Livestreaming DJ Sets in 2020: A Complete How-To Guide

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In the last two weeks, the world has seen a massive increase in the amount of DJ sets streamed to the internet. With clubs across the world shuttering their doors and artists staying home, many have taken to sharing their own creative expressions via livestream.

Before you dive into streaming DJ sets, make sure you have the best setup for a quality stream. Let’s tackle what that means: from software and devices to streaming platforms, audio, video, and your internet connection.

Meet Your New Best Friend: OBS

No, seriously. First things first: download OBS, or Open Broadcaster Software, onto your preferred streaming device (you should probably use your laptop—more on that later). It’s a free, open-source program up for grabs for Windows, mac and even Linux.

This is your end-all, be-all tool for streaming – it offers high-quality, real-time video and audio streaming. You can set up and test your audio and video here before pushing it out to the platform of your choice, and it keeps things running smoothly without needing to stream to a platform directly.

For what it’s worth, it’s also sponsored by some of the streaming giants out there – Twitch and Facebook – who’ve supported OBS’ growth and clearly see the worth in using it. Here’s a quick how-to on setting OBS up.

We actually got popular streaming Twitch DJ Cutman to make a complete video guide to getting started using OBS and Twitch to stream DJ sets – and it all still applies:



Where to Stream + Copyright Issues
This is one of the biggest things people ask DJTT every day: what platform should I stream DJ sets on? Here’s a quick overview – remember, things change in this world all the time.

• Twitch.tv: Probably one of the most popular streaming networks. Incredibly consistent, tried, and tested by uncountable video game streams that has proven to be useful for more things than just gaming. I’ve seen quite a few artists use Facebook Live as an initial platform to direct their friends to their Twitch for an uninterrupted stream (more on that below) – a great funnel to drive more friends who are unfamiliar with the platform to try it out. Plus, signing up is quick and free if you haven’t done it yet.
• Instagram: Reliable, consistent streaming – but only from apps (iOS and Android), no desktop streaming easily accessible (see “Streaming To Instagram” below). Subject to copyright takedowns afterwards. Videos stay on your story for 24 hours post-stream. This is where a lot of people naturally are, and livestreams show up at the front of everyone’s story list. Some big DJs have had 100k+ people streams this weekend on Instagram.
  
  One downside: people tend to not stick around as long, since they’re usually swiping through the app as one does.
• Facebook: For many DJs, Facebook has a similarly sized built-in audience as Instagram. The challenge. Seeing as its arguably the most popular social media platform out there, it also tends to grab your videos a ton of attention from your immediate friends. Facebook Live works in your favor algorithmically to get eyes—it sends a notification to friends when you’re live—but it comes with a swath of consistent copyright issues (assuming you’re playing released music that you bought somewhere). Their stream will cut you off once their AI detects a copyrighted track, and then you’ll have to re-start another stream if you want to keep playing (and again, and again). It’s a regular occurrence in my newsfeed.
• YouTube: Also risky with copyright issues similar to Facebook, with seemingly higher stakes. If you get 3 copyright strikes, they’ll terminate your account. Plus, depending on your followers and streaming setup, you can also only do it via laptop—mobile streaming is reserved for users with more than 1,000 subscribers. Probably worth sticking with one of the others or just using this as a secondary platform.
• Zoom: We previously wouldn’t have considered this a live streaming service, but DJs around the world are using this tool to have massive dance parties where you can see the entire crowd. Watch the clip below from Gardens of Babylon’s 900+ person stream to get a sense of what’s possible. No copyright restrictions, audio quality seems to be a bit more mediocre (so we’ve seen a few streams run a Zoom call alongside another service), no recordings saved afterwards unless you record it yourself and post it to another service.
  
  Pro-tip for Zoom: you can get better audio with the “Preserve Original Sound” setting – this removes a lot of the compression and auto-ducking that the app does.

Streaming To Multiple Services

There’s clear advantages to each of the services mentioned above. So why not consider streaming to more than one concurrently? You could do this from your computer, but bandwidth will quickly become an issue.

The best service I’ve found to stream to more than one platform concurrently is Restream.io. It’s a free/paid service — you can stream to 30+ platforms for free, with a limit of one channel per platform. It’s worth paying the $16/month if you want to stream to a Facebook page (like your DJ page), or to multiple channels per platform.

Castr is another option that lets you stream simultaneously, though it doesn’t offer a free option like Restream does. A $9.99/month membership gets you five social platforms and one Facebook page or profile (keep in mind, that means you could stream to your DJ page but not your personal page, or vice versa).

Streaming From iOS Devices
If you’re looking to stream from your iPhone, iPad, or other iOS device, it’s worth looking into a solid livestream production app like Wirecast Go. It can stream out to most platforms except for Facebook – but Twitch, YouTube or Periscope will work – and it’s a quick $5.99.

Using an iOS device to stream isn’t the best way to run a high-quality stream, so stick with a laptop if you can. We’d mostly recommend running with this if it’s a last resort. You’ll need a laptop’s processing power to keep things running smoothly and run proper audio and video. I’ve noticed that trying to stream on my iPhone and do literally anything else, results in everything freezing and/or glitching. Plus, you may end up with potato-quality video depending on your device model.

Live Streaming DJ Sets To Instagram
Instagram is fickle – they consistently work hard make sure that content is authentic and not spammy, and as a result there are more restrictions on the source of content you upload. This comes into play when thinking about streaming DJ sets to Instagram because it is not an option in Restream and doesn’t provide options for OBS support by default.

We’ve found two decent options:

1. Stream a second stream on a mobile device: Lots of streams in the last few weeks have taken this approach – using a second device to make a secondary stream. The issue is often audio – most people don’t have a second audio device to route good DJ audio into their iOS / Android device.
2. Use Yellow Duck: Yellow Duck is a free software tool designed to get a streamkey and RTMP URL from your Instagram account. It works well, and is the best workaround we’ve found so far.

The Most Important Part: Good Audio
This is essential anyone who is streaming a DJ set needs to remember that what the stream looks like is secondary to what it sounds like. You should make every effort to get a good direct audio feed from your DJ setup into your broadcast device. Your fans may not stick around as long if the audio isn’t doing so great.

For the sake of everyone’s ears: don’t rely on your laptop’s external mic to pick up the room sound. Instead, use an audio interface – I like IK’s iRig Stream – to hardwire sound from your mixer directly to your laptop (and, bonus: you can use the iRig on your iPhone/iPad as well, though streaming may still kill your battery there). Its price point sits at an affordable $100, and it’s well worth it – you get proper sound quality and easy flexibility with level adjustments as well.

Other devices that you can use to capture great audio with:

• most newer mixers with a soundcard built in can send a Record Out signal via their USB connection. As long as it can be detected by your system (this could be an issue for MacOS Catalina users without updated drivers, like my friend who owns a XoneB2), it can be used as an input in OBS.
• any outboard soundcard (many DJs have these!)
• a handheld audio recorder – for instance, the Zoom H4n can be used as an input device
• Roland’s newer GO:MIXER Pro

At the end of the day, you’ll find that your viewers stick around much longer when your audio is routed into your laptop directly. That also means you won’t have to tiptoe around the room while you’re playing, you can have conversations or turn your monitors up or down as loud as you’d like, and you don’t have to avoid making any background noise that could get picked up with room sound. It’s the best for everyone.

Camera Angles and Visual Appeal
Visual appeal is almost as important as audio appeal in any livestream. Think of it as performing on a stage in front of an innumerable number of fans—a combination of those who may know you, or may not. It’s the Internet, after all.

At minimum, you should have one camera set up – if you can’t get a webcam camera, make sure your laptop camera is angled in a way that gets your entire booth (that means yourself, your gear, and the ambiance of your space). Multiple cameras, if doable, is the way to go. Three is a great number; two will do. Not only do multiple cameras give your livestream a more professional feel – it also shows people what you’re up to.

You can use your laptop camera as one camera depending on your budget, but it’s worth looking into buying a webcam or two as well. I like the Logitech C922 Pro Stream, which runs at $99 and offers 1080p video quality. Alternatively, you can turn your mobile devices (iPhone or iPad) into cameras with OBS’ own OBS Camera app as well. (As expected, the $99 Logitech camera recommend is retailing for $270 on Amazon. )

The video sources used are:
• A 1920 x 1080 monitor which can be captures in OBS (with a front cam overlay)
• Logitech 930 (front cam)
• Logitech 920 (studio cam)
• OBS for iOS, software to use an iPhone as a cam in OBS over usb. Someone pointed me to this software. I always had a hard time to stream/record the display of players. Especially the Denon Prime displays are hard to capture on a normal webcam, but no problem for an iPhone.


As for angles, in a best case scenario, you would have three cameras. Consider placing one at a further distance to capture your full booth – the same placement we recommended above if you’re only using one laptop camera. The second and third should go

1. closest to your mixer so the audience can watch your technique, and
2. at an angle that shows your face. Humans connect with other humans, so this makes a big difference in terms of user connection.

Pro move: bonus visual points come into play if you add overlays to your stream. The setup is pretty straightforward – watch a two-minute demo from OBS here – and there’s plenty of room for creativity here. You can even add people dancing on your corresponding Zoom call, like in the screenshot below:

And lastly: give your booth a little flair! Showcase your personality, your sound, and your space with lights and decorations. Consider running strip of LEDs behind your gear setup, put an uplight behind those monitors, add a few plants around your DJ gear! Take a piece of your personality and share it with the world. Wear something fun. Project an entertaining visual behind you. The options are endless.

A Note on Streaming + Running DJ Software
Streaming a DJ set can take a lot of processing power, which means that running DJ software on the same computer as the stream may cause issues. If you have a second computer, consider running the stream on that instead to avoid overloading your processing power.

Even if you have a beefy computer, streaming + multiple video inputs + playing and effecting audio on multiple decks can start to test the limits. This applies to battery power as well – I’ve noticed that my laptop slowly loses battery charge over the course of a stream if I’m running too many other softwares concurrently. The last thing you want during a stream is your laptop powering off. I’d recommend having your laptop plugged into the charger for the duration of your stream—better safe than sorry.

A Solid Connection
Let’s talk about internet connections quickly and how to optimize your network for during a streaming session. Here’s a few simple tips:

• Ethernet if possible: Yes, wi-fi networks have gotten a lot better in the last few years, but they’re still dramatically less reliable than a hardwired ethernet connection. If you have a USB-C computer without an ethernet port, consider grabbing an adapter (maybe one with a few USB-A slots on it too, like this).
• Turn off wi-fi on your mobile devices: This one is somewhat self explanatory – don’t degrade your stream by adding more network traffic. I watched a stream this weekend where the DJ would pick up their phone and reply to texts and message threads. Each time they did, the video and audio would stutter and lag. If you want to talk to people, use your cell signal instead.
• Close your browser windows: Also self-explanatory. Shut down any unnecessary browser windows while you’re streaming. This can also add to the lag and cause issues with your stream feeding through to the masses.

Test Your Setup
Before streaming out to the masses on your platform(s) of choice, make sure to test your full setup. The last thing you want is to go live for your first time, and end up with no sound because a cord wasn’t plugged in, or your audio wasn’t turned to the right level. Try it before you push it live.

Once you have your gear connected to OBS, set up your camera angles in the main screen, and toggle your audio input levels in the “Audio Mixer” section on the bottom row.

I found that the sound quality is usually best if your mixer’s master sound is lower, your audio device is at a good level but not peaking, and the OBS Audio Mixer sits on the upper end of the green section (between -25 and -20dB). OBS also offers an incredibly straightforward start-and-stop streaming system in the “Controls” section, so once all systems are go, it’s a simple one-click to dive in.

Here’s a hack for testing your setup. I typically check to see what my stream looks like by setting my Facebook posts to private – only I can see them – and connecting OBS to my Facebook Live stream. From there, if you’re ready to check on all the things, you can hit “Start Streaming”, and it creates a Facebook Live video that only you can see. You’ll be able to troubleshoot any issues from there. Once you’re ready to go fully live to your followers, don’t forget to change your privacy settings out of “only me”, though.

Keep in mind when testing: there’s typically a lag between OBS and any streaming platform by a few seconds, so that’s normal – don’t stress on it if you hear your video briefly behind what you’re actually playing.

Tackling each of these areas will ultimately result in a fun-to-listen, fun-to-watch stream that can be enjoyed by everyone. Take the time to dial in the right setup, and create a space in which you enjoy playing. Your viewers will thank you.

One thing I did find out about copyright takedowns on Facebook though is that you can approach labels ahead of time and ask them to have their distributor whitelist your page for streaming. It’s a pain, but it is a solution.

The OTHER thing to know is that some distributors have already whitelisted their entire catalog of labels. My distributor, Proton, already has done this. So if you stick to Proton distributes labels, your good

Btw, MK837 is free and clear. Feel free to stream it all you want since they are with Proton.

Last I checked, they had over 700 labels, so there’s plenty of diversity there.

Also, for streaming from your phone, Roland’s Go:Livecast is awesome. The app is limited on Facebook to streaming just to your personal page, but you can get around that by using Restream.io. The advantage with this box is that you can use 2 devices for 2 camera angles and have up to 6 overlays.

Another great interface to use with your phone is Evermix’s MixBox. Nothing fancy here, it was designed specifically to turn your phone into an audio recorder for you CDJ mixes. Here, it provides solid audio for any streaming you do on your phone.

Traktor S4 & OBS tip: if you don't have a sound input device, you can use your S4. Just run an audio cable into the Channel C or D Line-In on your S4 and OBS will find it.

 

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How To Livestream DJ Sets
1. Using your phone or tablet

If you have a smartphone (I think everyone in the world except me does!), or a tablet, you already have a powerful streaming device right there. Indeed, the vast majority of people using Facebook Live, Instagram Live and so on are simply hitting “Go Live” on their phone or tablet and getting on with it. Indeed, if you want to use Instagram, this is the only easy choice, as there are currently no apps for computers that let you broadcast to Instagram.


As far as using such a device to stream a DJ set goes, the biggest issues you have are getting high quality sound into the stream, which I cover in this livestream sound quality article, and getting the device’s camera angle “right”, especially if you’re going to be using the same device to send and receive chats.

There are plenty of apps that will let you do more than the social media apps on your phone (this is CameraFi on Android). Try a few and find one that works for you.
As far as apps go, you can use the app for your service (ie the Facebook app, the Instagram app), or you can grab an app that lets you do more.


Apps like Wirecast Go, Live:Air Solo, and Switcher Studio (iOS), ManyCam and StreamLabs (both) and CameraFi Live (Android) let you variously overlay logos, pictures, images and titles, send and receive chats, and even broadcast to a service like restream.io, which will then push your stream simultaneously to YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, Facebook, Periscope and others.


While you will likely ultimately find using a camera or tablet limiting if you really get into this, some of these apps are pretty sophisticated, and you’ll in truth probably find yourself limited more by performance over WiFi and battery life of your device than the streaming technology, at least for a while.

2. Using the laptop you already DJ from

When considering how to livestream DJ sets, some people think you need a separate laptop to stream from, apart from your DJ computer, but that’s not necessarily true. If you are a software DJ anyway, you can potentially save yourself a lot of hassle with extra equipment by going down the “same laptop” route.


That said, from here on in, things can get fiddly – you’ll need to be technically minded to pull this or the other following options off. The world of livestreaming is still a bit of a Wild West!

Using Virtual DJ, livestreaming is as simple as opening a box in the settings and entering your social media or broadcast details.
The easiest way is with Virtual DJ, which has streaming built-in to Facebook, Youtube, Periscope, Twitch and more – again, you can use a service like restream.io additionally to broadcast to a whole host of services simultaneously. You can add visualisations, video skins, DJ with music videos, overlay your camera, use real-time screen grab for live chats and more. If you’re a Virtual DJ user, it’s all there for you.

If you’re not, and you aren’t interested in switching, you’ll need to use a separate video switcher app on your computer. You’ll “tell” this app which camera or cameras to use (we have an article on cameras for livestreaming), and also specify within it which service to broadcast to (again, you can use a service like restream.io to broadcast to several at once).


Read this next: Which Camera Is Best For DJ Set Livestreaming?


You’ll find a large choice of overlays, video effects, chat integration and so on with this type of software – look at OBS, which is free (Mac & Windows), vMix (Windows), Wirecast (Mac & Windows), and our favourite, Ecamm Live (Mac).


A nice option here is to set up your DJ software as a part of what you broadcast, so you can show the track titles, or the waveforms, within your shot. This can be achieved by setting one of the cameras in your broadcast software to screencast the DJ app. Depending on the broadcast software you use, you can get quite a lot of control to tweak how that looks.


So to the audio. As far as your computer is concerned, your DJ controller’s audio interface (the circuity that provides separate headphones and speaker outputs) is just part of the computer, as the USB connection between the computer and your DJ gear is digital. So it is often possible to “route” the audio inside the computer to go to your broadcast software as well as to your speakers/headphones.

This is Rogue Amoeba’s “Loopback” app, which lets you create new virtual audio inputs, and can be used to “feed” your DJ software’s output into streaming software, all inside the same computer. Here we are using it for one of our weekly livestreams to aggregate the music from a DJ controller and a microphone.
Read this next: 2 Ways To Get Great Sounding Audio On Your DJ Livestreams


You’ll need a small extra piece of software to do the “internal cabling” – Virtual Audio Cable, VB-Cable or Jack Audio on Windows, or Loopback (our favourite), SoundFlower or Blackhole (both free) on Mac will do the job.


We’ve used this for years with the Loopback app mentioned, and it works fine with Serato, Traktor, Rekordbox and Virtual DJ on most DJ controllers. But if you can’t get that to work, you’ll need cables or an audio interface, which kind of takes away from the elegance of this solution (details in this post on livestream audio options as mentioned earlier).


A disadvantage of this type of set-up is that you’ll be switching between the broadcast software and the DJ software in order to handle transitions and possibly chat on your laptop, which is distracting – although some DJs like to use their phones to chat on the livestream (and to check it’s all running).


That said, get this right and it’s a pretty elegant way of doing things – you could even potentially livestream your real gigs (once the lockdown is over and we’re all back to normal) using this method.

3. Using a separate computer to broadcast from

If you have one, this is usually the best option for flexibility, reliability and ease of use. You do exactly what we talked about above, but you use a separate laptop to do the broadcasting from.


It frees up your DJ computer for DJing on – and of course, if you’re DJing from CDJs, record decks, or a standalone system such as the Pioneer DJ XDJ-XZ, Denon DJ Prime 4 or similar, this is the only way you can do it, as there is no DJ laptop in your system anyway.


With this method, you plug in your choice of camera, route the audio into the second laptop, and go live from that separate computer.

This is OBS, a pretty complicated looking software video switcher app, but it’s simple enough to get it working on a second laptop to broadcast your DJ sets to the world, and probably the most popular piece of software among serious DJ livestreamers.
The software choices for broadcast are the same as in option 2, and some DJs like to have both laptops on stands and set up, one either side of the decks, when they livestream: That way you can look at one when you’re DJing, and one when you’re answering comments etc. Your audience will soon get used to what you’re up to, depending on which laptop you’re looking at!


A big advantage of doing it this way is that your DJ laptop is just handling your DJing, and your broadcast laptop or desktop is just handling the broadcasting. Livestreaming (especially when you add a second camera, up the resolution, add visuals and so on) can be processor intensive. For smooth operation of both DJ software and broadcast software (or when you know your laptop or laptops aren’t the most modern), this halves the strain.

4. Using dedicated extra hardware

You can buy a dedicated hardware encoder to either replace or augment the solutions above.


To replace it, some hardware can take your video and audio, and broadcast them directly to the internet for you via your router (WiFi or Ethernet). This used to be the only way to do it back in broadcast studio times, but in recent years the price of such units has dropped and you can, for instance, get a Teradek VidiU Pro for $799 – not cheap, but if you’re taking this seriously, worth considering. (A cheaper alternative, although we’ve not tried it, is the Cerevo LiveShell Pro.)


Read this next: 10 Livestream DJ Set Mistakes You Should Stop Making Immediately


This type of unit will take a camera and audio input, and broadcast directly from the box to two services of your choice – although again, you can use a service like restream.io to expand that. You can also typically record to SD card within the boxes, which is pretty cool (broadcast apps and software as per the options above can usually record, too).


As these are just “boxes”, if you want more control, with the VidiU Pro at there’s a phone app to control it so you can add simple graphics overlays, and there’s also a full-blown iPad video production suite that integrates with it, so you can add graphics, roll pre-recorded footage, bring in additional video feeds and more – while still having the hardware do the “heavy lifting”.

Teradek’s VidiU Pro can be the single device you use to broadcast to the web, independent of any computer – you can even put a battery in it and take it up a mountain, as long as you have internet, maybe from your phone and 4G…
Some units like these units also have battery power, so if you’re a portablist, you could broadcast your next DJ set from up a mountain, so long as you could get fast enough internet (for instance, via tethering to your phone).


Another piece of hardware serious livestreamers sometimes use is an HDMI switcher, such as the Blackmagic Design ATEM Mini HDMI Live Stream Switcher. For $295, this until takes HDMI inputs from several pro cameras (see this article for livestream camera options) plus two audio inputs, and send the output encoded direct to your computer, which then just handles the broadcasting for you. It has built in effects for cool transitions and overlays, and there’s an HDMI out for a monitor, so you can see what the world is seeing.


Again, the advantage is that a unit like this is doing the “heavy lifting” for you, so your computer has less work to do. If you want to use more than one camera in your livestream (and maybe only use your DJ laptop for everything) this might be the missing link that enables you to do that.
Livestreaming currently is at the Wild West stage!

 

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Streaming from your smartphone
As you might have guessed, this is the most basic and cheap way to live stream your DJ sets. Chances are you’ve already live streamed in some capacity before, using just your phone and any one of the many live streaming platforms including Instagram Live, FB Live, Periscope etc. We’ve also got to the point where most smartphone cameras are actually better than cheap USB cameras so it’s probably a better option, if you’re only after one camera angle.
If you’re on a serious budget, i.e. none at all, streaming a DJ set won’t be too different to going live on any of these platforms, apart from a few key steps to follow.

The one thing you will want to ensure is that you have some kind of stand or tripod for your phone or tablet. Not only does it make it easier to get a good angle for your performance, keeping the iPhone still makes the quality better as the video only compresses what’s different from frame to frame, rather than the whole ‘shot’ itself, if the phone’s moving around.
Another thing to bear in mind is lighting — depending on your smartphone, it might perform well in low light, but most start to get pretty grainy quite quickly. While we’re not too concerned about quality, it’s still a good idea to introduce some lighting props — even a cheap disco light that you can pick up for under £10 would make a difference.

HOW TO GET CLEAN AUDIO ON YOUR PHONE
Finally, and most importantly: sound. While you can go live using your built-in mic — and many artists have and do — it’s obviously better to try and get a direct feed from your mixer or controller. This is where you might have to spend some money. Both iOS and Android are compatible with Class Compliant USB soundcards — that means any that don’t require their own drivers, which is most modern interfaces, so if you already have one for music-making, you could use that. Alternatively, a very popular solution is Behringer’s UCA222, which is around £20 and offers a single RCA input (and output).

If you did want to plug in a soundcard, you’ll also need a USB to smartphone adaptor. Depending on whether you’re on iOS or Android, they range from about £6 to £35. Some interfaces, such as the Røde SC6L, are built specifically for mobile devices so will plug straight in, but obviously will cost more than the adaptors, so depends on your budget. Evermix's Mixbox 2 is a device made specifically for recording DJ sets on your smartphone, so is perfect for the job, but will set you back around £120. it comes with an app for recording mixes though so can double up as a dictaphone.
Alternatively, if you’ve got a headphone port on your phone or tablet, you can use a cable like this to ‘trick’ it into thinking you’ve plugged in a headset mic. It’ll then let you plug in any 3.5mm cable (normal headphone size) from your mixer or controller as an input. This will also work through a Lightening to headphone jack adaptor but bear in mind, microphones are mono so the music will be summed to mono too.
However, if you decide to use this type of cable, you’ll need to be careful with your levels, otherwise, the signal will distort as the phone will be expecting a microphone input and will boost the level accordingly. The easiest fix is an attenuator from Fentronix, which you can find on eBay for about £8. So it’s a convoluted but affordable way to get direct audio into your phone for about £20.

STREAMING PLATFORM
Once you’ve got your device mounted, sound running into your phone or tablet either through your mic, soundcard or cable, and you’ve got your fun lights from Argos spinning around in the background, you’re ready to go live. Whichever platform you choose is up to you, and there are many guides out there for which to choose including a recent comprehensive one from Brooklyn-based writer Cherie Hu. Depending on your goal — fan funding, fan building, fan interaction or just a bit of fun — all the info you need can be found there, though it’s most likely you’ll be streaming to FB Live, YouTube and/or Twitch.
If you’re feeling brave and want to stream to multiple places at the same time, Restream.io will let you stream to up 30+ different platforms simultaneously for free. There are also handy features like analytics and streaming views that are amalgamated from all the platforms you choose to stream on.

Streaming from a computer
If you want a bit more control over how you’re streaming, including adding logos or any other assets, as well as creating picture-in-picture setups, multiple audio sources and so on, you’re going to need to use a computer. There are a few options when it comes to software, but as we’re aiming for as close to free as possible in this feature, so we recommend using Open Broadcast System (OBS) — if you did want to make your life a little easier, Wirecast is the industry standard for streaming DJ sets and it’s what we use at DJ Mag.
OBS is extremely popular, largely because it’s free, especially among Twitch users and gamers. It’s simple, effective, and has definitely got more intuitive in recent years as its popularity grew. There are endless tutorials out there on how it works and how to do all kinds of crazy stuff, so we’ll just keep it to the basics to get you up and running.
Download OBS for free here. When you open the software, you’ll be greeted with a Setup Wizard to get you started. First of all select ‘Optimise for streaming’ — OBS can also be used as a screen capture tool but for now we just want to stream. Next select your Canvas size — this is kind of like the canvas in Photoshop, the base where you place all your assets, cameras etc. The power of your computer (higher resolution will need more graphics power), your internet speed and where you’re streaming to will dictate the resolution size. It’s worth bearing in mind that while FB Live will downscale to 1080x720, YouTube will stream at 1920x1080, so if most of your audience is on FB there’s no real reason to stream at 1080. Similarly, 30 frames per second (fps) is fine too. Alternatively, OBS will do a test of your computer to give you optimal settings to avoid buffering, so if you're unclear how much your computer can handle, you can stick to these recommended settings.
Next, you’ll be asked to enter the Stream Service and Stream Key. The Stream Key is your unique code that links OBS to your Facebook page, YouTube account etc. If someone else has your stream key, they can stream to your account, so keep it safe. You can generate a Stream key for Facebook for example by going here. For YouTube you’ll need to go here. Alternatively, you can use Restream.io to stream to multiple places at the same time.
If you’re not ready to stream just yet, just hit Cancel and you can set-up your cameras etc, without going live.

The OBS Canvas works very simply. Sources refer to everything from webcams, screen capture, image and video assets, text, etc etc — anything that you display on screen — and Scenes are essentially a collection of sources you can fade between easily. For example, Scene one might be ‘The Stream will Start Soon’ graphic with no audio input (we’ll come back to audio). Scene two can be the stream itself, with cameras, audio, logos, whatever you want to use, and Scene three could be a ‘Thanks for Watching!’ message, or an invitation to subscribe and so on. It’s a slightly more professional way to do things, but using multiple Scenes is by no means mandatory, but that’s a basic explanation of how it works.
The basic OBS open screen is one scene and no sources. Sources are where you add your cameras, audio and any other specific assets you want to use. For the sake of this tutorial, and to make it as cheap as possible, let’s stick to one camera you most likely already have: your webcam. Most MacBooks come with a built-in webcam, called FaceTime HD camera, and most PC laptops come with a built-in webcam too. These can be used as your one and only camera and, as long as the lighting is good, they’ll do the job well.
To add a camera to OBS, click the + button under Sources and select ‘Video Capture Device’. Give it a name like ‘Webcam’, and click Next. Select the camera from a drop-down menu — on a Mac it’s called ‘FaceTime HD Camera’. You can leave the resolution at Default and when you press OK, you’ll see the camera appear on the Canvas. Depending on the Canvas resolution it may or may not fit, but you can use the red transform points to resize the camera source. If you want to crop out parts of the shot simply hold Alt, click on the transform points and drag.

CONFIGURING AUDIO IN OBS
Once you’ve got your single cam shot looking the way you want, it’s time to add some audio to your stream. Click the + button and select ‘Audio Input Capture’ to add an audio device. From here you can select your built-in mic, if you’re not using an audio interface, as we mentioned above.
Alternatively, on a Mac, the sound output port can also be used as an input port so you can plug a 3.5mm (headphone) jack straight in from your mixer or controller. To use it as an input, go to Preferences and Sound, and click the Input tab. Under ‘Use audio port for’ change it to ‘Input’. If you’re not a Mac user, simply plug the cable into your Audio In port. Now you can add it as a ‘Audio Input Device’ in OBS.
If you have plugged in a USB soundcard, it will automatically appear in the drop down menu, so select it and you’re ready to go.

ROUTING AUDIO FROM YOUR DJ SOFTWARE
If you’re using DJ software like Traktor, rekordbox dj, VirtualDJ 2020 etc, and you can’t route the outputs of your controller into your soundcard, you’ll need to re-route the audio into OSB internally. Unfortunately on macOS, OBS doesn’t automatically route the audio from certain apps, you’ll need a third-party software to do this. OBS officially recommends iShowU Audio Capture, and has a guide to setting it up here.
Once you’ve got either your line in, USB soundcard, or aggregate device ready, play some audio from your source and you’ll see the green metering in OBS become active. Now you’ve got your single camera and audio working, you’re ready to go live. Scroll down to the Going Live section if you’re happy with this setup.
However, if you want to use your iOS device as a second wireless camera, for free, read on.

Using your iPhone as a wireless camera
Another way to add extra value to your stream without spending a penny is by using your smartphone as a second wireless camera. It sounds fancy, but it’s actually very easy and is simple to configure with OBS.
All you need to do is download the iOS app EpocCam. If you’re on Android an app called IPWebcam will let you do the same thing, albeit with a lot more complex setup. We’re gonna stick with EpocCam for this tutorial. Download the app for free and go to their website to get the macOS drivers. Restart your Mac once installed and restart OBS.
Adding a second camera in OBS means adding a second Scene. As we mentioned, a Scene is essentially a collection of Sources.
Now when you add a ‘Video Capture Device’ in OBS, you’ll see EpocCam as an option. Assuming the app is also running on your phone, your device’s camera will now appear on screen. Resize it to your preference. It can be used as a second wireless camera for roaming or as another mounted camera. Expect more latency with the wireless cam so some of the movements may be out of sync. There are some restrictions on the free version of EpocCam but it's totally usable for this situation. If you like what you see, the full version costs $7.99 — a fairly good price to add an extra camera to your set-up.
Finally, you can cut between Scenes using either the mouse or Hot Keys in OBS’s preferences.

GOING LIVE
Once you’ve got your camera sources set up, your audio playing and your stream key ready, it’s time to go live. Most platforms won’t actually immediately go live once you hit ‘Start Streaming’ in OBS. They’ll usually wait for a signal and preview what’s being sent from OBS in the backend of the platform so you can check it’s working and make sure the shot is what you expect. If you like what you see, you can then go live from the browser. There's around a 30-second delay so be don't be surprised if you don't see something initially — this is where having an intro Scene can help ease the transition into your stream.

 

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10 Livestream DJ Set Mistakes You Should Stop Making Immediately
1. Not considering your backdrop

Nobody wants to see inside your messy closet. Take a few minutes before your broadcast to test the camera position. You may need to close some doors behind you, tidy up, or move your gear.


If you have DJ lighting, plug it in and dim your room. It really does make your video a lot more appealing. Additionally, make sure viewers can see you and, if possible, see your controller or turntables a bit.

2. Not announcing that the music doesn’t belong to you

You can never be too careful. When you start your livestream DJ set, take a minute to type in the comments, “I do not own the rights to this music”. To pin your comment so it will remain at the top throughout your broadcast, tap and hold the comment.


While this gives absolutely no advantage as far as the likelihood of your stream staying live or not, you’re laying your cards on the table and declaring the value here is in your DJing and the sense of community you’re offering – you’re not just trying to capitalise somehow from playing other people’s music.

3. Not responding to comments

Don’t be that DJ that when I tune in and go to the trouble of typing you a comment, you don’t even see it. Look at the comments — that is the new “look at the crowd”. Eyes-glued-to-the-laptop isn’t a good look for the dancefloor, nor is it good for the livestream. Ideally, you are engaging with viewers (point at the camera, sing along, dance) but at the very least, you are responding to all your comments.


Read this next: 5 Things I Learned Livestreaming A DJ Set From My Balcony


The best way to do this is to have someone who can be your full-time “comment monitor”. The comment monitor can respond to comments coming in and also pop in every few minutes to remind viewers when your next livestream is or anything else you want to promote.

4. Not giving the context

Somewhere in the camera frame, have some signage saying what you are doing, such as, “Sammy Spins Sunday Brunch, 10-Noon” or “DJ Boom Boom Dance Party, 8-10pm”. Not all of our followers are DJs! Let people know what is going on and for how long.

Von Kiss does a great job of promoting her broadcasts, turning them into something much bigger than just casual, “let’s go live” moments.
This weekend, I saw DJ Von Kiss broadcasting with a chalkboard behind her that read “Club Von Kiss”. (She also had a small easel next to her that read “I do not own the rights to this music” – see Mistake 2.) I love her idea of giving your virtual night club a name!


Read this next: Which Camera Is Best For DJ Set Livestreaming?


If you’re going to livestream, why not get ahead of the casual livestreamers and establish your branded, virtual club now? Every week when guests tune in, they should experience the same broadcast formatting (same hours, same lighting, same sound set up etc), which reinforces your “brand” and creates recognition.


Who knows? If you do it well now, you may just build an ongoing show with a gang of loyal superfans that continues for a long time into the future…

5. Not asking for tips

Now legally this is a complete minefield (as you could be construed as monetising other people’s music), but I am writing this in the Coronavirus lockdown times when a lot of DJs (and others) aren’t making any money at all, and yet many people still have their normal income streams coming in.


Your viewers will presumably understand that you may be enduring hard times, and the vibe out there is definitely one of people rallying to support small businesses — that means you!


So on measure, we don’t think you should be shy about putting up signage with your PayPal.me or Venmo payment links, or having your “comment monitor” mention it from time to time. Tips could make all the difference at a time like this, after all.

6. Playing full radio edits of songs

The fastest way to get your broadcast pulled down off Instagram for copyright infringement is to play full songs and radio edits. But by quick mixing (ie playing one verse then mixing out) with mash-ups and heavily remixed versions, you have the best chance of throwing off the copyright algorithms.


Don’t be shy with the scratching or effects either, as all of that helps too. Also, playing a song even just five or 10 percent faster or slower than its given BPM can help. Finally, talking over the music to the “virtual crowd” can help. Be aware though that there is no guaranteed way of livestreaming risk-free – it’s currently the nature of the game.


Want to learn to DJ so you can do this? Check out DJing Made Easy

7. Not using your name drop

When spinning at a nightclub or a wedding, there are mixed feelings about using DJ drops (a recording by a voiceover artist saying something like “you’re in the mix with DJ Skillz”). But when it comes to livestreams, I think it’s perfectly appropriate, if not recommended, to use your name drop every 15 or so minutes during your set.


Not only will it help throw off the copyright algorithm, but it’s another way to give people the context mentioned in Mistake 4 again.

8. Poor sound quality

One DJ I was interested in watching this weekend was about half the volume of the other DJs going live at the time. My daughter and I had the disco lights going at home and were ready to party… but quiet just wasn’t going to cut it. Don’t make the mistake of neglecting your sound quality.

The iRig Stream is one example of a dedicated audio interface that works with phones and tablets and will alow you to hugely improve your audio quality when livestreaming.
There are lots of ways of improving it. If you want to get flash, you can buy audio interfaces that work with phones to give you a proper Line In from your mixer (we’re fans of the iRig Stream), or you can sometimes “hack” the microphone input (the one that enables the little mic built in to the lead when you’re wearing headphones) using a special cable called a TRRS to TRS cable (although this doesn’t always work).


Read this next: How To Livestream DJ Sets: 4 Ways To Do It From Anywhere


At the very least, place your phone close to your speakers and do a test recording before going live – have your phone far away, and you’ll get not only echoing, but a huge reduction in your overall volume too. This isn’t ideal though – check out our article and video on great livestream audio for how to do it right.


Also, if it’s usually your style, why not plug in your mic and act like you are actually at the club when you speak to your audience? This “style” of talking to your viewers is better than just kind of casually chatting, like you’re in your bedroom — even if you are. Maybe you’re not announcing drink specials any more, but you can still do birthday shout-outs!

9. Not interacting with viewers

We talked about not responding to comments in Mistake 3, and I suggested you use the mic above, in Mistake 8. Just know that keeping your eyes glued to the laptop makes for a boring experience for your viewers. So make eye contact! It can be awkward to look at or talk to the camera, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get over yourself and do it anyway.


The new “put your hands up” is “hit that heart button on the right for me”. The new “let me see you bounce” is “everyone give me a thumbs up emogee”. “See a chug, take a chug” also works (you announce “time to chug”, and then take a swig of your drink).


Read this next: Easy Overhead Camera Set-Up For Your Next DJ Livestream


Zoom parties have taken off big style recently too, so if you are broadcasting in conference mode on that platform (so you can see the Brady-Bunch-esque panel of your viewers), tell everyone to put their hands up to the camera!

10. Not promoting your set in advance

Just like any public performance you plan to give, make a flyer for your feed and announce it on your story. Let your followers know when and what you’ll be spinning. (Clean/family friendly? All reggaeton? All Madonna?) At the end of each virtual dance party, remind people when your next broadcast will be.


If you are choosing to risk going live on Facebook (where most DJs feel the copyright enforcement is stronger), be sure to set up a Facebook Watch Party, which when you go live allows all your viewers to see each other (like on Zoom conference mode).

 

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Which Camera Is Best For DJ Set Livestreaming?

1. The camera built-in to your portable device

If you are livestreaming directly from your phone or tablet, it has a camera right there built-in, and often, this is the natural choice as you begin your livestream journey. As long as you can set the device up so that it has your decks in shot, and hopefully you too, you’re good to go.


Read this next: How To Livestream DJ Sets: 4 Ways To Do It From Anywhere


This option assumes that you’re using an app on that device to stream to the internet from, of course, but chances are if you’re considering using your phone or tablet’s camera, that’s exactly where you’re at – whether you’re using your social media platform’s own app, or an app designed specifically for livestreaming from an iOS or Android device, it will assume that’s the camera you want to use anyway.

Remember, you’ll probably want to use the front camera on your phone or tablet so you can also “control” your livestream via the screen, and this camera is typically lower qualilty than the “main” camera.

Worth pointing out that if you are actually using a Mac or Windows computer to livestream from, it is still possible to use your phone or tablet as a remote camera – by installing a remote camera app on your phone and a client app on your Mac or Windows PC, your broadcast software will be able to “see” the iOS or Android device. Search your app store for such software – there are several choices.


Pros: This camera is built in, and with a well-lit room, quality can be OK
Cons: Not as good as a separate camera, can be hard to position correctly

2. Separate webcams

A step up from using the camera built-in to your phone or tablet is to use a separate webcam. This means you can have the camera somewhere away from where you’ll be controlling the broadcast from (and possibly replying to your viewers from too) making things more convenient and more professional.


Read this next: 5 Things I Learned Livestreaming A DJ Set From My Balcony


It is actually possible to do this even if you want to carry on using your phone or tablet as your “main” broadcasting device – at least if that happens to be an iPhone or iPad. Check out Switcher Studio if this sounds appealing – it’s an example of a piece of software that runs on your iPhone or iPad as your broadcast solution, sending its signal to YouTube, Facebook etc, but that also lets you use a “spare” iPhone or iPad or two wirelessly as remote cameras.

Here is the little Logitech camera on a tripod being used to stream a DJ set.
If you’re considering using a separate webcam or two, though, the likelihood is that you’re also considering using a laptop rather than a mobile device to stream from, using software like OBS. This type of software makes it simple to plug in extra cameras and switch between them, for a more dynamic broadcast.


When it comes to choosing which streaming camera from all the webcams available, Logitech is ubiquitous, with its C920 and C922 models beloved of livestreamers everywhere, although its latest model, the more expensive StreamCam, brings the spec up to date, with USB-C. These cameras are small, the quality is pretty good, and they plug directly into USB ports on your laptop or desktop computer, then being instantly accessible to whatever software you’re using to stream with.


Read this next: 2 Ways To Get Great Sounding Audio On Your DJ Livestreams


You may well have used one of these over the years because your laptop had a poor built-in webcam (or none at all – remember those days?) – it’s hardly new tech, but it works and we still use these in our pro studio from time to time when we need “extra” shots, even for fully edited recordings, never mind livestreams. Always good to have one or two of these kicking around.


Be aware that you may need a USB hub if you’re running out of USB sockets, and make sure you have the right USB lead or an adaptor so you can plug them directly into your computer without problems. Also bear in mind that a tripod may be necessary – we like the Joby Gorillapods because you can bend them around anything for funky angles, but depending on your circumstances, a floor or table-standing tripod may be more suitable.

The Logi Capture app lets you adjust brightness, zoom, focus and so on, to “take control” of the images from your webcam if you’re using a Logitech one. There are similar, universal apps available.
Also, to take control of the camera (for fixing focus, brightness etc), you need a separate app. Logitech has a new Mac app called Logi Capture that achieves this as well as letting you “combine” two webcams into one to then “send” to your broadcast software, which is worth checking out – although searching “webcam settings” in your app store will give you lots of options for any webcam.


Pros: Easier to position, step up in quality
Cons: Tend to work better “close up” than for wider, room-type shots

3. Pro cameras – DLSRs, camcorders etc.

To achieve top quality, and assuming you’re using software on a laptop or desktop to do your broadcasting, it is possible nowadays to put into service a huge choice of professional cameras (DLSRs, CSCs, GoPros, pro streaming cameras, camcorders, pro video cameras), some designed for the job, and others that can just be used for this particular purpose even though they are not specifically made for this.

Pro cameras can be used for livestreaming and give the best results, but involve extra expense, even if you already own the camera or cameras.
Thats’s what we do here. Which streaming camera do we use? We have various Sony A6400 and A6500 APS-C mirrorless cameras, that just so happen to also have awesome 4K video recording, and easy HD streaming to our broadcast computer via HDMI. When I say “easy”, I mean they can do it – if you have a reasonably modern photo camera or camcorder already, as long as it has a USB output or can give a “clean” HDMI output, it is probably possible to use it as a livestream camera.


Read this next: 10 Livestream DJ Set Mistakes You Should Stop Making Immediately


The tricky part about doing this is that you cant just plug an HDMI lead into a computer. It’s very important too that you realise that it won’t work to buy a cheap USB to HDMI adaptor (they type you might use to wire your computer into your TV, for instance), because these don’t work in the “other direction”. You need a more expensive solution.


There are three ways to do this:

1. With software – Some software can broadcast directly from a DSLR or other “real” camera plugged via its mini-USB output into the computer. https://www.ecamm.com/mac/ecammlive/” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>Ecamm Live for Mac (a full broadcast software solution) can use any Canon EOS camera in this way, and SparkoCam for PC achieves the same for some Canons and Nikons
2. With an adaptor – You can get (relatively) cheap adaptors to convert the incoming HDMI signal from your camera to work via USB with your computer. Our favourite is Elgato’s CamLink, which costs around $129, and delivers reliable, high quality results
3. With NDI – Once you start getting serious about this, NDI is a pro solution that adds your pro cameras to your Ethernet network. It’s extremely powerful, and indeed can even work over WiFi, but it is prohibitively expensive, costing upwards of $500 per “converter” box, per camera. It’s what we use in our studios here at Digital DJ Tips, with various NewTek Spark products

Elgato’s CamLink plugs between your HDMI out from your camera and your computer, converting the HDMI signal to USB. You can’t use any old computer HDMI Out cable; it has to be an adaptor made specifically for this purpose.
Using pro cameras will give you a considerable jump in quality over built-in cameras or webcams, but remember that in this instance, you’re using the camera’s built-in battery to power the set-up, so for long livestreams, you may want to buy a mains electricity adaptor to keep the camera rolling for longer.


Also, some models can get very hot when run for extended periods like this, and indeed some will shut down after a set period of time for this reason – be sure the camera you want to use can work for an extended time.


Pros: Best quality, you may already have a suitable camera or camcorder to use
Cons: Extra expense, even if you already have the device/s

 

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[big enos burrnet]

great post.....over the past two months i done seen some of the worst and best dj live sets...this thread right here
will get you started in the right direction....

 

[dray]

D-Nice and 9th Wonder have amazing sound for their DJ sets on Instagram.

I wonder what they use??