Whether you starting your streaming career, or you already a well-known broadcaster, you definetaly know, that OBS Studio one of the best streaming software. However, sometimes you can reach it’s limitations, while you want to add more effects, or you need some new solution for create something new. That’s the time when OBS Studio plugins takes a place. You can play music only for viewers, create new transitions, place chat in your screen, or just use your mobile as a third webcam. You’ll find a plugin for that.
You already know how to set it up the OBS Studio (if not, you should check out our detailed guide), therefore you already know, you can use it for anything. From recording to streaming, not to mentioned the unlimited features and settings to create a display like a TV Show. Also, you can use third party tools, like Streamlabs to create popups, notification, and receive donations and subscriptions. But in this tutorial we going further and discover other OBS plugins, which opens a new door in terms of customization.
OBS Studio is an open-source, free software, so you’ll find many interesting no-cost plugins, yet there’s some paid versions, that we’ll mention, which may be a good option for you. Because many companies find this a good opportunity to pimp OBS Studio, nevertheless Streamlabs, which built a whole new software from out of it.
1. NewTek’s NDI Audio/Video Input & Output
The first plugin that, we will check is a simple one, that you add the option to stream or receive audio and video over IP. With the help of the add-on, you can use NDI Sources, like any gear, for example a phone to use as an input to OBS Studio. Of course, you can use OBS Studio to stream over the entire network, or to the web.
The plugin is completely free, but lately not updated. Most of the time it’s used, when you want to apply your phone as a webcam, as we mentioned before, however any device that can connect to the network can use this standard to communicate. We should mentione, because it is communicating over Wi-Fi, or ethernet, there’s may some lag or quality issue can happen. It comes because this solution not as good as If you connect the device directly to your streaming computer.
Nowadays many DSLR or other camera comes with streaming function over USB. If you more quality you should use that.
2. OWN3D PRO OBS Studio Plugin
We already wrote about Own3d, because it’s library for themes, designs and lower-thirds. But we not specifically mentioned, that all of their sources available inside their plugin. After you register with your Twitch account, you’ll find yourself on their dashboard. Here you can see the statistics of your Twitch profile, find overlays, and alerts. Own3d Pro currently works with Epidemic Sound, a subscription-based royalty-free music service. Also, on Own3d you can create logo, badge, avatar or emote icons.
With the free subscription, you can use their chatbot, alert system, basic overlays, effects and in Epidemic Sound, you have 30 min. free listening. However If you want to use all of their pro assets, and tools, you need to subscribe to their service, which is 13.99€ / month (If you subscribe to a year it’s 7.83€ / month). While you subscribed to the services you can use unlimited assets from their library. There’s also an option to embed Twitch chat with just one click to your current scene.
After you download the plugin, you just need to simply install it, and it’ll automatically attach the functions to the OBS. You’ll find the installed plugin under OBS Tools option, and of course you need to login to the tool.
Under the Free Overlay, you can pick from 5 different one.
3. Tuna
The following plugin will be one of the simplest one in this listing. The OBS Plugin simply display the song name that you’re currently playing, nothing more, nothing less. It’s regurally updated, because it can connect to many third party app. Like to Spotify, inclunding cover art, MPD, VLC, last.fm, Google Play Music, Soundcloudy or other web players.
Also you can choose to display window title or process name, because many player shows the current playing song name in these.
4. StreamFX
StreamFX is used by many streamers currently, because it’s open source availability and the features that you got after the installation. The OBS plugin gives you the opportunity to add 3D moves, transitions, filters and sources. Because OBS Studio only gives you the most basic ones, and nowadays more and more streamers create a unique design for the stream, this tool can open that door for you.
There are many other features as well, like:
- Blur
- 3D Transform
- Color Grading
- Denoising
- Dynamic Mask
- Shader
- Virtual Greenscreen
Also the plugin can use AMD or NVENC encoding, therefore if you’re into the hardware acceleration, you got it. There’s some feedback when a move, or after other resource heavy task, the OBS Studio crash or only shows a black screen, but based on OBS Forum, you can find a solution for that.
5. OBS.Live by StreamElements
StreamElements works like Own3d, here you can find alerts, overlays, and we already mentioned this platform as well. Also you can use their chatbot, to prevent your stream from spams, and from not wanted messages. StreamElements made a move and also got you covered when merch or payment takes a place. With their service you can build a whole website and sell your merch. Or you can receive donations through Pay. You can read about the Loyalty feature, which is for your community, run contest, give away items, etc.
This tool works with Twitch, YouTube and Facebook, so you need to pick the platform where you streaming at the sign up process. With their overlay builder, you can choose any widget that you want, and create a new look for every scene.
6. OBS Web Socket
Nowadays many streamers using another computer as a main streaming pc, and gaming in another one. While this is one of the best solution If you strive for the best quality, you’ll be in lack of control, because only one keyboard and one mouse will be in front of you. That’s when the OBS Web Socket will take place.
With this plugin you can use any device, from over your internet to control OBS, while you playing on the same computer, or you currently using other. With this you can manage your OBS with a dashboard like this one:
And control everything from a browser, or from your mobile, tablet. Make sure, especially if your streaming within a public network, that you’re using this plugin with the password enabled. (Otherwise, maybe someone will take over your stream 🙂 )
7. Downstream Keyer
The plugin that coming next is Downstream Keyer, what is for creating, and displaying dynamic lower thirds through at your stream. After the installation, you will get a new window.
Under the box, you can create new mini widgets, and show texts. These texts can have a different transitions than your main one, and it will be always visible. Even, when your switching different scenes. It’s a little OBS Studio plugin, but when you want to show quickly some information, it comes handy.
8. Advanced Scene Switcher
This open-source free plugin is one of the best. It’s basically an automation tool inside OBS, with a user-friendly interface. Create tasks, macros and jobs based on coditions. For example, when a transition happened, you can define that the speaker, or the desktop audio should be only 50% percent. Of course, you can do it by fading it, not just instantly drop down the volume.
Not mentioning, there are many conditions, based on like audio, cursor position, hotkey, media, OBS statistics, Process, Scene, Timer, or Video. Also you can attach many action to it as well, like, audio, file, filter, media, replay buffer, scene, source, or transition. Or you can combine them.
Which is the winner OBS Plugin?
Mostly when you want to pick a new OBS Studio plugin, the requirement should be the foundation of your choice. We listed many plugins, that give you many opportunity to design your stream or create new surprise for your community. However, the choice is yours and you will define what works best for you.
Do you have any comment or question? Do not hesitate to ask them below!
