Low Latency Streaming with OBS Studio

When you stream your content to your audience, it is essential to take the viewing experience of your audience into consideration. While the quality of your streams is broadly judged and discussed, low latency also contributes significantly to making your videos enjoyable. By minimizing latency, you can ensure your viewers get to watch your content in seemingly real-time. If you are a brand or a digital creator, broadcasting your videos with low latency can help you make a good impression, while the same practice is a must-have for professional video broadcasters. This article will outline the best practices to ensure low latency while streaming with OBS Studio.

Brief Info About OBS Studio

Open Broadcaster Software (OBS) Studio is one of the most flexible software for recording and live streaming high-performance videos, thanks to its open-source nature and tons of customization options. All the features of OBS Studio are available for Windows, Mac, and Linux users. The software can integrate with a large number of streaming platforms, including YouTube, Facebook Live, Dailymotion, and more. By offering users the features that are usually provided by premium streaming software, OBS Studio has become an industry standard for video streamers worldwide.

What Is Low Latency Video Streaming?

Latency in live streaming is the elapsed time between the point when a video frame is recorded and the point when it is delivered on the viewer’s device. High latency can affect the viewer’s experience and interest in your video. There are some broadcasting scenarios where low latency is very important and delayed broadcasting can lead viewers to wrong decision-making. Such scenarios include gaming, online auctions, video chats, sports events, and more. Low latency keeps your content close to real-time.

Best Practices for Low Latency Live Streaming with OBS Studio

There are multiple factors that decide the time your video will take between recording and delivery. Here are some recommendations that can help you minimize this time frame.

• Check Your Network Connection

  A fast and stable internet connection is important to ensure a high-speed upload and delivery of your videos. A weak internet connection may cause noticeable delays or dropped frames. You can check your internet speed using a speed test tool and contact your internet service provider to diagnose and fix network issues if any.

• Check Your OBS Streaming Settings

  Low latency streaming can only be achieved with a combination of various features, many of which are provided by your video streaming software. You can minimize the delay by making appropriate changes in the OBS Settings. Setting up your OBS Studio for suitable quality with a medium or low resolution and bitrate can help you lower latency. OBS Studio gives you fine-grained control over latency by allowing you to adjust the quality of your broadcast in terms of resolution, bitrate, and frames per second (fps). It also allows you to tune your content with the zerolatency option under settings.

• Integrate OBS Studio with a Low Latency Streaming Software

  The open-source nature of OBS Studio gives it the flexibility to integrate with low latency streaming platforms that use protocols like WebRTC or HLS. These protocols are designed for low latency. Also, while streaming your content on platforms like YouTube and Twitch, you can make changes in the streaming settings of these platforms. YouTube, for example, allows you to optimize your content for low and ultra-low latency.

• Check If Your System Meets the OBS System Requirements

  The hardware configuration can play a vital role in the processing speed and transmission of a stream from your computer to the internet. OBS Studio has specifications laid out to ensure you can use your software with great efficiency. Making recommended hardware devices available to OBS Studio can help you reduce the time delay in live streaming.

Apps4rent Helps You Enhance the Performance and Availability of Obs Studio

Local infrastructure deployment of OBS Studio restricts it from scaling according to the streaming requirements. Also, it remains available on a single device, which means if the device has a weak internet connection the latency may be higher. A dedicated OBS hosting plan from Apps4Rent can help you use your software on all devices and improve its performance. Contact our OBS hosting team to know more about hosting your software on a virtual desktop. We are available 24/7 via phone, chat, and email to assist you.