Twitch has attracted over 9 million unique users over the last few years, while also hosting a diverse range of live entertainment channels, ranging from professional e-sports gameplay to casual cooking shows and living room DJ sets, as well as some dubious ASMR streams. The Amazon-owned streaming platform has grown in popularity and evolved into more than just a website for video game streaming.
If you want to start streaming, all you need is a device and a reasonably stable internet connection. The entire procedure is so simple that you could complete it before the end of this article. However, if you want to put together a more polished setup, you can do so in under an hour using your gaming PC, laptop, console, or even your mobile phone. So, if you want to try your luck on Twitch, or if you are already convinced that the road to Internet stardom is one you must take, here’s everything you need to know about how to stream on Twitch.
How to Stream on Twitch: Software Selection
Twitch streaming is actually a lot easier than you might think, thanks to its ability to enable streaming from a variety of platforms. However, gaming PCs and reasonably powerful gaming laptops are some of the most common places to stream Twitch from. And in order to do so, you will need the right software to get your stream up and running.
The two main options are XSplit (opens in new tab), a Windows 10-centric tool, and Open Broadcaster Software (OBS), which is available for Mac, Linux, and Windows. XSplit is the easiest to use, with an intuitive interface, though it does require payment. OBS is a great free alternative and one of the most popular pieces of streaming software, but it will require you to roll up your sleeves and do some more initial setup.
Custom versions of OBS are also available, such as Streamlabs OBS(opens in new tab) and StreamElements OBS (opens in new tab). These programs work in tandem with Streamlabs and StreamElements to allow you to easily set up custom layouts, alerts, and other features.
Configuring Your Stream with OBS
1. Launch OBS.
2. Go to Settings.
3. Choose Stream.
4. Select Twitch as the Service and click Connect Account for the quickest setup.
5. Enter your Twitch username and password. You are ready to go! If you do this, skip ahead to Setting the scene and going live. Follow Step 6 if you prefer to use a stream key.)
6. If you do not want to connect your account directly, you can use a stream key to connect Twitch to OBS. Return to your Twitch dashboard and click Stream Key. Follow the on-screen instructions to obtain your unique streaming code.
7. Copy and paste that code into the Broadcast Settings menu’s Stream Key box. Choose ‘OK.’
Getting the ball rolling and going live
1. Right-click the Sources box on the main OBS interface and select Add, then Game Capture.
2. Choose your game from the drop-down menu and click OK.
3. Right-click the Sources box once more to add any new feeds. You can customize your layout by adding images and text, using Monitor Capture to show anything on your display, or using Video Capture to use your webcam.
4. Choose Preview Stream and Edit Scene to customize your stream layout. For example, you could highlight your gameplay stream prominently, with a small box in the corner displaying your webcam feed.
5. On the OBS dashboard, click Start Streaming. You are now online!
How to Apply XSplit
Setting Up Your Stream
1. Launch XSplit.
2. Choose Broadcast, then Add Channel, and finally Twitch.
3. Click Authorize and sign in with your Twitch username and password.
4. Click Finish. XSplit will choose the best resolution for you.
5. Make any necessary changes to your stream’s properties and then click OK.
Getting Started and Going Live
1. Click Add in the Screen Sources section on the bottom left of the XSplit interface.
2. Hover over Game Capture and select your desired game.
3. Click Add once more to add any additional sources, such as images or your webcam feed.
4. Drag and resize each source as desired. For example, you could highlight your Game Capture feed prominently, with a small box in the corner displaying your webcam feed.
5. Select Broadcast, followed by Twitch. You are now online!
Layouts, notifications, and more
Once you have mastered the fundamentals of OBS and XSplit, you can begin customizing your stream with layouts and custom alerts. StreamLabs and StreamElements are two popular toolkits for improving the look and feel of your stream.
StreamElements is a browser-based tool that allows you to design entire layouts (or choose from a variety of pre-made ones) complete with widgets, animations, and other features. After you have created a theme, you can easily import it into OBS or XSplit using a simple browser code.StreamLabs provides a number of customizable widgets, such as an Alert Box, which displays on-screen notifications when viewers do things like subscribe to your channel or donate. StreamLabs can also be used to create Bots that help moderate your chat room.
How to Stream to Twitch from the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S
If you have a PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, or Xbox Series X/S, you can broadcast directly from your console without the need for any additional hardware or software. To stream on Twitch from your PS4 or PS5, simply press the ‘Share’ button on your controller, select Broadcast Gameplay, and then Twitch. You can go live with the click of a button once you have logged in.
Streaming on Twitch via the Xbox One or Xbox Series X/S is similarly simple; however, you must first download the free Twitch app from the Xbox Store. Once you have downloaded the app and logged in, launch the game you want to stream. Then, launch the Twitch app and go to the main menu and select Broadcast.
Sony and Microsoft both allow you to chat with your viewers directly from your headset, as well as stream your webcam via the PlayStation Camera or Microsoft’s Kinect. You will not be able to customize the look and feel of your stream as much as you would on a PC, but console streaming is a great way to test the waters on Twitch and begin building your audience.
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