Broacast your gameplay to the world
If you're looking how to stream on Twitch, you're not alone. Twitch has millions of users, both streamers and the viewers who watch them. If you've ever watched one of the many available streams, you'll know that there's a huge variety of things to watch, from Fortnite to art and cooking shows and even live sports. Setting up one of these streams can be a little involved though.
It's nothing to be afraid of though. The best part about Twitch is that anyone can become a Twitch broadcaster. The PS4 and Xbox One both have built-in streaming capabilities, so all you need is an account. If you game on PC (or want to stream from other consoles such as the Nintendo Switch), then with the addition of some decent hardware and some streaming software, you'll be ready to share your gameplay antics with the world.
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If you're lucky, you can even make some money from streaming thanks to Twitch's Affiliate and Partner program. But becoming a streaming smash hit is up to you. This guide is all about taking your first steps into broadcasting your gameplay footage live to the internet.
Setting Up Your Twitch Page
1. Install a broadcasting app on your PC. The two main choices are Open Broadcaster Software (OBS), which is available on Windows, Mac and Linux, as well as XSplit, which is built for Windows. OBS is free and open source but requires a bit more setup, while XSplit is highly intuitive but requires a paid subscription for some of its better features.
2. Log in to Twitch.tv.
3. Select Dashboard from the drop-down menu at the top-right of the screen.
4. Search for and select a game you want to play under the Playing tab.
5. Enter a title for your broadcast.
How to Use OBS
Configuring Your Stream
1. Open OBS.
2. Select Broadcast Settings from the settings menu.
3. Select Twitch as your Streaming Service and click Optimize on the bottom-left of the menu.
4. Return to your Twitch dashboard and select Stream Key. Follow the prompts to receive your special streaming code.
5. Copy and paste that code into the Stream Key box in the Broadcast Settings menu. Select OK.
Setting the Scene and Going Live
1. On the main OBS interface, right-click the Sources box and select Add, then Game Capture.
2. Select your game of choice from the drop-down menu and click OK.
3. Right-click the Sources box again to add any additional feeds. You can add images and text to customize your layout, use Monitor Capture to show anything on your display or select Video Capture to use your webcam.
4. Select Preview Stream and Edit Scene to tweak your stream layout to your liking. For example, you might want to feature your gameplay stream prominently, with a small box in the corner that shows your webcam feed.
5. Select Start Streaming on the OBS dashboard. You're now live!
How to Use XSplit
Configuring Your Stream
1. Open XSplit.
2. Select Broadcast, then Add Channel, then Twitch.
3. Select Authorize and enter your Twitch username and password.
4. Select Finish. XSplit will automatically set an optimal resolution.
5. Edit your stream properties and click OK.
Setting the Scene and Going Live
1. On the Screen Sources section on the bottom left of the XSplit interface, select Add.
2. Hover over Game Capture and select your game of choice.
3. Select Add again to bring in any additional sources, such as images or your webcam feed.
4. Drag and resize each source to your liking. For example, you may want to feature your Game Capture feed prominently, with a small box in the corner that shows your webcam feed.
5. Select Broadcast, then Twitch. You're now live!
Layouts, Alerts and More
Once you have the basics of OBS and XSplit down, you can start customizing your stream with layouts and custom alerts. Two popular toolsets for enhancing the look and feel of your stream are StreamLabs and StreamElements.
StreamLabs offers a variety of customizable widgets, such as an Alert Box that shows on-screen notifications when viewers do things such as subscribe to your channel or make a donation. You can also use StreamLabs to set up Bots that help moderate your chat room.
StreamElements is an all-in one, browser-based solution that lets you design entire layouts (or pick from a variety of pre-made ones) complete with widgets, animations and more. Once you've created a theme, you can easily bring it to OBS or XSplit with a simple browser code.
Streaming From PS4 and Xbox One
If you have a PS4 or Xbox One, you can broadcast directly from your console without having to worry about any external hardware or software.
To stream to Twitch on PS4, simply press the DualShock 4's Share button, select Broadcast Gameplay and choose Twitch. Once you're logged in, you can go live with the push of a button.
Streaming to Twitch on Xbox One is similarly simple, though you'll have to download the free Twitch app from the Xbox Store before you get started. Once you have the app and are logged in, fire up whichever game you want to stream. Then, open the Twitch app and select Broadcast from the main menu.
Both consoles let you chat with your viewers from your headset, as well as show your face via either the PlayStation Camera or Microsoft's Kinect. You won't get to customize the look and feel of your stream the way you can on a PC, but console streaming is a great way to test Twitch's waters and start building your audience.
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