Step 1: turn on YouTube Live streaming
YouTube requires a verified channel before OBS can push a stream to it. From YouTube Studio, open Go Live and follow the verification prompts. A phone number and an enabled “Live streaming” feature are typical requirements. Verification is not instant: give it up to 24 hours on a brand-new channel, and longer if YouTube wants more time to confirm eligibility.
Once the channel is verified, return to Go Live → Stream and copy the Stream URL and Stream Key. Treat the stream key like a password. Anyone with the key can broadcast on your channel.
Step 2: connect OBS to YouTube
Open OBS and go to Settings → Stream. Set Service to YouTube - RTMPS. Paste the stream URL into Server and the stream key into Stream Key. Click Apply, then OK.
YouTube exposes ingest servers by region. The default works for most streamers, but if your viewers are concentrated in another country you can switch the URL to a closer ingest and shave off a bit of latency.
Step 3: pick a safer output preset
YouTube’s published ceiling is high. That is a feature, but it is also a trap: cranking every slider to maximum looks like progress and usually ends in dropped frames. A safer starter preset:
- Output mode: Advanced.
- Encoder: NVENC (NVIDIA), Apple VT (mac), QuickSync (Intel), or AMD HW H.264.
- Rate control: CBR.
- Video bitrate: 4500 to 6000 kbps for 1080p30, 6000 to 9000 kbps for 1080p60.
- Keyframe interval: 2 seconds.
- Audio bitrate: 160 kbps AAC.
Run the numbers through the stream bitrate calculator to confirm your upload can actually hold your chosen bitrate with 30% headroom. The bitrate you wish you had is not the bitrate you have.
Step 4: set your video canvas and output resolution
In Settings → Video, set the Base (Canvas) Resolution to your monitor’s native resolution, and the Output (Scaled) Resolution to your stream resolution. A 1080p monitor on a 1080p stream leaves both fields at 1920x1080; a 1440p monitor streaming at 1080p60 means 2560x1440 base and 1920x1080 output. Downstream sites (VOD, replays) are then recorded at 1080p.
For FPS, 30 is the safe default for 1080p. Try 60 only after your 30 fps preset is stable.
Step 5: add sources and run a private test
Under Sources, add a Game Capture (Windows) or Display Capture source for your screen, plus a Video Capture Device for your webcam and an Audio Input Capture for your microphone. Add an Audio Output Capture if you want a separate desktop-audio track.
Now record a 30 to 60 second test using Controls → Start Recording. Listen back with headphones. Confirm:
- Your voice is clearly louder than the game.
- There is no echo (you are wearing headphones).
- The picture is not tearing or stuttering.
- No private windows, notifications, or chat boxes are visible.
If any of that is off, fix it before you go live. YouTube keeps your VODs and so does everyone who watched.
Step 6: choose visibility and go live
In YouTube Studio, Edit your stream before going live: title, description, category, thumbnail, and visibility. Visibility has three useful choices for a first stream:
- Unlisted: only people with the link can watch. Good for the very first test.
- Public: anyone can find and watch. Use this for the actual broadcast.
- Private: only you and people you invite. Useful for sharing test VODs.
Schedule the broadcast or start it immediately. In OBS, click Start Streaming. Watch the bottom-right meter: if it shows dropped or skipped frames within the first minute, stop and fix the cause before you keep broadcasting.
Common first-stream problems
- Black screen on Game Capture: OBS was launched before the game was set to fullscreen, or the wrong capture mode was picked. Use Window Capture or Display Capture for browser games and run OBS as Administrator on Windows if Game Capture refuses to attach.
- Echo or hollow sound: speakers are on. Switch to headphones.
- Music rights warning: background music is copyrighted. Use the platform’s cleared music library or your own royalty-free source.
- Dropped frames in the OBS dock: usually network. Read dropped frames vs skipped frames and the dropped frames troubleshooter.
After your stream ends
YouTube automatically archives your live broadcast to your channel as a VOD. You can trim, title, and publish the replay from YouTube Studio. Recordings still drive traffic long after the live window closes, so a good first stream can keep earning views for months.