OBS is a free streaming software that lets you organise all your audio and video sources and send your stream to Echio, like a mini TV production studio. It's widely used for every live streaming platform.

  1. **Download, install and open OBS.**

  2. Create a Scene

    In OBS, click on “+” in the Scenes section to create a Scene. A Scene is a combination of audio, video and images (like your mic, a screen capture of Ableton, a side camera, your webcam etc...). Note that there’s always at least one scene created by default in OBS.

    createscene.png

  3. Add Sources

    Click on “+” in the Sources panel to add everything you want in that scene in terms of video and sound (cameras, screen captures, image layers, audio, mic etc.).

    source.png

  4. To add a webcam or camera, choose Video Capture Device.

    Screenshot 2022-08-21 at 17.12.59.png

    <aside> 👉🏽 If you need help about how to use a smartphone as a webcam or connect a DSLR camera, read this. If you want recommendations about good cameras and accessories, read this.

    </aside>

  5. To share your screen (Mac only), choose MacOS Screen Capture.

    Screenshot 2025-09-02 at 13.34.04.png

    Choose “Create new” and rename the capture as you like.

    Screenshot 2025-09-02 at 13.39.37.png

    Choose the application you want to share.

    Screenshot 2025-09-02 at 13.39.11.png

    <aside> ⚠️ On Mac OS, don’t forget to allow OBS to use screen-recording on your system by going to  → System Preferences → Security & Privacy → Privacy → Screen Recording → Check ☑️ “OBS”

    Screenshot 2025-09-02 at 13.42.51.png

    </aside>

    <aside> 💾 If you have an old MacOS on your computer and can’t install a recent version of OBS offering the MacOS Screen Capture, you’ll need to do a Window or Display capture.

    To add a Window Capture :

    <aside> ⚠️ Be aware that if the app you want to capture is minimized, it won’t appear in the list even though the app is open.

    </aside>

    To add a Display Capture :

    Screenshot 2022-01-09 at 16.53.57.png

    The yellow frame shows the Ableton Live window that is being shared during the Live Session, while the browser on the right side of the screen won’t be visible for fans watching the Session.

    The yellow frame shows the Ableton Live window that is being shared during the Live Session, while the browser on the right side of the screen won’t be visible for fans watching the Session.

    </aside>

  6. To add an internal or USB mic, go to Settings > Audio and select the mic you want to use in Mic/Auxiliary Audio.

    Screenshot 2021-12-16 at 11.56.08.png

    Then add an Audio Input Capture in the Sources window and choose "Add Existing / Mic/Aux".

    Screenshot 2021-12-16 at 12.06.43.png

  7. To add audio

    1. From your DAW or any other app on your computer

      There are 2 methods depending on what you want to do.

      If you want to share your screen + audio from an app, create a macOS Screen Capture source, just as described in point 5 above.

      Screenshot 2025-09-02 at 13.34.04.png

      If you want to only share your audio and not your screen, create a macOS Audio Capture.

      Screenshot 2025-09-02 at 14.01.12.png

    2. From your soundcard

      • Create an Audio Input Capture.

        Screenshot 2025-09-02 at 15.36.54.png

      • Choose your soundcard in the Device list.

        Screenshot 2025-09-02 at 15.38.05.png

      • Uncheck the Enable Downmixing box and choose which channels from your soundcard you want to use (if it has multiples audio inputs).

        Screenshot 2025-09-02 at 15.40.04.png

  8. Create all the scenes you want for your live session with combinations of all your sources.

    As an example your could have :

    <aside> 💡 When you have multiple image/video sources in one scene, like a Window Capture combined with a Webcam, you can re-order them from front to back by moving (drag and drop) them up and down in the Sources window.

    </aside>

    sceneslist.png

    Here's how Scene 2 (Ableton window capture + webcam) would look like :

    OBS1.png

  9. Adjust OBS preferences for optimal performances.

    Click on Settings in the lower right “controls” menu or Preferences from the nav bar top right OBS menu.

<aside> 💡 TIP : A good way to test if everything is working before you stream is to do a recording from OBS.

</aside>

👏🏼 👏🏼 👏🏼  Congrats, you're ready to start streaming!

NEXT : 6. Test your livestream and go Live

FAQ + troubleshooting