The Comprehensive Guide to Live Streaming (Part 1)
Broadcasting your (gaming) life on Twitch, Mobcrush, Beam.Pro, and other streaming services comes with some seemingly insurmountable challenges, especially for anyone who is new to the process. Luckily, there are plenty of great tools, resources, and ideas to get you started!
In this multi-part series, we’ll explore popular tools and services that are available to help you stream.
Included in our guide, you’ll find thorough research and analyses of: streaming services, streaming platforms, quality controls, stream improvements tools, identifying your personality, promoting a stream, maintaining a community, and even more!
Part 1: Getting Started
The Right Tools for the Job
There are dozens of ways to get your face from a stream preview to being live on Twitch (or your broadcast platform of choice). After you have decided which platforms are best for your streaming style and content, you can begin experimenting with the actual methods of getting on stream!
Each broadcaster and live studio software has pros and cons, so you’ll want to experiment with a few options before deciding on a solution. After you’re done reading through some methods to get your streaming career off the ground, check out how you can amplify the quality of your stream and make it easier to configure scenes and settings!
OBS
OBS (Open Broadcaster Software) is the most popular incumbent on the block. Since 2012, OBS has provided a way for gamers to get their faces on stream for all the world to see. With a robust community and wide-scale adoption, OBS has become the de-facto standard in Streaming 101 software.
Even with a myriad of alternatives available to streamers, OBS is still popular for a few reasons:
- It is ridiculously easy to setup.
- There are thousands of resources to help get you started, including the forums on the obsproject site and across multiple subreddits (try https://www.reddit.com/r/Twitch/ & https://www.reddit.com/r/obs/).
- The OBS encoder works for (almost) every streaming platform available on the planet.
PROS: It’s free! | Stream to multiple services at once | Integrated with nearly every tool on the market
CONS: Initial setup of advanced features can be complicated | New OBS features are not released as regularly as they are for newer services
Download & Learn More: You can download the client and learn more about OBS on their website: obsproject.com
Cost: Free | Area of Focus: Gaming | For: Beginners, Intermediate Users, Pros Platforms: PC, XB1, PS4
Hubtag
The Hubtag Caster is an all-in-one production software built as a plugin for OBS. Download the software, create your Hubtag scenes, and you are all set. If OBS is new to you, Hubtag can be a great way to get an introduction to the platform.
One of the best things about Hubtag is that you can configure alerts and overlays directly within Caster. Plenty of little things amplify the experience: custom theme packs, chat, a web dashboard, animations, and more. Hubtag also has a solid community on Discord and a streaming resource center on their site.
PROS: Great community support | Custom theme packs for games, streamers, developers, and more | Direct integration with OBS | Easy scene configuration
CONS: Dashboard is barebones (but easy to use)
Download & Learn More: You can download the plugin and learn more about Hubtag on their website: hubtag.net
Cost: Free | Area of Focus: Gaming | For: Beginners, Intermediate Users, Pros Platforms: PC, XB1, PS4 (anywhere you can use OBS)
Infiniscene
Infiniscene is one of the newest players in the space. Graduating from Techstars Chicago 2015, Infiniscene has found adoption with users looking to move to cloud-based streaming solutions. Moving to the cloud is the latest in streaming technology evolution, allowing for lightweight solutions that can be managed entirely over the web.
Infiniscene offers drag-and-drop scene design, direct integrations with multiple stream platforms, and will soon allow multiple streamers to participate in the same session.
PROS: Scene-switching companion app makes broadcasting a cinch | Friendly and responsive support | Streampro-esque scene configuration
CONS: Infrequent frame drop can occur depending on your setup
Download & Learn More: You can get started by connecting your streaming account at: infiniscene.com
Cost: Free | Area of Focus: Gaming | For: Beginners, Intermediate Users, Pros Platforms: PC, XB1, PS4
XSplit
XSplit is one of the OGs of in the broadcast software space. Because of their longstanding experience in the industry, XSplit has a very comprehensive feature set that a lot of gamers default to if OBS isn’t their first choice. The stream tool is used extensively on console and PC alike because of features like a chat overlay, easy source adding, and an OBS-like UI that is familiar to most streamers.
PROS: One of the better console streaming tools on the market | Easy to find and add scene sources
CONS: The paywall could be a turnoff for new and early-stage streamers
Download & Learn More: You can download the client and learn more about OBS on their website: xsplit.com
Cost: Free, options for a 36-month license as low as $2.50/mo. | Area of Focus: Gaming | For: Beginners, Intermediate Users, Pros | Platforms: PC, XB1, PS4
Gameshow
Gameshow is a bespoke solution to produce and streaming your own show. From capturing your stream to putting a production queue together, the features of Gameshow are more robust than most of the other solutions on this list.
With built-in social widgets, rapid editing capabilities, and an easy-to-use Chroma Key, Gameshow makes an argument for being the platform you move to after you’ve learned how to stream.
PROS: Stream and produce in the same platform | Production queue sets Gameshow apart
CONS: Price will be a barrier to entry for most early-stage streamers
Download & Learn More: You can download Gameshow from their site — visit gameshow.net/trial for 14 days free: gameshow.net
Cost: As low as $7.58/mo. | Area of Focus: Gaming | For: Intermediate Users, Pros | Platforms: PC, XB1, PS4
Mobcrush
Mobcrush has taken the world of mobile streaming by storm. With $15.9M in VC raised to-date, Mobcrush has the resources to continue building upon their stellar bedrock of products.
In addition to being a fully-comprehensive stream network, Mobcrush allows its users to broadcast mobile games directly through its broadcasting app (similar to YouTube Gaming). If you’re looking for the easiest way to broadcast gaming on mobile, look no further.
PROS: Plug-and-play broadcasting | Easy to use | Streams directly to the Mobcrush network
CONS: Supports iOS and Android only | Limited editing functionality
Download & Learn More: Download the broadcaster at mobcrush.com/broadcast or join the network to get started: mobcrush.com
Cost: Free | Area of Focus: Gaming | For: Beginners, Intermediate Users, Pros Platforms: Mobile
Cameleon
I hadn’t even heard of Cameleon before writing this article, but I’m glad I did some research. Streaming services have, in large part, vastly underestimated the power of Facebook Live and the way it has changed the live-streaming landscape. Cameleon doubles down on the bet that Facebook Live is here to stay, offering a broadcast solution on PC and iOS/Android — you can even broadcast from your GoPRO.
PROS: Teeming with potential for mobile streams | Works for most non-gaming stream platforms
CONS: Cost doesn’t seem concrete yet | Still unproven at scale
Download & Learn More: Learn more about Cameleon and download the client at: cameleon.live
Cost: Free — $29.99| Area of Focus: Live Video| For: Beginners, Intermediate Users, Pros Platforms: PC, Mobile
Other broadcasting tools:
In Part 2 of our Comprehensive Guide to Live Streaming, we’ll cover: the streaming services available to you, video clips and highlights, scene switching and layouts, and how you can grow your own community!
Have any questions about streaming? Want some feedback on your stream? Get in touch!
