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How To Live Stream with Proclaim

Updated

You can show your Proclaim slides with any live streaming service. You can configure your stream to show your sermon slides from Proclaim, a video of your pastor, or both simultaneously.

 

Skip ahead to:

  1. Confirm Your Prerequisites to Streaming
  2. Set Up Proclaim and go On Air
  3. Get your server URL and stream key from your livestream provider.
  4. Configure Open Broadcaster Software (OBS)
  5. Start Your Stream
  6. Stop Your Stream

Note: If you don’t have Proclaim, you can download it here then learn the basics to help you get started with Proclaim.

1. Confirm your prerequisites to streaming.

  • Audio: Connect a microphone to your computer. If you are presenting from home, you can use the microphone on your computer.
  • Video: Connect an external camera to your computer and point it at the stage. If you want to stream your sermon from home, you can use your computer’s webcam.
  • Video Switcher (optional)
  • Encoder (software or hardware—this tutorial will show using a software encoder, OBS)
  • 5+ mbps internet speed: We recommend at least 5 mbps upload speed to live stream. 

Note: This tutorial shows how to use Proclaim with OBS to stream with any platform (YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo, etc.). If you have specific questions about your setup, please contact support.

2. Set up Proclaim and go On Air.

Proclaim uses virtual screens to let you control what you send to each output.

Below is a brief overview, showing how to set up alternate content virtual screens in Proclaim built for overlays. For a more in-depth explanation, see our help article How to Show Lower-Thirds, Lyrics, and Other Overlays in Proclaim.

  1. Add an alternate content virtual screen.

    To set up your virtual screens and outputs, expand the Settings menu and select Display. Click Add virtual screen and provide a name for the input.

  2. Create an NDI or SDI output and set it to show your virtual screen.

    Scroll down to the Output section and click Add custom output. Add a name (the name you chose will be the name you see when using the NDI or SDI within other apps, like your live-streaming software), select NDI or SDI from the dropdown, and click the plus icon to select your desired virtual screen. Click Save.

    Note: Get more help on configuring your display outputs.

    Note: While Proclaim supports both NDI and SDI outputs, the rest of the article will assume an NDI output.

  3. Create transparent service items.

    Your video will show through wherever the transparent checkerboard pattern shows on your livestream. To set slides in your new alternate content virtual screen to use transparent layers, select the corresponding tab while editing content in Proclaim (I’ve named my alternate content screen “Live Stream”). Click Remove the background and customize the foreground layer.

    Alt-Content_Song_Right_Two_Thirds_With_Background_Highlighted.jpg

    Adjust the text boxes to fit your needs. For instance, change the text styling to work with your environment or add custom graphics. Remember that your text needs to be visible over your live feed, not merely against the temporary checkered background. A drop shadow or outer glow effect on text can often aid visibility. You can also add a background shape to provide a backdrop for your text.

    Alt-Content_Song_RIght_Two-Thirds_Highlighted.jpg

    Note: Get more detailed help with using overlays in Proclaim.

  4. Click On Air to go On Air and set up OBS.

3. Get your server URL and stream key from your livestream provider.

This setup (using Proclaim and OBS) can work with nearly any livestream provider. We’ve written specific guides to help you get your server URL and stream key from several popular providers:

Once you have a server URL and stream key from your provider, return to this article and continue with step 4 below.

4. Configure Open Broadcaster Software (OBS.)

OBS is a free video encoding software that enables live streaming. You will use it to capture Proclaim, your audio, and your video and send it to your streaming service.

Note: We recommend OBS because it’s free and easy to use, but Proclaim will work with other software and hardware encoders as well.

  1. Download Open Broadcaster Software.

    Go to obsproject.com download the installer for your operating system. Follow the instructions to install the software.

    Note: For more information and troubleshooting help for OBS, visit the OBS Wiki.

  2. Add your stream details in OBS.

    With OBS installed and open, click Settings.

    Click Stream in the left panel and make these adjustments:
    • Change the Service dropdown to Custom…
    • Copy the Stream URL from your streaming service and paste it into the Server field.

    • Copy the Stream Key from your streaming service and paste it into the Stream Key field.

      Click OK to secure your settings.

  3. Adjust video and audio settings.

    After powering on your video and audio inputs and connecting them to your computer, make the following adjustments in the Video Settings to optimize for live streaming (click Video in the Settings navigation menu).

    Note: As shown below, if you stream to multiple streaming services (e.g. Facebook, YouTube, etc.), use the lower resolution and bitrate settings indicated above to avoid dropped frames.

    • Video Settings
      • Resolution: 1920x1080 or 1280x720 (if streaming to multiple platforms)
      • Frame rate: 30 fps
      • Keyframe interval: 2 seconds (60 GOP)
      • Codec: H.264
      • Bitrate: 4400 Kbps or 2640 Kbps (if streaming to multiple platforms)
    • Audio Settings
      • Codec: AAC
      • Bitrate: 128 Kbps

  4. Connect your video source (your camera feed).

    Along the bottom of OBS, in the Sources area click the plus button and select Video Capture Device.

    If your video input shows in the Add Existing list, select it and click OK. If it doesn’t appear, create a new video input with your desired name and click OK.

  5. Connect your audio source.

    Along the bottom of OBS, in the Sources area click the plus button and select Audio Capture Device.

    If your audio input shows in the Add Existing list, select it and click OK. If it doesn’t appear, create a new audio input with your desired name and click OK.

    Note: You can change the mic in Settings > Audio if needed.

  6. Add your Proclaim NDI input.

    Along the bottom of OBS, in the Sources area click the plus button and select NDI™️‌.

    Note: If you don’t see the NDI™️ Source option, install the NDI plugin for OBS first (download the .pkg for macOS or .exe file for Windows, open it, and follow the install instructions) and then continue with this tutorial.

    In the dialogue box, give the NDI source a descriptive name, like “Proclaim Foreground Only.” Click OK.

    Select the Proclaim NDI source from the dropdown. It will include ‘Proclaim’ and the name of the NDI Output you created in Proclaim. click OK. (Remember, you must be On Air to see the NDI input in the dropdown.)

    Your slides might be too large or too small. In OBS, you can click and drag their corners to resize and position them.

    Pro Tip: You can crop NDI inputs in Proclaim by holding Alt (on Windows) or Option (on macOS) and dragging the move handles on the top, bottom, or sides of the input frame.

5. Start  your Stream.

To start streaming, make sure your Proclaim presentation is On Air.

  1. In OBS, click Start Streaming.

    Note: If your streaming service doesn’t automatically record your stream, you can set OBS to record a local copy of your service whenever you go live.

  2. Go live in your streaming service (if required by the service).

    Follow these directions for YouTube, Vimeo, or Facebook.

    • In Youtube, click Go Live.

    • In Vimeo, click Go Live.

    • In Facebook, click Go Live.

      Note: It can take up to several minutes between the time you start streaming and the time it becomes available to viewers depending on your streaming service.

In OBS, you can create multiple scenes in the bottom-left Scenes panel to easily switch between different configurations. For instance, add one scene showing only your video output, another one for only slides, and a third showing your slides and the video in the lower right (picture-in-picture). While streaming, select a scene to smoothly transition between one scene and the next. 

 

6. Stop your Stream.

To stop the live stream:

  1. In OBS, click Stop Streaming.

  2. Stop the stream in your streaming service (if required by the service).

    Follow these directions for YouTube, Vimeo, or Facebook.

    • In Youtube, click End Stream.

    • In Vimeo, click End event.

    • In Facebook, click End Live Video.

      Note: You can upload your recorded video to your church group’s File Vault to easily share it in your Faithlife TV channel, in your Faithlife group, on your website, and more. 

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