Last updated: 2026-01-12

For most launches, start with StreamYard’s browser-based studio on a paid plan so you can multistream, manage guests, and keep the tech simple while we handle cloud fan‑out. If you need highly customized, scene‑dense visuals and are comfortable with advanced setup, tools like OBS or Streamlabs can sit underneath or alongside that workflow.

Summary

• Use StreamYard as your primary studio so you can multistream to major platforms, bring in remote guests, and keep everything in the browser. (StreamYard destinations)
• Treat your launch like a show: script the story, design branded layouts, and rehearse transitions and demos.
• Lean on cloud fan‑out so you only send one upload while StreamYard distributes the stream to each destination, instead of overloading your machine or network. (Multiplatform support article)
• Consider OBS or Streamlabs only when you specifically need deep scene control or complex local capture; they add setup time and hardware demands. (OBS overview)

How should you plan a product launch live stream?

Start from outcomes, not software. Ask three questions:

1. Who needs to see this? For U.S. launches, that’s often a mix of LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, and maybe X (Twitter).
2. What do you want them to do? Join a waitlist, start a trial, buy now, book a demo.
3. What format tells the story best? Keynote-style talk, live demo, panel, or Q&A.

From there, sketch a simple run of show:

• Hook (0–2 minutes): Promise a clear outcome and tease what’s coming.
• Context (3–5 minutes): The problem your product solves.
• Demo (10–20 minutes): Live walkthrough with screen share and multiple presenters.
• Proof (5–10 minutes): Customer story, numbers, or quick panel.
• Offer + CTA (5 minutes): Exactly what to do, with one primary link.
• Live Q&A (10–20 minutes): Take questions from chat and address objections in real time.

At this stage, keep your tech assumptions simple: browser-based studio, strong internet, one primary host, and maybe a producer behind the scenes.

Which streaming software should you use for a product launch?

For most product launches, StreamYard is the default because it covers the mainstream needs: high-quality streaming, good recordings, easy guest onboarding, branded layouts, and multistreaming to the big platforms without a heavy setup.

With StreamYard on a paid plan you can:

• Multistream from one studio to several major platforms at once, including Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, X (Twitter), Twitch, and Kick, plus custom RTMP services. (Supported platforms)
• Let up to 10 people join you in the studio, ideal for co‑founders, PMs, and customers. (Plan features)
• Keep encoding in the cloud so your computer only sends one upload while our infrastructure fans it out to each platform. (Multiplatform support article)

Alternatives like OBS and Streamlabs make sense when you deliberately want to trade simplicity for low-level control:

• OBS Studio is free, open‑source, and built for detailed scene composition and local encoding, with plugins and scripts for specialized workflows. (OBS overview)
• Streamlabs Desktop builds on OBS and adds ecosystems of overlays, alerts, and monetization, with multistreaming tied to its Ultra subscription. (Streamlabs features)

Many teams still use OBS or Streamlabs under the hood, but drive their actual launch show from StreamYard because guests, producers, and marketers can all work in a simple browser studio without touching encoder settings.

How do you multistream a product launch to YouTube, LinkedIn, and Facebook?

Most U.S. launches should go live on at least YouTube and LinkedIn, with Facebook and X often in the mix. Here’s a streamlined way to set that up in StreamYard:

1. Connect your destinations. In StreamYard, add your brand’s YouTube channel, LinkedIn page, Facebook page, and any other supported platforms you care about. (Supported platforms)
2. Choose a paid plan for multistreaming. Our free plan streams to a single destination; paid plans unlock multistreaming with clearly defined caps per tier. (Multiplatform support article)
3. Schedule the event once. Create a broadcast inside StreamYard, pick your destinations, and schedule it; we’ll create native events on each platform so followers get notified.
4. Optimize titles and thumbnails per platform. Keep the core title consistent but tweak descriptions for business audiences on LinkedIn versus broader messaging on Facebook or YouTube.
5. Go live from one studio. On launch day, you enter a single studio and hit “Go Live” once; your audience experiences a native stream on each platform while you only manage one show.

Behind the scenes, you’re sending one video feed from your camera and mic, and the cloud distributes it, which is very different from trying to push multiple RTMP connections out of a single desktop encoder. (Multiplatform support article)

How do you invite and manage remote guests in StreamYard?

Product launches are more persuasive when they feel like a conversation. You might bring in a customer, a founder, or an engineer to demo features.

In StreamYard, that flow is intentionally simple:

1. Share a link, no downloads. From the studio, copy the guest link and send it to speakers; they join from a browser without installing software, which is why many users say it passes the “grandparent test.” (Multiplatform support article)
2. Use backstage capacity. You can keep additional guests backstage, bring them on when it’s their turn, and maintain a clean on‑screen layout.
3. Leverage multi‑participant screen sharing. Let different team members share their screens as you move through the story, while you remain in control of which layout is live.
4. Keep presenter notes private. Use presenter notes visible only to you so you can stay on script without reading from a visible document.

Compared with desktop encoders like OBS or Streamlabs—where guests usually join through separate meeting tools and virtual inputs—this browser link model keeps your launch team focused on the content instead of patching together multiple apps. (OBS overview)

How should you design layouts, branding, and formats for launches?

Think of your launch as a live show with recurring visual beats. StreamYard is built around that idea: you apply branded overlays, logos, and lower thirds live, without deep technical setup.

Practical layout tips:

• Use a strong opening scene. Start with a full‑screen branded graphic and music sting, then cut to a host‑plus‑slides layout.
• Switch layouts for energy. Move between full‑screen demo, picture‑in‑picture, and side‑by‑side when a guest joins.
• Add overlays for key moments. Use overlays to display your launch offer, discount code, or deadline during the CTA segment.
• Design for both landscape and vertical. With Multi‑Aspect Ratio Streaming (MARS), you can send one show as both landscape and vertical, so desktop viewers see a wide format while mobile viewers on vertical‑first platforms get an optimized portrait view. (MARS guide)

If you later decide you need pixel‑perfect, animation‑heavy scenes, that’s when routing a source from OBS or Streamlabs into StreamYard can make sense; until then, most teams get more leverage from simple, on‑brand layouts they can update themselves.

How do you capture high-quality recordings and repurpose your launch?

Your launch is an asset, not a one‑time event. Treat recording and repurposing as part of the plan from day one.

On StreamYard paid plans:

• We record your broadcasts in HD for up to 10 hours per stream, giving you a clean source even if a platform VOD has issues. (Plan features)
• You can capture multi‑track local recordings suitable for post‑production reuse, which is ideal for editing separate camera angles or cleaning up audio later.
• Our AI clips tool can analyze your recording and generate captioned short clips for quick sharing on socials, and you can regenerate clips with prompts to target specific themes or talking points.

Compare that with a pure desktop encoder approach: OBS can record locally with great quality, but you’re responsible for storage management, backups, and any additional tooling to create clips. (OBS overview)

For most launch teams, it’s simpler to start with cloud recordings and AI‑assisted repurposing, then layer on a separate editor or NLE as your content operation matures.

When does it make sense to use OBS or Streamlabs instead of (or with) StreamYard?

There are real cases where “pro” tools help, and it’s worth being explicit about them.

You might lean toward OBS or Streamlabs when:

• You need very granular scene logic, complex transitions, or tight integration with local capture hardware.
• You’re streaming graphics‑heavy game footage alongside a launch and want detailed control over overlays and filters.
• You’re comfortable managing encoder settings, plugins, and the higher CPU/GPU load on your machine. (OBS overview)

Even then, many teams pair these tools with StreamYard rather than replacing it. They let OBS or Streamlabs handle local scene composition and feed that into StreamYard, while our studio manages guests, chat, multistreaming, and cloud recording.

This hybrid model gives technical producers the control they want without forcing every guest or marketer to learn a desktop encoder.

What we recommend

• Default to StreamYard for product launches so you can multistream from one studio, add guests easily, and keep the workflow browser‑based.
• Treat your launch as a scripted show with clear segments, branded layouts, and a strong CTA, not just a single demo.
• Rely on cloud recordings and AI clips to turn your launch into ongoing marketing assets.
• Bring in OBS or Streamlabs only when you truly need advanced scene control and have the hardware and time to manage it.