Going live on Patreon through OBS

Patreon Live is currently available to creators who meet the following criteria:

• You've published your Patreon page
• Your Patreon page is Safe for all audiences
• Your Patreon page is in good standing and complies with our Community Guidelines and terms of use

While Patreon Live is not yet available to creators in the Adult/18+ category, we’re working to responsibly expand access to more creators and ensure the product meets the needs of our community.

Steps to go live via OBS

1.  OBS and go to Settings → Stream
2. In the Service dropdown, select Custom
3. Once you select Custom, OBS will display a Destination section with fields for the Server URL and Stream Key. Leave this tab open, you'll come back to it after setting up your Live on Patreon.

   Tip: If this is your first time using OBS, make sure you’ve allowed access to your camera and microphone when prompted

4. Open a new tab and go to Patreon.From your creator profile, click the Create button on the left-hand side and select Live
5. In the Camera source section, select Other Streaming Service. Your preview panel will load with a Server URL and Stream Key. These are unique to each Live session
6. Copy the Server URL and Stream Key. From the preview panel on Patreon, paste them into the corresponding fields in OBS
7. Click OK in OBS, then click Start Streaming. Starting the stream in OBS does not start the Live on Patreon – it only sends the feed to your preview window
8. Return to Patreon. You should now see your OBS stream appear in the Live preview panel
9. Enter a title for your Live and select your audience (All Members, Free Members or specific Paid Tiers)
10. Click Start Live to begin streaming. If you scheduled your Live, you'll be able to access the Live setup 5 minutes before the scheduled time to finalise setup and preview your stream

Key things to know:

• The streaming URL for each live you create is different, meaning if you create a new live you’ll have to go through this setup process each time for each meeting
• You can also create a scheduled event – you can complete this setup ahead of time, and check on the setup anytime before your Live by heading to Drafts in your Library and editing the post

Troubleshooting OBS streaming

This guide helps diagnose and resolve common issues encountered during livestreaming with OBS Studio and RTMP. Use the steps below to quickly identify performance problems and apply the right fixes to keep your stream running smoothly.

Types of Frame Issues

• • Frames are encoded but fail to reach Patreon due to a weak or unstable internet connection
  • Often results in buffering or frozen video
• • Skipped frames due to encoding lag indicates CPU overload
  • Frames missed due to rendering lag indicates GPU overload
  • Results in choppy, low frame-rate streams

Monitoring with OBS Stats & Logs

• Open via OBS: View → Stats.

  Keep an eye on the following indicators:

  • Dropped Frames (Network): Should remain 0%. A rising number means network issues
  • Skipped Frames (Encoding Lag): Indicates CPU overload
  • Frames Missed (Rendering Lag): Indicates GPU overload
  • CPU Usage: High CPU usage (>80-90%) may cause issues
  • FPS: Ensure this matches target FPS (usually 30 or 60fps)

• OBS logs provide deeper technical details about what’s happening in the background of your stream.

  Access via OBS: Help → Log Files → View Last Log

  Look for the following terms:

  • Encoder overloaded: This means your CPU or GPU is under too much load to keep up
  • Lagged frames: Your GPU is having trouble rendering the video feed
  • Dropped frames: OBS is unable to maintain a stable connection to the server

Resolving Network Dropped Frames

• Reduce Bitrate: In OBS settings, make sure your video bitrate is set to no more than 75% of your upload speed. For example, if your upload speed is 10 Mbps, set bitrate to 7,500 Kbps or lower
• Wired Connection: Always prefer Ethernet over Wi-Fi.
• Enable QoS: If your router supports it, enable QoS and prioritize RTMP or streaming traffic
• Check ISP or Server: Try alternate ingest servers or monitor for ISP issues.
• Adaptive Bitrate: In OBS, go to Settings > Advanced and enable Dynamic Bitrate. This allows OBS to automatically adjust your bitrate during sudden drops in network performance

Resolving Encoding Overload (CPU)

• Lower Resolution/FPS: Try streaming at 720p instead of 1080p, or reducing frame rate from 60fps to 30fps. These changes significantly reduce CPU usage
• Encoder Preset: In Settings > Output, choose a faster preset like veryfast or superfast – Faster presets require less CPU power but may reduce visual quality slightly.
• Hardware Encoding: Leverage GPU encoders (NVENC, AMF, QuickSync) if available.
• Close Unnecessary Apps: Shut down background apps and browser tabs that may consume CPU power during your stream
• Upgrade Hardware: If CPU overload persists across multiple sessions, it may be time to consider a system upgrade

Resolving Rendering Lag (GPU)

• Limit GPU Load: Cap the frame rate of any games or apps running while streaming to free up GPU resources.
• Reduce Scene Complexity: Avoid using too many high-resolution images, video sources or animated overlays in your OBS scenes
• Lower Output Resolution: Match your OBS Canvas Resolution and Output (Scaled) Resolution closely to reduce unnecessary GPU work
• Update GPU Drivers: Ensure graphics drivers are current and properly configured.
• Monitor GPU Usage: Keep GPU load below 90% for smooth performance

Recommended Hardware

Use this table to assess whether your hardware is suitable for your streaming goals.