So you want to try to get into the world of live streaming on your PC? Perhaps you want to start streaming some of your favorite games to see if you can build a following.
If you’re first getting into streaming, there are many things to consider, from picking the right streaming platform or service for you, the right hardware setup (fx a capture card), the right lighting, the best microphone, and more.
You’ll also need some live-streaming software, which this guide is all about. Of course, there are expensive options on the market that you can buy, but luckily there are also some amazing free streaming apps available that are great for gaming or video podcasts, and more.
Below, I’ve written a quick guide to give you an overview of the best free live-streaming apps for PC.
There are many options to consider, so hopefully, this will give you a good place to start.
Tip: if you’re on mobile, have my guide for the best game live-streaming apps for Android.
Let’s get streaming…
1. OBS Studio
OBS is great for those who are looking to live stream on PC. It is free and open-source software but filled with professional features.
It has a fantastic interface that is a joy to use, and it has all of the features that you need from live streaming software.
You can add multiple sources to the OBS timeline when developing custom projects. There are many filters and editing tools at your disposal.
Anyone who needs good free live-streaming software will be pleased with OBS. It’s also great that this software works for Mac and Linux users.
OBS can be intimidating and is not necessarily built for game streamers right out of the box. This is where Streamlabs OBS comes in.
The difference between OBS and Streamlabs
Streamlabs (formerly known as Streamlabs OBS – or SLOBS) effectively turns OBS into a live streaming platform to make streaming easier.
In other words, Streamlabs is a convenient overlay that lets you control multiple streaming accounts and apps, and it even has an event queue and a donation system.
Streamlabs is great for those who are looking to live stream on PC. It’s completely free, just like OBS Studio. The number of overlays and graphics you must choose from will keep you happy.
It even makes it easy to multi-stream to different platforms, which is fantastic for those focusing on more than one streaming platform.
2. Twitch Studio
It makes sense that Twitch Studio would be one of the live-streaming apps you would first turn to. If you plan to stream content to Twitch specifically, then this app will be a great option.
Twitch has done a good job of making an app that is easy enough to use for newcomers. It also offers all of the features streamers need to succeed on the platform.
For many people, this will be the only piece of live-streaming software necessary. If you’re starting, it might be easier to focus on learning to use Twitch Studio to the best of your ability.
This content was first published on GameDaft.com
There’s a reason why it has become so popular over time.
Check out How to Set Up Sound Alerts on Twitch.
3. Nvidia Shadowplay
Nvidia Shadowplay comes bundled with Nvidia Geforce graphics cards and has everything you need for live streaming.
Nvidia Shadowplay makes it simple to broadcast your gameplay to popular streaming platforms such as YouTube, Facebook Gaming, and Twitch.
Recording and sharing gameplay videos are easy, although I find it a hassle to set up in-game sound recording when you have an external dedicated sound card and microphone.
Because of this, I use it mostly for screen recording, which it excels at.
A bonus is that you can also use Nvidias app to optimize your game setting through the launcher.
If you’re purchasing one of Nvidia’s graphics cards anyway, check it out.
4. FFSPLIT
FFSPLIT is a great program for Windows that is completely free. You can capture what you’re doing on your desktop and turn it into high-quality video streaming content.
It works well for those who want to play games and live stream on a PC. It has a hotkey feature makes it easy to do what you need to do when you are new to the process.
You can also stream your webcam and add overlays. It can help your live stream to come across as being professional. Overall, you’ll be pleased with what’s on offer here.
5. XSplit Broadcaster (free version)
The free version of XSplit Broadcaster is also a good option for live streamers just starting.
It lets you stream content, does live chroma keying, makes scene transitions, creates a split mode, and more.
It’s convenient for those just starting, but as your channel gets followers and you want to earn money, you need to upgrade to the premium because you can only use the free version for non-commercial purposes.
You also have to live with a watermark if you use the free version, but beyond that, it is ad-free.
You’ll also be able to use it to live stream games on PC if you’d like, but it’s more commonly used for events.
You might like this guide to the best Monitor for Twitch Chat.
In Closing
So what is the best app for streaming games on PC? It depends on what you’re looking for.
For many people, SLOBS will be the clear winner, but many streamers might prefer to go with Twitch studio since it’s already integrated with this popular platform.
If you own an Nvidia card, you might give Nvidia Shadowplay a go. I have both Nvidia and SLOBS installed right now.
Depending on what you’re trying to do while live-streaming games, you might like one of these options more than the others.
It’s well worth checking out all of them to see how you like them. They’re free, so you don’t have to worry about wasting money.
Eventually, looking into using paid software with more features might be worthwhile. But for new streamers, these work great.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Jan has played video games since the early 1980s. He loves getting immersed in video games as a way to take his mind off stuff when the outside world gets too scary. A lifelong gamer, the big interest led to a job as a lecturer on game sound at the University of Copenhagen and several written articles on video games for magazines.