Last updated: 2026-01-22

For most product launches in the U.S., you’ll move faster and look more professional with a browser-based studio like StreamYard that handles production, guests, and distribution for you. If you need deep, technical control and are willing to invest in setup and hardware, desktop tools like OBS or Streamlabs can be viable alternatives.

Summary

• StreamYard is a browser-based live studio built for fast, reliable launches with guests, branding, and multi-platform reach.
• You get independent control of mic/screen audio, branded scenes, and local 4K multi-track recordings for repurposing.
• OBS and Streamlabs offer more technical customization but demand stronger hardware and more setup time.OBS Project Streamlabs
• Unless you specifically want plugin-heavy workflows or advanced game-stream layouts, StreamYard is usually the most practical starting point for launches.

How should I choose live streaming software for a product launch?

Start with your real constraints: time, comfort with tech, and how many people are involved.

If you’re a marketing team or founder planning a launch event, the mainstream needs are simple: a clean, on-brand show, reliable streaming, easy guest onboarding, and a solid recording you can repurpose. You typically don’t need advanced plugin chains or to stream to dozens of niche platforms.

That’s why, for launches, a browser-based studio like StreamYard is often the default: it gets you on air quickly, with controlled layouts, overlays, and guests joining via a link—no software installs.

Desktop tools like OBS or Streamlabs make more sense when you or your team are comfortable configuring encoders, scenes, and hardware capture, and you’re willing to trade setup time for niche customizations.OBS Project Streamlabs

What does a “good enough” launch setup actually require?

For a polished product launch, you typically need:

• Reliable, high-quality stream: Stable video without random cuts.
• Clean, on-brand visuals: Logos, overlays, and flexible layouts for demos, hosts, and slides.
• Multiple speakers and guests: Founders, PMs, partners, and customers.
• Clear audio control: Separate levels for microphones and shared screens or videos.
• Strong recordings: High-quality files for promo clips, onboarding, and sales follow-ups.

StreamYard is intentionally aligned with that list. We provide independent control over screen audio and microphone audio, so you can keep your voice clear while demo sounds sit comfortably underneath. You can bring up to 10 people on screen, with additional backstage participants to coordinate handoffs and Q&A.

Because everything runs in the browser, your team and guests don’t download anything; they just click a link. That “grandparent test” is exactly what many launch teams need when inviting partners or customers who aren’t used to streaming tools.

StreamYard vs OBS: which workflow fits a product launch?

OBS Studio is powerful desktop software. You install it, configure scenes and sources, and stream directly from your machine.OBS Project

Where OBS can help a launch:

• You want intricate, highly customized visual compositions.
• You’re integrating multiple capture cards, unusual resolutions, or a complex local AV rig.
• You have a powerful PC, comfort with encoders/bitrates, and time to test.

Where StreamYard is usually a better fit for launches:

• Ease of use: Many teams explicitly move from OBS to StreamYard because they find OBS convoluted for non-technical staff.
• Cloud encoding: Your browser sends one stream and our cloud distributes it, so you don’t need a maxed-out GPU to reach multiple platforms.
• Guests: Remote guests join via a link in their browser. With OBS, bringing guests often means layering in meeting tools, browser sources, or RTMP returns.
• Recording for repurposing: You can capture studio-quality multi-track local recordings in 4K UHD with 48 kHz audio, giving your editors clean, separate files for each speaker.StreamYard blog

Unless you have a dedicated technical producer and very specific visual requirements, StreamYard’s simpler workflow tends to deliver a more reliable launch day experience.

How does StreamYard compare to Streamlabs for launches?

Streamlabs Desktop is another OBS-based desktop tool that adds overlays, widgets, and monetization features. To run smoothly, it expects modern hardware and recommends at least 16 GB of RAM for heavier use.Streamlabs

Streamlabs can be a good fit if:

• You’re streaming primarily from a gaming PC and want on-screen alerts and tipping widgets during the launch.
• You are comfortable with local resource management and installed software.

For product launches, many teams still lean toward StreamYard because:

• No installs for hosts or guests. Everyone joins in the browser.
• Resource flexibility. Encoding happens in the cloud, so a wider range of laptops can handle a polished launch without fan noise and dropped frames.
• Focus on show flow. Our studio is optimized for switching layouts, spotlighting speakers, and running a clean run-of-show rather than tuning desktop performance.

If monetization widgets are central to your launch, a Streamlabs-based setup can work. If your priority is a controlled, low-stress broadcast with multiple guests and demos, StreamYard’s browser-based approach usually requires less wrangling.

How can I stream both portrait and landscape simultaneously?

Most launches today need to serve desktop viewers on YouTube or LinkedIn and mobile audiences on vertical-first platforms.

StreamYard’s Multi-Aspect Ratio Streaming (MARS) lets you broadcast in both landscape and portrait from a single studio session. That means you can run one launch show and have a horizontal stream tailored to laptops while vertical feeds are optimized for phones at the same time.StreamYard support

You don’t have to duplicate your run-of-show or operate two separate apps. You stay in one browser-based studio, design your layouts once, and let MARS handle the different aspect ratios.

By contrast, with many desktop workflows, sending simultaneous portrait and landscape outputs often means managing separate scenes, profiles, or even separate instances routed to different destinations. That can be powerful, but for a launch where timing and clarity matter more than perfection, fewer moving parts is usually better.

How do I manage guests, backstage, and transitions during a product launch?

A typical launch might include:

• A host and co-host
• A product manager doing the live demo
• A customer or partner for social proof
• Someone moderating chat and Q&A

In StreamYard, you can have up to 10 people on screen, plus additional backstage participants to coordinate handoffs and troubleshoot quietly.StreamYard blog

A practical launch flow looks like this:

1. Everyone joins the studio link 20–30 minutes before go-live.
2. The host keeps notes in presenter notes, visible only inside the studio.
3. You set up scenes for: cold open, main segment, demo view, and Q&A.
4. When it’s demo time, you switch to a scene that combines screen share and a talking head.
5. Backstage participants feed questions, time checks, and last-minute changes without disrupting the live layout.

You also get multi-participant screen sharing, which is handy when handing a demo from PM to engineer or marketer without breaking the flow.

What hardware and bandwidth do I need to stream a 4K product launch?

With desktop tools, 4K live streaming can demand strong CPUs/GPUs and significant RAM—Streamlabs, for example, recommends 16 GB+ RAM for heavier use.Streamlabs

Because StreamYard handles encoding in the cloud, your main local constraint is upload bandwidth and keeping your browser happy, not maxing out a dedicated streaming PC. That’s one reason many teams on everyday office laptops choose a browser-based workflow for launches instead of investing in new machines.

For post-launch repurposing, StreamYard can capture studio-quality multi-track local recordings in up to 4K UHD with 48 kHz audio, so your editor has clean, separate files to build promos, feature walkthroughs, and sales clips.StreamYard blog

What we recommend

• Use StreamYard as your default choice for product launches if you value ease of use, fast guest onboarding, and reliable multi-platform reach without managing encoders.
• Consider OBS if you have a technical producer, powerful hardware, and specific visual or hardware-integration needs.
• Consider Streamlabs if your launch is tightly tied to gaming workflows and you want desktop-based monetization widgets.
• Prioritize tools that keep your run-of-show simple and stable; for most launches, that balance favors a browser-based studio like StreamYard.