What OBS settings do you need for multi-streaming?
OBS Studio works with any RTMP-based multi-streaming service out of the box. You configure OBS to send one stream to your service’s ingest URL, and the service fans it out to Twitch, YouTube, and your other destinations. No plugins, no special configuration — just the standard RTMP output pointed at a different URL.
The settings that matter most are your encoder choice, bitrate, resolution, and keyframe interval. Get these right and everything else falls into place.
If you’re new to multi-streaming, our guide to multi-streaming covers the fundamentals before you dive into OBS configuration.
How to configure your encoder
Open OBS and go to Settings → Output. Switch the Output Mode to Advanced — this gives you control over the settings that actually matter.
Choosing an encoder
You have two practical choices:
- x264 (CPU) — Uses your processor. Works on every system. Excellent quality at reasonable bitrates. The safe choice if you’re unsure
- NVENC (GPU) — Offloads encoding to your Nvidia GPU. Frees up CPU for your game and other applications. Quality is comparable to x264 at similar bitrates on modern GPUs (RTX 20-series and newer)
If you have an Nvidia GPU from the last few years, use NVENC. If you’re on AMD or Intel integrated graphics, use x264.
Encoder preset
For x264, use the veryfast preset. It sounds worse than it is — the name refers to encoding speed, not quality. Faster presets use less CPU. The quality difference between “veryfast” and “medium” is barely noticeable at streaming bitrates, but the CPU difference is significant.
For NVENC, use the Quality preset. NVENC presets have more intuitive names.
What bitrate should you use?
Your bitrate determines stream quality more than any other setting. Too low and your stream looks blocky during movement. Too high and viewers with slower connections can’t watch without buffering.
| Content Type | Resolution | Recommended Bitrate |
|---|---|---|
| Talking head / low motion | 1080p | 3,500–4,500 kbps |
| Standard gaming | 1080p | 4,500–6,000 kbps |
| Fast-paced gaming (FPS, racing) | 1080p | 5,500–6,000 kbps |
| Any content | 720p | 2,500–4,000 kbps |
Use CBR, not VBR
Set the Rate Control to CBR (Constant Bit Rate). VBR is better for recordings, but live streaming needs a consistent bitrate. CDNs and platform ingest servers expect steady throughput. VBR causes buffering spikes when bitrate jumps during high-motion scenes.
Don’t exceed 6,000 kbps
Most platforms cap ingest at 6,000 kbps for non-partnered streamers. Sending more than the cap is wasted bandwidth. If your multi-streaming service supports per-destination transcoding, you can send a higher-quality master stream and let the service optimise per-platform — but for direct relay, stick to 6,000 kbps or below.
How to connect OBS to a multi-streaming service
Go to Settings → Stream in OBS:
- Set Service to “Custom…”
- Enter your multi-streaming service’s RTMP ingest URL as the Server
- Enter your stream key in the Stream Key field
- Click Apply
With TurboKast, the RTMP URL and stream key are on your dashboard. Paste them into OBS and you’re connected. Your stream goes to TurboKast’s ingest, and TurboKast handles fanning it out to all your destinations.
Other important output settings
While you’re in the settings, configure these:
| Setting | Value | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Keyframe Interval | 2 seconds | Required by Twitch, YouTube, and most platforms |
| Audio Bitrate | 160 kbps | Good quality stereo AAC |
| Audio Sample Rate | 48 kHz | Standard for streaming (Settings → Audio) |
The keyframe interval is non-negotiable. Platforms use keyframes to enable adaptive bitrate switching and mid-stream joins. Set it to 2 seconds and forget about it.
How to test your setup before going live
Never skip the test stream. Five minutes of testing catches problems that would ruin your first real broadcast.
Run a test stream
- Click Start Streaming in OBS
- Check your multi-streaming service’s dashboard — is it receiving your stream?
- Open each destination platform and verify the stream is live
- Watch for a few seconds on each platform. Check video quality, audio sync, and stream stability
- Have a friend watch on a different network to verify it looks good from a viewer’s perspective
What to check
- Audio levels — Talk at your normal volume. Are levels hitting -12 to -6 dB in OBS? Audio that’s too quiet is worse than audio that’s slightly too loud
- Video quality — Move around in your scene. Does the stream get blocky? If so, bump your bitrate up
- Stream stability — Watch the bottom status bar in OBS. Dropped frames above 0.1% indicate bandwidth issues. If you’re dropping frames, lower your bitrate
- Latency — Check the delay between your action and what appears on each platform. A few seconds is normal. Significant delay (10+ seconds) might indicate a configuration issue
The bandwidth test
OBS doesn’t have a built-in bandwidth test, but you can approximate one. Start a test stream for 60 seconds and watch the dropped frames counter. Zero dropped frames at your target bitrate means your connection can handle it.
If you’re dropping frames, reduce your bitrate by 500 kbps increments until the stream is stable. A smooth 4,000 kbps stream looks better than a choppy 6,000 kbps stream.
Once your test stream looks good on all platforms, you’re ready to go live. Check our multi-streaming guide for tips on managing multiple platforms during your broadcast, or read about the differences between Twitch and YouTube to decide where to stream.