How to Set Up OBS for Streaming on Twitch, YouTube, Kick, Facebook, and VK Play

Save and Share:

OBS Setup from Scratch: A Complete Guide for Streamers in 2025

OBS Studio is a powerful and free tool that transforms your computer into a true live streaming studio. But when you first launch it, the abundance of settings can be intimidating. Don’t worry! This guide will walk you through every step—from the initial launch to achieving a perfect, lag-free picture.

We’ll cover all the key questions: how to choose an encoder, what bitrate and resolution to set, how to configure your microphone for crystal-clear audio, and how to set up donations so your hobby can start generating income.

Step 1: First Launch and Auto-Configuration Wizard

When you first launch OBS, it will offer the assistance of the Auto-Configuration Wizard. Don’t decline! It’s an excellent starting point.

Choose “Optimize for streaming, secondary for recording”.
Specify your base resolution (usually your monitor’s resolution, e.g., 1920×1080) and FPS (frames per second). For games, choose 60; for conversational streams, 30 is sufficient.
Connect your Twitch, YouTube, or other platform account. This will allow OBS to automatically apply some recommended settings.
The program will test your internet connection and hardware to suggest optimal parameters.

The wizard will give you a good foundation, but for an ideal picture and stability, it’s worth delving into manual settings.

Step 2: Core Settings — “Output” Tab

This is the heart of your stream’s technical settings. Go to File -> Settings -> Output and switch Output Mode from “Simple” to “Advanced”. Now all the important options are available to you.

Which encoder is better?

An encoder is a program that compresses your video for sending it over the internet. The choice of encoder affects video quality and the load on your computer.

x264 (software, via CPU): This encoder utilizes the power of your central processing unit. It provides excellent video quality but places a high load on the CPU. If you have a powerful processor (e.g., 8 cores or more) and are streaming less demanding games, this is a good choice.
NVIDIA NVENC (hardware, via GPU): If you have an NVIDIA graphics card (GTX 16xx, RTX 20xx series, and newer), this is your best choice. NVENC uses a dedicated chip on the graphics card for encoding, with almost no impact on in-game performance. The quality of modern NVENC encoders is practically on par with x264 at fast presets.
AMD VCE/VCN (hardware, via GPU): The AMD equivalent of NVENC for AMD graphics cards. Also reduces CPU load.

Conclusion: For most gamers, NVIDIA NVENC will be the best choice, as it allows you to achieve high-quality video without losing in-game FPS.

What bitrate should I set for streaming?

Bitrate is the amount of data you send to the platform’s server per second. The higher it is, the better the video quality, but the more stable and faster your internet connection needs to be.

Important: Before choosing a bitrate, check your internet connection speed (for example, here). You need a stable upload speed higher than your chosen bitrate. It is recommended to use no more than 70-80% of your upload speed. So, if your upload speed is limited to 5 Mbps, it’s advisable to set your bitrate no higher than 3500 kbps. If your speed is sufficiently high, it’s better to use the platform’s recommended bitrate.

Recommended bitrate for Full HD (1080p), 60 FPS:

Twitch: 6000-8000 kbps. Twitch officially recommends up to 6000, but higher bitrates are often available for partnered streamers. Start with 6000.
YouTube: 6000–13000 kbps. YouTube allows for higher bitrates, which provides a clearer picture in dynamic scenes.
Kick: 4000-8000 kbps.
Facebook Gaming: 4000-6000 kbps.
VK Play Live: up to 12000 kbps, but it’s recommended to start with 8000 kbps.

For 720p (1280×720) resolution at 60 FPS, a bitrate of 3500-5000 kbps can be used.

What keyframe interval should I set for streaming?

This is a technical parameter that indicates how often a complete video frame is sent in the video stream. Most platforms require a specific value for stable operation.

Twitch, YouTube, Facebook, Kick: Set the value to 2 seconds.
If you’re streaming to multiple platforms or are unsure, set it to 2. This is a universal and safe option.

What is a keyframe interval?

Imagine a video stream as a flipbook:

Keyframe (I-frame): This is a complete, detailed image, like the first page in a new chapter. It contains all the information about the picture.
Other frames (P-frame, B-frame): These are “change frames”. They don’t store the entire picture, but only information about what has changed compared to the keyframe (e.g., “character moved their arm”). This significantly saves bitrate.

The keyframe interval is the frequency at which a complete “keyframe” appears in your video stream, upon which the other frames are drawn. A 2-second interval means that every 2 seconds you send a full image, and in between, only the changes.

Why does Twitch specifically require 2 seconds?

Compatibility and Stability: Twitch’s infrastructure (servers, players on all devices) is optimized for this two-second interval. This ensures that your stream will play smoothly for all viewers, whether on a PC, phone, or console.
Fast Viewer Connection: When a new viewer opens your stream, their player must wait for the next keyframe to start displaying video. If the interval is 2 seconds, the viewer will have to wait a maximum of 2 seconds. If you set it to 10 seconds, they could see a black screen for up to 10 seconds, which is very bad for a live broadcast.
Balance of Quality and Latency: 2 seconds is the golden mean between video compression efficiency and low latency, which is critically important for interactive live broadcasts.

Which encoder preset should I use?

A preset determines how much effort your encoder (CPU or GPU) spends on compressing the video.

For x264 (CPU): The scale ranges from ultrafast (fastest, lowest quality) to placebo (very slow, best quality). The sweet spot is veryfast, faster, or fast. Start with veryfast. If your CPU is not heavily loaded (below 70%), try faster.
For NVENC (GPU): The scale ranges from P1 (fastest) to P7 (best quality). It is recommended to use P5 (Slow, Good Quality) or P6 (Very Slow, Best Quality). The performance difference between them is minimal on modern cards.

Golden rule: the slower the preset, the better the quality at the same bitrate, but the higher the system load.

Step 3: Video Settings — “Video” Tab

Here you configure your stream’s resolution and frame rate.

Base (Canvas) Resolution: This is the resolution of your canvas in OBS. It should match the resolution of your monitor on which you are playing (e.g., 1920×1080 or 2560×1440).
Output (Scaled) Resolution: This is the resolution at which your viewers will see your stream.
- For powerful PCs and fast internet: You can keep it at 1920×1080 (Full HD).
- For optimization and combating lag: It’s better to lower it to 1664×936 or 1280×720 (HD). The picture will remain pleasant, and the load on your PC and internet will significantly decrease. This is the most effective way to eliminate lag.
Downscale Filter: If the output resolution is lower than the base, use “Bicubic” or “Lanczos” (32 samples) for greater sharpness.
Common FPS Values:
- 60: Standard for dynamic games (shooters, racing).
- 30: For conversational streams, strategies, or if your PC cannot handle 60 FPS.

Step 4: Microphone Setup for Clear Audio

Good audio is even more important than a perfect picture. No one will watch a stream with a poor microphone.

Go to File -> Settings -> Audio and ensure that your microphone is selected in the “Mic/Auxiliary Audio” field.
In the main OBS window, find the audio mixer. Click the gear icon next to your microphone and select “Filters”.

Add these three filters in the following order:

Noise Suppression (RNNoise – High Quality): Removes background noise from your computer or fan. Start with this one.
Noise Gate: This filter completely mutes your microphone when you are silent. It removes mouse clicks, keyboard clatter, and your breathing. Set the “Close Threshold” slightly above your background noise level and the “Open Threshold” slightly below your voice level.
Compressor: Evens out the loudness of your voice. Quiet sounds become louder, and loud ones become softer. Your voice won’t “jump” in volume whether you’re speaking softly or shouting. Default settings are usually a good starting point.

Step 5: How to Set Up Donations and Alerts

Donations and new subscriber alerts are set up not in OBS itself, but through third-party services, and then added to the program as a source.

Choose a service: The most popular in the CIS are DonationAlerts; in the West, they are Streamlabs and StreamElements.
Register on the service’s website using your Twitch/YouTube/Kick account.
Customize the look of alerts: In the service’s personal account, you can upload your own images, sounds, and configure animations for different events (donation, subscription, follow).
Get the URL: After setup, the service will provide you with a unique URL link for the alert widget.
Add to OBS:
- In OBS, in the “Sources” window, click “+”.
- Select “Browser”.
- Paste the copied link into the URL field.
- Adjust the size and position of the alert window on your canvas.

Chat on screen, fundraising goals, and other interactive elements are added in the same way.

Step 6: How to Configure Your Stream to Avoid Lag? (Checklist)

If your stream is lagging, stuttering, or dropping frames, go through this checklist:

Check your internet: Are you using a wired connection? Wi-Fi can be very unstable for streams. Run a speed test and make sure your upload speed is sufficient for your chosen bitrate.
Reduce GPU/CPU load:
- Encoder: Make sure you are using a hardware encoder (NVENC/AMF) if you are playing CPU-intensive games.
- Encoder Preset: Use a faster preset (e.g., P5 instead of P6 for NVENC, or veryfast instead of fast for x264).
- Resolution: This is the most effective method. Lower your output resolution to 1664×936 or 1280×720.
- FPS: If you’re streaming at 60 FPS, try reducing it to 50 or even 30.
Close unnecessary programs: A browser with dozens of tabs, torrent clients, game launchers—all these consume resources.
Windows Game Mode: Enable “Game Mode” in Windows settings. It optimizes the system for gaming, which indirectly helps with streaming.

Setting up OBS is a process of finding a balance between video quality and the capabilities of your computer and internet. Don’t be afraid to experiment with settings. Make a few test recordings or short broadcasts to a backup account to find your ideal preset.

Good luck with your broadcasts!