Becoming a professional streamer comes with its own set of challenges, like attracting viewers and streamlining technical aspects. Luckily, there are a range of OBS studio plugins available online to help you out. OBS (Open Broadcaster Software) is a top choice for streaming and recording because it's super customizable and valuable. It's also open-source—meaning developers can create their plugins and scripts to make OBS run more efficiently. Here's diving into some of the best OBS plugins you should install in 2024. We'll also discuss how to install OBS plugins in detail.
7 Best OBS Plugins for Streaming
Here are the top 7 OBS plugins for streaming:
Move
Want to make your scene transitions smoother and more dynamic? The Move plugin is the go-to solution for streamers. It enhances scene transitions in OBS Studio by smoothly moving sources to new positions. For instance, if you have sources with similar names across scenes, the plugin automatically adjusts their position and size for seamless transitions. Move Transition works seamlessly on OBS for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. It offers features like zooming, fading, and multiple animations as well.
Free/Paid: Free
Download Link: Click here to Download this Plugin Now.
OWN3DPro
OWN3DPro is a game-changer for streamers who want to take their visuals to the next level. With over 100 customizable overlays, 12,000+ stream assets, 400+ overlay templates, and 500+ alerts, you’ll have everything you need to make your stream look top-notch. With OWN3DPro, you can easily pick overlays in OBS Studio and add them to your stream. You can manage Twitch alerts, put in stream labels, and even let a chatbot handle your chat. The Chatbot even blocks unwanted messages and spam. What's more, OWN3D Pro gives you copyright-free music, so you won't have to stress about playing licensed tracks and getting strikes.
Free/Paid: Free.
Download Link: Click here to Download this Plugin Now. You also have the option to upgrade to a Pro subscription for premium features.
Downstream Keyer
Next on the list is the Downstream Keyer plugin which adds a dock to OBS Studio to help you to apply downstream keying effects. This is great for adding logos, lower thirds, or other overlays on top of your main video feed. Downstream Keyer on OBS Forum a fantastic tool for keeping your visuals organized and polished, helping you deliver a seamless viewing experience.
Free/Paid: Free.
Download Link: Click here to Download this Plugin Now.
Source Clone
Source Clone is a versatile plugin for OBS available on Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux platforms. With Source Clone, you can add sources to OBS and create clones that you can apply different filters to compared to the original. This means you can tweak settings on one source without affecting others. This is super useful for customizing your stream layout.
Free/Paid: Free and open-source.
Download Link: Click here to Download this Plugin Now.
ReaPlugs VST FX Suite
Clear sound quality is crucial for streaming and content creation. If your audio sounds unclear, people won't stick by your stream to listen to what you have to say.
While OBS Studio includes some audio filters, you can enhance your setup with plugins, ReaPlugs VST (Virtual Studio Technology) FX suite of plugins. These plugins improve microphone audio in OBS Studio through features like control, pitch adjustment, and other audio modulation settings. It's a powerful suite that can help you fix common microphone issues and ensure your audio sounds professional and clear.
Free/Paid: Free.
Download Link: Click here to Download this Plugin Now.
Bonus: Checkout our curated blog on Best Dynamic Microphone for Streaming in 2024 to enhance your streaming experience.
SE.Live Plugin by StreamElements
SE.Live, formerly known as Obs.Live, is a powerful add-on for OBS Studio tailored for game streamers on Twitch and YouTube. It offers a plethora of interactive features, including Replay, Live chat, Customized alerts, Media requests, Activity feed, and a Custom chatbot. Additionally, you can easily drag and arrange your scenes and docks. Despite its rich feature set, SE.Live maintains low CPU usage, making it a must-have for any serious streamer.
Free/Paid: Free
Download Link: Click here to Download this Plugin Now.
Aitum Vertical
If you're a content creator looking to save time editing clips for social media, Aitum Vertical is the plugin you need. This plugin allows you to stream and capture content in vertical format, perfect for TikTok, Instagram Reels, or YouTube Shorts. By setting up your scenes beforehand, you can seamlessly create content for vertical platforms without the hassle of post-stream editing. You can even stream directly to Instagram in vertical view.
Free/Paid: Free
Download Link: Click here to Download this Plugin Now.
How to install OBS Plugins?
Installing plugins into OBS Studio is a straightforward process. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to add plugins to OBS:
Step-1: Find a Plugin — First, search for a plugin you’d like to download. The best place to look is the official OBS Studio Plugin Directory. Here, you'll find many plugins created by the community, everything from scene transitions to closed captions and camera effects.
Step-2: Download the Plugin — Once you’ve selected a plugin, download the version for your operating system. Typically, you’ll receive a `.ZIP` file. This file will usually contain the following folders:
- `data`
- `obs-plugins`
You might also find an automatic installer or a readme file.
Step-3: Locate Your OBS Studio Installation Folder — Next, locate your OBS Studio installation folder. By default, you’ll find it in:
- Windows: `C:\Program Files\obs-studio`
- Mac: `~/Library/Application Support/obs-studio`
Step-4: Unpack the Plugin — Extract the `.ZIP` file you downloaded directly into your OBS plugins folder. This will merge the contents of the `data` and `obs-plugins` folders from the `.ZIP` file with the respective folders in your OBS installation directory.
Step-5: Verify — After extracting, launch OBS to ensure the installation is done. The location where you can find the plugin depends on its type:
- A few plugins will add options to the “Tools” menu.
- Others might introduce corresponding source types or settings.
Make sure to go through each plugin’s description on its download page for info on where to find and how to use the plugin.
Other Recommended OBS Plugins
Here are some good-to-have OBS plugins that didn't make it to our best OBS plugins list but can be really useful in video streaming:
- OBS Captions Plugin: This plugin lets your viewers turn captions on or off and adds captions to recorded videos.
- Tuna: This tool shows the currently playing song in OBS from various music sources without having to use third-party apps.
- Face Tracker: It tracks your face movement with your camera by adding dynamic focus during your live streams.
- Background Removal (Virtual Green Screen): This plugin removes your background, improving webcam quality without the need of a green screen.
- Freeze Filter for OBS: This tool nstantly freezes your OBS screen to take screenshots or create specific frames for fun moments during your streams.
- Scrab: It lets you select and display any part of your monitor on OBS, similar to the Windows snip tool, and saves the images for future use.
Conclusion
With the flexibility of open-source development, OBS continues to evolve with new plugins and features created by its active community of developers. With OBS, you can incorporate interactive features like images, logos, audio, text, etc and do lots more for overall better-looking and sounding streams. Try out the OBS plugins from our list and see how they can take your streaming game to the next level in 2024.
FAQs
- Can you use VST plugins with OBS?
Yes, you can use VST plugins with OBS. OBS supports plenty of VST 2.x plugins, which you can use to improve your audio. Adding a VST plugin is as straightforward and simple as adding an audio filter. Simply go to the audio source you want to enhance, click on the cogwheel to open its filters, then click on the "+" button and select "VST 2.x Plugin". From there, choose the specific VST plugin you want to use.
- How do I see all OBS plugins?
To see all installed OBS plugins, go to the "Tools" menu in OBS Studio. Here you'll find a list of installed plugins and any additional tools they provide. For more detailed visibility, you can navigate to the OBS Studio installation directory (e.g., C:\Program Files\obs-studio on Windows) and look inside the "obs-plugins" folder. This will show you all plugins installed in your OBS setup.
- How to remove OBS plugins?
To remove OBS plugins, first shut down OBS Studio. Then, navigate to your OBS Studio installation directory (e.g., C:\Program Files\obs-studio on Windows). Within the "obs-plugins" and "data" folders, find the specific OBS plugin folders you want to remove and delete them. After that, restart OBS Studio, and the plugins will no longer be listed.
- How to fix plugin load error on OBS?
If you encounter a plugin load error in OBS, try the following steps:
- Run OBS Studio as an administrator to see if any permission issues are disabled
- Make sure you are using the updated version of OBS Studio which is compatible with your OS.
- Sometimes files can get corrupted; in this case, you should try to re-download and reinstall the plugin.
- See that the plugin files are correctly placed in the "obs-plugins" and "data" folders within your OBS installation directory.
