videos, art, etc. Getting an excellent stream on Twitch may be sometimes challenging because you desire to get the best of it.
Although, the equipment used in streaming contributes to its success, using an accurate encoding system will yield better results.
This entails knowing the right bitrate, resolution, and frame rate for your streams. OBS comes in handy at this point.
We’ll be discussing the best OBS settings for Twitch streaming in this article. Keep reading!
What’s OBS Studio?
OBS Studio is an encoding software program used to stream videos online. As a streamer, giving your viewers high-quality videos/ content should be a priority.
Obviously, you can’t utilize software you don’t know how to use. Hence, let’s explain first how to use the OBS Studio to achieve its purpose.
Using OBS Studio for Twitch
Follow these steps below to set up the OBS Studio to stream on Twitch.
- Download the OBS Studio software peculiar to your device
- Install it on your device following the instructions
- Select Twitch from the list of streaming services
- Go to your Twitch TV dashboard
- Select Settings
- Choose Stream Key
- Select Show Key
- Enter the Stream Key into the Stream Key box. You will find this in the Broadcast Settings menu.
- Select Apply
After this procedure, you’ll have to configure your live stream layout. After which you’ll proceed to try streaming on Twitch.
You can do this by adding your game source, webcam, images, or text. After which you’ll hit the start streaming icon on the OBS Studio’s main window.
Why Bitrate is crucial
Bitrate is the term used to describe the amount of data being transferred into audio. A `higher bitrate generally means better audio quality.
Setting up your OBS Studio may seem simple, however, setting it up the right way is paramount.
Planning on using the OBS Studio, consider the following about Bitrate.
The bitrate you use in your optimal settings in the OBS Studio software is crucial to its excellence. The file size and quality of a video you are streaming is dependent on the Bitrate.
You may probably experience the buffering issue if the bitrate isn’t compact. This may leave you with no choice but to reduce the resolution of your video, compromising its quality.
Likewise, using a higher bitrate will however increase the video quality, but it will automatically, enlarge the file size.
As a streamer, you should always have your viewers’ interests at heart. Most viewers stream with network connections that may not be able to access large files. Hence, the buffering issue again, this time, on the viewers’ side. This may discourage your viewers from streaming your content.
There must be a balance in the videos’ quality and size. This is to ensure that you and your viewers will have a nice streaming experience.
There are 3 major factors responsible for a successful bitrate void of buffering issues. They are stated below:
- Bitrate
- Resolution
- Frame rate
These factors above are responsible for the quality of your video. They also influence the amount of processing power for encoding your video as well as the bandwidth required for broadcasting.
Have in mind that you do not always need a high-quality stream that will keep buffering. You can balance your stream by reducing the Resolution and Framerate of your stream.
Getting the right OBS Studio setting cannot be overemphasized.
Below, we’ve provided a table for to help you compare your Bitrate and Resolution.
| Type | Resolution | Frames per Second (FPS) | Low quality
Bitrate |
High Quality
Bitrate |
Extreme Quality
Bitrate |
| SD | 360p | 25 | 500Kb/s | 800 | 1200 |
| SD | 480p | 25 | 750 | 1200 | 1600 |
| SD | 480p | 30 | 1000 | 1400 | 1800 |
| HD | 720p | 30 | 2000 | 2750 | 3500 |
| HD | 1080p | 30 | 3200 | 6000 | 9000 |
| HD | 1080p | 45 | 4200 | 7000 | 11000 |
| HD | 1080p | 60 | 5500 | 8000 | 14000 |
Now, back to our main discussion, let’s consider the best OBS setting for Twitch.
Best OBS settings for Twitch
OBS settings however may vary amongst streamers, but there are some recommended settings for Twitch. We will discuss them below.
Still, the setting is dependent on the quality of your stream.
-
Full HD high frame rate
Below are the recommendations for a full HD high frame rate:
- Frame rate – 50 or 60 fps
- Resolution – 1080p
- Key frame interval – 2 seconds
- AVC (h.264) Profile – Main/High
- AVC (h.264) Level – 2
If this is considered, then you should have a bit rate of 4500- 6000 kbps.
-
HD high frame rate
Below are the recommendations for HD high frame rate:
- Frame rate – 50 or 60 fps
- Resolution – 720p
- Key frame Interval – 2 seconds
- AVC (h.264) Profile – Main/High
- AVC (h.264) Level – 1
The Bitrate requirement for this is 3500 to 5000 kbps.
-
SD high frame rate
The recommendations for SD high frame rate are:
- Frame rate – 50 or 60 fps
- Resolution – 480p
- Key frame Interval – 2 seconds
- AVC (h.264) Profile – Main/High
- AVC (h.264) Level – 3.1
Bitrate required: 1500 to 3000 kbps
-
Full HD standard frame rate
The recommendations for Full HD standard frame rate are:
- Frame rate – 25 or 30 fps
- Resolution – 1080p
- Key frame Interval – 2 seconds
- AVC (h.264) Profile – Main/High
- AVC (h.264) Level – 4.1
The bitrate required for these features is 3500 to 5000 kbps.
-
HD standard frame rate
Below are the recommendations for HD standard frame rate:
- Frame rate – 25 or 30 fps
- Resolution – 720p
- Key frame Interval – 2 seconds
- AVC (h.264) Profile – Main/High
- AVC (h.264) Level – 3.1
The bitrate required for these specs is 2500 to 4000 kbps.
-
Low bandwidth ingest
For a low bandwidth ingest, the best bitrate is within 400-1200 kbps. Actually, the bitrate shouldn’t be more than 1000 kbps. Below are the recommended specs for low bandwidth ingest.
- Frame rate – 20 or 25 fps
- Resolution – 240, 360 or 480p
- Key frame Interval – 6 to 10 seconds
- AVC (h.264) Profile – Main/High
- AVC (h.264) Level – 3.0
Although the above recommendations are OBS Studio settings for Twitch, in some cases, you may have to modify them. This is so to suit your taste or what you expect from your stream.
With all these considerations, always bear in mind to ensure that there should be a balance between bitrate and resolution. The major cause of the blurry experience is when the bitrate is lower than the resolution.
Generally, a new streamer should ensure to consider the following while setting up the OBS Studio:
- A Vertical resolution of 720p
- Frame rate of 30 fps
- Bitrate of 3,000 kbps
With the right setting and balance in the OBS Studio, you’re good to go.
How to Use Twitch on your PC or Laptop?
You can download the Twitch app from your Play Store or App Store and enjoy smooth streaming on your smartphone. However, you can also enjoy streaming on twitch from your PC.
Here’s how you can have a swell experience using your PC or Laptop:
Twitch has an optimized desktop app that’s designed to meet all your entertainment needs. You can follow your favorite streamers and enjoy other content available to Twitch users.
You can download the Twitch app for Windows and macOS from their official store. Click on the desired app and “Download” it. You don’t require a high-end PC to watch the Twitch streams on your computer.
How to Get Twitch on Desktop or PC?
Twitch recommends that its’ users must be from 13 years and above. Usually, users between the ages of 13-18 should not be allowed to access twitch without parental supervision.
Use the “Search Bar” to find your favorite streamers on the platform. You can watch their live streams and archived videos and also subscribe to show your loyalty.
The web browser version of Twitch works just as its desktop app and you need to visit Twitch.TV to start enjoying the streams. It works fine with any modern browser.
Twitch also offers a list of recommended channels based on your viewing patterns, and you can check them out to find more content of your interest.
Note that your account is personal and should not be shared to avoid issues of financial loss. Twitch bans all accounts that don’t adhere to the community’s code of conduct.
How to Install the Twitch App on your Laptop or PC using BlueStacks?
The BlueStacks app player enables you to enjoy the Twitch app on your PC with improved performance. The emulator is safe, large, and comes with many specs that generally boost users’ experience.
To install the Twitch app on your laptop or PC, follow these steps below:
- Download the BlueStacks app
- Install the app on your PC
- Complete Google Sign-in to access the Play Store
- Look for Twitch using the search bar in the top-right corner
- Click to install Twitch from the search results
- Complete Google Sign-in
- Click the Twitch icon on the home screen to activate Twitch
Conclusion
Selecting the best OBS settings for Twitch can be tiring really confusing, especially for beginners. However, don’t be discouraged, as the whole is about trial and error is typical of any encoding process.
To start with, you can use the Twitch recommendation provided already in this guide. Furthermore, you can change the values or specs if the setting won’t work or does not suit your standard.