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Stream to Two Platforms at Once Without Doubling Your Upload

Two platforms, one upload: a relay takes a single stream from OBS and fans it out. The quality settings stay the same as for a single destination.

by@guidox updated:10/31/26 time:30 min level:Intermediate tested on:Windows 11 24H2, OBS Studio 32 works on:Windows 10, Windows 11 tools:OBS Studio
TL;DR

Send **one** stream from OBS to a **relay**, let the relay forward it to both platforms, and budget upload as **bitrate plus 20 %**. Two direct outputs need twice the upload and a second encoder run.

Before you start

Requirements

  • OBS Studio
  • A stable upload connection
  • Accounts on both platforms
Step by step

Instructions

01

Measure the upload you really have

A speed test burst flatters a connection. Compare a 6000 kbit/s stream with your sustained upload: it needs roughly 7.5 Mbit/s that stays stable for hours, not for fifteen seconds.

⚠ warningShared upload in a household means a second person streaming a film can break your stream. Measure while the network is busy.
02

Choose relay or second encoder

OBS sends to one server per output. A relay duplicates the incoming stream on its side, a second encoder in OBS duplicates it on yours. The relay saves upload, the local encoder saves a dependency on a third party.

03

Set the encoder once

Use **NVENC** on an NVIDIA card or **x264** on the CPU, rate control **CBR**, keyframe interval **2 s**, preset quality. Identical settings for both platforms keep the bitrate predictable.

Rate control: CBR
Bitrate: 6000 kbit/s
Keyframe interval: 2 s
04

Point OBS at the relay

Paste the relay's server URL and stream key into **Settings > Stream**, start streaming and confirm in the relay dashboard that the incoming stream appears within a few seconds.

Settings > Stream > Service: Custom
05

Add the two destinations

Connect both platform accounts in the relay and set a resolution per destination. A second platform at 720p costs the relay one transcode instead of a second upload from your side.

tipCheck each destination in a private browser window. A green dot in the dashboard does not prove the public page plays.
06

Watch for dropped frames

The OBS stats dock shows dropped frames and encoder load. Anything above 0.1 % dropped or a repeated encoder overload warning means the bitrate or the preset is too much for the machine.

View > Docks > Stats
⚠ warningDropped frames from network congestion look identical to dropped frames from an overloaded encoder. Lower the bitrate first to tell them apart.
Troubleshooting

Common issues

The second platform shows offline

The destination is disabled in the relay or the stream key was pasted with a trailing space. Re-enter the key by hand instead of pasting.

One platform runs 20 seconds behind the other

Normal. Every hop adds buffering; the relay and each platform buffer independently.

Audio drifts out of sync on one destination

A sample rate mismatch after transcoding. Set 48 kHz in OBS and in the relay's audio settings.

OBS disconnects every few minutes

The upload is not stable. Lower the bitrate by 20 % or enable dynamic bitrate in the OBS network settings.

FAQ

Frequently asked

Do relays cost money?

Free tiers exist with resolution limits or watermarks. Paid tiers remove both and add more destinations.

Does the relay add latency?

A small amount, usually one to three seconds on top of the platform's own delay.

How to undo this

Switch OBS back to the platform's own server and key under Settings > Stream, then remove the destinations in the relay dashboard.

Changelog · 1 entry
  1. 2026-10-31
    First version
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