Why WHIP with OBS?

With WHIP, OBS establishes a WebRTC connection to the Gniark Live infrastructure. Perceived latency is generally around ~100 ms on the WebRTC transport side, much more responsive than a classic RTMP chain, with better network adaptation for interacting with the audience or others in the room.

For more details on WHIP in OBS, see the official OBS guide: WHIP Streaming.

Use cases

Full OBS scene

Multiple sources, filters, and transitions: everything your OBS scene displays goes to the live.

Overlays & branding

Logos, titles, alerts, and advanced layouts managed in OBS.

Screen / game capture

Stream a game or app by capturing the screen or a window in OBS.

Advanced audio

Mix mic + music in OBS before sending to the room (complements BlackHole / Voicemeeter Banana guides).

Prerequisites

  • <strong>OBS Studio 30.0</strong> or later (WHIP in <em>Settings → Stream</em>)
  • A Gniark Live artist account and a live session created
  • Stable internet connection suited to your chosen video bitrate

Step 1: Get the WHIP URL and token in Gniark Live

  1. 1Log in to the dashboard, open My Lives, then the relevant live page.
  2. 2Find the OBS Cameras (WHIP) section (labeled the same way in the interface).
  3. 3Click Add an OBS camera, name the camera (e.g. "Main scene"), and confirm.
  4. 4Use the Copy WHIP URL and Copy token buttons to get the two values OBS needs. The URL ends with /.whip on your live session path.
One OBS camera per live

On Gniark Live, you can have only one active URL + token pair per live session for OBS (WHIP). To change machines or regenerate credentials, delete the existing camera and create a new one from the same page.

Step 2: Configure OBS Studio

  1. 1In OBS, open File → Settings.
  2. 2Go to the Stream tab.
  3. 3Service: choose WHIP (or equivalent in the dropdown).
  4. 4Server: paste the WHIP URL copied from Gniark Live (do not modify the /.whip path).
  5. 5Access token / Bearer token: paste the JWT token provided by Gniark Live. Gniark Live uses token authentication for WHIP, per the protocol.
  6. 6Save settings, then click Start Streaming in OBS when ready.

Step 3: Recommended encoding settings

For a good quality / stability balance on WebRTC:

  • Common resolution: <strong>1280×720</strong> at 30 fps or <strong>1920×1080</strong> at 30 fps
  • Video bitrate: <strong>3 to 6 Mbps</strong> depending on your uplink
  • Video codec: <strong>H.264</strong> (x264 or hardware if available and compatible)
  • Audio: stereo, 48 kHz; avoid excessive audio bitrates

Step 4: Verify the stream

In the dashboard, the live page always lists your OBS camera (WHIP): confirm OBS shows "Live" with no error. Join the room as presenter or open the viewer link: you should see the OBS stream as a video source. If nothing appears, check OBS logs and verify the live is active on Gniark Live.

Linux / Ubuntu

The OBS guide notes that WHIP may be missing from the Ubuntu 24.04 PPA package; in that case, prefer the Flatpak version of OBS Studio to get WHIP.

Solution page

This guide covers technical setup. Explore the Gniark Live commercial offering for this use case.

View solution page — Feed OBS/WHIP mixes straight into your Gniark venue

Frequently asked questions

I do not see the "WHIP" service in OBS Studio, what should I do?

Update OBS Studio to version 30 or later. WHIP is available in Settings → Stream. On Ubuntu 24.04, the PPA package may not include WHIP, use the official OBS Flatpak instead.

My OBS stream stops or does not connect to Gniark Live.

Verify that the WHIP URL and Bearer token exactly match those shown on the live page, with no extra spaces. Make sure the live is started and your internet connection allows WebRTC traffic (UDP). Try again after regenerating the token by deleting and recreating the OBS camera.

How many OBS streams can I send to the same live?

Gniark Live allows only one OBS (WHIP) stream per live session. However, you can combine multiple sources, scenes, and transitions in a single OBS instance before sending the stream.

What is the difference between WHIP and RTMP for streaming?

WHIP uses WebRTC: typically lower latency than RTMP, built-in network adaptation, and no intermediate RTMP server. RTMP remains common on mainstream platforms; WHIP is ideal for joining a live room in real time.

Does the Bearer token expire?

Yes. The token is tied to your live session duration on the platform. After the live ends or at the scheduled expiry, it is no longer valid. Generate a new OBS camera from the dashboard if you extend or recreate a session.

Do viewers see a significant delay compared to me?

WHIP reduces latency compared to RTMP, but total delay still depends on your uplink, video bitrate, and network path to viewers. A slight delay remains normal; lower bitrate or resolution if the stream is unstable. What you send from OBS is what the room receives (active scene at stream time).

Ready to stream with OBS?

Create or open a live, add your OBS WHIP camera, and start streaming from OBS in minutes.

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