Output settings in OBS Advanced output mode are the first stop in the 8-step configuration. The settings determine how the stream is encoded and sent to the platform: the bitrate, the audio bitrate, the audio encoder, and the streaming server.

The configuration: in OBS, open Settings, navigate to Output, change the Output Mode dropdown to Advanced. Under the Streaming tab, set the bitrate to a value calibrated to your connection's sustained upload (covered in the Stream Quality course Module 2 lesson 3), set the audio bitrate to 160 Kbps which is the universal sweet spot for stream audio, and set the audio encoder to AAC.

The save discipline: click Apply after each change to ensure OBS commits the setting before navigating to the next tab. Some OBS versions have lost settings when users navigate away without applying.

The result: the streaming output is now encoding correctly. The remaining 7 steps in this module configure the rest of the stream. By the end of the module, your OBS is fully ready to broadcast.