Stream a Game with OBS – InstaParty Guide

1

Download & install OBS Studio

If you don't have OBS yet, grab the free installer from obsproject.com. It works on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

💡 Already have OBS? Skip straight to Step 3. Your existing scenes and sources will work perfectly.

2

Add your game as a Source

In OBS, click the + button in the Sources panel at the bottom.

PC / Mac game: choose Game Capture (Windows) or Window Capture (Mac)
Console (PS5, Xbox, Switch): choose Video Capture Device — select your capture card (e.g. Elgato, AVerMedia)
Mobile game via phone screen: choose Window Capture and mirror your phone first

⚠️ If your game doesn't appear in Game Capture, try switching to Window Capture and selecting the game window manually.

3

Open OBS Settings → Stream

In OBS go to File → Settings → Stream (or OBS → Preferences → Stream on Mac). Set the Service dropdown to "Custom...".

4

Open InstaParty and start your party

On your phone, open InstaParty, create or join a party as the host. Once inside the party room, tap the 📡 cast icon in the bottom toolbar (next to the end call button).

📱

Bottom toolbar → cast icon (orange, host only)

5

Copy your RTMP server & stream key

The Stream via OBS sheet slides up and shows your personal RTMP settings. Tap the copy buttons next to each field.

                Server
                rtmp://<your-relay-ip>:1935/live
              
                Stream Key
                obs_abc123_xxxxxxxx

✅ Your stream key is unique to you — it's generated once and stored to your account. You can reuse it every party.

6

Paste into OBS Settings → Stream

Back in OBS Settings:

Paste the Server URL into the Server field
Paste your Stream Key into the Stream Key field
Leave Use authentication unchecked
Click OK / Apply

OBS Field	Value to enter
Service	Custom...
Server	rtmp://<relay-ip>:1935/live
Stream Key	Your personal key from InstaParty
Use auth	❌ Leave unchecked

7

Click "Start Streaming" in OBS

Hit the big Start Streaming button in OBS. OBS will connect to the InstaParty relay server and begin sending your game footage.

✅ You'll see the green connection light in the OBS status bar at the bottom. If it stays red, double-check the Server URL has no extra spaces.

8

Tap "Go Live" in InstaParty

Back in the InstaParty app, tap the Go Live button in the OBS sheet. This assigns your stream to the party and makes it visible to everyone in the room.

⚠️ You must tap Go Live in the app after OBS is already streaming. The relay needs to see an active stream first.

🎮

Party viewers now see your gameplay fullscreen with the "🎥 Host is streaming live from OBS" banner

9

Stop when you're done

When your session is over: tap Stop in the InstaParty sheet first, then click Stop Streaming in OBS. The party room will return to the normal video grid automatically.

These settings give you the best quality-to-performance balance for live party streaming:

Setting	Recommended value	Why
Encoder	x264 (software) or NVENC/AMF (GPU)	GPU encoder reduces CPU load
Rate Control	CBR	Consistent bitrate for stable RTMP
Bitrate	2500–4000 kbps	High quality on local network
Keyframe Interval	2 seconds	Required for HLS segment alignment
Resolution	1280×720 (720p)	Sweet spot for phones to decode
FPS	30	Smooth without overloading Wi-Fi
Audio Bitrate	128 kbps	Clear game audio

💡 Settings are in OBS under File → Settings → Output (switch to Advanced mode for full control).

Make sure your phone and computer are on the same Wi-Fi network. The relay server runs locally — it won't work over mobile data. Double-check the Server URL in OBS matches the IP shown in the InstaParty sheet exactly.

You need to click Start Streaming in OBS first, then tap Go Live in the app. The relay only recognises your stream after OBS has connected. Wait 3–5 seconds after OBS shows a green connection before tapping Go Live.

Lower your OBS bitrate to 2000–2500 kbps and switch to 720p 30fps. Buffering usually means the Wi-Fi can't sustain the throughput. Moving your computer or router closer helps significantly.

In OBS, check your Audio Mixer at the bottom. Make sure Desktop Audio is not muted (the speaker icon) and the fader is up. On Mac you may need BlackHole or Loopback to route game audio into OBS.

Yes. Your voice comes through the normal InstaParty video call (Agora). Your game audio comes through the OBS stream. Viewers hear both simultaneously — your mic from the video tile and game sounds from the stream overlay.

Yes, with a capture card (Elgato, AVerMedia, Razer Ripsaw, etc.). Connect: Console → HDMI → Capture Card → USB into your PC/Mac → OBS. In OBS add a Video Capture Device source and select your capture card. Then follow the guide from Step 3 onwards.

Keep it private. Anyone with your stream key and the server address could potentially stream to your party. If you think it's been compromised, open the OBS sheet in InstaParty — a "Reset Key" option lets you regenerate it.

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