9 best programs to stream on Twitch and YouTube in 2022

Addiction to entertainment through online streaming platforms, mainly YouTube and Twitch, has been growing exponentially since 2020. Obviously, people are spending more time on video and audio streaming platforms than ever before due to the need to stay at home.

Many people also monetize their Twitch and YouTube accounts to generate income. Twitch is not only an amazing earning platform, like YouTube, but here you can also connect with your fans and subscribers through live streams.

Nobody wants slower streams. In fact, people’s attention span is also shorter. According to various sources, the duration of a person’s attention span in 2022 will be less than nine seconds.

Until 2021, the average attention span of a person was 15 seconds. This means that anyone who is streaming audio or video needs to engage listeners and audiences within the first few seconds after missing out on people who might be subscribers.

Nowadays, audiences also want engaging and engaging content that they can easily share with family and friends. This places an additional burden on both viewers and broadcasters. What to do in such situations?

Streaming software provides the answer

In a situation like this, using the best streaming software is your only option. There are many free streaming software available on the internet. Video streaming software cannot guarantee that there will be no delays due to slow internet connections or other reasons, especially for streaming video and audio in real time.

One of the phenomena that you can definitely experience at the moment is slower streaming and slower internet speeds. Obviously, when almost everyone is online at the same time to watch movies and shows or listen to music, the internet speed will inevitably drop.

And when countless people are trying to watch the same movie or show at any given time, you will surely run into difficulties when watching.

All of these streaming problems have an answer: use any of the top nine streaming software that are available for free or with an affordable subscription.

Understanding video streaming software

If you are a beginner, you may not quite understand what a streaming program is. In fact, it is software that allows you to provide live broadcasts and TV broadcasts without buffering, delays or other interruptions.

Nowadays, you can use streaming software to stream videos directly from your camera, smartphone, CD or DVD and other video sources, as well as live video games. These broadcasts are mainly available on Twitch, YouTube, Facebook, and other social networks.

Best Streaming Software for Twitch and YouTube in 2022

No matter where you live, using the best streaming software can provide a great viewing or listening experience. Therefore, in this article, I will detail the nine best streaming software that you can download for free or use by subscription.

So here’s my carefully curated list of nine best Twitch streaming software and YouTube streaming software for 2021 and 2022. Some of them are awesome programs that you can use for your own pleasure.

1. Restream

Restream is available in two versions: paid and free. The paid subscription comes at a variety of prices, ranging from $ 16 per month for the standard version to $ 249 per month for the business version. One of the benefits of Restream is that it is a cloud-based streaming software. You can stream music and videos to Twitch and YouTube as well as Facebook.

Plus, you can easily integrate with other streaming software like XSplit, OBS Studio, Elgato, or others that support Restream.

Restream has the ability to switch platforms and channels in real time, which allows you to edit or add more channels to your Twitch and YouTube streams at the same time, even while you are streaming live.

It provides many resources that allow you to analyze the data of such live broadcasts and, if necessary, promote it on the Internet.

Broadcasters will love the ability to schedule and announce their future broadcasts through Restream. This will ensure that you can reach more of your audience.

Their dashboard allows you to analyze data such as the number of people watching live broadcasts and their location, peak times and the time interval during which they watch. This allows up to 50 videos to be streamed simultaneously.

Other features include a chat box that you and viewers can use to comment on any broadcast.

2. OneStream

Next on my list of the best streaming software for Twitch and YouTube is OneStream. This streaming software allows you to stream both live and recorded videos. And you can stream them to 40 different social networks.

If you will be streaming pre-recorded videos, you can schedule to broadcast to almost all social media platforms two months or 60 days in advance. You can also integrate OneStream with other streaming resources for multiple broadcasts as needed.

OneStream offers the convenience of scheduling pre-recorded videos for your broadcasts. All you need to do is upload the video and choose the time, date and audience that will receive the broadcasts. OneStream will allow you to stream through Twitch, YouTube and Facebook, as well as other social media platforms.

Alternatively, you can add multiple team members to work with your account, although the main control is yours. OneStream, being cloud-based, does not require downloading any software to your computer.

You can use the free version of OneStream, which lets you stream your stream in just five minutes through one social media account. However, they also offer a variety of subscription plans, from basic for $ 10 / month to professional for $ 89 / month.

3. Wirecast

Wirecast is another streaming software I would recommend. It provides quality HDTV broadcasting and production. Wirecast is also ideal if you will be providing on-demand broadcasts via Twitch, YouTube, Facebook, and other social media platforms.

Wirecast comes with an interactive user interface (UI). This feature allows you to customize all live broadcasts by simply connecting a camera and microphone.

The user interface has a coding automation feature and will stream your live streams to any social media platform, Twitch and YouTube for an audience. You can also broadcast worldwide and to very large audiences using Wirecast’s features.

Broadcasters typically use Wirecast to broadcast TV shows and movies, news, sports tournaments, religious services, and radio programs.

To help you record video content on the go, Wirecast also offers a free iOS camera app. You can stream to multiple destinations including ANY RTMP destination. It also allows you to insert live subtitles to make your videos more accessible to viewers with disabilities.

Another important feature of Wirecast video streaming software is that it includes ISO quality recording for all of your live streaming video. These recordings are different from what you are currently broadcasting.

This multi-view facility allows you to send a single stream to 17 different monitoring grids. In addition, Wirecast provides you with a media library with assets such as videos and graphics, backgrounds and images.

Wirecast is expensive compared to other streaming software. The Wirecast Studio version costs $ 599 a month and offers high quality live production and streaming facilities, while the Wirecast Pro version provides advanced features.

4.XSplit Broadcaster

If you are in the business of creating and streaming games for Twitch and YouTube, XSplit Broadcaster is the best software for you. This allows you to record or broadcast live any gameplay. You can start live streaming or even play back the recordings within seconds. XSplit Broadcaster was designed with gamers in mind.

It has a Heads Up Display that allows you to interact with your audience or viewers. This HUD is included in the game. Thus, you can communicate with viewers, pause the broadcast if necessary, monitor events during a live broadcast or recording. XSplit Broadcaster also has a dashboard that allows you to track the number of viewers at any given time.

XSplit Broadcaster has a projector mode. Projector mode allows you to display multiple scenes on devices connected to your computer while streaming. Moreover, it can encode your settings. Plus, its features help you choose the best video quality up to 4k60fps, simply through its control panel.

During live streaming or video recording, you can use the whiteboard and streaming annotations to illustrate and analyze any games in real time. It is also possible to check the number of viewers and find out how many subscribers and newbies are already when tracking chats.

You can use XSplit Broadcaster for free, but with limited features. The Pro version is available for $ 2.50 per month.

5. Streamlabs OBS

Cloud-based Streamlabs is also an excellent streaming software that supports live and recorded streaming for Twitch and YouTube as well as Facebook Live. It has a built-in app store with 46 different apps that you will find useful for automating streaming, data analysis, audience engagement, and streaming across multiple platforms.

While streaming, you can also use the “BRB” (Be Right Back) screen to pause, or the “Coming Soon” screen to inform your viewers that your streaming is about to begin.

The main key features of Streamlabs OBS include a widget that allows you to select one or more themes to stream, visual layouts for various games and broadcast genres, the ability to broadcast and record live broadcasts, multi-screen monitoring and an excellent dashboard.

You can access all of these without using an internet browser on your computer as Streamlabs OBS is cloud-based.

The best part about Streamlabs OBS is that it’s free. However, you can also opt for premium features on a subscription for $ 12 a month. This amount is billed annually, which means you need to subscribe for 12 months. Streamlabs OBS premium features include more apps, professional themes and widgets, mobile streaming, and a dedicated domain.

6. Open Broadcaster Software (OBS) Studio

If you are looking for open source streaming software, OBS Studio can meet your needs. OBS Studio provides cross-platform streaming and recording platforms. This means you can also get the ability to edit, record and mix the highest quality video and audio in real time.

OBS Studio lets you capture different windows on your computer, customize scenes, add images, connect to webcams and data cards, add text, and more.

Since OBS Studio is open source software, you can change scenes frequently during the same broadcast. It is also possible to use transitions both during live broadcasts and during recorded TV broadcasts. Plus, it comes with a great mixer that lets you mix sounds, suppress noise, and more. In fact, you have complete control over the sound and can change it while streaming, even if it’s recording.

Dock’s modular interface lets you organize layouts to display your brand. For superior customization, you can display all the individual dock windows at the same time. Studio mode allows you to make last-minute edits and adjustments to live or recorded streams, while the hotkey feature gives you the ability to toggle, start or stop a broadcast, or mute a scene or audio source.

OBS Studio has a multi-view feature that lets you view and control eight different scenes at the same time. It comes with customizable transitions for switching between different scenes.

This streaming software is free and works well with Windows, Mac and Linux.

7. Twitch Studio

Twitch Studio is designed specifically for gamers looking to stream on Twitch. It is free streaming software, which is why it is very popular with gamers. It was specially developed by Twitch itself. Twitch Studio is a free streaming app. You can live stream directly to Twitch using this app developed and owned by the company.

Twitch Studio provides an excellent panel for streaming live streams. In addition, the program will tell you how to configure it for optimal use and clean up broadcasts. You can use its features such as automatic hardware detection. Using their recommended settings allows you to personalize your content, making it very professional.

This makes it possible to personalize your streams and posts. You can personalize everything from scenes to sound mixing. Twitch Studio comes with a built-in desktop capture tool that allows you to share videos directly from your computer to Twitch, without the need for recording or preparation for production.

Twitch Studio allows you to create branding for your video streams, both for building your personal brand and for your business. It connects easily to iPhone and iPad. This feature allows you to mix scenes and broadcast them live immediately.

Additionally, Twitch Studio has built-in activity feeds. You can also track chats and audience alerts.

Some of the salient features of Twitch Studio are the numerous stream layouts, activity feeds, and chat widgets for live commentary and reactions that you will receive from your audience while streaming. Twitch Studio is free and supports both Windows and Apple OS.

8.vMix

In fact, vMix is ​​a video mixing software that also helps you stream video live directly from your camera, mobile phone and computer. It provides your audience with the highest quality HDTV streams. vMix also lets you play your recordings, switch videos, or stream them live in 4K where needed.

It accepts video from several formats, including computers and cameras, images, CDs and DVDs, PowerPoint presentations, video files on memory cards, and more.

Some of the main features of vMix are that it can support a wide variety of video formats, including but not limited to AVI, MP4, H264, MPEG-2, WMV, MOV, and MXF. It is also possible to simultaneously broadcast multiple recordings and live TV broadcasts.

In addition, vMix comes with a library of 13 transition effects. These include normal cropping, fading, scaling, erasing, slide, flying, rotating, cube, cube scaling, and more. You can get 3D acceleration and scaling effects for 3D with vMix. Essentially, vMix makes it easy to create and stream HDTV videos from your computer.

Its built-in library contains over 100 animated titles, stickers, images, drawings, clip art, and other graphics that you can also use to transition. You can invite a maximum of eight speakers to the show using their remote user facility. In such cases, these remote speakers do not need to load vMix. Instead, they can simply connect via Zoom or any other compatible software to the vMix dashboard you have.

With the necessary cameras, you can also organize a live concert or broadcast a sporting event. Some of its main features include quick and easy integrations with Twitch, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms. The live chat feature allows you to instantly respond to comments and reactions.

Also worth noting is the playback mode on vMix. If you are broadcasting a sporting event, you can replay something important during a match from two different angles. And you can broadcast the highlights of the event during a specific interval with the edited recordings.

vMix comes in six different versions. There is a free starter version. The basic version costs $ 60 / year with annual billing, while the best Pro version is offered for a whopping $ 1200 / year. A 30-day trial is available so you can test the various features of this software and see if it is compatible with your systems and meets your needs.

9. Lightstream

Lightstream at $ 99 a month isn’t cheap streaming software by any measure. However, it is cloud-based software that allows you to stream HDTV type videos and crystal clear audio.

Essentially, Lightstream is cloud-based live streaming software. You can create professional HDTV videos and instantly create superb live broadcasts or play back your recorded videos.

Lightstream has a drag and drop editor. This tool guarantees you quick access to all your video files. It also accepts input from cameras, memory cards and videos stored on the computer. This streaming software has several creative controls as well as scenes. And you can integrate third-party movies, online alerts and chats for more engaging interactions.

They have several controls, projects and scenes to help you not only in video production but also in streaming. Lightstream provides third-party animated graphics, live alerts, and monitoring of social media chats and comments to increase engagement with your audience.

With Lightscreen, you can invite invited speakers to your event. And these guest speakers can also share the screen with their subscribers and audience, which directly translates into more viewers. This makes Lightscreen ideal for debates, panel discussions, live interviews and Q&A sessions, multi-speaker funerals, podcasts and conferences, and more.

Since you work in the cloud, you don’t need to install any software on your computer. You can directly access your Lightscreen control panel from your browser. And you can also remotely control it from your Android smartphone or iPhone and iPad.

Lightstream comes in three flavors. The first is Lightstream Studio, which lets you stream and play recordings directly to Twitch, YouTube and Facebook, as well as other social media platforms. The second is Lightstream Arsenal, which has all the features listed above, but also includes a panel for analyzing your audience data. The third version, Livestrem Cloud, has an API for live streaming.

Lightstream features include support for all types of video formats, including 720p30, 720p60, and 1080p30. Plus, there is no limit to the number of hours you can stream. It offers fast and reliable integrations with Twitch, YouTube and Facebook, as well as other platforms.

In addition, Lightstream has a Green Room where you can chat privately with guest speakers during a live broadcast.

Lightstream comes in two versions. The free version offers a maximum of three hours of streaming in the highest resolution 720p 30fps. The premium plan costs $ 99 per month and offers 12 hours of continuous streaming at 720p @ 60fps.

Conclusion

Whether you’re in the business of organizing events, games, or even streaming videos live or recorded on YouTube and Twitch, these nine best streaming software will come in handy. In fact, some of them don’t even need to be downloaded to your computer. Try any of the best programs the next time you think about streaming.