How Do I Run a Live Webinar Using OBS (Windows)?

This article walks you through streaming a live webinar with Open Broadcaster Software (OBS) through YouTube Live, from setting up your stream to going live in StealthSeminar and ending the webinar.

Before You Start

Make sure the following are in place before streaming:

1. Required: Your YouTube account must have a linked AdSense account, and "Allow embedding" must be turned on in your YouTube Live dashboard. See YouTube Live setup — start here for details.
2. Recommended: Turn off "Enable DVR" for best results.
3. Timing matters: You must enter your YouTube Live URL into the StealthSeminar Live Console at least 5 minutes before your webinar starts — after that, you'll be locked out. If you're new to this process, start 30 minutes ahead. Once you're comfortable, 15 minutes is fine, and you can tighten the timing further from there.

Step 1: Create Your YouTube Live Stream

1. In YouTube, click the video/camera icon and select Go Live

2. This opens the stream creation screen, where you'll set your title, availability, description, schedule, and custom thumbnail.
3. Before continuing, confirm:
   • Visibility is set to Unlisted (not Private). Public also works, but Unlisted is usually best for webinars.
   • "Schedule for later" is turned off if you're running the webinar now.
4. Click Create Stream.

Step 2: Configure Your Stream Settings

1. In the Stream Preview panel, click Settings.
2. Under Setup, make sure Enable DVR is turned off.
3. We strongly recommend enabling Low Latency mode.
4. Under Details, confirm Allow embedding is turned ON.
5. Once everything checks out, click Save.

Step 3: Connect OBS to Your Stream

1. From the Stream Preview box, copy your Stream Key. Keep this browser window open.

2. Open OBS.
3. Go to Settings > Stream, paste your Stream Key into the Stream Key field, and click Apply.

OBS is now connected and ready — it won't start streaming until you tell it to.

Step 4: Start Streaming in OBS

1. Set up your Scene in OBS with whatever sources you're using (webcam, slides, screen share, etc.).
2. Click Start Streaming.

3. Once you start streaming, the Stream Preview window on YouTube will show what OBS is broadcasting. When you see your feed appear there, you're ready to go live.

Step 5: Go Live in StealthSeminar

1. On YouTube, right-click the live stream (or Ctrl-click on Mac) and copy the Share link, or click the Share icon directly. The URL should look like https://youtu.be/XXXXX  

2. In your StealthSeminar account, go to your event dashboard and open the Live Console.
3. In the "Going live in" modal, paste the URL and click I'm Ready.

Keep an eye on the Live Console — your attendees will see you as soon as the countdown timer hits zero. From that point, attendees simply visit the webinar URL from their reminder emails to watch.

Step 6: End the Webinar

When your webinar is finished, end things in this order:

1. End the stream on YouTube Live.
2. Quit OBS.
3. Wait about 30 seconds, then click End Webinar in StealthSeminar.

Once you end the webinar, attendees will see the "Webinar Complete" page — or you can redirect them to a custom URL instead.

Common Questions

What happens if I miss the 5-minute window to enter my YouTube URL?

You'll be locked out of entering the URL in the Live Console for that session. Give yourself extra buffer time — especially for your first few webinars — to avoid this.

Do I need to record separately in OBS if YouTube already records my stream?

No, it's optional. YouTube Live automatically records your webinar. Use OBS's "Start Recording" only if you specifically want a local copy.

Can I run this same process on Mac?

This article covers the Windows OBS workflow. The overall steps (stream key, OBS settings, Live Console) are the same on Mac, though menu locations may differ slightly.

What if I'm streaming to Twitch instead of YouTube?

Follow How to run a Twitch Live webinar with OBS instead — the setup differs from the YouTube flow described here.