The best software for streaming on Twitch is a well kept secret. Why? It’s a lot easier to gain an audience if you’re already popular, but this way less people are aware of the awesome software available to maximize your streaming potential. Just fill in the form below and I’ll send you my article instantly on how to increase your Twitch channel views by 500%..
Streaming on Twitch is a great way to gain an audience. However, you can’t just rely on Twitch for your income. You need to put in some work to get new viewers and convert them into subscribers. Don’t worry though, we’ve done some of the hard work and found the best software for streaming on Twitch and you won’t even need a degree in rocket science!
OWN3D Pro
OWN3D Pro is a plugin that expands on the open-source OBS Studio. OWN3D Pro makes it simple to give your stream a new look. It gives you access to more than 575 high-quality overlays and alerts, and a large number of Twitch panels, along with additional features, such as the ability to create a Twitch countdown and donation page and integrate a chatbox widget and a Twitch chatbot. You can also integrate to OWN3D Music, so you can add music to your stream without worrying about copyright violations.
OWN3D offers both free and paid versions of OWN3D Pro. The free version offers five free overlays, panels and alerts, stream labels, and a countdown widget. The paid version provides the full feature set, and you can subscribe for one month, three months, or annually.
OWN3D Pro works in conjunction with OBS Studio, which we cover separately below. You need first to install OBS Studio on your Windows laptop before you set up OWN3D Pro.
Although some of OWN3D Pro’s features will work on any streaming platform on which you use OBS Studio, it is designed for Twitch, and some features are Twitch-specific. It also uses Twitch terminology throughout.
Not only can you use OWN3D Pro to add overlays to change the look of your streaming, but you can also customize them to suit your style.
Streamlabs OBS
Streamlabs was initially a live streaming tool that streamers used with other live streaming software. Streamlabs OBS now combines the Streamlabs tool with OBS Studio, giving a more advanced streaming program with a cleaner interface than the open-source tool. It also offers better user support. Like OBS Studio, Streamlabs OBS is free.
Streamlabs OBS gives access to a range of gaming overlays. You can find more overlays, graphics, and streams, multistream to multiple platforms at once, and gain additional features by paying for Streamlabs Prime.
Streamlabs OBS helps you live stream on Twitch, YouTube, or Facebook. The live streaming software is only available for Windows systems, although console users can still use Streamlabs to raise money from their viewers.
Streamlabs OBS
Streamlabs was initially a live streaming tool that streamers used with other live streaming software. Streamlabs OBS now combines the Streamlabs tool with OBS Studio, giving a more advanced streaming program with a cleaner interface than the open-source tool. It also offers better user support. Like OBS Studio, Streamlabs OBS is free.
Streamlabs OBS gives access to a range of gaming overlays. You can find more overlays, graphics, and streams, multistream to multiple platforms at once, and gain additional features by paying for Streamlabs Prime.
Streamlabs OBS helps you live stream on Twitch, YouTube, or Facebook. The live streaming software is only available for Windows systems, although console users can still use Streamlabs to raise money from their viewers.
Restream.
Best Overall Streaming Software (Free – $249/month).
Restream is a cloud-based streaming service that lets you simultaneously stream videos to over 30 platforms, including Twitch, YouTube, Facebook, etc. They even provide native integration with prominent streaming software like XSplit, OBS Studio, Elgato, and more.
It’s also one of the few streaming platforms that allow “Real-time Platform and Channel Toggling.” This means you can edit and add more channels while you’re “On Air” – without having to exit your broadcast or restart your encoder.
On top of that, Restream also comes powered with plenty of additional tools to help you promote and analyze your live broadcasts.
For instance, you can use the Restream Events feature to schedule and announce your upcoming stream in advance to build excitement. However, this feature is only available for Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn for now.
They also allow you to measure your live stream’s success across numerous platforms – from a single dashboard. You can identify the most popular part of your stream, the peak time, the total number of viewers, watched minutes sorted by the platforms, and more.
In addition, they have a built-in chat feature that you can display as an overlay during your live stream. There are even options to customize the look-and-feel of your chat box using over 20 pre-designed templates.
Other Key Features:
- Create multiple channels on a single platform.
- A built-in amplifier to stream from whenever you want.
- Track your frame drops, bitrate, and frames per second (FPS).
- Update metadata of all streams from a single point.
- Automatic alerts to notify viewers on Facebook, Discord, and Twitter.
- Add a CTA button to your live stream.
- Allow viewers from different platforms to chat with each other.
- Hide nasty and rude words in the chat box.
Pricing Plans:
Restream comes with five plans (including one free plan and four paid plans).
- Free – No pre-recorded video streaming, no video uploads, no video storage, no stream recording.
- Standard ($16 per month) – No pre-recorded video streaming, no video uploads, no video storage, six hours/stream max stream recording.
- Professional ($41 per month) – Pre-recorded video streaming, max 1 hour/2Gb video uploads, ability to store 10 videos, 10 hours/stream max stream recording.
- Premium ($83 per month) – Pre-recorded video streaming, max 2 hours/5Gb video uploads, ability to store 25 videos, 20 hours/stream max stream recording.
- Business ($249 per month) – Pre-recorded video streaming, max 4 hours/10Gb video uploads, ability to store 50 videos, 20 hours/stream max stream recording.
GameShow
Here is a powerful and feature-rich scene-building platform that allows users to develop any number of scenes within very little time. It works with low CPU usage and users can easily drag and drop scenes over each other with custom transitions and timing effects.
Key Features:
- Allows gamers to start streaming within few seconds with customized templates and widgets.
- One can add logos to scenes.
- Allows streaming with professional tools and an HD recording facility.
- It allows direct streaming to YouTube, Hitbox, Twitch, and etc.
- Offers multiple layers with full scene playlists.
Conclusion
When starting out with Twitch, one of the most important things is setting up your stream in the best way you can. This includes setting it up in a good resolution and with smooth transitions in-between moments in your stream. When doing this, software like OBS Studio (Open Broadcaster Software) is very handy. It has enough options to do basic streaming when you are getting started.