Use this 10-minute preflight list before going live.
- 1. Mic level and noise gate tested
- 2. Camera framing and lighting locked
- 3. Stream title, tags, and thumbnail ready
- 4. Opening script and CTA prepared
- 5. Backup internet and recording enabled
- 6. Moderator roles and banned words list loaded
How it works
Going live without a pre-stream checklist is how streamers go live with no audio, the wrong scene active, or their personal browser history visible in a browser capture. The Live Stream Setup Checklist walks you through a complete pre-stream check for OBS Studio, Streamlabs, and basic platform (YouTube Live, Twitch, TikTok Live) setups — with platform-specific items and a quick 5-minute check for when you're in a hurry.
Full checklist categories: Audio: - Microphone enabled and not muted in OBS - Audio levels tested (-12 to -6 dB peak, not clipping) - Desktop audio NOT captured (prevents copyrighted music DMCA strikes) - Virtual cable or soundboard not accidentally routing system sounds
Video: - Correct scene active (not a blank or test scene) - Camera not showing unintended background content - Webcam lighting adequate (no backlit silhouette) - Resolution set correctly (1080p60 for high-quality, 720p30 if bandwidth limited)
Stream configuration: - Stream title and category set correctly in platform dashboard - Stream key not accidentally exposed in any scene source - Alerts and chat overlay connected and tested - "Going live" social announcement scheduled or drafted
Platform-specific: - YouTube Live: age restriction and monetisation settings verified - Twitch: subscriber mode or follower-only chat configured - TikTok Live: minimum 1,000 followers verified; LIVE gifts enabled if eligible
Privacy: checklist state is saved in browser localStorage between sessions.
Frequently Asked Questions
- The five most common pre-stream errors: (1) going live on the wrong platform scene (a 'Stream Offline' or personal desktop scene visible to viewers before the intended scene activates); (2) microphone muted in OBS while appearing active in the software; (3) game or software audio routing to the wrong output (viewers hear no game audio); (4) stream key not updated after creating a new stream event on YouTube/Twitch (old key points to a closed stream); (5) camera framing correct in the preview but a second monitor or background visible in the actual stream output.
- Recommended settings: 1080p60 stream requires 6,000–8,000 kbps bitrate (needs 8–10 Mbps upload speed). 1080p30 requires 4,500–6,000 kbps (6–8 Mbps upload). 720p60 requires 3,500–4,500 kbps (5–6 Mbps upload). If your upload speed is below 5 Mbps, stream at 720p30 with 2,500–3,000 kbps — a stable lower-resolution stream is far better than a 1080p stream with buffering and dropped frames.
- The safest approach: use royalty-free music from platforms licensed for streaming (StreamBeats by Harris Heller, Pretzel.rocks, Monstercat Gold subscription). Do not play Spotify, YouTube Music, or commercial radio during streams — even game soundtracks from certain publishers trigger DMCA. In OBS, use separate audio tracks: one for game audio/voice (recorded and streamed) and one for background music (streamed only, not recorded to VOD). This allows you to mute the background music in the saved VOD while keeping it in the live stream.
- First 60 seconds checklist after going live: (1) open the stream on your phone on mobile data (not WiFi, to bypass any local network caching) and verify audio and video are working; (2) check the OBS dropped frames indicator (below 0.5% is healthy, above 2% means encoder or network issues); (3) read the first chat messages for 'no audio' or 'stream frozen' reports from viewers; (4) verify the stream is visible in your YouTube/Twitch dashboard with a live viewer count above zero.