How to Multistream From OBS Without Extra Upload Bandwidth
Adding several outputs in OBS multiplies your upload and often your CPU load. Here's why, how the relay pattern sends one stream to the cloud and fans it out, and how to set it up without dropped frames.
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To multistream from OBS without extra upload bandwidth, send a single stream from OBS to a cloud relay and let the relay copy it to each platform. Your connection carries one stream's worth of data no matter how many destinations you add, and your computer encodes the video only once.
Adding several outputs inside OBS works on paper but often fails on a home connection. Here's why, and how to set up the relay instead.
Key takeaways
- Every extra OBS output adds a full copy of your bitrate to your upload.
- Outputs with different settings need separate encoders, multiplying CPU or GPU load.
- A relay takes one stream from OBS and fans it out from the cloud.
- Your home connection still has to carry that one stream reliably.
Why extra outputs in OBS eat your upload and CPU
OBS sends one stream by default. To reach more platforms directly, people add extra outputs with plugins, and each output opens its own connection. That's where the math bites.
At 6,000 kbps video plus 160 kbps audio, three direct outputs need roughly 18.5 Mbps of steady upload before any headroom. Many home plans advertise upload speeds near or below that, and real throughput dips in the evening, over Wi-Fi or during someone else's video call. The result is dropped frames on every platform at once.
CPU and GPU load can multiply too. Outputs with different resolutions or bitrates each need their own encoder, and a machine that handles one 1080p60 encode comfortably may struggle with three while also running your game, cameras and overlays.
The relay pattern: one upload, many destinations
A relay splits the job in two. OBS captures and encodes your scene once and sends that single stream to a server in the cloud. With data-center bandwidth, the server forwards identical copies to YouTube, Twitch, Kick, Facebook and other RTMP servers without touching your connection again.
- Constant upload. Two destinations or six, your connection carries one stream.
- One encode. Your hardware goes into a single high-quality output instead of several compromised ones.
- Simpler OBS. No multi-output plugins to keep working across OBS updates.
- Central control. Destinations are toggled in the relay's dashboard, not by editing OBS profiles.
It's the idea behind multistreaming from a playlist vs from OBS, applied specifically to saving bandwidth on live shows.
Setting up an OBS relay step by step
- Collect your destination keys, plus server URLs where a platform issues them. Our stream key directory shows where each one lives.
- Create the relay in your relay service and add each destination with its key.
- Copy the relay's own server URL and stream key, which is where OBS will send.
- Point OBS at the relay. Open Settings, then Stream, choose the custom service option, and paste both values exactly.
- Set output settings: H.264, constant bitrate, a 2-second keyframe interval and AAC audio at 128–160 kbps.
- Start streaming in OBS and confirm the stream appears on every platform's dashboard before you announce it.
Run a private or unlisted test first, as covered in testing a stream before going public.
Picking one set of OBS settings that works everywhere
Because every destination receives the same stream, your OBS settings have to suit all of them.
- Bitrate. Stay within the lowest recommendation among your destinations. Twitch, for example, commonly advises staying around 6,000 kbps for most channels, which makes that a sensible shared ceiling. Check each platform's current guidance.
- Resolution and frame rate. 1080p at 30 or 60 fps in 16:9 works across YouTube, Twitch, Kick and Facebook. If 1080p60 looks soft at your bitrate, 1080p30 or 720p60 often looks cleaner.
- Keyframes. A 2-second interval satisfies every major platform.
- Orientation. Vertical platforms need a separate 9:16 production, which is a different stream rather than a checkbox.
If you're a Twitch Affiliate or Partner, read Twitch's simulcasting rules before adding other platforms.
Latency, chat sync and what a relay can't fix
A relay adds one hop, so expect a little extra delay on top of each platform's own latency. Platform processing and player buffering usually account for far more of what viewers experience. You'll notice it mostly in chat, where messages from different platforms arrive a few seconds apart.
Be realistic about the limits. The relay stops your upload from multiplying, but your connection still has to carry one stream reliably. If a single stream already drops frames, fix that first: wired Ethernet, a lower bitrate and no background uploads. The diagnosis in a Twitch stream that keeps disconnecting applies to any platform.
For content that doesn't need you on camera, skip the home connection entirely and stream a playlist from the cloud.
Relaying your OBS show through StreamHouse
StreamHouse includes multistream from OBS. Create an OBS stream, add destinations such as YouTube, Twitch, Kick, Facebook or a custom RTMP server, and paste the server URL and stream key StreamHouse gives you into OBS. When OBS connects, your feed fans out to every enabled destination from the cloud, so your home upload stays at one stream's worth, and extra destinations don't use extra stream slots.
Between shows, a looping playlist of past broadcasts or highlights can keep your channels active from the cloud with your computer off. Stop it before going live to the same channels, so two feeds never compete for one stream key.
See how it fits together on the features page, or create an account and connect OBS.
Frequently asked questions
Does multistreaming from OBS use more internet?
It does if you add outputs directly in OBS, since each one uploads a full copy of your stream. With a cloud relay, your upload stays at one stream's worth, because the extra copies are made on the relay's servers.
How much upload speed do I need to multistream?
With a relay, what one stream needs plus headroom. A common rule of thumb keeps bitrate to about three quarters of your measured upload, so a 6,000 kbps stream wants roughly 8 Mbps. Without a relay, multiply by your platform count.
Can I multistream from OBS to TikTok and YouTube together?
Not well from one feed. TikTok expects vertical 9:16 video while YouTube streams are usually horizontal 16:9, so you'd need a separate vertical output with its own upload. TikTok also limits external streaming to eligible accounts.
Is a relay slower than streaming directly from OBS?
Slightly, since the stream takes one more hop, but the difference is usually small next to each platform's own processing and player delay. Most viewers won't notice, and chat timing across platforms varies more than the video delay.
