How to Stream on Twitch Using XSplit Broadcaster – v3.4
Last Updated on August 20, 2020 by Michael Brockbank
Ready to start streaming to Twitch using XSplit Broadcaster? It’s really not all that difficult, and the software works exceptionally well. In fact, I’ve been using it since 2014. With all the tools and widgets available, you can create impressive stream layouts.
Of course this greatly depends on imagination and the kind of flare you can add to the broadcast.
In this tutorial, I’ll go over how to stream to Twitch using XSplit Broadcaster. This works whether you pay for the premium subscription or use the free version.
Using XSplit Broadcaster
I had to update this tutorial for the new version of XSplit Broadcaster. A lot of the tools moved around and are renamed, so that means the old tutorial was obsolete.
This tutorial is for XSplit Broadcaster version 3.4.1806.
I’m going to assume you have the software already installed and are ready to go. If not, you can download XSplit for yourself and install it. There’s no obligation, but I find it valuable enough to pay the $15 every three months.
It’s among my favorite pieces of software for streaming video to Twitch and creating YouTube videos.
Setting Up Twitch
From the application’s screen, click the “Broadcast” tool from the top.
Go to “Set up a new output” and click Twitch. If Twitch is not an option, scroll down to see how to add it.
Click the “Authorize” button on the screen. This will access Twitch from XSplit Broadcaster.
Log into Twitch using your account settings. This removes the need to input your streaming key from Twitch.
Your username will then appear in the Account field once Twitch has authorized it. Click the “Next” button to continue.
XSplit will then test servers to automatically find the best one. If you wait, the system will eventually load into the Channel Setup Wizard window. Click the “Finish” button to end.
Because my settings are geared for 60FPS, a new message appears. The mixer will automatically adjust the settings down to 30FPS according to its recommendation.
As I don’t want to use 30FPS, I’m going to click the “No” button on the right. If you don’t see this screen, just continue with the setup.
After making the selection, the Twitch Properties window will appear.
Changing Twitch Properties
When using XSplit Broadcaster, you’ll have access to a few settings to optimize your stream. For this tutorial, I’m only going to show you three: server, codec and video bitrate. Everything else is customizable at a later date.
From the Server field, use the drop down and select the best server for you. Because I am local in Colorado, I’m going to select the Denver server.
NOTE: When first clicking the drop down box, you’ll see XSplit begin testing all the Twitch servers it can find one-by-one. This is helpful if you want to pick the very best for your Internet connection.
Now, there are several ways you can control the video codec. By default, the selection is set for “x264.” This is the default h.264 codec that most systems use. It works well, but it uses up your computer’s processing power.
This can lead to decreased stream performance.
However, I have an nVidia GTX 1050Ti graphics card. I have access to the nVenc encoder. This means my video card will process the stream instead of using up my CPU. In many instances, this vastly improves performance while using XSplit Broadcaster on Twitch.
If you have a video card that supports it, choose “NVENC H.264” from the drop down list.
It’s been my experience that using the GPU instead of CPU for rendering vastly improves the live stream on Twitch. In my situation, it was the difference between night and day.
Now comes the fun part…choosing a bitrate. This may take a bit of trial and error when it comes to the best setting for Twitch. For one thing, the bitrate depends on the quality of your Internet connection.
If it’s poor, you wouldn’t want to use a high bitrate. This often causes frames to be lost in transit.
Personally, I set mine to 4500. After testing it with out-of-state viewers, it seems to be the best number to guarantee a nice and jump-free live stream. Keep in mind that I also have fiber optic coming into my house.
If you’re unsure, leave it as default for now. You can always come back and change it later.
You can ignore the rest of the settings for now. For the time being, we just want to connect to Twitch. Everything else is customizable to fit your needs…once you figure out what those are.
Click the “OK” button on the bottom.
Going Live Using XSplit Broadcaster on Twitch
When you’re ready to take your stream live, go to the “Broadcast” area and click your Twitch account.
XSplit Broadcaster will immediately connect with your Twitch channel and begin broadcasting.
When you’re done, just click the Twitch account again from the Outputs section to end the stream.
What if Twitch is not available in outputs?
When I installed XSplit, Twitch was already available. But what if you don’t have it in your list of outputs? You can easily install it from the drop down window.
From Broadcast, click “Find more outputs” option from the list. This is under the “Set up a new output” option.
XSplit supports a variety of platforms to make connecting much easier. Choose the one you want by clicking on it.
Since I have Twitch installed already, there is a red “uninstall” button available. If there is a blue “install” button here, click it.
Once it’s done installing, it’ll add the output to your list in XSplit. It may also automatically open your connection properties window so you can connect manually.
If you’re extra curious, you can browse through the available plugins for XSplit and see just how much support the software has. You can do everything from installing an Extra Life widget to displaying Facebook reactions during a live feed.
And that’s It…
So, that’s the gist of using XSplit Broadcaster with Twitch. Next, I’ll go over adding gameplay to the XSplit sources so you can show your audience something more than a black empty screen.
Good luck, and may your broadcasts be filled with eyes glued to the screen.
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