How to setup OBS for "simulive"

"Simulive" refers to when the live streaming of an event comes entirely from pre-recorded videos that are broadcasted at a given time, without any live speakers intervening.

Below we will focus on how to live stream pre-recorded videos for a "simulive" event, using OBS.

You can download OBS for free and use it on Windows, Mac, or Linux.

Connecting OBS and SpotMe via RTMPS

1. Start by opening OBS, and creating a live stream in your workspace.
   
   
2. Generate the stream credentials in the SpotMe workspace live stream.
   
   
3. In OBS, add the stream credentials generated in the workspace in step 2:
   To do so, go to Settings (1) > Stream (2) > Service - select Custom... (3):
   
   Add the RTMP endpoint and Stream key from the SpotMe stream credentials to the Server field (4) and the Stream key (5), and click on OK (6).
   
   
4. Once you are ready to connect the OBS stream to the SpotMe platform, click on Start streaming in OBS:
   
   
   
5. Now, go to the stream in Backstage, you will see the preview of the live stream coming in from OBS in the Studio. It may take up to 30 seconds for the preview to appear in Backstage.

Adding prerecorded videos to OBS

In the OBS main screen, at the bottom left you will have a Sources section with “+” and “-” signs at the bottom.

Here you can simply drag and drop your video file into this area, or click the “+” icon to navigate to your file manually by choosing “Media Source”, and selecting the video file you wish to play.

Once the video is loaded as a source, use the eye icon next to the video name to show or hide the playback of the video onscreen. Click on the video name to show a timeline under the video file, to monitor the video duration of the playback. Here you can also use the play and pause buttons, ansd mute/unmute the video.

Multiple videos can be added to OBS in order to switch from one prerecorded video to another seamlessly while live streaming "simulive".

Video source frame rate and OBS output frame rate must be 30 FPS

Important: Source video frame rate must be 30 FPS
The output frame rate in OBS mjust also be set to 30 FPS.
To do so, go to Settings > Video > Common FPS, and adjust the frame rate.

To find out the source video frame rate:
On mac, open the video in QuickTime Player and type command-i. This will open an Inspector window that contains the video frame rate, among others.
In Windows, navigate to the video, right-click the file, and select Properties. In the Details tab you'll find the video frame rate.

Enabling video sound in OBS

You need to make sure that your prerecorded videos will have sound when they are broadcasted:

1. Go to the Audio Mixer section of OBS at the bottom center, click on the Settings icon (1), and Select Advanced Audio Properties (2):
   
   
   
2. Locate the file in the list of audio sources, and adjust the dropdown menu for the file under Audio Monitoring to Monitor and Output (1)
   Desktop Audio and Mic/Aux audios should remain set to Monitor Off (2)
   
   
3. Click on Close to return to the main OBS window.

Notes:

• With the above settings in place, the stream audience will not be able to see or hear you as OBS has taken over your video and audio feeds. If you wish to speak over the video with audio from the video being heard, you may set “Mic/Aux” to “Monitor and Output”, but this may introduce unintended noise from you otherwise.
• Bring in a second device or computer so that you can confidently monitor the video and audio when the video is playing.
  

Playing the prerecorded videos

Now that you have:

• Connected OBS to your SpotMe RTMPS stream, and can see the preview of the OBS broadcast in the SpotMe stream preview.
• Added pre-recored videos to OBS, and enabled the audio in the recorded videos.

You can now start streaming to your audience via SpotMe:

1. Go to the live stream in Backstage. You should be able see the preview of the live stream coming in from OBS.
   
   
2. When you are ready, click on Go live to start broadcasting the stream to your audience via SpotMe RTMPS:
   IMPORTANT: At this point, what your audience sees is exactly what is being broadcasted from OBS. Make sure that your videos are playing when you start broadcasting to your audience.
3. To end the live stream, click on End stream in the SpotMe stream and then stop streaming in OBS. The on-demand version of the stream is created automatically, and you can choose when to publish it by clicking Publish.