In a hurry? Skip to this section for specifics of getting yourself setup.
While the initial drive for live streaming came during remote work and social distancing measures in 2020, today, live streaming is a powerful tool for DJs, enabling them to reach global audiences without geographical barriers to build their brand. At the same time, aspiring DJs want to avoid breaking the bank as they start-up and learn how to setup a DJ live stream and build an audience.
According to Google Trends, query interest in streaming has risen from the initial baseline in 2020, indicating broader awareness and desire for DJ live streams. Large labels like Defected Records and Toolroom have capitalized on this, consistently delivering digital content that attracts thousands of viewers each month on platforms like YouTube Live. As we move further into a digital DJing environment, understanding how to live stream is becoming a way to differentiate yourself in a crowded marketplace.
In this guide, we will explore how to set up a DJ live stream using OBS (Open Broadcaster Software) on a budget using your smartphone as an external webcam. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to improve your current setup, this comprehensive guide will help you create a professional and engaging DJ live stream that resonates with your audience.
Table of Contents
The Evolution of DJ Live Streaming & the Creator Economy
A New Time of Brand Building, Creation and Earnings
While DJ live streaming has been around for ages (e.g., historical platforms like Mix, UStream, twitch.tv), it has since taken on a more vital role for brand building and as a source of monetization for DJs. For example, Defected Records 24-hour DJ EZ’s charity live stream raised an impressive £90,234 exceeding the initial fundraising goal by 18x, showcasing the power of live streaming during the pandemic. With growing willingness and access for fans to contribute monthly subscriptions or pledges while tuning in, earning power of creators has driven up the creator economy significantly.
According to ConvertKit, in 2024 18% of men and women in their sample took home $100K+ in revenue (1), and a total estimated market for the creator economy being $104B in 2022 (2). While the majority the creator economy is still written content, rich multi-media experiences like DJ live streaming are creating new space for brand activation and awareness – all of this adds up to opportunity for the willing disc jock who has the skill.
Traditional Costs to Setup a Professional DJ Live Stream
As any DJ knows, quality gear produces quality results. The same has been true in the arena of professional live streaming for some time. Setting up a professional live stream can be expensive if you invest in high-end equipment from the start. For example, a traditional setup might include:
- High-quality external webcams or DSLR camera: $500 – $2,000
- Professional microphones: $100 – $500
- Audio interfaces: $150 – $500
- Lighting equipment: $100 – $300
- External mixers and soundboards: $200 – $1,000
These costs add up, creating challenge for DJs on a budget to create a high-quality live stream that are not sure if they want to invest between $1,050 to $4,300 up front. Their caution might be wise too – especially if they do not have a large audience or platform to begin with. However, new technology and applications like DJ live streaming with OBS have made it less expensive to get started.
Advancements in Technology and Decline in Costs
While streaming interest has gone up, accessibility to achieving a professional live stream has been driven down. New apps and free software such as OBS have made it possible to achieve a professional look while you build your audience before you invest in the big ticket items.
If you’re looking to learn how to setup a DJ live stream but worried about costs, you might be surprised to learn content creators film with just their smart phone. This all makes a bit more sense when you realize that the latest iPhone 15 boasts a 48 main mega-pixel camera and current leading Android Pixel 8 device with 50 MP. Therefore, re-using your smartphone as a webcam with apps like Camo, Iriun, and Droidcam has created a great a cost-effective solution that maintains high quality. Hand-in-hand with this is free software such as Open Broadcaster Software (OBS) making it easy to start DJ live streaming with OBS.
While you are starting to build your DJ live stream with OBS, these apps will keep your costs low before you decide to invest more into your production.
DJ Live Streaming with OBS Equipment and Software Overview
Understanding the Basics of Live Streaming
Before diving into the setup specifics, let’s take a look at the core items you’ll need for setting up a DJ live stream with OBS.
1. Computer / Laptop
You need a computer with adequate processing power to run both OBS and stream live to a streaming platform.
Hardware Specifications: at least 4-8GB RAM and quad core processor (such as intel i5)
You will also need a reliable internet connection to upload your streaming content to the platform of your choice.
Internet Specifications: For full HD at 30fps at least 6 Mbps.
2. DJ Equipment
You will need a DJ Controller such as a Pioneer DDJ-400 or FLX-4 (Amazon Affiliate Link) or pair of DJ decks such as Pioneer XDJ-1000 MK2s (Amazon Affiliate Link) or XDJ-700 (Amazon Affiliate Link) and a mixer capable of connecting to your computer.
Learn the Difference: Understand CDJs vs. Turntables vs. Turntables inside L2DJ’s Beginner to Intermediate DJ Course
3. A Smartphone such as an iPhone or Android
To keep costs minimal, we will be using a smartphone as a webcam for your DJ livestream as video input. The audio will be routed through your DJ software or DJ mixer to OBS directly to ensure high quality playback. If you have an older phone not being used, you can also add these into the setup as well to create more scenes.
Choosing the Right Smartphone App for Your Webcam
There are several free applications for your smartphone that you can consider on multiple platforms.
- Camo:
- Compatibility: iOS and Android
- Features: High-quality video, multiple resolutions, and adjustable settings.
- Cost: Free version available; paid version unlocks additional features.
- Iriun:
- Compatibility: iOS and Android
- Features: Simple setup, wireless and USB connection options, multiple resolution settings.
- Cost: Free with watermark; paid version removes watermark.
- Droidcam (and OBS droidcam plugin)
- Compatibility: Android and iOS (with limited features on iOS)
- Features: Wireless and USB connection, various resolution options, and audio support.
- Cost: Free with basic features; paid version unlocks HD resolution and additional settings.
For the remainder of this tutorial we will be using Camo to describe the setup process.
How do Camo and OBS work together?
Camo creates a “virtual camera” for your computer. That is a fancy way of saying Camo connects your phone and computer over WiFi, then records and streams what your smartphone camera sees to your computer on the Camo desktop app. With this video stream available, you can setup Camo as an input device in OBS so that it is treated like any other camera you would use with the software.
Setting Up OBS with Camo for DJing
1. Install OBS & Camo
To get started, download OBS on your computer via the OBS Project website and follow the installation guide for your preferred platform.
Next download the Camo app on Reincubate’s website for both your phone (Apple App Store; Google Play Store) and your computer. You will need to connect your phone app to your computer’s app which is as easy as scanning a QR code using the Camo app .
2. Setup OBS & Camo as a Video Device Source
When you start OBS on your computer you will see a the main “Scene” view present – it’s just a black screen… boring!
OBS has four major sections at the bottom:
- Scenes – this section different scenes or views your broadcast to the audience. The currently selected scene is what your audience sees. For example, one scene of you talking to the camera and a second scene of you screen sharing your computer. OBS allows you to swap between scenes
- Sources – this section contains different input, output and image overlays you can add to your broadcast. Here is where we will connect and see our DJ mixer and camera inputs
- Audio Mixer – this section gives an overview of the current audio devices and their playback
- Controls – this section allows you to start or stop streaming and recording (among other things).
Connecting Camo and OBS via Sources
Once you have connected your Camo app with the Camo desktop, inside of OBS click add a Video Capture Device.
Click on the “+” button in the “Sources” panel and select “Video Capture Device.”
Choose your smartphone from the list of available devices.
You should see your smartphone’s camera output displayed within OBS and the new Video Capture Device in Sources.
Help! I can’t see my camera output
Double check inside Camo desktop that you are connected to your device. Make sure that your device is currently selected from the dropdown menu in Camo desktop and that the camera appears inside of Camo desktop. If it doesn’t, go back to setting up the Camo app and connecting with Camo Desktop.
3. Connect your DJ mixer or DJ Controller as an Audio Source
With the video source connected to OBS, we now have to connect your DJ controller or DJ mixer.
Connecting your DJ controller to OBS as an Audio Input Device (Example: Pioneer DDJ-400 and Rekordbox)
Pioneer DJ has several in depth tutorials on connecting your DJ controller as an audio input source to OBS if you’re performing using Rekordbox – example Pioneer DDJ 400. If you choose a different DJ software – such as Djay Pro, Serato or Traktor -the steps should be similar. The main concept is being able to enable dual output modes.
Enable Dual-output mode on Rekordbox – this will enable you to play from your master into speakers and another output channel.
Open Preferences > Audio > Output Devices and verify your DDJ 400 is present as an output device.
Open OBS and add a new Audio Input Capture and select your DDJ 400
Now if you play audio on Rekordbox you should see the audio signal coming into OBS.
Still having trouble?
For simplicity to get up and running quickly, you can route the audio of your DJ controller to the audio channel for Camo’s Microphone via your DJ software. Most DJ softwares such as Rekordbox and Algoriddim’s Djay Pro allow you to separately configure main output channels from mixing channels.
DJAY PRO
If you’re using Djay Pro, open your preferences settings, and configure the “Main Output” device to Camo Microphone as shown in the menu below.
Next, you can add Camo’s microphone as an Audio Input Device in OBS.
Sources > Add Source > Audio Input Device > Camo Microphone
When you play audio through Djay Pro you should see the audio input device in OBS playing back audio in real time as well
Connecting your 2 or 4 channel DJ mixer to OBS as an Audio Input Device (Example: Pioneer DJM-750 MK2)
If you are using a standard two or four channel external DJ mixer such as the Pioneer DJM family (e.g., Pioneer DJM 750 MK2 or Pioneer DJM A-9), these mixers typically ship with direct connections to laptop via USB-B to USB-A input and cables.
We will use the Pioneer DJM 750MK2 for our example.
Connect your DJ mixer to your laptop using the provided USB-A to USB-B input.
Open up Rekordbox or similar DJ software and navigate to Settings > Audio menu.
Under the Audio / Interface section select your DJM mixer. If you don’t see a driver, you will likely need to install it on the downloads page for your product.
With your drivers installed, available and device confirmed connected, open OBS and select New Source > Audio Input Capture > Select DJM 750MK2 Mixer as the device. This will create a new Audio Input Capture Device visible in the Sources section of OBS.
Hint about testing your configuration
You can test your output configuration quickly without streaming by using the Recording feature on OBS. Simply click “Start Recording” play some audio content then click “Stop Recording”. Then find and play the media file created back on your computer to confirm the configuration is working properly
4. Connecting to a Live Stream Platform
Now that you have a working configuration, it’s time to connect OBS to the streaming platform of your choice. Twitch is an easy platform to connect with to test. You can create an account for free at twitch.tv.
Once you have a Twitch account setup, click “Preferences” in OBS and select the “Stream” tab from the left side menu.
Select “Twitch” in the dropdown menu and use the recommended account connection which will ask you to log into Twitch from OBS to retrieve your Stream Key.
What is a stream key?
A stream key is like a secret code that lets you broadcast live video to your channel from your streaming software. You find it in your Twitch settings and keep it safe because it’s like a password for streaming.
With you account connected, the last piece of the puzzle is in place! Go to the Controls area of OBS and select “Start Streaming”. You should be able to go to your Twitch.tv Channel and verify that your audio and video are coming through!
Conclusion
In this guide, we’ve walked through the essential steps to set up a budget-friendly DJ live stream using OBS and your smartphone. From understanding the basics of live streaming equipment to installing and configuring OBS with Camo, we’ve covered everything you need to get started.
Now that you know how to set up a professional and engaging live stream, it’s time to dive in and start streaming. Connect with the global DJ community, share your music, and build your brand without breaking the bank.
Footnotes
(1) See ConvertKit’s 2024 Creator Economy Report. Granted, the most popular channel is still email and written form content.
(2) See Hubspot’s article The Creator Economy
