A good live stream needs the right settings for your internet. This guide gives you the numbers to use and the fixes for common problems. The steps use OBS Studio. Other software uses the same ideas.
What ClipAd needs
| Setting | What to use |
|---|---|
| Connection type | RTMPS. The address starts with rtmps:// |
| Video | H.264 |
| Audio | AAC |
| Rate control | CBR (constant bitrate) |
| Keyframe interval | 2 seconds. Allowed range: 2 to 8 seconds. Never 0 (auto) |
| Frame rate | 30 FPS is enough for most shows |
| Bitrate | Between 3,000 and 6,000 Kbps for most streams. Lower is safer on slow internet. Never above 70% of your upload speed |
Pick settings for your internet speed
Your upload speed is the speed that matters, not download. Test it at speed.cloudflare.com. Test it at the place and the time you will stream. Use a cable if you can.
Set your bitrate to no more than 70% of your upload speed. This leaves room for other traffic and small drops in speed.
| Your upload speed | Highest bitrate | Video size and speed |
|---|---|---|
| 10 Mbps or more | 6,000 Kbps | 1920x1080, 30 FPS |
| 6 to 10 Mbps | 4,000 Kbps | 1280x720, 30 FPS |
| 4 to 6 Mbps | 2,800 Kbps | 1280x720, 30 FPS |
| Under 4 Mbps | Not reliable | Find a faster connection, or stream from another place |
If the stream still freezes on a slow network, change the keyframe interval from 2 to 4 seconds. Cloudflare, the service that carries your stream, says 4 seconds is a good starting point and that a longer interval helps stability. A longer interval adds a little more delay.
What the signal bars mean
The three signal bars at the top of the Live page show your stream's health.
| You see | It means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Grey bars | No connection yet. ClipAd is waiting for OBS. | Click Start Streaming in OBS. Wait 30 seconds. See "Waiting for your encoder" below. |
| Green, three bars | Healthy. Your feed is connected and playing smoothly. | Nothing. Carry on. |
| Yellow, two bars | Weak. Your feed is connected, but the preview keeps pausing. | Lower your bitrate. See "The preview freezes" below. |
| Red, one bar | Poor. The preview has failed or keeps stalling badly. | Lower your bitrate and check your internet. |
| Red bar with a red X | No signal. ClipAd has lost your feed. | Check OBS and your internet. Start Streaming again if it stopped. |
Fixes for common problems
Waiting for your encoder (it will not connect)
- Copy the URL and the key again from ClipAd. A missing letter or a space at the end is the most common mistake.
- In OBS, Service must be Custom…. The server must start with
rtmps://, with the letter "s". - Lost the key? Click End this session in ClipAd and start a new one. You get a new key. Paste it in OBS.
- Some office or school networks block streaming. Try another network, or ask the person who manages the network to allow outgoing traffic on port 443.
- Wait 30 seconds after you click Start Streaming. The first picture can take that long.
Connected, but ClipAd still says "Connecting"
- Stop streaming in OBS, wait a few seconds, and start again.
- Check that your audio is on. ClipAd needs both picture and sound. In OBS, Audio Encoder should be FFmpeg AAC.
- Check that the Keyframe Interval is a fixed number from 2 to 8. If it says 0, change it to 2.
The preview freezes or buffers
- Lower the Bitrate in Settings → Output. Use the table above.
- Make sure Rate Control is CBR.
- Change Keyframe Interval to 4. If it still freezes, try 8.
- Use a cable instead of Wi-Fi. Close apps that use the internet, such as downloads, cloud backups and video calls.
The preview is behind real time
- Some delay is normal. A live preview is usually a few seconds behind.
- For less delay, change the Keyframe Interval to 2. If the stream gets worse, go back to 4.
Dropped frames in OBS
Look at the bar at the bottom of the OBS window. It shows Dropped Frames.
- Dropped frames mean your internet cannot keep up. Lower your bitrate, or use a cable.
- If OBS says Encoding overloaded, your computer is too busy. Use a hardware encoder, lower the resolution to 1280x720, or close other programs.
Good picture, but no sound
- In OBS, look at the Audio Mixer. Make sure the right device is on and not muted.
- On a Mac, open OBS → Review App Permissions and allow the Microphone.
- Check that Audio Encoder is FFmpeg AAC.
"No signal" in the middle of a show
- Check your internet. Then click Start Streaming again in OBS if it stopped. OBS may reconnect by itself.
- If the break is longer than about 30 seconds, ClipAd starts a new recording inside the same session. Your clips still work. The timeline of the new recording starts again from zero.
- If your feed is missing for about 30 minutes, ClipAd ends the session by itself. You get a warning first.
Using software other than OBS
You can use any streaming software that can send:
- an RTMPS address (it starts with
rtmps://), - H.264 video, and
- AAC audio.
In most programs, you paste the URL and the key into a "Custom RTMP" or "Custom server" setting. For example, in vMix, click the cog next to the Stream button and choose Custom RTMP Server. Use the settings in the first table on this page. If your software can send only plain rtmp:// addresses, it will not work with ClipAd. Use OBS Studio instead.
Before every show
- Test your upload speed.
- Pick the bitrate from the table above.
- Check Rate Control is CBR and Keyframe Interval is 2.
- Start a new session in ClipAd and paste the new key.
- Start streaming 10 minutes early. Check the bars are green before the show begins.