How To Stream On A MAC - Your Complete OBS Studio Tutorial

Still got burning questions or you want help setting up your stream? Give me a call and I'll help you with your setup 🌟bit.ly/Get-Streaming-Help
This is your complete beginner's guide to how to use OBS for streaming on a Macbook Pro M1. I cover the most basic topics from setting up your stream settings to overlays and some custom styling. This is as basic and easy to follow as it gets.
Download OBS Multistreaming Plugin:
👉 obsproject.com/forum/resources/multiple-rtmp-outputs-plugin.964/
List of bitrate settings and upload speeds:
👉 restream.io/blog/what-is-a-good-upload-speed-for-streaming/
Check your upload speeds here:
👉 www.speedtest.net/
This is where I get my free overlays:
👉 nerdordie.com/shop/ref/glkqfe/?campaign=YourStreamingSenpai
Another place to find overlays:
👉 www.own3d.tv/en/
My Budget Streaming Gear List:
👉 kit.co/DatSamurai/must-have-streaming-equipment-for-beginners-in-2023
Which capture card is right for you?
👉 kit.co/DatSamurai/cheap-capture-cards
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Chapters:
00:00 Overview
00:27 Streaming Settings
04:21 Scenes & Sources
05:59 Setting Up Camera
09:06 HotKeys
09:50 Transitions
10:34 Full Overlay Example
14:12 Chat Link
17:10 Last Mentions
#streamingtips #obs #macbookpro

[@paulinelove2680]

This is Gold! Thank you!

[@DatSamurai]

Glad I could help 🙏🏾

[@NumbConundrum]

This was extremely helpful, thank you!! Very easy to follow along with.

[@DatSamurai]

Thanks! I’m glad it helped 🙏🏾

[@rayferrer4181]

Thank you for the great info! Looking forward to start streaming too!

[@DatSamurai]

Glad I could help and happy streaming! 🙏🏾

[@amalbhasker1995]

Thankyou so much brother. You made this look so easy. Much appreciated

[@DatSamurai]

Glad I could help 🙏🏾

[@ankurbhaskar4634]

Those KH sound effects though! 🤩 Been trying to learn OBS on my MacBook & this video was PERFECT for the basic bare bones! Thank you so much for this!

[@DatSamurai]

You’re the first one to notice 😭 Thank you and glad I could help 🙏🏾

[@JoseGarcia-ti6sm]

Solid thx man

[@DatSamurai]

Glad I could help 👍🏾

[@iAmBebaaMonroee]

Clutch Video !!!! So Helpful I Had To Subscribe Thank You

[@DatSamurai]

Glad I could help! 🙏🏾

[@liqueedo]

Great video! Thank you! Is there a specific reason to leave B-Frames unchecked?

[@DatSamurai]

Thanks, glad I could help. And B-frames usually controls the video quality of the stream. The more b-frames you use, the more complex the encoding will be for the stream. For Mac, I find turning B-frames off (defaulting to 0), results in a better stream. You can play around with it if you like. 2 b-frames is the default number most streamers use on PC with graphics cards.

[@pragmatik5305]

Great vid. Sub earned.

[@DatSamurai]

Thanks and glad I could help 🙏🏾🔥

[@abrakadabrakids]

Best explanation!

[@DatSamurai]

Thanks glad I could help 🙏🏾

[@UniquelyStellar]

WoW! You are a sanity saver!!!

[@DatSamurai]

As I’m told 😂 Happy to help 🙏🏾

[@hammadAli-gk4nm]

Thank you! But could you make a video about how to include party chat on PS5 into OBS without a capture card? Or is it not possible?

[@DatSamurai]

Here's a video on how to stream with OBS and PS5 without a capture card: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eJWZXpePaLCDock For party chat, you can use Discord. Just have your friends connect to Discord on their PS5 and you got it. Then add the audio from Discord to OBS as an audio input source.

[@danbotha9266]

Hey bro - Love the video, can you please explain how to connect an iphone to OBS and use it as a camera. I can't seem to connect my phone to my Mac. Thanks

[@DatSamurai]

Yo! So make sure you’re signed in to the same Apple ID account in both your Mac and IPhone. Try also hooking your phone up to your Mac via the usb c cable. That should bring up a window asking you if your Mac should trust your iPhone. Close out of OBS then re-open it and add a new video capture source and it should be there.

[@kingdavidthefirst]

How do you crop and resize in OBS on MacBook Air

[@DatSamurai]

Had this question come up in a call with another subscriber. Here’s a quick video I made explaining how to do it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/a56wY2Npi79km6ssi=14rt_pEPgVdH-y7o

[@ultimatechamp5173]

Hey i have a mac but whenever i go on video capture and select device it only shows facetime hd option what do i do

[@ultimatechamp5173]

Like i wanna capture my macbook screen not my console screen

[@DatSamurai]

@ultimatechamp5173 use MacOS Screen Capture source.

[@domishay]

Nice bro 😎

[@DatSamurai]

Glad I could help 🙏🏾

[@NiixonJavier]

Bro my Macbook Screen is 3600x2252 But I wanna record my screen on 1980×1280 and when I put this out resolution the quality down . What I can do?

[@DatSamurai]

Yeah, had another subscriber run into the same issue. You gotta crop and resize the window to get rid of the black bars. It the only work around I know for Mac at the moment. Check out this video I mead explore to do it: OBS Help for Ben | 04/25/2024 kzbin.info/www/bejne/a56wY2Npi79km6s

[@e92livvy]

Hi! I've been having issues with my gameplay audio using the HD60X, PS5, chat link cable and a Macbook pro. Do you use the Elgato capture utility for Mac on HDMI, Analog audio, or do you not use that at all? Thanks for any help in advance!

[@DatSamurai]

Hey! So I don’t use capture utility, but usually you’d use HDMI unless you are using a chat link. Then it should be analog. Try switching the audio to analog in capture utility and see if you get your audio back.

[@markestabrook]

I have Mac Studio M1. Roland 400UHD does not show video in OBS application when connect via USB 3.2. Ideas? Streaming is my goal, but I cannot even achieve basic connect. ROLAND tech support is VERY difficult to contact.

[@DatSamurai]

Hey so I found a video from Roland explaining how to connect it to OBS: kzbin.info/www/bejne/laanaGloeq2Zbck Basically, if the Roland 400UHD doesn't have the USB Streaming port on the back, you'll have to use a capture card to convert the signal from the Mixer to USB and then add that capture card source as a Media Source to OBS. Check out the video I linked and that should help you out 🙏🏾

[@DaPakaloloCast]

Aloha Super helpful and quick video but i got stuck at Encoder Settings only let me selet ABR... No CBR option...

[@DaPakaloloCast]

Waittt you need a capture card too... Why don't people tell you these things first before you get started! 😅😭

[@DatSamurai]

lol sorry this video assumes you got a capture card and ready to set up OBS. You don’t need one though but I highly recommend it. Here’s a video I’d did comparing different price points and qualities: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aILHqWetrNyeb5Isi=xqlJUYEiMig3iHSh

[@DatSamurai]

To answer your question tho, your video encoder setting is probably on “Apple VT H264 Software Encoder.” Change it to “Apple VT H264 HARDWARE Encoder,” and you should get the CBR option.

[@jaquanroberts]

CBR not showing up when I select Apple VT H264 Hardware Encoder. How can I fix that? Or is there different settings I can use?

[@DatSamurai]

It’s ok, just use ABR. Make sure you also have a capture card so you don’t drop frames 👍🏾

[@partymcfly2494]

What is a good camera that you would recommend that is a good quality, but also a little cheaper in budget, when I wanted to move away from my Mac camera?

[@DatSamurai]

Good question! I have a list of these cameras you can get here: kit.co/DatSamurai/must-have-streaming-equipment-for-beginners-in-2023 Anything good will be around $60-70 starting off. If you can budget it, Elgato Cams are pretty good. The Facecam Neo is still coming out at around $99. But you could pick up the Facecam MK.2 for $150 or the previous gen for $130, but the $20 more isn’t bad to get the latest hardware. If you’re looking for less than $100, look into Logitech’s webcams. And if you want a one and done camera for all content creation, you can get the Sony ZV-E10 which is what I use. It’s $700 but for a mirrorless camera of this quality, it’s a steal. Chefs kiss for sure 👌🏾

[@partymcfly2494]

@@DatSamuraiawesome!! Thanks for the feedback. Loved your video. I’ve been streaming from the PS5 directly to Twitch and it’s become a hassle. Definitely switching to OBS.

[@DatSamurai]

@partymcfly2494 You can do A LOT in OBS and with cool plugins. I’ll be making some videos on it soon but feel free to ask me any questions you have 👍🏾

[@wavvykevv]

I have a MacBook Pro retina 2019 and I have a hd60 s capture card and it’s not showing on video capture device please help

[@DatSamurai]

Did you make sure you got the cables plugged correctly? Also try restarting your Mac and try again. Sometimes OBS needs a good reset.

[@IkarusTroy57]

absolutely amazing video! how do i get my game audio if i am gaming on a phone?

[@DatSamurai]

You mean like capturing you mobile game in OBS? You should have an audio input souce for that or when you capture the video, it should have audio attached. Let me know if this helps.

[@IkarusTroy57]

@@DatSamurai Yes, I can see my mobile game, however i don’t see any audio bars moving no matter what I do

[@DatSamurai]

How are you capturing your mobile game?

[@IkarusTroy57]

@@DatSamurai I have it connected with just a USB type C cable, from my iphone 15 pro to my macbook m2 air

[@DatSamurai]

@@IkarusTroy57 I just tryed this myself. Make sure your phone isn't muted. Unmute your phone with the button on the side. I think the iPhone 15 has a button now for the mute switch. Just make sure your phone isn't muted lol

[@brandonjenkins2221]

So I’m a little confused, do I have to play with my Mac monitor or can I use the monitor I have my ps5 hooked up to??

[@DatSamurai]

You can play with the monitor your PS5 is connected to. That’s what capture cards do, they send a signal to your computer and another to your tv/monitor.

[@brandonjenkins2221]

@@DatSamurai ohh okay! I was just lost when you said about the controller so I thought I couldn’t use it lol

[@ajbutler1861]

where do you get your overlays from?

[@DatSamurai]

Here you go: This is where I get my free overlays: 👉 nerdordie.com/shop/ref/glkqfe/?campaign=YourStreamingSenpai Another place to find overlays: 👉 www.own3d.tv/en/

[@KillerQueen2270]

question what if you dont use a chat link pro? I am having a bit a of trouble. I wanted to know if I can do it in Bluetooth way as as far as like connecting it to my ps5 ? and using another mic for streaming? meanwhile I am using the headphones just for gameplay?

[@KillerQueen2270]

I also have a wire for the headphones that came with it can I just plug it into the capture card or the controller itself?

[@DatSamurai]

So the chat link just allows you to capture game chat audio while using your headset. If you don't have that setup, then you can stream like I do. I use a separate mic for my stream (Elgato Wave 3 plugged into my Mac), a completely separate mic for the PS5 chat (Plugged via USB into the front of the PS5), and Bluetooth headphones connected to my Mac to hear the game. I just monitor the Game Capture Audio in OBS. There's no delay in the sound.

[@KillerQueen2270]

@@DatSamurai okay so I use the 4k capture card from TikTok and I’m using a MacBook Pro and I have a adapter for it to connect it to the capture card and I’m using obs as well. I just want to be sure about the audio. The mic is for the viewers to hear you and the headphones is just for The game audio correct ? What if you play online with friends wouldn’t it be an echo?

[@KillerQueen2270]

@@DatSamurai also I wanted to know how to get good video quality I’m only using webcam from the MacBook like whenever I start to record myself it says that encoded is reached and to lower it down how much fps you recommend?

[@DatSamurai]

No because the audio you’re capturing is only from the PS5 via hdmi not your headset. Party chat and Game chat are two different things. Party (your friends in a private chat) and Gamechat (randoms in the lobby and on your team). In your audio settings, you can change the party chat output to be HDMI instead of headphones. That way, your stream will hear your friends in your party chat. You talk to them via a separate mic plugged into the PS5 and you hear everything through OBS.

[@ax3214]

hi when i try to add a source the only device that shows up is my facetime hd and nothing else, thx

[@ajbutler1861]

yeah same my phone isn’t showing up i wonder why

[@DatSamurai]

Sometimes it’s finicky. Make sure your iPhone and Mac are on the same internet network and Bluetooth is turned on. Close OBS and reopen it. If it still doesn’t pop up, close OBS, put your computer to sleep using the apple symbol at the top left, the try everything again. Also, if you have never connected your iPhone to your make a physically, try that first, then try it again.

[@ax3214]

@@DatSamurai thank you many, i just used display capture instead

[@nicojimenez5638]

My audio from game sounds super poppy anyway I can fix that ?

[@DatSamurai]

You probably have the game volume up to loud. Use the audio mixer volume sliders to turn it down.

[@jessdiaries8002]

How to connect Bigo live as a server? Its not in the list

[@DatSamurai]

Add it as a custom RTMP. You just need the destination URL and Stream Key and enter it into OBS. Bigo should give you that info when you’re setting up your live stream.

[@fuegojames3155]

Do I HAVE to have a capture card? I also have a iMac desktop and not a MacBook

[@DatSamurai]

No there are ways to stream to OBS without a capture card, but the quality isn’t that great and it highly depends on your internet speeds. Here’s a video on how to do it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eJWZXpePaLCDocksi=L6s5E5Nshafk3AY4

[@DatSamurai]

It’s the same for any Apple computer.

[@JVCarr-ez9zj]

Why cant i change the device in video capture are see iphone camera in video capture 😢 only thing i see is facetime hd camera

[@JVCarr-ez9zj]

Huh?

[@DatSamurai]

Make sure a your iPhone is up to date and signed in to the same Apple ID as your Mac. If that’s all good, the just restart your Mac and try it again. Usually this works.

[@HaischkaEST]

Hey man! Great video. Do you know how to read chat while gaming? It's driving me nuts that I can't create a transparent chat overlay with Mac and one monitor. It's as if I bought all of this equipment only to not interact with viewers.

[@DatSamurai]

There's a few ways. If you only have one screen your MacBook), you can do a popout chat window and have it on the side, or set your phone up and use it to read chat. You can also use third party plugins that pin your chat to the side of OBS. I use StreamElements.com. With stream elements. you can make a transparent chat overlay on your stream so people can see it.

[@HaischkaEST]

@@DatSamurai Thank you! I was trying to figure out stream elements yesterday and could not, for whatever reason. I really appreciate the help- it's been a bit of a struggle lately.

[@HaischkaEST]

@@DatSamurai If you ever made a tutorial on how to use stream elements, I'd be forever grateful (no need of course! I'm just putting it out there.)

[@DatSamurai]

You’re all good! I got a video on it already. The EASIST Way To Add Twitch Alerts To OBS kzbin.info/www/bejne/i6TEqayZrpyViqM It’s more focused on alerts but I can definitely do another video focusing chat. 🙏🏾

[@HaischkaEST]

@@DatSamurai awesome, thanks! I'll check it out for sure. Streaming is fun, but it sure is a learning curve. If you do make that video, I'll make sure to check it out and like. There's definitely a place for this on YT as many of the good streamers teaching this posted about 3-4 years ago (OBS).

[@stab329]

have tried so often to stream to YT via OBS and constantly get the message that Encoding Overloaded. Driving me nuts. Have messed with video resolution, bitrate, FPS, constantly get laggy useless stream that freezes up. At my wits end. Any more tips? CPU has storage space. Using a 2019 Macbook Air. Tried with capture card, then tried without one using Remote Play. Tried so many different things I am ready to give up.

[@DatSamurai]

Mac pre M1 chip isn’t too great to stream on, especially on an MacBook Air. Stream using the x264 encoder and use CBR as the bit rate. Drop your bitrate to 6000kbps. Try these setting for your case and let me know how it goes.

[@dr.scastilow1560]

I have a question do you have a direct contact ?

[@DatSamurai]

You can hop on a call with me here: bit.ly/Get-Streaming-Help If you're looking for my DMs you can message me on TikTok if you'd like: @yourstreamingsenpai

[@dr.scastilow1560]

I'm not on TikTok... My question has nothing to do with being a gamer, I have no problem paying $10.00 if you can help me... Thanks! @@DatSamurai

[@BasicToAnythingYT]

hey each time im done recording i find my recordings but it doesnt show a video it shows a file instead

[@DatSamurai]

Your recordings might be getting saved as a .mkv file. You can change the save format by going to settings, then stream, then in the record tab, change the file type from .mkv to .mov or .mp4.

[@BasicToAnythingYT]

@@DatSamurai how do i do that can u help me?

[@DatSamurai]

@BasicToAnythingYT You can give me a call here and I can help you out more if you need: bit.ly/Get-Streaming-Help

[@BasicToAnythingYT]

@@DatSamurai its okay i just found out how to do it thanks!

[@rizzman]

bro how do i add party chat volume so my stream can hear my party chat

[@DatSamurai]

You’re on PS5 or Xbox? If PS5, you need either a chat link so you can use your headset and controller audio, or in the audio setting you can change your party audio to HDMI so the capture card picks it up.

[@PreservedReality]

can you help me, cbr isnt an option for me. i have abr or crf

[@DatSamurai]

Oh dang just seeing this question. Make sure you change the video encoder settings to Apple VT H264 Hardward Encoder, not Software Encoder.

[@ultimatechamp5173]

@@DatSamuraii did that but still shows anr or crf. Is it really a big deal though?

[@DatSamurai]

Yes it controls the quality of your stream. CBR is for broadcasting. Try playing with your setting till you get the option.

[@Zwrld00]

my upload speed is 11.81 should i consider getting different wifi?

[@DatSamurai]

You should be good with 11mbps. Try it out with 6,000kpbs bitrate and see if it’s looking good and not choppy.

[@Zwrld00]

@@DatSamurai just tried it & it’s still pretty choppy when i start playing that video

[@DatSamurai]

What computer are you using to stream? Are you on wifi? You're computer has to encode the stream so having a decent graphics card or CPU and RAM is also important. @@Zwrld00

[@Zwrld00]

@@DatSamurai i’m only recording reactions rn but i have a macbook pro

[@Shantiagooo]

My mac keeps going to.0kbps -.- what ca i do?

[@DatSamurai]

Not sure why this is. Can you give me more info? Like, what did you make your settings? Where are you streaming to, etc.

[@Shantiagooo]

@DatSamurai twitch I'm trying wifi because it work better than cable ethernet . Kbps keep moving and going below 1.000 . This is crazy.

[@DatSamurai]

What are you streaming on? (The exact computer brand and your specs, CPU, GPU, RAM, Storage amount). What did you set your bitrate too? And how much upload speed do you have for your internet?

[@Shantiagooo]

@DatSamurai obs. Apple.mac m1 8gb ram 245 gb space . I use hardware encoder and 5000k kbps . Upload mbps around 80 .

[@DatSamurai]

Is your bitrate on CBR or ABR?

[@Pancake_onvr]

i cant change abr

[@Pancake_onvr]

and i dont have a device to setup

[@DatSamurai]

You’re on an Intel Mac that’s why. Switch your video encoder setting to x264 and then you’ll get the option to pick CBR.

[@Pancake_onvr]

@@DatSamurai thx

[@zuhalm]

how to stream on ome tv

[@DatSamurai]

Omegle? You just need to capture your display in OBS. Just do a MacOS screen capture source and you can select the app like Chrome to capture or the whole display if you want.

[@DatSamurai]

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