Multi-streaming setup guide — OBS, Streamster, SplitCam compared (with actual platform rules)

[butterflyb68]

I've been putting together information about multi-streaming and wanted to share what I've found, since I see this come up a lot.

The most important thing is the platform rules, because getting these wrong means getting banned:

- Chaturbate: No exclusivity clause. Multi-streaming explicitly allowed.
- Stripchat: Same — no exclusivity for public shows. But check your studio contract if you work through one.
- Streamate: Non-exclusive. Their performer agreement says "Performer has the right to work with other websites." But you can't mention other platforms while live on Streamate.
- LiveJasmin: Two-tier system. Non-exclusive models can multi-stream. Exclusive models (who get better placement) cannot.

Universal rule: Private show starts on one site → stop all other streams IMMEDIATELY.

For software, there are really only three serious options:

1. OBS + obs-multi-rtmp plugin (free, full control, needs some technical comfort)
2. Streamster (free for 2 sites, cloud encoding so your computer doesn't work hard)
3. SplitCam (free, no limits, but all encoding is local)

The biggest technical tip: if you use OBS, switch the encoder from x264 to NVENC (Settings → Output → Encoder). CPU usage drops dramatically. This is usually the difference between a smooth stream and a frozen computer.

For chat management across multiple sites, Streamster's multichat tool works even if you stream through OBS. It's free and pulls all chats into one window.

I put together a detailed writeup with stream key locations for each platform, hardware requirements tables, and a step-by-step OBS setup if anyone wants the full version: [link]

Happy to answer questions or correct anything I got wrong.

 

[m3lissa]

Hello, welcome to the forum and thanks for sharing this info. However, there are some points that might need some clarification.

First, the Universal Rule about stopping other streams. I mean, it works as it is to prevent trouble, but it may not be accurate. I do not know about SM and LJ but on Chaturbate you are not required to do anything at all, you may go pvt and keep streaming on other sites publicly. On Stripchat you are allowed to keep streaming a pvt show on other platforms if you put a paywall on it (e.g. entering Spy Show Mode or something). I thought it was important to say because if you stop streaming on other sites, you may be losing some tokens that you are totally allowed to earn. I would think that all other cam sites fall into any of those 2 categories but maybe there is a site that actually asks the models to stop streaming everywhere else.

Perhaps somebody in the forum knows the specifics for each platform?

As a personal choice, I enter Spy Show on SC while I am on pvt on CB, and visceversa, and stop broadcasting on the other site if somebody pays for exclusive pvt on either site.

Regarding the software and encoding, performing 'local' multistream barely impacts the resource usage on your computer (namely CPU and GPU) compared to a single stream. The video is encoded once and then 'distributed' to all your platforms--it impacts how much bandwidth you use. Even if you use a cloud service for multistreaming, your computer has to perform a 'local' encoding (at the max quality you want to achieve) before sending it to their servers. So the performance of your hardware would be pretty much the same if you use 'local' or 'cloud' and do a single or multistream.

By the way, you said you put a detailed writeup together but forgot to provide the actual link

 

[KingMarti]

Regarding the software and encoding, performing 'local' multistream barely impacts the resource usage on your computer (namely CPU and GPU) compared to a single stream.

Depending on how you do it, if you need to use more than one instance of obs (for example you use different overalys for different sites or are doing something like gaming on sc which cant be shown on cb) then you encode the video twice, but from 1 obs instance then yeah it's once. Still not a massive amount of resource usage for any semi modern computer though tbh.

The biggest technical tip: if you use OBS, switch the encoder from x264 to NVENC (Settings → Output → Encoder). CPU usage drops dramatically. This is usually the difference between a smooth stream and a frozen computer.

This is only really true if your computer is ancient or your running something like a Pentium or a celeron. Anything from a modern (even as far back as 8th gen) i3 up has no issues with x264 encoding, going to an i7 you can go back as far as like 4th gen for software encoding without having issues. Encoding video really isnt that resource intensive. Any modern gpu is overkill if it's only required for video encoding.
(for encoding at 1080p 30fps since if your multi streaming this is the most supported resolution and frame rate, and even 1080p 60 and 4k@30 dont require a gpu to encode them in real time for broadcasting, but you would want a slightly newer cpu like a 7th gen i7 or a 10th gen i3)

 

[m3lissa]

Depending on how you do it, if you need to use more than one instance of obs (for example you use different overalys for different sites or are doing something like gaming on sc which cant be shown on cb) then you encode the video twice, but from 1 obs instance then yeah it's once. Still not a massive amount of resource usage for any semi modern computer though tbh.


This is only really true if your computer is ancient or your running something like a Pentium or a celeron. Anything from a modern (even as far back as 8th gen) i3 up has no issues with x264 encoding, going to an i7 you can go back as far as like 4th gen for software encoding without having issues. Encoding video really isnt that resource intensive. Any modern gpu is overkill if it's only required for video encoding.
(for encoding at 1080p 30fps since if your multi streaming this is the most supported resolution and frame rate, and even 1080p 60 and 4k@30 dont require a gpu to encode them in real time for broadcasting, but you would want a slightly newer cpu like a 7th gen i7 or a 10th gen i3)

You're right, and that's what I was referring to--the same stream to all the sites. BTW, I tried gaming on SC while streaming on CB too and it just ended up being weird for my CB users so I desisted.

You raise a good point about the real hardware requirements to stream, not being as high as many would think. I've met quite a few models that are 'saving to buy a computer' so they can become independent when, nowadays, you can actually use a phone if you're planning to stream just on one site. Maybe not ideal, but it really sets the barrier to entry low.

 

[ausbod]

I've been putting together information about multi-streaming and wanted to share what I've found, since I see this come up a lot.

The most important thing is the platform rules, because getting these wrong means getting banned:

- Chaturbate: No exclusivity clause. Multi-streaming explicitly allowed.
- Stripchat: Same — no exclusivity for public shows. But check your studio contract if you work through one.
- Streamate: Non-exclusive. Their performer agreement says "Performer has the right to work with other websites." But you can't mention other platforms while live on Streamate.
- LiveJasmin: Two-tier system. Non-exclusive models can multi-stream. Exclusive models (who get better placement) cannot.

Universal rule: Private show starts on one site → stop all other streams IMMEDIATELY.

For software, there are really only three serious options:

1. OBS + obs-multi-rtmp plugin (free, full control, needs some technical comfort)
2. Streamster (free for 2 sites, cloud encoding so your computer doesn't work hard)
3. SplitCam (free, no limits, but all encoding is local)

The biggest technical tip: if you use OBS, switch the encoder from x264 to NVENC (Settings → Output → Encoder). CPU usage drops dramatically. This is usually the difference between a smooth stream and a frozen computer.

For chat management across multiple sites, Streamster's multichat tool works even if you stream through OBS. It's free and pulls all chats into one window.

I put together a detailed writeup with stream key locations for each platform, hardware requirements tables, and a step-by-step OBS setup if anyone wants the full version: [link]

Happy to answer questions or correct anything I got wrong.

Hey, thanks for doing all that research. OBS has been a pain since I first tried it. I would love the link if that's okay. Many thanks, Ausbod Cam model on Strip Chat