OBS + ApexStream: the settings we test against

OBS is useful when you need its scene tools, audio routing, or capture hardware and want ApexStream to handle the distribution after the feed leaves your computer. The setup is straightforward once the encoder sends one predictable signal: the right server, the right key, a fixed two-second keyframe interval, and a bitrate inside your plan.

Connect OBS to the right ingest

Open Stream Setup in ApexStream and copy the Ingest Server URL and Stream Key. In OBS, open Settings → Stream, choose Custom… as the service, and paste the full server URL into Server. Put the stream key in the key field.

Use the connection type your workflow supports. ApexStream also documents RTMP, RTMPS, SRT, and WHIP ingest paths for the plans and setups that include them. If you are using a non-RTMP path, select the matching protocol in OBS rather than pasting an SRT or WHIP address into an RTMP field.

Set the keyframe interval to 2 seconds

In OBS, find the keyframe interval in the output or encoder settings and set it to 2 seconds. Do not leave it on Auto for this workflow. A fixed interval gives ApexStream and the connected destinations a predictable stream structure to work with.

This is one setting worth checking every time you create a new OBS profile. A profile copied from another platform may contain a different value, even when the picture and audio look correct in the preview.

Stay inside the plan bitrate cap

The incoming feed is capped by plan. Use the following ceilings as the outer limit, then leave room for audio and normal variation:

• Free: 3 Mbps, with output up to 720p.
• Hobby: 6 Mbps.
• Creator: 9 Mbps.
• Scale: 15 Mbps.
• Enterprise: custom allocations up to 50 Mbps.

Do not treat the cap as a target you must hit. On a Hobby plan, for example, a 5,800 kbps total output leaves more breathing room than sending the full 6,000 kbps. If the encoder sends more than the plan allows, the stream may become unstable or stop.

Use a steady output profile

In Settings → Output, switch OBS to Advanced and start with this profile:

1. Rate control: CBR.
2. Bitrate: a value below your plan cap, including audio.
3. Keyframe interval: 2 seconds.
4. Encoder preset: a setting your computer can sustain; the source tests P4/P5 for NVENC and Veryfast/Faster for x264.
5. Audio: AAC-LC at 48 kHz stereo, using 128 or 160 kbps as appropriate for the profile.

CBR keeps the feed from making large bitrate jumps during a busy scene. If your computer cannot hold the chosen resolution or frame rate, lower those first rather than allowing the output to exceed the plan ceiling.

Confirm the feed before activating channels

Start streaming in OBS, then open the ApexStream dashboard and confirm that the ingest is arriving. On Hobby and above, review the stream health view if it is available on your account. Look for a steady bitrate and no obvious rendering or dropped-frame warnings in OBS.

Starting OBS does not automatically make every connected social destination public. In the Your Channels panel, toggle the destinations you want to activate, such as YouTube, Facebook Profile or Pages, and Twitch. This gives you one last chance to verify the incoming feed before the show reaches the audience.

What to check when the feed is not healthy

If ApexStream does not show an incoming feed, check the full server URL before changing video quality. If the feed arrives but the picture is unstable, compare OBS’s outgoing bitrate with the plan cap and confirm that Rate Control is CBR. If the picture is steady but one destination is missing, inspect the destination toggle rather than rebuilding the OBS connection.

Save the working values as an OBS profile after the test. Give the profile a useful name such as “ApexStream Hobby 1080” and write the plan beside it. A saved profile is only helpful when you can tell which plan ceiling it was built for.