OBS Settings for Streaming: 2026 Setup Guide

In short: to stream with OBS Studio you need four things set up right: the connection to your platform (stream key), an output resolution your hardware and internet can handle, constant bitrate (CBR) with a keyframe every 2 seconds, and clean audio. Below are the values recommended by Twitch, Kick and YouTube according to their official help pages, checked on October 22, 2026, plus a list of common mistakes so you don’t get burned on your first stream.

Before you start

Download OBS Studio from its official site. As of October 22, 2026 the stable version is 32.2.2 (from August 14, 2026). Menu names can vary a little between versions and languages; here we use the English names.

Have three things ready:

• Your upload speed (not your download speed). Run a speed test before deciding on a bitrate.
• Whether you’ll use a hardware video encoder (NVENC on NVIDIA, AMD HW) or a software one (x264). The hardware encoder takes load off the processor and is usually the most comfortable choice for playing and streaming at the same time.
• Your platform’s stream key. Treat it like a password: anyone who has it can broadcast on your channel.

Step 1: the Auto-Configuration Wizard

The first time you open OBS the wizard appears, which adjusts values based on whether you’ll stream or record, your hardware and your network. If you closed it, you can launch it again from the Tools menu > Auto-Configuration Wizard, as the OBS quick start guide explains. Use it as a starting point and fine-tune by hand with the steps below.

Step 2: connect your platform

Go to Settings > Stream.

• Twitch and YouTube: pick the service from the list or paste the stream key from your dashboard.
• Kick: switch the service to “Custom…”, paste the server URL and the stream key you see in your Kick settings and click Apply, as the Kick help page describes.

Step 3: video, base canvas and output resolution

In Settings > Video there are two resolutions, and it’s worth understanding the difference, which the general OBS guide explains:

• Base (canvas) resolution: the space where you place your sources. It usually matches your monitor’s or your game’s resolution.
• Output (scaled) resolution: the one actually sent to your platform. If you play at 1080p but your hardware or internet can’t handle streaming at 1080p, this is where you drop to 720p.

Changing the output resolution doesn’t mess up your scene; changing the canvas does force you to reposition your sources. That’s why it’s better to set the canvas once (1920x1080 is the usual) and only move the output. For FPS, use 30 or 60: OBS warns that 60 fps demands a lot more from your machine, so test it before committing.

Step 4: output, encoder, CBR and bitrate

In Settings > Output, switch the mode to Advanced if you want to control every parameter. The points that matter:

• Rate Control: CBR. Twitch recommends CBR for all streamers because a variable bitrate can cause spikes that cut the broadcast on some connections. Kick simply doesn’t support VBR.
• Keyframe Interval: 2 seconds. It’s the value Twitch, Kick and YouTube ask for (YouTube accepts up to 4 s at most, but recommends 2).
• Encoder: H.264 works on all three platforms. Kick only accepts H.264; YouTube also supports H.265 and AV1.
• If you use x264, start with the veryfast preset and only go up if your CPU has headroom.

Recommended values by platform

Platform	Resolution and FPS	Video bitrate	Official notes
Twitch	1080p60 / 1080p30 / 720p60 / 720p30	6,000 / 4,500 / 4,500 / 3,000 kbps	CBR, 2 s keyframe. AAC-LC audio: 96 kbps recommended, 160 kbps maximum
Kick	Up to 1920x1080 and 60 fps	1,000 to 8,000 kbps	H.264 only, CBR only, stereo audio at a maximum of 48 kHz, 2 s keyframe
YouTube (H.264)	1080p60	6 Mbps minimum, 17 Mbps recommended	CBR, 2 s keyframe, AAC stereo audio at 128 kbps
YouTube (H.264)	1080p30	5 Mbps minimum, 14 Mbps recommended	Same as above
YouTube (H.264)	720p (30 or 60 fps)	3 Mbps minimum, 8 Mbps recommended	Same as above

Sources: Twitch, Kick and YouTube.

Two practical rules that the help pages themselves repeat:

1. Stability beats quality. Twitch says it bluntly: a stable broadcast is better than pushing for more quality and dropping frames. Kick adds that a clean 720p at 30 fps looks better than a 1080p at 60 fps with cuts.
2. Leave headroom on your upload. Kick recommends an upload of at least double your bitrate (with 6,000 kbps, around 12 Mbps). If you get lag, lower the bitrate in steps of 1,000 kbps until it stabilizes.

If you need to scale, do it in Settings > Video (output resolution) and not with the encoder’s rescale option, which Kick reserves for bases larger than 1920x1080.

Step 5: audio

By default OBS captures desktop audio and your microphone. Check the Audio Mixer: if the bars don’t move or it’s picking up the wrong device, choose the devices by hand in Settings > Audio.

Keep the audio in stereo and respect your platform’s limits: 160 kbps maximum on Twitch and 48 kHz on Kick; on YouTube, 128 kbps and 44.1 kHz for stereo. A well-configured microphone matters more to your community’s experience than going from 720p to 1080p.

Step 6: scenes and sources

A scene is a set of sources. The most common ones, according to OBS:

• Game Capture for 3D games (Windows only), Display Capture or Window Capture for everything else.
• Video Capture Device for a webcam or capture card.
• Image and Browser Source for your overlays and alerts. We cover them in the overlay guide and in the alerts guide.

A structure that works to start with: a starting scene (“we’re starting soon”), a game scene with webcam, a BRB scene and an ending scene. They all share the same visual style.

Step 7: test before the real stream

OBS recommends testing for a few minutes before your first broadcast. Record, or stream privately if your platform allows it, and check:

• The dropped frames counter in the lower right corner: if it climbs, your bitrate is too high for your connection.
• That your microphone is audible without drowning out the game.
• That your overlays don’t cover important game information.

Common mistakes

• Streaming with VBR instead of CBR.
• Setting the bitrate based on your download speed instead of your upload.
• Changing the base canvas mid-project and throwing off all your sources.
• Sharing your stream key in screenshots.
• Testing for the first time during a live stream.

If you’d rather have it ready to go

Over time every scene, source and setting becomes routine, but the first setup can eat an afternoon. At Epik you can order OBS setup as a single piece ($30) or included in the Creator pack (for a single platform) and the Epik pack (multiplatform). Payment is in full and direct through PayPal, and we start with your brief.