How to Livestream with Blackmagic ATEM Mini and OBS 

So glad to share what we’ve learned to help others! Appreciate the kind words and feedback 🙏🏼

Thank YOU for watching and your encouraging words!

I agree with your comments. Did you go live? How is it going? Any learnings you can share? 😃I'm planning this and am doing the learnings now. Am very excited but nervous about getting it wrong!

My pleasure!

Thanks for the feedback!

👏🏼🙌🏼

Thanks for the feedback 🙏🏼

Thank you for watching!

Agree with you. So rare to want to watch to the end!

Glad to help! Thanks for watching

Our pleasure!

You’re welcome 🙏🏼

If you are using OBS you need to set an audio source as well to go with the input for pro presenter.

Thank you! 🙏🏼

You should still be able to have a program/preview output I believe and you can use the HDMI out to a monitor to see the camera angles (although not multi view as in seeing all the camera angles at the same time, you should be able to switch between them individually and see them one at a time) before actually cutting to that camera.

I have not found a great work around for that yet. I would love that as well. You can use your black magic software on the laptop and stream, but I not with the multi view simultaneously :/

Thank you 🙏🏼

You’re welcome! Thanks for watching!

Our pleasure!

SSD is connected directly to camera via usc-c

@@Meraki_Creators ah, okay. Thank you. So you are only recording one camera.

Thank you 🙏🏼

Yes, you can record within OBS 👏🏼 just make sure you have enough hard drive space free and push the “record” button rather than the “start stream” button.

Thanks for watching and checking it out. I’ve found the OBS is a much better route to stream rather than the atem software. You need a usb c cable from your atem to your computer. Then in OBS, select video source and in the drop down menu you should be able to select “black magic design” and your atem program feed should show up on OBS screen. Then to use the multi cam view, you will need a separate monitor/tv/etc to see that via the hdmi out on the back of the atem. I hope this helps. Let me know if it does or not. Happy to help out!

@@Meraki_Creators wowwwww. finally i can see it on my obs now. thanks to this video @Ministry😇

Thanks for the feedback! 🙏🏼

Thanks for checking it out!

We record to external ssd drives on our black magic cameras. The usb c output on the atem will record the program output to an external drive which we have done, but it only records in 1080 and you can’t change camera angles so your shot has to be pre though out a bit. The atem mini pro iso will record all cameras as well as the program output to an external drive, although only in 1080. As for recording on OBS, make sure your settings are correct and optimized for what your computer can handle. My Mac Studio can record on OBS in 4K pretty easily. And my MacBook can record in 1080 no problem. So I’d check your settings. We use the atem primarily for a livestream video switcher.

Thanks for watching! Audio is always a tricky thing especially when being portable and changing locations. Good luck with it all!

Hmm…. I had to get a mini hdmi to hdmi for my GH2 and it worked when I connected it. I had to cover the eye sensor to get a “ clean” feed.

@@Meraki_Creators Thank you

If you want to be able to see all of the camera angels at the same time on the Atem multi view mode. You need another monitor. You don’t have to use it. This would be better used for when you have another producer in the back running the atem and switching between angles. So they aren’t switching blindly

Thank you! I will be doing another video here soon covering that and how to setup your setup.

Thank you! 🙏🏼

Yes 1080p is definitely sufficient. With the right lighting and settings, 1080 can look amazing. But If you can record in 4k, I would definitely do that too for post production.

Thanks! 🙏🏼

We connected the SSDs directly to the cameras to record. You can connect the ssd to the atem usb c port to record if you’re not using that to stream

OK - First I thought that one single SSD could record the data from all the connected cameras - perhaps by connecting the SSD to the streaming computer. But that's not possible? One SSD for each camera?

Yes we use one ssd for each camera. But if you get the Atem mini pro ISO you can record all cameras to one ssd connected to the Atem

Hi @@Meraki_Creators Recording the data on one SSD-card. Would that be by connecting the SSD to the UBC on the back of the ATEM mini Pro ISO - and connect the OBS-computer and the ATEM over the Ethernet by Lancables and a switcher? Or do I have to get an ATEM streaming bridge? Sorry for all my questions!

What type of cameras are you using? You could connect one rode receiver to each camera and use the camera audio as your source and potentially have two mics per camera angle which would give you 8 total plus you’d have the two audio aux inputs on the atem as well.

Yeah I was thinking about doing that. I'm using a Panasonic GH5, a G9 II and a Fuji xh1. I was thinking about hooking up 1 DJI Mic to each of the cameras, which would give me 6 microphone outputs (I think I can set 1 mic to be left channel 1 to be right, as 2 mics can be hooked up to 1 DJI Receiver) and then a 4th DJI mic to one of the 2 mic inputs on the ATEM Mini. That way I have 4 receivers connected (3 connected to cameras, 1 connected to the ATEM Mini) and I'd be able to regulate each microphone level by adjusting the left or right channel for each camera. What do you think? @@Meraki_Creators

We capture the video in 4K directly from our cameras onto the sandisk drives

Yes it is!

Definitely possible. you run an aux out from the mixer to the mic jack in the back of the atem. I’ll try and put a video together about it here soon

@@Meraki_Creators i see. It the regular red and white aux? I am just researching for now how to use the aten mini and obs. For now my mixer is directly connected to the laptop for audio. So does it mean if you are using atem you need to use the aux? Thanks

Not sure I know what you mean. Can you elaborate?

Thanks for checking it out! Glad to help. I’m learning a lot as well for our church and some new technology. I don’t know specifically how to use an iPhone wirelessly with an atem but I’m sure there is a wireless hdmi caster out there that would work for it. 🤔

@@Meraki_Creators thanks man

No problem!

The atem can tether off your computet internet connection via the usb-c cable.

The atem provides the output to the monitor via the hdmi out.

@@Meraki_Creators Thank you. My doubt was about the dispaly layout.the multiview setup. is that standard once the output comes from the atem to any typical monitor? when i connect any monitor to the out cable from the atem, the 4 camera input, the preview and the program layout displays by itself or do i need any hardware/software other than that? I think Atem mini pro has this multiview feature.

I have the atem mini pro. And my setup is the default setup. You can download the black magic switcher software to adjust some settings pertaining to the output.

@@Meraki_Creators thank you for the details.

You can buy an external ssd harddrive to capture to it. Just connect it vi the usbc port on the atem to your ssd and make sure you hit record on the atem and it’ll capture the program output. Or you could try a usbc to a usb cable to try and use your computer.

@@Meraki_Creators I watch all your movies You explain very well Like a professor

You don't have to use it, but is nice for a few reasons - For one, you can connect four cameras to switch between. Most computers have one HDMI port. Another reason its nice, the ATEM can record directly to a SSD which is good if you want to capture your livestream and not have to bog down your computer to record and stream. And it's super clean and simple to use. You can also stream directly from the AteM if you wanted to if you have the ethernet capabilities and speeds.

@@Meraki_Creators Ah, I see. Thank you for explaining. I have 3 cameras hooked up via USB through a few cheap video capture devices. Haven't had any issues so far, but I can see the value of using the switcher instead. I'm now getting ideas on how to implement it into our setup lol. Thanks again !

No problem!

What type of camera is it? It may not have a “clean feed” option.

@@Meraki_Creatorscamera is Sony FDR ax53. I found it. I turn off HDMI control in camera. And fix video 1080p. No problem. Thanks.

Awesome 👏🏼

You can’t control them from the atem but you can switch between cameras from atem. It’s a video switcher. You would need another device to control the cameras themselves

I’m not sure if the mini has it, but the mini pro does. You have to use the program/multi screen button to toggle which view you want

Yes, you can go live from OBS. We use our stem primarily as a video switcher and not as a streamer

Haha! Yes, just one usb c cable from the atem to the laptop.

This is dependent upon your cameras unfortunately. Some cameras have a 29 minute limit to prevent over heating and unfortunately you may have to stop recording at 29 minutes and start a new recording to continue. You can edit them together in your post production.

@@Meraki_Creators if you connect to a swticher like an Atem mini pro, would you record past the 29 minute time?, as video would be recorded on the Atem Switcher

Thanks for checking it out!

A thunderbolt 4 usb c type cable. Here is a link if you wanna grab one off Amazon amzn.to/49J8Wli

Thank you for this response we got it working today! On another note, any idea why our hdmi out would not be working? Does it need a special cable or some monitors/TVs not compatible with ATEM mini pro out hdmi? Thanks for any help

You should just need a stand alone monitor of some sort. A tv should work too. But if it’s a laptop, it likely won’t work, at least not without some messing around with settings.

You can record in OBS or using an external ssd on the ATEM. You would need the ATEM Mini ISO to record each camera individually to an ssd. The atem mini pro only records the 1 program output to the ssd. Here’s a link to the ISO if you wanna check it out. amzn.to/414HDy0

You should just have to connect it via an hdmi cord to one of the camera inputs on the back of the Atem. Does the mac air have an hdmi out port?

@@Meraki_Creatorsno it doesn’t what can I do

Get an adapter from apple. They should have one that’ll work for your situation

What type of stage monitor are you trying to output to? a video monitor?

There is a usb-c output from the atem that is connected to the computer. That’s how it gets the video. Real simple and easy.

If you are live-streaming, there is going to be a small lag time/latency. Although you may notice on your screen, your audience shouldn't be able to tell

We will try and get a video on some of that soon!

Thank you 🙏🏼

SSDs are plugged directly into our cameras for raw 4k recordings. OBS runs from the atem usbc output port.

@@Meraki_Creators Ah that makes more sense

I use the Wi-Fi with my laptop but if you can go Ethernet that’s the best way.

You have to add the audio input source “black magic” on OBS as well as the video input.

@@Meraki_Creators I want sound from mixer but in OBS it only showing blackmagic microphone. i used RAC to 3.5mm Stero Cable

Thanks for the input! I’ll look into adding one in the future.

Thanks for understanding through the typos

OBS gives more versatile options while streaming. Like adjusting bitrate and adding scenes or video intros. And the atems cache fills up quickly when trying to use it as the encoder for longer high quality streams and we’ve had it drop frames and lag a bit when using it solely. you definitely don’t need to use OBS with it tho but for our setup it works pretty welll

So the extra monitor is not required to stream If im just going to use atem to switch cameras ?

Hi, thx for this very instructive video. Can you tell me how to stream into Skype? Cheers from Germany, stay healthy

Thousands of hours streaming with an ATEM Mini Pro since 2021. This is a mistaken conclusion because, “cache filling” on an ATEM Mini Pro is caused by Internet connection throughput varying too low. ISPs bank on nobody ever noticing this reality inherent in their offerings. It’s not a problem from the ATEM, it’s a problem from variable effective internet upstream rate. Unless you are in a data centre with an internet connection that cannot operate at any rate other than saturated at its specified maximum (such as 1Gbps symmetric) you are using a “bursty” multiplexed Internet connection. The vast majority of internet connections in urban areas are asynchronous bursty consumer connections and 99% of people don’t even know what this means to them. ATEM (or other streaming) high data rate is a use case that reveals the limitations of bursty internet connections. They sell it by telling you it’s “high speed” and they don’t mention the lowest possible speed in the averages can sometimes be zero. Oops. Again, in a data centre there’s only one rate available 1Gbps for example. Different animal altogether. If you use the highest data rate the ATEM supports and have who knows how many other people using the same internet connection or how at the same time, you are going to have variable rate congestion constantly. There just may not be enough variable rate “holes” in that to sustain an upstream data rate that’s too high for that number of variable rate holes. Problem with this is also if you’re in a heavy use area you may have to figure lower than half the average for reliability. My suggestion if you are stuck with this scenario: a) get a separate internet connection - even from a different internet provider, particularly if the first one is via cable. b) ookla that new upstream at least ten times, average the worst cases and figure no more than half that amount is the reliable sustainable upstream you can expect from that “high speed” internet connection, and don’t expect the ATEM to be able to get all the data through an internet connection that can’t keep up. “Cache filling” isn’t a fault of the ATEM. It’s the ATEM warning you it’s the fault of the internet connection that can’t accept the data from the ATEM fast enough. The ATEM is doing everything right and the internet connection hasn’t got the throughput, so it’s telling you where the problem is. You get the exact same error on M/V if you record to an SSD that isn’t rated at least USB-C 3.1 Gen 1, although I’d stick to USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 from my own experience. This is ATEM telling you you can’t fit 50 pounds of mud in a ten pound sack as Dolly Parton’s daddy used to tell her. “Faster” internet MAY aggregate the problem away. Fractional symmetric (ie not typical bursty ISP offering) Internet connection or lower upstream data rate like in a data centre is the only true solve. I know what I’m talking about too.

Yes you can. You’d just need an internet connection to the Atem and set the stream key in the Atem

@@Meraki_Creators thats what i thought. Just to confirm. When im setting the streaming key, the laptop doesn’t have to be connected to the Atem via type c right?

You do need to connect it to a computer to set the stream key. But after that you can disconnect and go without it

OBS gives us more versatility to add motion graphics and videos to our stream. And when using the atem to stream we’ve found that the cache fills up rather quickly and can cause some disruptions to your stream.

It happens to the best of us lol