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How to use the StreamShark OBS Plugin

The StreamShark OBS Plugin integrates StreamShark directly into OBS Studio, allowing you to go live, manage backup streams, switch event phases, and activate CTAs and polls without leaving OBS.
 
Currently the plugin is in preview mode, which means we're running limited tests with customers directly. If you wish to test the plugin, please contact us directly.
The StreamShark OBS Plugin
 

Requirements

The plugin requires a minimum OBS version of v32.0.0.

 

Installation

macOS

  1. Unzip the file to find streamshark-obs-plugin.plugin
  2. Copy the .plugin file to your OBS plugins folder:
    • Open Finder and press Cmd + Shift + G
    • Paste: ~/Library/Application Support/obs-studio/plugins/ (if the 'plugins' folder doesn't exist, create it)
    • Drop the .plugin file into this folder 
  3. Restart OBS

Windows

  1. Unzip the file to find the obs-plugins folder
  2. Copy the contents into your OBS installation directory:
    • Navigate to C:\Program Files\obs-studio\
    • Merge the obs-plugins folder from the zip into the existing obs-plugins folder
  3. Restart OBS

Verifying Installation

After restarting OBS, open the StreamShark dock:

  1. Go to View in the top menu bar
  2. Click Docks
  3. Select StreamShark

The StreamShark panel should appear with the StreamShark logo at the top.

Getting Started

Adding a StreamShark Account

Before you can go live, you need to add your StreamShark account credentials.

  1. In the StreamShark dock, find the Account section
  2. Click the + button next to the account dropdown
  3. Fill in the following details:
    • Account Name: A friendly label for this account (e.g. "My StreamShark Account")
    • API Username: Your StreamShark API username
    • Secret Key: Your StreamShark API secret key (from https://app.streamshark.io/account).
  4. Click Save

The plugin will validate your credentials. If successful, your events will load automatically.

You can add multiple accounts and switch between them using the account dropdown. To set a default account, click the gear icon next to the dropdown, then click Set as Default. The default account is loaded automatically when OBS starts.

Selecting an Event and Going Live

Step 1: Select an Event

Your available events appear in the Live Event dropdown. Only events in a "Ready" state are shown.

  • Use the dropdown to browse your events
  • Click the search icon to search for an event by name
  • Click the refresh icon to reload the event list
  • Click the external link icon to open the event's player page in your browser
  • Click the 'Load 10 More' option to load more events into the dropdown

 

Step 2: Start Streaming

Once an event is selected, the Broadcast Controls section becomes active.

  • Click Start Primary to begin your primary stream
  • The button will show "Connecting..." while the connection is established
  • Once connected, the status will show your live bitrate (e.g. "Primary: 2768 kbps")
  • The bitrate graph next to the status shows your connection stability

To start a backup stream (if available for your event):

  • Click Start Backup to begin a redundant backup stream
  • The backup stream runs independently from the primary

 

Step 3: Manage Your Event Phases

If your event supports multiple phases, the Event Phase Switcher section will be visible with three buttons: Pre, Main, and Post.

  • The currently active phase is highlighted
  • Click a phase button to switch to it
  • A confirmation message will appear with a timestamp when the phase changes

If your event has DVR enabled, phases can only advance one step at a time (Pre to Main, Main to Post). If you're using a 'Simplified' event e.g. only the main event phase, then the phase switcher won't be visible.

Step 4: Stop Streaming

  • Click Stop Primary to stop the primary stream only (backup continues if running)
  • Click Stop Backup to stop the backup stream only
  • Use the main OBS Stop Streaming button in the Controls panel to stop both primary and backup streams at once

Features

  • Multi-account support - Add and switch between multiple StreamShark accounts
  • Event search - Search for events by name across your account
  • Primary and backup streaming - Run two independent streams for redundancy
  • SRT and RTMP support - Automatic protocol selection based on your event's ingest settings
  • Event phase switching - Switch between Pre, Main, and Post phases during a live event
  • DVR-aware phase control - Sequential phase advancement when DVR is enabled
  • Live CTA activation - Select and activate Calls to Action during a live event
  • Live Poll activation - Select and activate polls during a live event
  • Real-time bitrate monitoring - Live bitrate display and graph for both primary and backup streams
  • Connection health indicators - Color-coded status (green, yellow, red) based on connection quality
  • Automatic event restoration - Remembers your last selected event between sessions
  • Dark and light theme support - Adapts to your OBS theme automatically
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