OBS Studio
Open-source software for live streaming and video recording, ideal for broadcasting services.
Completely free and open-source
OBS Studio has become the backbone of church live streaming worldwide, offering professional broadcasting capabilities at no cost. What began as a tool for gaming streamers has proven perfectly suited for church services, giving even small churches access to features that rival expensive broadcast equipment. The software handles the fundamental streaming task: combining video sources, audio inputs, and graphics into a unified stream sent to YouTube, Facebook, or other platforms. Multiple cameras, presentation slides, pre-recorded video, lower thirds, and logos all composite together in scenes that operators switch during services. Scene composition provides the flexibility churches need. Create scenes for different service moments - a wide shot scene, a close-up preacher scene, a lyrics-only scene, a video playback scene. Switch between scenes with keyboard shortcuts or on-screen buttons. Transitions smooth the changes between scenes. Audio mixing handles the complexity of church sound. Combine multiple sources - main sanctuary audio, local microphone for commentary, music beds. Adjust levels per source. Filters reduce background noise or compress dynamic range. The audio can route independently from video when needed. Streaming goes directly to multiple platforms simultaneously through built-in RTMP support. Connect to YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo, or any platform accepting RTMP streams. The stream output configures for different quality levels depending on your bandwidth and audience. Recording captures services for later viewing. Record locally while streaming live, creating an archive automatically. Choose various quality levels and formats. This eliminates the need for separate recording equipment. The plugin ecosystem extends capabilities further. NDI plugins connect video sources over network. VST audio plugins add professional sound processing. Scene switcher plugins automate transitions. The open-source nature means continuous community development. Learning curve is the main barrier. OBS is powerful but not immediately intuitive. Churches typically need a technically inclined volunteer to set up and initially operate. Once configured, simpler operation is possible for trained volunteers.
Download OBS Studio from obsproject.com - it's available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. Installation is straightforward on all platforms. Run the Auto-Configuration Wizard on first launch. It tests your system and network to recommend initial settings. Select 'Optimize for streaming' unless you're only recording locally. The wizard provides reasonable starting settings you'll refine later. Connect your video sources first. If using a USB camera or capture card, OBS usually detects it automatically. Create a scene and add your camera as a video capture source. Position and size it in the preview area. Configure your audio sources. OBS captures desktop audio and microphone by default, but church setups often need audio from your sound board instead. Add an audio input for your board's output. Adjust levels so peaks hit around -6dB in the mixer. Set up streaming to your platform. Go to Settings > Stream and select your service (YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, or Custom for others). Enter your stream key from your platform's creator dashboard. Keep this key secret - anyone with it could stream to your channel. Create scenes for different service moments. A basic setup might include: wide shot, preacher close-up, lyrics (from NDI or capture card), and video playback. Add sources to each scene and arrange them. Practice switching between scenes. Test before going live. Use the 'Start Recording' feature to test without streaming. Review the recording to check video and audio quality. Make adjustments and test again. Connect with church streaming communities online. Facebook groups and forums for church tech volunteers share OBS configurations, troubleshooting tips, and best practices specifically for worship contexts.
- A small church streams Sunday services with two cameras, a laptop for lyrics, and audio from their sound board. OBS combines these four sources, and a volunteer switches between shots during the service. Total equipment cost beyond OBS: about $500 for cameras and capture cards.
- A mid-size church records services for their podcast. OBS captures the main camera and sound board audio, recording locally while also streaming live to YouTube. The recording file gets edited slightly and uploaded as a weekly podcast.
- A church with professional volunteers built an elaborate multi-camera setup with eight inputs, NDI sources, animated graphics, and automated scene switching. OBS handles it all, providing capabilities that would cost tens of thousands in dedicated broadcast equipment.
- A church plant streams to Facebook using only a single smartphone on a gimbal, with OBS on a laptop processing the stream to add their logo overlay and improve audio from an external microphone.
- Completely free with no feature limitations or watermarks
- Handles professional multi-camera, multi-source streaming
- Streams directly to YouTube, Facebook, and other platforms
- Records locally simultaneously for archives or podcasts
- Extensive plugin ecosystem adds advanced features
- Active open-source community provides support and development
- •Significant learning curve for initial setup and operation
- •Requires dedicated computer with adequate processing power
- •No dedicated support - relies on community forums and documentation
- •Advanced features require technical comfort to configure
Desktop (Windows, Mac, Linux)
Yes
What computer specs does OBS require?
OBS runs on modest hardware for simple setups. For multi-camera streaming at 1080p, you'll want at least a modern quad-core processor and dedicated graphics card. More sources and higher quality need more power. Test your specific setup - OBS displays encoding load in real time.
How do we get camera video into OBS?
USB cameras connect directly. HDMI cameras need a capture card ($30-300 depending on quality and inputs). NDI-capable cameras send video over network. Some cameras support USB webcam mode. The method depends on your specific equipment.
Can we stream to YouTube and Facebook simultaneously?
Yes, using plugins or a multi-streaming service. The official method uses a service like Restream.io that takes one stream and distributes to multiple platforms. Some plugins enable direct multi-streaming from OBS itself.
How do we get lower thirds and graphics into OBS?
Several methods work: image files with transparent backgrounds layer over video, browser sources display web-based graphics, and specialized plugins handle dynamic lower thirds. Many churches use tools like H2R Graphics or Singular.Live that integrate with OBS.
What internet speed do we need for streaming?
Typical church streams at 1080p30 need about 4-6 Mbps upload bandwidth. Leave headroom - if your stream uses 5 Mbps, you want at least 10 Mbps available. Wired connections are far more reliable than WiFi for streaming.
Is there support available for OBS?
No official paid support. Community resources include the OBS forums, Discord server, and extensive YouTube tutorials. Church-specific help comes from Facebook groups like 'Church Tech' and similar communities where volunteers share knowledge.