Top 10 Best Streaming Apps to Live Stream Your Work
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Nvidia Broadcast
Transform your webcam and microphone into a broadcasting studio, with virtual backgrounds, noise removal and other AI-powered features by Nvidia.
With the ever-increasing trend of live-streaming content, users are on the search for software to enhance broadcast performance. Audio and video quality, room and camera backgrounds are all contributing to the audience’s response and, while not everybody can afford expensive equipment to create a broadcasting studio, there are other ways to make sure the delivered content is high-quality.
Aiming to help users benefit from AI-powered technology, Nvidia released the Nvidia Broadcast application. As simple as it might seem, this software utility has the capability to turn regular webcams and microphones into smart devices that can level up live-streaming experiences.
Powered by NVIDIA GeForce RTX
Before installing, please note that the application requires the latest NVIDIA Studio Driver version installed on your computer and a machine that comes equipped with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060, Quadro RTX 3000, TITAN RTX or higher. In other words, this application takes advantage of the performance of the NVIDIA RTX GPUs to help you create engaging content for your audience.
The installation is simple and setting up the application is a breeze. You have to go through choosing your devices and configure effects and then you can select Nvidia Broadcast as the default in-app device.
Noise removal, virtual green screen and automatic framing
Background and irrelevant noise are distracting and annoying in any live session. Nvidia Broadcast comes with advanced noise removal technology that can isolate your speech and remove unwanted background sounds and room echo. In other words, you will be able to go live without worrying too much about the surrounding noise in the place you are.
Your live experience can be greatly improved with the virtual backgrounds offered by Nvidia Broadcast. You can replace the background with a nice scenery, blur it or remove it altogether, just like you would with a green screen. Whether it is for work or entertainment, background removal takes your mind off finding a suitable place for your live session.
A feature definitely worth noting is the automatic framing. Nvidia Broadcast can track your movements in real time, zooming and cropping the image to keep you in focus.
Take your live-streaming to another level
AI-powered audio and video can make you look professional during your broadcasting sessions, and Nvidia Broadcast brings it all to the table. It comes with noise removal, virtual backgrounds and automatic movement tracking, all to deliver the best experience for you and the most entertaining and engaging videos for your audience.
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XSplit Gamecaster
Record video of your games, capture snapshots or stream live on your favorite platform by turning to this comprehensive application.
As game streamers become more and more popular, there's an increasing demand for highly-capable software solutions that can cover most of their production-related needs.
Some of them want the ability to link as many accounts as possible, while others root for chat support, efficient notifications and high-quality uploads. XSplit Gamecaster is one of the apps that can satisfy some of their demands.
Simplistic interface
Although streamers are usually well-versed in playing numerous games from various categories, some of them might appreciate a simplified streaming service that doesn't cut back on efficiency either.
This application comes with a minimalistic, yet neat layout that prompts you with a quick 3-steps guide as soon as you launch it. As for the configuration sections, they're intuitive enough to be operated even by novices.
Link multiple accounts
This app lets you decide whether you want to live stream your videos or simply record and upload them later. It ensures high flexibility by letting you link your Twitch, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Player.me accounts, each of which serves its specific purpose.
Therefore, we can live stream on Twitch, upload videos on YouTube and post on Twitter, Facebook and Player.me after authorizing the accounts mentioned above.
Features libraries and a handy configuration section
If you want to keep track of your recordings or screenshots, you can do so by accessing the appropriate categories on the top toolbar. It is also possible that you can change the location of the two libraries on your computer.
The "Settings" tab enables you to change stream and record settings, specify the format of your screenshots, include overlay elements, toggle the mouse's visibility, choose your default microphone and camera devices and even customize BRB (be-right-back) graphics.
Comprehensive streaming and recording app
Bottom line, if you're looking for a flexible, efficient and highly accessible streaming/recording service, you might as well give XSplit Gamecaster a shot. It's simple enough to be operated by virtually anyone who has basic PC operating skills and packs a bunch of useful tools.
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Stream Deck
Manage the Stream Deck controller, which provides streamers with 15 accessible, customizable keys, using this intuitive application.
For streamers who are just getting started, figuring out how to manage their broadcasted content and interact with their users can be difficult. When viewer numbers increase, things can end up being overwhelming.
The Stream Deck controller is intended to provide you with a quick way to trigger certain actions without using confusing keyboard shortcuts. It has 15 customizable keys with LCDs, which can be configured using this desktop application.
How the Stream Deck controller can help you
The controller is, essentially, a miniature keyboard with LCD keys that can show you exactly what action each of them will trigger. There are 15 keys to work with, which should be enough for any streamer.
While you can bind these actions to hotkeys on your main keyboard, it is easy to lose track of that each key combination is for, and things can get very confusing if you decide to switch something up.
Assign various actions to each key on your Stream Deck device
The application displays the layout of the controller in the main window, and you can drag actions from the right-hand panel to assign them to any of the keys. The program supports multiple streaming platforms, and you can also assign Twitch, YouTube or system actions.
A default icon will be added to each key, and you can also provide a name that will help you identify it more easily. What’s more, it is possible to add a custom icon or create a new one from scratch.
Configure your Stream Deck device in no time at all
Whether you’re an experienced streamer or just getting started, this controller can make your life a lot easier. It puts a total of 15 actions at your fingertips, without having to remember confusing key combinations.
If you’ve gone ahead and purchased a Stream Deck device, this application will let you set it up in just a few minutes. It is very intuitive and offers support for multiple streaming platforms.
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Mix It Up
With Mix It Up, you will get all the Mixer streaming assistance that you need, including chat and other interactivity functions handling.
Mix It Up is a new assistant for the Mixer streaming platform. In other words, it is a bot similar to the more popular Scottybot, but with improved customization functions.
What does Mix It Up offer?
This program will handle chat moderation and other interactivity functions on Mixer when you're streaming. With Mix It Up, your streams will attract more viewers, and that thanks to the many personalization options that the program comes with to enhance your streaming experience. It comes with so many features that every streamer will find anything they need, including social media integration, real-time chat with bot-handled moderation, giveaway customization, minigames for their subscribers, statistics, integration for external programs, and so many more.
How the program works
On the first use of Mix It Up, it will ask you to set up your account. Don't worry because the program comes with a built-in wizard that will walk you through the entire process. Note that you must have an active account on the Mixer streaming platform to use Mix It Up. Once you have set up your account within the program, you can start setting it up. From the hamburger menu at the top-right corner, you can access the categories. You will have access to chats, commands for the bot, action groups, and many more. From the right side of the interface, you can go to Settings, where you will be able to tweak the many options that Mix It Up sports. The app will handle your chats and other interactivity functions on Mixer so that you can focus more on streaming, attracting more viewers.
Is Mix It Up a better bot than others?
The app seems a little better than other similar programs, thanks to its improved customization features. Also, it has more functions than others. With a user-friendly interface and easy-to-access and change functionalities, Mix It Up looks promising. However, the program is still in its pre-release phase, and it might present some bugs. At first glance, Mix It Up works smoothly and without errors, but I cannot estimate how it functions in the long term.
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Holographics
Effortlessly create and deploy live graphics like lower-thirds, messages, ticker tapes, clocks, and logos for your live-streams or websites with the help of this nifty app.
Taking the time to prepare awesome broadcast graphics for your live-stream or promotion and/or giveaway-based websites using specialized apps such as Photoshop or After Effects can yield fantastic results.
However, there's one big drawback with this kind of approach: time. Building live graphics with specialized apps can usually take upwards of a couple of hours, if not days.
That's exactly why Holographics was created. In short, Holographics is a smart and very useful app that allows you to create a wide array of live graphics with nothing more than a few mouse clicks. Instead of spending hours on end creating live graphics using specialized software, you can do it in less than 5 minutes.
The ins and outs
Let's start with the basics. The supported live graphics are as follows: lower-thirds, messages, ticker tapes, clocks, animated logos, and so forth.
These graphic elements can be added to a wide range of projects of any size. Holographics is compatible with OBS, V-Mix, Wirecast, Xsplit, CasparCG, Livestream Studio, and many more. What's more, because the live graphics are vector-based, they can be used at any resolution (HD, 4K, and 8K included).
All the graphics can be custom styled with the help of themes (which are simple CSS files). One of the best things about this app is that these graphics can be tailored even further with a little bit of CSS knowledge.
Better yet, the Widgets (JavaScript & HTML), Themes (CSS), and Animations (JavaScript) can all be customized according to your needs.
Getting started with Holographics
By now, it should be clear that Holographics is not designed to be an all-encompassing design tool, but rather a time-saving one.
Therefore, learning the ropes is extremely easy. To get started, install and launch the app. Click the "+ADD" button to preview the available widgets. Click on any of the widgets to add it to your project.
If the selected widgets have entries, click "New entry" to add a name, type in the rest of the required information, and click "Create." By pressing the corresponding "Show" button, you can visualize the widget.
From this point onwards, you can either add the widget to your project (live stream, website, etc.), or you can fiddle with it some more by accessing the Settings section from the hamburger menu (on the upper left side).
Conclusion
Holographics may not be the best choice for users looking for professional or pixel-perfect bitmap graphics for their live animations. Be that as it may, the app is not as one-sided as one might think at first.
With a bit of HTML, JavaScript, and CSS knowledge anyone can customize the widgets and themes to a very high degree.
The beauty of Holographics is that it's simple enough for both beginners and versatile enough for users with advanced web-design skills. One thing is for sure, when it comes to speed, probably no other tool of this sort even comes close to Holographics.
You can create live graphics and have them posted on your live stream or website in a matter of seconds making it a must-have for users who deal with a lot of offers, special promotions, and giveaways.
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zTwitch
An application that allows you to watch Twitch streams directly from your desktop, serving as an alternative to the official Twitch app.
As streaming has become more and more popular worldwide, there are also lots of new platforms that allow you to stream or watch others streaming, but Twitch still remains the most popular one of them all. And zTwitch does a great job in bringing your favorite streaming service directly on your desktop, through the Microsoft Store.
Get straight to your favorite streams
If you feel that the official Twitch app is a bit basic and offers less than you expected, this app can be an alternative, which seems to work smoothly enough so that you can enjoy watching your beloved streamers.
The app is easy to install, and as soon as you start it, you will be welcomed by a clean dashboard that will allow you to navigate swiftly. In the upper left corner, you have the Discover, Following and Browser buttons. There, you can see broadcast suggestions, the people who are currently live streaming, or the streamers that you added as favorite.
It is really pleasing to see that in the Following tab, your favorite streams are divided into more detailed categories such as the live channels, the hosts, the type of content, and the videos or channels that you follow.
All the settings you need are there
When you access a stream you will have the familiar layout that Twitch provides, with the live chat panel on the right. If you click the user icon, you will get a drop-down menu that will provide you with some shortcuts. There you'll find the Online/Offline switch, as well as the option to share your activity with the other users.
In the settings menu, you are given the possibility to switch the Live tiles on or off and do the same for notifications. Of course, the default quality option is there, where you can choose at which resolution and fps the videos you watch will be played. Also, for people who want them, besides the dark/light theme, there are also a few accent colors available to choose for your dashboard.
In conclusion, zTwitch is a pretty nice app for watching streams, and, with some improvements here and there, it could become something of its own, as it already provides some better functions than even its official counterpart.
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Streamster
Stream your content to multiple channels, making sure you have a broad audience following you across more than one service available out there.
Have you ever dreamt of being able to broadcast your stream to more than one source at the same time? If the answer to this question was a definite yes, then you should look into Streamster. This application combines numerous features into a reliable and easy-to-handle package for beginners and pros alike. There something for each particular type of user. It doesn't require you to log in or learn intricate new commands.
Plenty of features to be enjoyed
Now, the app itself uses cloud-based multi streaming and RTMP live broadcast to offer this versatile streaming platform. Alongside these elements, it also includes video and audio filters, although not numerous and not that fancy, the ability to create backups and manage your channels. It's not heavy on your CPU or internet connection, it can deal with videos up to 4k 60FPS and includes two custom endpoints right out of the box for no cost.
Streaming compatibility and usage
The best part when it comes to using Streamster is the high number of services it is compatible with. Some, like Steam, YouTube, Twitch, and VK, you must have heard of definitely, but others such as Periscope, Smashcast, Socio, and Nonolive will seem totally new. The palette of choice is quite large and when it comes to streaming this can only be a good thing.
The way the app is displayed can also be changed. You have four options ranging from Compact to Dock view and Full-screen mode. Streaming services can also be shown or removed from the main list depending on the type of material you'd like to stream. Choose to see Gaming-relevant services or go for Vlog-related channels. It is all up to you. The power of Streamster is put in your hands right after you install the application on your machine.
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Helium Streamer
Stream the music in your Helium collection and listen to your favorite tracks on the go thanks to this simple and handy application.
Helium is a popular audio manager, with a built-in player that enables you to enjoy your favorite songs while organizing the music collection. But if you want to listen to the music in your Helium directories on the go, you will also need Helium Streamer.
As its name suggests, Helium Streamer is designed to provide on-going streaming of music in your Helium library. All you need to start playing the songs is a web browser that can access the server's address. In other words, Helium Streamer makes it possible for you to access your music regardless of your location and the device you are using.
Configure the Helium database and start the streaming service
For your convenience, Helium Streamer will automatically detect if Helium is installed on your computer and link to its database during the installation. Don't worry if you don't have Helium installed beforehand, as you can select its database from the Streamer's Settings window.
The Helium Streamer launcher monitors the status of the service and offers information about the web-based client, such as the LAN and the external IP addresses, and the port number used for communicating with the web-based application. Furthermore, it enables you to change the music database and configure the credentials of the default user.
A web-based app that is similar to Helium in functionality and looks
Moving on to the web-based client, note that anyone who accesses it will have to log in using the password of the default user.
If its interface looks familiar to you, it's due to the fact that it attempts to preserve the same layout as the Helium audio manager. You can browse all the tracks in the library, and sort it by artist, genre, label, and such similar criteria.
The built-in player features basic controls, allowing you to jump back and forth the current song, adjust the volume, and add a track to the current playlist. Just like in Helium, you can send a song to your favorites list and rate it.
Access your music library on the go, on any device
Used together with Helium, the Streamer application is perfect for listening to music when away from the PC. It only requires the Streamer launcher to be installed on the same PC as Helium and the music library will be accessible from any web browser, on any device. A Premium license of the Streamer includes dedicated iOS and Android clients to make things even easier.
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Streamon
Live stream content to your Instagram account to hold the attention of your followers, raise engagement and traffic for your social media account.
Live videos are one of the best ways to get in touch with your followers and keep them engaged, regardless of the social media platform we are talking about. It is proven to be one of the most productive methods to bring traffic to your online activity and, best of all, it can be done free of charge.
With that in mind, Streamon delivers an open-source live streaming application for Instagram, allowing you to deliver any kind of content to your followers during live sessions. You can use it to share your desktop activity in live tutorials, audio input or videos, scenes, text, window captures, movies, live streams, you name it!
Requires a broadcasting tool to work
Using Streamon is not difficult but keep in mind that it cannot perform live streaming on its own, as it only generates the streaming server credentials. In other words, you also need a dedicated broadcasting software tool to go live on Instagram. Fortunately, there are various you can try out with no cost at all. We chose OBS Studio for our tests, an open-source solution.
Login to Instagram and generate the streaming link
To begin working with Streamon, you have to first login to your Instagram account. Next, just click on the “Start Live Stream” button to proceed and wait for the application to generate the streaming URL and its associated key. From this point on, you need to shift to the broadcasting software you chose to proceed.
In OBS Studio, the streaming link and its key must be entered in the Settings window. Once you start streaming in the broadcasting tool, you can go live in Streamon as well, all with the click of a button.
Controlling the broadcast is done via the broadcasting tool, where you can choose to share anything you like with your audience on Instagram. For instance, OBS Studio enables you to share images and slideshows, the desktop activity, a browsing session, audio input and output, gaming sessions, and much more.
Only generates the streaming link for Instagram broadcasting
Streamon only generates the streaming link for your live sessions on Instagram so it cannot be used alone, a third-party broadcasting software tool is mandatory. It would be great to have it work as a standalone application to go live on Instagram.
Previewing of the live stream is not possible so, at the moment, you will not be able to see how everything looks like during the broadcast. Adding it preview capabilities for the live session, as well as viewer count logging and a sneak –peek window to the comment section would really add to its value, as you would be able to interact with the viewers during live sessions.
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