It is available on MacOS and offers features like Volume Overdrive, live stream capabilities, VoIP Recording, and more. Cost: Free trial, $59 with bundles available; BUTT (Broadcast Using This Tool) BUTT can be configured on Mac, Windows, and Linux. If you plan on doing live shows with voice, BUTT may just be the software for you. As a radio broadcaster you need the best audio streaming software to effectively manage your station. However it can be tough to find the right all-in-one solution to manage your music, build curated playlists, and broadcast live radio shows without any technical headaches!
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Anyone can start streaming on Twitch and become a gaming star. Countless people have done it. Part of the process of showing up live on Twitch is to use compatible streaming software available and understand them well enough to get the best out of the tool and your streaming creations.
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Herein we will delve into the best software to use to setup your Twitch streaming software.
Note that the ranking below is in no particular order.
Table of Contents
#1. Twitch Studio
In the streaming industry, Twitch Studio is probably the most popular streaming software available owing to the popularity of Twitch as a streaming platform.
It is the to-go-to software form many novice Twitch streamers and many experienced streamers. Since the software is linked with Twitch, it a tad easier to set up and use.
You need not fret over the video and audio mixing, configuring the hardware and making sure the software detects your hardware and all other annoying preparation tasks you get accustomed to with the other streaming software.
The software’s guided stream setup will automatically detect the hardware (microphone, camera, monitor resolution, and streaming bitrate), and by using one of the customizable templates, you can get started with your stream quickly and with little hassle.
However, just like other Twitch streaming software, it does have some cons. For some streamers, Twitch Studio does not offer ample customization on the setup front like some third-party software.
#2. OBS Studio
Popular with professional and experienced gamers, Open Broadcast Studios is an open-source streaming software available on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
It features advanced capabilities and ample customization possibilities. For instance, the software comes with powerful APIs that allow users to create scripts and plugins to customize their streaming to suit their needs.
Aside from streaming on Twitch, the software allows you to also stream on YouTube, Facebook Live, Livecoding, DailyMotion, and many other platforms.
Its various qualities make the software a bit of an overkill for many streamers, especially novice streamers. Case in point, mixing sources takes some time to understand and get used to.
OSB Studio is, however, the perfect streaming solution for power users and/or professional gamers looking to create a thrilling experience for their audience.
To get the best out of OBS Studio, you need to spend a considerable amount of time using the software. Moreover, there is not a lot of guidance available on using the software and you might need to do some trial and error first before you get going.
#3. Xsplit Broadcaster
This is a paid software renowned for the high fidelity sound it captures. Starting at $24.95 per 3 month license, the software provides streamers with a suite of tools that helps them create exceptional game recordings and streams.
Alternatively, you can purchase a lifetime license for $199 that gives you access to all the premium features without limits. However, users have access to a free version with a limited number and variety of features.
Among its notable qualities is the drag and drop users experience for streamers. You can select and organize the various sources in your stream by simply dragging and dropping them within the window.
Additionally, you can also save your setups as scenes, thereby negating the need to setup your streams every time you want to start recording.
This feature allows streamers with one screen to use multiple setups within one stream by switching between the different setups effortlessly.
Xsplit Broadcaster is available on Windows only (Win 7 and newer).
#4. Stream Labs
Stream Labs is another software designed and optimized for power users. It comes with ample features and, importantly, the ability to back up your recording to cloud storage.
Streamers will find it easy to setup their streams as it comes with numerous themes and overlays that allow you to setup you’re your streams fast.
And with 46 apps available to extend the functionality of the software, you get more control, better analytics, and advanced automation.
In all, streamers have capable software with the Stream Labs, and viewers enjoy high-quality streams and memorable interaction with you. And should anything go wrong, Stream Labs has one of the best support personnel ready to help.
#5. LightStream
Designed to give your streams on Twitch a professional look without the hassle of complex setups. “Dubbed the Google Docs for live streaming,” you can start live streaming your videos directly from your browser without downloading any software.
The software is hosted in the cloud and you use the browser as the interface with the software. Importantly, the heavy lifting of encoding and compositing is done in the cloud, freeing your computer resources for other things.
As such, LightStream is the perfect solution for streamers who lack the expensive hardware needed to stream high-quality videos on Twitch.
#6. AverMedia Live Gamer Portable
The AverMedia gives streams a whole new way of capturing and sharing their video streams. This game capture device gives you a hardware and software solution, thereby doing away with the need for a computer to capture record and/or live stream your videos.
It is a portable plug and play solution to all your streaming needs. You can use the AverMedia with your computer, gaming console (Xbox, Wii U, and Play Station 3 and 4), and, mobile device.
The combination of PC-free mode and SD memory slot allows you to capture your gaming sessions even when you do not have a computer near you.
#7. Vmix
Vmix provides a suite of multimedia solutions for streaming on Twitch and other platforms. The live video production software has been optimized for streamlining multiple video and audio inputs and managing and mixing all the sources efficiently.
The software allows users to add and use multiple images, audio, cameras, web streams, Powerpoint, and much more. This is in addition to the ability to display, live stream, and record your videos.
However, to make use of all of these features, users need a high-spec computer as compared to other streaming software.
#8. Elgato Game Capture HD60 S
Another game capture device, Elgato is designed to capture your gameplay on your gaming console (PlayStation 4 and Xbox One) and stream it or record it to your computer.
The device is perfectly suited to overcome the shortcomings of limited recording times that gaming consoles offer. The device is fast enough that you can incorporate the captured video to your computer streaming software.
However, it does give users the ability to set up stunning layouts and overlays. It comes with an HDMI input that can take unencrypted signals up to 1080p at 60fps, a 3.5mm audio input, a USB-C port.
On the software front, it uses Elgato’s Game Capture HD software available as a free download. The software allows video creators to stream online on Twitch (and other platforms) or record the video locally.
#9. Nvidia GeForce Shadowplay
As the name suggests, the Nvidia GeForce Shadowplay has been made by Nvidia to provide the best streaming and recording experience for individuals using Nvidia graphics cards.
As an extension to the GeForce experience, you can access this streaming software in the GFE window via the share button on the upper right corner.
The software is inherently easy to use and to share your videos via the Broadcast Live. You can stream up 1080p at 60fps on Twitch using.
With three recording options, gamers have ample choice on how to create their content. The Instant Replay allows users to record the last 5 to 20 minutes of play up to 1440p resolution at 60fps for instant replays.
#10. OBS Live
OBS Live can do everything the OBS Studio can and then some more. As such, the software comes with additional features that improve the lives of streamers while creating a better experience for the viewers.
Some of the added features you get with OBS Live include a built-in chat and activity feed, custom bot name, and media requests that allows you to play videos and songs.
The software also gives users the ability to better control the replays, skip, and mute functions. You also get quick access to all of the StreamElements tools such as overlays, tipping, and ChatBot.
#11. Player.me
From its onset, Player.me has been designed to offer content to create more engaging tools. With easy to use in-game overlays (and hundreds of overlay templates available), powerful widgets, and a host of pre-made themes, streamers are in good footing when it comes to creating high-quality content with this software. The free software also has a donation system alerts, trains, and stream cups.
The only cone of using this software is sometimes it can be draggy, leading to frustration. As such, you need high-spec hardware to get the best experience possible.
#12. Telestream Wirecast
The Telestream Wirecast is an award-winning video capture software that gives users the ability to connect to multiple cameras, graphics, and much more with TV-like operability.
While the software has been optimized for game-capture streaming purposes, users benefit from a robust software with an intuitive design.
The software comes in two offerings – the Studio at $599 and the Pro at $799 with different features.
Among the software stand-out features include the Wirecast Rendezvous conferencing feature, the high-quality audio mixers, easy to use social media integration, and much more.
That said, users have to contend with some bugs, which the software maker is continuously fixing.
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Why pay for costly software and complicated hardware to live stream events? Explore these five free tools instead.
Live streaming events has its upsides, and as businesses invest in their remote work infrastructure, it’s becoming an essential practice.
You can reach people who couldn’t make it to the event due to cost, timing, or logistical limitations. You can expand the audience reach beyond your venue or city and attract digital viewers from around the world. You can also increase audience engagement by allowing viewers to comment and ask questions.
Live streaming also allows you to keep the show running when crises such as the coronavirus outbreak hit. Large-scale events such as the Grammys and Broadway readings can shut down their physical presence and take the show online. Musicians and artists can use it to live stream impromptu gigs and create digital events from scratch.
There are many live streaming tools that can be used to broadcast events online.
However, if cost concerns are keeping you from live streaming, then free live streaming tools are a simple fix to the problem.
5 free tools to live stream your event
Here are the tools we will cover (arranged alphabetically):
This article looks at five free live streaming software options. See the full list of free live streaming software solutions here.
First, what do we mean by “free”? For a tool to be classified as free, it must offer a standalone free version and not a trial version where the product must be purchased after a set period. For more details on how we selected these products, you can read our methodology here.
1. Facebook Live
Facebook Live will help you jump right into broadcasting events online. It comes with dual benefits. Firstly, it bypasses the complexities of traditional live streaming platforms that require hefty hardware setup and complex video rendering capabilities. Next, it taps into an already existing audience base—Facebook friends or Facebook page followers.
✔ A smartphone with the Facebook app installed or a computer/laptop with a built-in/add-on webcam.
✔ A personal Facebook profile or Facebook page for the business/event.
What are the key features of the tool?
- Toggle the privacy setting to make live streams visible to the public or keep them private within friends/followers. Also, tag people or locations and add filters, writing, and drawing to the videos.
- Access metrics such as peak live viewers, total views, average watch time, and viewer demographics.
- Add a personal touch when going live on a smartphone—walk around the event, talk to people, and broadcast from a personal vantage point.
- Screen-share if using a computer/laptop. However, this requires downloading a screen-sharing extension.
- Save videos to your Facebook gallery once the broadcast ends so that they can be viewed later.
What should you watch out for when using the tool?
- Negative comments from any viewer are visible to the entire audience and enshrined in the video.
- Using Facebook’s built-in publisher to enhance the video quality of the live stream requires technical know-how and third-party tools.
- Live stream can be also fetched from a video encoder via an API. However, the process requires some technical know-how and screening under Facebook’s App Review policies.
Who is the tool most suitable for? Events of any size—from a small poetry reading of fifty people to a mega product launch of 5,000 attendants. This is the best tool to leverage a personal or business Facebook presence and reach an audience that has already shown interest in what you do. |
2. Instagram Live
Instagram Live is a feature of Instagram Stories that can be used to broadcast events to a digital audience and engage with them in real time. It is quite similar to Facebook Live in its functionalities and user experience. The catch is that Instagram Live allows users to go live only on the mobile version of the tool and not the desktop version.
✔ A smartphone with the Instagram app installed.
✔ A personal or business/event Instagram profile.
What are the key features of the tool?
- Draw, color, tag people, and add location, emojis, gifs, and filters on the live feed in real time.
- Select between private or public audiences. Whenever a live stream starts, push notifications alert the user’s followers.
- Engage with the audience as they send likes and comments. A stream of comments is displayed on the bottom of the screen—pin select comments to the top of the comment stream or disable comments entirely.
- Filter out comments containing offensive keywords, phrases, or emojis by choosing the “hide offensive comments” option before going live.
- Save videos to Stories so that they can be revisited by viewers for up to 24 hours after a live stream. Saving videos to Highlights on the profile makes them available beyond 24 hours.
- Go live with another user on Instagram by having them join your stream and request to go live with you. This yields a split-screen interaction that viewers can watch.
What should you watch out for when using the tool?
- The tool is more accustomed to the portrait view (vertical view with an aspect ratio of 9:16) than the landscape view (horizontal view with an aspect ratio of 3:2).
- All live videos have to be recorded on smartphones. They can’t be imported from other devices.
- You can track metrics such as viewer count, likes, and comments during and after live streams. However, an Instagram Business account is needed for metrics such as accounts reached and impressions.
Who is the tool most suitable for? Events of any size—from a book launch with 100 people to a concert for a few thousand people. For those with a personal or business Instagram presence, this tool will help tap into an existing audience as well as reach potential digital viewers from around the world. |
3. Periscope
Periscope is a livestreaming app for iOS and Android smartphones that helps broadcast events to Twitter as well as the Periscope TV website. Periscope was acquired by Twitter before its launch in 2015 and has since been Twitter’s answer to Facebook Live and Instagram Live.
✔ A smartphone with the Periscope app installed.
✔ A personal or business/event Periscope account.
✔ A Twitter account to connect broadcasts to Twitter.
What are the key features of the tool?
- Alert Periscope followers with an auto-generated notification whenever a broadcast starts.
- Increase the virality of events by enabling viewers to share the live stream on Twitter and Periscope as well as share a link to the broadcast anywhere else.
- Store event broadcasts for replay and let those appear on your Periscope and Twitter followers’ feeds.
- Access broadcast stats such as live viewers, replay viewers, and time watched to better understand the audience.
- Allow all viewers to comment on live streams or send likes, or limit this functionality to the people you follow.
What should you watch out for when using the tool?
- By default, all live streams are public and viewable by anyone. To create a private broadcast for a select audience, you and the viewer need to be following each other on Twitter.
- You can draw on and color the live feed in real time, just like on Facebook Live and Instagram Live. However, the graphic enhancement capabilities of Periscope are comparatively limited and only available on its iOS app.
- Analytical insights about the audience are less detailed compared to similar tools such as Facebook Live or YouTube Live.
Who is the tool most suitable for? Events of any size—from a dance competition with a few dozen viewers to a political event with a few thousand viewers. For those with personal or business profiles on Twitter, the tool taps into the existing audience as well as generates interest from unconnected Twitter and Periscope users who might be interested in the event. |
4. YouNow
YouNow is a live streaming service geared toward younger audiences. It started as the video version of Twitter where users interact with each other over live videos but has evolved into a broadcasting service that can also be used to live stream events.
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✔ A smartphone with the YouNow app installed or a computer/laptop with a built-in/add-on webcam.
✔ A personal or business/event profile on Facebook, Twitter, Google, or Instagram to log in.
What are the key features of the tool?
- Broadcast an event from multiple vantage points by taking advantage of the multiple guest broadcasters feature.
- Screen share when using the desktop version of the tool. However, that will require downloading the desktop app.
- Interact with the audience through comments.
- Allow viewers to share event broadcasts with their followers on the tool.
- Use the tool’s hashtagging to popularize events. Hashtagging will automatically land your event in the feeds of the viewers following that hashtag.
- Know how many viewers are watching the live stream.
What should you watch out for when using the tool?
- All live streams are public by default.
- The potential audience of your social media friends/followers is lost since the tool does not tap into that. Instead, it relies on hashtags or links to live stream.
- live streams are saved to the profile only for three days. This limits the number of viewers who could watch it later.
- Analytical insights about the audience are less detailed than in any other tool in the report.
Who is the tool most suitable for? Small or midsize events where the goal is to generate interaction with a younger audience. This tool can also be used in innovative ways for events such as auditions, showcases, or gaming competitions. |
5. YouTube Live
YouTube Live is a live streaming feature on the popular video-sharing platform YouTube. The tool offers a wide range of broadcasting features, apt for anyone from a lone music performer to a full-fledged event with advertisements and promotions. It offers one benefit that no other platform in this list does—the search potential of being on YouTube, such that an event can be located simply through Google search.
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✔ A smartphone with the YouTube app installed or a computer/laptop with a built-in/add-on webcam.
✔ A YouTube account, which can be created with a Google account.
What are the key features of the tool?
- Add automatic live captions (in English) to event broadcasts to make them more accessible to people with hearing limitations or those watching without audio.
- Interact with the audience in the chat window and take questions for the event and receive feedback. Follow conversations even after the live stream is over with the Live Chat Replay feature or disable certain chats entirely.
- Make use of advanced live streaming features such as broadcast delay and automatic recording.
- Save event broadcasts as videos on your channel. These can be watched by viewers later on.
- Assess analytical insights such as average live view duration, total view time, concurrent viewer, playbacks, and chat rate through the analytics dashboard and generate reports to analyze and understand the audience.
What should you watch out for when using the tool?
- User accounts must be verified to go live, which can take up to 24 hours.
- At least 1,000 subscribers are needed to go live from a mobile phone.
- You can go live using third-party hardware or software encoders to enhance the quality of the broadcast. However, that will require some technical know-how.
Who is the tool most suitable for? Events of any size—from a press conference with a few dozen people to a sports event with a few thousand people. For those with personal or business accounts on YouTube, this is the best way to tap into the existing audience as well as attract potential viewers from around the world via Google search auto-integration. |
Next steps
Even with all this information, it can be overwhelming to select a free tool to live stream your event. Most of them sound like they offer similar features and the truth is, they do!
So, the question to ask yourself is: Do I have a presence on any of the social media platforms these tools are connected to?
If yes, go with the tool that allows you to tap into the existing audience base. If not, explore each of these tools and see which one feels the most appropriate for your event and gives a comfortable user experience.
If none of these free tools suffice your requirement, explore other live streaming tools on our website.
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Product selection methodology
To select the products mentioned in this article, we identified the most-common live streaming products listings via Incognito Google search on Feb. 7, 2020. Products that appeared on third-party listings at least twice during this research were shortlisted for further evaluation.
Products were evaluated against the definition of a live streaming event: Live streaming an event means to broadcast the video and audio (simultaneously) of an event over the internet using an app or a web platform. The streaming audio and video may have a lag of a few seconds (sometimes).
Tools that did not fit this definition were eliminated, including:
- Tools that were geared toward a limited audience (e.g. live streaming specifically for gaming audiences).
- Virtual meeting/video conferencing solutions geared toward a business environment.
- Tools that did not offer a free version or offered limited capabilities with the free version (e.g. live stream that allows streaming only from the desktop, with one camera and one screen capture). We classified a product as free if:
- It is offered as a free, standalone version of the software.
- The free offering is not a trial version of the software where you must purchase the product after a certain period.
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Note: The screenshots and products selected in this article are examples to show a feature in context and are not intended as endorsements or recommendations. They have been obtained from sources believed to be reliable at the time of publication.
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Looking for Event Management software? Check out Capterra's list of the best Event Management software solutions.