This is our complete guide to the best live streaming software for Mac in 2022.
It’s no secret that live streams can help you connect with your audience and build genuine relationships. They’re an awesome way to grow your YouTube channel!
So finding the right software is really important. But it can be difficult, especially when there are so many different Mac live streaming software options available.
There’s Be.Live, Streamyard, Ecamm Live, OBS, Wirecast, Melon, Wave.video, Lightstream, ManyCam, Zoom, Evmux, Restream and that’s not even all of them!
After a ton of trialing and testing, we narrowed it down to just four of the best live streaming software for Mac.
Here’s exactly what we’ll cover in this complete guide:
- OBS Studio Review
- Evmux Review
- Ecamm Live Review
- Wirecast Review
- Our Top Pick For Best Live Stream Software For Mac
Let’s take a look at these options.
OBS Studio Review
First on our list is OBS Studio. This is one of the most popular live streaming options out there. It’s open source, free and it packs in a ton of features.
OBS is a great option not just for live streaming but for screen recording as well. It has an amazing library of plug-ins and add-ons that you can use to take your live streams and screen recordings to the next level. It works on Mac, PC and Linux too.
But while it has got heaps of awesome features and options, the overall interface isn’t very intuitive. So it’s not that easy for an absolute beginner to jump in, configure everything, get set up and go live.
But because it is such a popular option, there is a massive online community of people that can help you as well as resources and tutorials.
OBS offers support to go live on all major platforms which is awesome. But there’s no built-in simulcast or multicast feature.
This means if you want to do a Facebook Live at the same time as going live on YouTube, there’s no built-in feature to help you. Of course it’s still possible, just more complicated.
Another thing it’s missing is a built-in guest feature. So if you want to bring other people into your live stream, it’s not as easy as it could be. There are some work-arounds so it is still possible though.
Overall, OBS is a great solution for anyone who wants more advanced features and controls. If you’re looking for a free live streaming software and are willing to spend the time to learn, it’s an awesome option.
If you don’t need those extra features and you’re after something that’s simpler to use, then make sure you stick around!
Let’s check out option number two.
Evmux Review
The second live stream software on our list is Evmux. This one is a little bit different to the previous option.
It’s an online browser-based live streaming solution. This means there’s nothing to download, it runs in your browser and it works on pretty much any device.
There are a lot of online browser-based or cloud-based live streaming solutions in this space at the moment. There’s Streamyard, Be.Live, Melon, Wave.video as well as Evmux. So narrowing it down was a really hard decision.
Plus, a lot of these options are really similar. All of them have the following features:
- Amazingly easy to use with an intuitive interface
- Super easy to add your webcam and screen share
- You can go live on multiple platforms
- Bring in guests really simply with an invite link
- Video recording capabilities (you can use this as a backup or to record a video)
Of course, there’s pros, cons and standout features for all of them. What makes Evmux really awesome is the level of control and customization you get while still being super easy to use.
You get access to lots of preset templates for things like a 50/50 screen split or a picture in picture effect. You can customize your shot to be exactly how you want it to look by moving things around and scaling them up & down.
You can even save these customizations as separate scenes that you can click between while you’re live. So if you’ve set up the different scenes before going live, it’s really easy to switch between them.
Another incredible feature is the dedicated green room. This is where all your guests can hang out and interact while they’re waiting to come onto your live stream.
This is a really cool concept and it’s something that none of the other Mac live streaming software have. It’s awesome that your guests have the ability to connect and see who else is backstage with them.
But the thing we love most about Evmux is the ISO video recording capabilities. This is a feature usually only seen in top of the line live streaming software.
This feature records the individual camera feeds of each of your guests as separate files which you can then edit down afterwards and use elsewhere.
So if you’re going to be editing your videos afterwards and repurposing them, you’re not just limited to a finished recording of exactly what happened in the live stream. You have footage of each guest for the entirety of the stream.
This allows you to get creative and make some really effective repurposed content.
Some other Evmux features that we love are:
- You can easily add co-hosts so that other people can help you control and manage your live stream
- It supports multiple cameras
- You can manage multiple live streams at once (this is useful if you’re a large organisation with more than one live stream on the go at a time)
Evmux Pricing
There are a couple of different pricing options available:
- Free: Access to heaps of features (includes an Evmux watermark on your content so we don’t recommend this)
- $25/month: Access to all the Free features as well as the recording functionality plus removes the watermark
- $49/month: Access to all features plus more storage and additional hosts/producers
Overall, Evmux is a great option for anyone who is looking for a simple way to go live. You get access to some really awesome customizability options as well as more advanced features like the ISO recording.
If you’re looking for even more advanced features and controls, keep reading because the next option could be for you.
Ecamm Live Review
Next up is Ecamm Live. We’ve been big fans of this software since they first launched. It’s an amazing Mac live streaming tool!
Ecamm Live is the third Mac live streaming software in our roundup
This is an actual program that you’ll need to download and install on your computer. It runs super well, especially on the new M1 Max Pro.
Comparing this to the other options, it’s closest in terms of advanced features to OBS but with the same ease of use as Evmux. It’s a mix of both these software – easy to use but packs a punch.
It’s really simple to get everything set up, bring in your cameras and create different scenes that you can easily switch between. You can even configure it while you’re live if needed.
Ecamm Live has great hardware support for using your DSLR and mirrorless cameras as well as a lot of HDMI capture devices. There’s also support for direct connection of your iPhone or iPad and even NDI support.
Like a lot of the other options, it has a built-in guest function. But an extra feature that we love is that you can also feature your viewer’s comments on-screen.
You can feature viewer’s comments on-screen – a great way to connect with your audience!
There is a simulcast or multicast functionality but it uses external services like Restream. We’ve heard that Ecamm Live are building out their own simulcast feature though so we might see this in the future.
It also has screen recording options and ISO audio recording (at this time they don’t have ISO video recording).
There are two particular standout features that we think are awesome:
- The Virtual Cam Tool: This allows you to create a fake webcam that you can link to Zoom or Teams or any application. It’s a pass through of what you’re doing in Ecamm Live, meaning you get all of the awesome features inside Ecamm when you’re using another application.
- Amount of Control While Live: You can pinch and zoom on your trackpad to zoom in on a screen share. You can quickly pick up and move different elements on your screen. Yes, you can do this with other software. But Ecamm Live’s high level of control while live is an absolute game changer.
Ecamm Live Pricing
There are two pricing options:
- Standard plan for $20/month: Access to all the core functionalities
- Pro plan for $40/month: Unlocks the pro-level features like interview mode, virtual webcam, 4K streaming and video monitoring
Overall, Ecamm Live is a really great option for beginners and more advanced live streamers.
Whether you’re looking for a beginner-friendly way to go live or for a professional software that you can configure and control without all the headaches – Ecamm Live delivers.
Now let’s check out the last option on our list.
Wirecast Review
The final software in this roundup is Wirecast. This one is hands down the most professional and advanced live streaming software on Mac.
We said earlier that OBS had a ton of advanced features and controls, but Wirecast is next level. Plus, it has a more intuitive and easy to use interface.
If you want to be able to dial all the settings in and control everything down to the nitty gritty, this software is for you.
You can specify multiple outputs with different formats, bandwidth and quality for your live streaming and video recording.
This means you can have a specific output for when you’re live streaming to YouTube. But at the same time you can be doing a TikTok Live with a different output that has its own individual quality, resolution and bitrate. This level of control is incredible!
It’s also possible to save out a full HD video recording of your livestream as well as a low quality version of that same recording. Then when you finish your live stream or recording, you have all of those outputs automatically created and ready to go.
Some other features we love are the built-in audio & video recording and the built-in action replay feature.
One thing that could be improved on is Wirecast’s guest feature. While you do have the ability to bring guests in, it’s a lot more complicated than in other software. Everything needs to be set up and configured beforehand, so it’s really not a quick process.
Wirecast Pricing
There’s no monthly pricing options, just a one-time fee for Wirecast. You’ve got two pricing options:
- Wirecast Studio for $599: Two remote guests, 4K recording & live streaming and five video mixing layers
- Wirecast Pro for $799: Unlock all features including up to seven remote guests, instant replay functionality and ISO video recording
It’s definitely a higher initial cost but then you don’t have the recurring monthly fees. So if you’re not a fan of recurring payments, this could be the tool for you.
Overall, this is a great all-round software not just for live streaming but also for creating videos. The ability to record multiple camera angles and output multiple formats makes it a really advanced live streaming platform.
If you want that really high level of control, then Wirecast is an awesome option.
So, which one is the best live streaming software?
Our Top Pick For Best Live Streaming Software For Mac
The winner of our complete live streaming software roundup is Ecamm Live. It really is the complete package. The software is incredibly easy to use while still packing in those advanced features.
If you’re an absolute beginner and just want to create simple live streams, Ecamm Live ticks the boxes. But also if you’re more advanced and want to bring in videos, animations and graphics to create a really professional stream, it also has those capabilities.
PRO TIP: If you go ahead with Ecamm Live, make sure you join their Facebook group. It’s an amazing community! So if you have any support questions, there’s an awesome group of people who are happy to help you out.
As always, make sure you choose the one that works for your specific needs, use case and skill level. All four of these are solid options that will help you create an incredible live stream on YouTube as well as the other major platforms.
If you’re interested in seeing our top recommendations for best live streaming software for Windows PC, you can check them out here!
Now that you’ve got your live streaming software sorted, check out our complete tutorial on how to create animated titles that will take your live streams to the next level.
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BEST Live Streaming Software on Mac:
Recommended Gear & Resources
Check out an up-to-date list of all the gear, software & tools we use and recommend right now at Primal Video on our resources page here!
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