Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming
  3. Guides

How to stream on Discord

Jesse Lennox
By

Streaming has gotten more popular with every passing year, both in terms of viewers and streamers. The idea of broadcasting yourself playing a game for an audience is very appealing, but up until recently has required expensive equipment and technical skills to pull off. That’s changed recently with services such as Discord integrating streaming services right into their platforms. That eliminates a major barrier of entry for the majority of people.

Whether you’re interested in building an audience or just want to play a game or watch a movie with your friends and family, Discord makes it easy. Here’s everything you need to know to get started streaming on Discord today.

Recommended Videos

Further reading

How to use Go Live

Go Live is what Discord calls its streaming feature they built directly into their client. To use it, you will need a Discord account and its desktop client. You are free to watch streams through your browser of choice, with mobile viewing being an upcoming addition. Once you have booted up Discord, start by joining the server you want your stream broadcasted on. Next, open the game you intend on streaming. Discord might automatically detect the game you opened and give you the option to immediately start streaming it by adding the Go Live button on the bottom left side of Discord. You will see the icon just above your status bar.

Once you select Go Live, you can double-check that the game you’re streaming is correct. If it isn’t, simply hit Change and search for the correct game name. From there, as long as the voice channel is also correct, all that’s left is to hit Go Live, and your stream will start. Discord will show you a small preview window of what your audience sees as well.

Adjust your stream settings

Discord-Stream-Settings

If you move your mouse over the little preview window of your stream, an icon of a cog will show up. Click this to adjust your stream settings, such as the visual quality and frame rate. Be aware that you will need a Discord Nitro account, the premium service that costs $9.99 per month, if you want to hit 1080p 60 fps. Nitro members can even stream at a full 4K 60 fps if their machine can handle it. Everyone else will be capped at 720p and 30 fps.

Discord streams are limited to a maximum of 50 viewers for now, but that only applies to people watching the stream. You can still join a voice channel with more than that amount but will just not be able to view anyone streaming if they’ve hit that viewer limit.

Screen sharing

Discord-Screen-Share

If you’re more interested in streaming for non-gaming-related purposes, the Go Live button is still where you want to start. Instead of booting up a game, just hit the Go Live button to bring up a menu where you can select either Applications or Screens for streaming. If you just want to share one specific application, like a web browser, you will see it under Applications as long as you have it open. Screens will share your entire screen.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Jesse Lennox
Jesse Lennox
Jesse Lennox loves writing, games, and complaining about not having time to write and play games. He knows the names of more…
How to climb the Battlements in Hogwarts Legacy
A wizard walks through the open-world of Hogwarts Legacy.

The adventure your witch or wizard will undertake in Hogwarts Legacy is fraught with many trials and tribulations. You will face many deadly enemies of all kinds to dispatch with your arsenal of spells, however the thing that is more likely to stop you dead in your tracks are the puzzles. While not explicitly a puzzle, there is a specific part of the High Wall quest that can leave you downright stumped on how to proceed. If you're flustered trying to figure out how to climb the Battlements in Hogwarts Legacy, this guide will make this roadblock disappear.
How to climb the Battlements

After meeting Natty at Falbarton Castle, you will be asked to climb the Battlements. Not long into your ascent, you will hit a sheer wall that seems impassible. There's no clear part to climb, and your broomstick is off limits here. Instead, you will need to make your own path.

Read more
The best game-streaming services for 2023
A Nintendo Switch connected to the internet.

Streaming is the newest way we consume media, and while it has caught on across film, TV, and music, it still has some catching up to do in the video game space. Still, there are some video game streaming services that have made significant strides toward ubiquity such as Xbox Game Pass, PS Plus, and even some on PC. Other services like Google Stadia haven't garnered the same amount of success, failing to capture an audience before eventually shuttering.

While there certainly are fewer popular game streaming services than before, there's a handful you'll want to be aware of depending on what you're looking for. With that in mind, these are the best video game streaming services for 2023.
Xbox Game Pass (Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC*)
Xbox Game Pass Walkthrough

Read more
Nvidia kills off GameStream on Shield, points users to Steam
Nvidia Shield 16gb Android TV

Nvidia is discontinuing its GameStream service on its Shield and Shield TV streaming boxes (among the best streaming devices on the market). In an email sent to GameStream users, the company announced it would start rolling out an update in mid-February that removes GameStream from the Nvidia Games app.

GameStream has allowed Shield owners to stream games to their TV from their PC at up to 60 frames per second in 4K. Specifically, the app was designed with Steam's Big Picture interface in mind, allowing you to play Steam games with ease (dubbed "GameStream Ready"). Nvidia is pointing users to the Steam Link app available on the Shield TV, which functions in a similar way.

Read more