There are a lot of encoders out there, YouTube actually has a list of recommendations, some free, some not. Anything you've used to live stream is an encoder, but I’m going to focus on Streamlabs OBS for this tutorial. When we talk about software for live streaming, we're actually talking about encoders. Software: Encoding a Live Stream Broadcast on YouTube The bottom line is that top-quality hardware is great, but with software advancing so much, not using the very latest state-of-the-art computer doesn't have to limit you. If I try to push it any higher than that, the game performance and stream quality drops.

I can play Minecraft at 1080p with 30 frames a second, or I can play it at 720p with 60 frames a second. These items allow me to stream with 10 megabits per second upload. I’m also using an older AMD Ryzen 7 processor. Now for the type of computer you need to play a game, and live stream it at the same time, I have a GTX 1060, three gigabytes, with 16 gigabytes of RAM.

5 is just my personal recommendation because I think any less, and you're going to struggle when it comes to quality. Personally, I have 10 megabits per second for my upload speed, and it allows me to push a better quality live stream. The best speed I can recommend is no less than five megabits per second upload when you're trying to stream on YouTube. The Internet is such an important element in the mix because, in some areas of the world, you just can't control what kind of speed you're going to get when you sign up for your Internet plan. This is going to be the biggest bottleneck you're going to face while live streaming. First off, let’s talk about the Internet.

How to stream with streamlabs obs