OBS Studio Setup

OBS Studio is the recommended streaming software for most churches. It's free, runs on Windows/Mac/Linux, and handles everything from a single camera to a full multi-cam production.

How streaming works

OBS sends your video to the Church Admin desktop app running on the same laptop (not to a remote server). The desktop app then records, encodes, and uploads to your own cloud storage. This keeps your bandwidth needs local — OBS only talks to the app on the same machine.

Prerequisites

• OBS Studio 28+ — Download from obsproject.com
• Church Admin desktop app installed and running on the same laptop
• BYOS configured (see BYOS Config)
• At least one Stream Key created in the Church Admin app (we'll create one in Step 1)

Step 1 — Create a Stream Key

1. Open the Church Admin desktop app
2. Click Live Streaming in the left sidebar
3. Scroll to the Stream Keys section
4. Click Create Stream Key
5. Fill in:
   • Key Name — e.g., Main OBS Key (helps you identify it later)
   • Key Type — choose one:
     • Primary — your main stream key (most churches have one)
     • Backup — a secondary key for failover / a backup encoder
     • Temporary — for one-off events (revoke after)
6. Click Create
7. The new key appears in the keys list — copy the stream key value (one-time display; store it safely)

Keep stream keys private

Anyone with a stream key can broadcast to your church. Never share them publicly, post in screenshots, or commit to git. Use the Delete Key action to revoke any key immediately.

Step 2 — Configure OBS

On the same laptop as the Church Admin app, open OBS and go to Settings → Stream:

Field	Value
Service	Custom...
Server	rtmp://localhost:1935/live
Stream Key	The stream key value from Step 1

Click OK to save.

Why localhost?

The Church Admin desktop app runs an ingest server on your laptop. Pointing OBS at localhost means your video never leaves your machine until the app uploads it to your own cloud storage. Don't use a remote server URL.

Step 3 — Video settings

Nlarj supports streams up to 1080p at 30fps. For most churches, 720p provides the best balance of quality and bandwidth.

Open Settings → Video:

Setting	Recommended
Base (Canvas) Resolution	1920x1080
Output (Scaled) Resolution	1280x720
FPS	30

Step 4 — Output settings

Open Settings → Output and switch to Advanced mode (top of the window).

Streaming tab:

Setting	Value
Encoder	x264 (or NVENC if you have an NVIDIA GPU)
Rate Control	CBR
Bitrate	2500–4000 Kbps (720p) / 4500–6000 Kbps (1080p)
Keyframe Interval	2 seconds
Preset	veryfast (x264) or Quality (NVENC)
Profile	main

Bitrate and upload speed

OBS → the local app uses zero internet bandwidth (it's all local). Your internet upload speed only matters for the app → your cloud storage transfer. A steady 2× your OBS bitrate in upload headroom is ideal. Test at fast.com before a live service.

Step 5 — Audio settings

Open Settings → Audio:

• Sample Rate: 48 kHz
• Desktop Audio: Disabled (unless streaming music from the desktop)
• Mic/Aux: Your sanctuary mixer input

Step 6 — Test stream

Before going live on a Sunday service, always test:

1. In Nlarj Church Admin, click Start Stream (Live Streaming → Go Live)
2. In OBS, click Start Streaming
3. Wait 10–15 seconds for the manifest to build
4. Open the member app on a phone and verify the stream plays
5. Check audio levels are balanced (sermon voice clear over music)

Troubleshooting

Stream not showing in member app?

• Wait 30 seconds after clicking Start Streaming — the stream takes a moment to initialize
• Verify your Server URL is exactly rtmp://localhost:1935/live (no typos, no https://)
• Make sure the Church Admin desktop app is running on the same laptop as OBS
• Check the OBS status bar at the bottom — it should say "Live" with a green dot
• Confirm BYOS storage is configured — without it, nothing uploads

Dropping frames?

• Lower your bitrate (try 2000 Kbps)
• Switch encoder preset to ultrafast (x264) or Performance (NVENC)
• Test upload speed — you need 2× your bitrate as headroom

Audio out of sync?

• In OBS, right-click your mic source → Properties → set Sync Offset to 0
• If the PTZ camera has delay, add matching offset to the mic (usually 200–400ms)

Still stuck? See Stream Issues Troubleshooting.