How to Stream on Discord

With so many streaming options available today, choosing the right one is essential to achieving the best results. You can use online services like YouTube, Twitch, and even the popular chat app Discord.

Discord is arguably the best streaming service on the market. Thanks to its unparalleled compression quality, it is guaranteed that you will have a stable streaming connection.

In addition to that, when it comes to voice chat, it leaves the competition in the dust. Aside from the excellent quality and reliability, it is quite easy to set up and even easier to use.

How to Stream on Discord from a Windows PC

The first requirement to stream from your PC with Discord is to have a Discord server equipped with at least one voice channel. Although most users access Discord on a web browser, game streaming is currently available only through the standalone Discord app.

To get the app for your Windows computer, visit the Discord download page and click the Download for Windows link. After the download is complete, start the installation file and follow the instructions on the screen. This process is pretty straightforward and not unlike any other apps.

Creating Your Own Discord Server

After you install the Discord app on your computer, it’s time to create an account and your own Discord server. To do so, follow the steps below.

1. Open the Discord app on your computer.
   
2. If you have not created your Discord account yet, you can register one now. Just follow the on-screen instructions and you will be done in a minute or two.
   
3. After logging in, click on the + icon in the menu to the far left.
   
4. A create a server pop-up window appears, click Create My Own.
   
5. Now enter a name for your server and upload an image that you will use as the server’s icon then click the Create button in the lower right corner of the pop-up window.
   
6. Wait for a couple of seconds as Discord creates your server. Once that is done, you will see your new server in the menu to the far left.
   

Now that you have created your Discord server, you can send invites to your friends to join. You can also add additional text and voice channels in order to keep different topics separate.

For example, you can create a Rules channel so that new members would know what is allowed and what is not. If you want to create a dedicated voice channel for you and your two best friends only, you can do that as well.

Streaming Games on Discord

To stream a game on Discord takes just a couple of seconds. Thanks to the integrated game detection software, Discord should recognize almost any game. This allows you to start your stream with just one click.

Before you proceed, it is important to note that the free version of Discord supports 480p and 720p resolutions only. To be able to stream at 1080p and higher, you will have to subscribe to Discord Nitro. The service costs only $9.99/mo. or $99.99 per year depending on your preference.

This applies to your stream’s frame rate as well. The free version is capable of 15 and 30 frames per second, with the highly coveted 60 fps only available to Discord Nitro subscribers.

With your Discord server set up, it is time to start streaming.

Screen Sharing, Voice, and Video Calls

Besides games, you can also stream the content of your computer. Discord allows you to share your entire screen, a single window, or an app. You can also create voice and video calls for your friends to join in.

To start a call, follow the steps below.

1. Open the Discord app on your computer.
   
2. In the menu to the far left, click the icon of a server you want to use.
   
3. In the menu to the left, you will see the list of all the channels you have created on your Discord server. By default, there is only one text channel (#general) and one voice channel (General).
   
4. Click the General voice channel to establish a voice connection with Discord.
   
5. In the lower-left corner of the app, the Voice Connected entry will appear. To start a video call, click the Video button. To share your screen, click the Screen button.
   
6. When you click Video, the main portion of the screen will switch to conversation mode, and you will see the feed from your camera.
   
7. When you click Screen, a pop-up window appears. It allows you to choose the application that you would like to share. You can also choose which screen to show if you have more than one.
   
8. Once you have this all set up, your friends can now join your call by entering your server and clicking the General channel.
   
9. To stop the call, simply click the red Disconnect icon at the bottom of the Discord app.
   
10. To stop the stream, simply switch back to Discord and the stream will pause.
11. To end the stream, click the Stop Streaming icon next to the game’s entry in the app’s lower-left corner.
12. You will also have to manually disconnect your voice channel. To do so, click the Disconnect icon in the Voice Connected entry that is right beneath the game’s name.

How to Stream on Discord from a Mac

It is practically the same as streaming on a Windows PC. You just have to install the Discord standalone app for Mac OS X. You can use this link https://discord.com/download and look for the installation file.

1. Once you have installed Discord on your Mac, simply follow the instructions for Windows machines as described above.

How to Stream on Discord from an iPhone

If you want to stream a game (or even another application) from your iPhone you can easily use the same screen sharing option we used for PC and Mac.

To install the iOS version of the Discord app on your iPhone, visit Apple’s App Store.

When installing the app, you will have to log in. If you don’t have a Discord account, you can create it now. Once that’s done and you are logged in, the next step is to create your Discord server. Here is what you have to do.

1. Open the Discord mobile app on your iPhone.
   
2. From the menu to the left, tap the + icon.
   
3. Tap Create a server.
   
4. Enter the server name and the image that you would like to use for the server’s icon then tap Create Server.
   
5. Now the app will ask you to invite friends to join your server. If you want to skip this for now, tap the X in the upper left corner of the screen.
   
6. The app will now take you directly to your new server.

Now that you have created your Discord server, it is time to try making a call.

1. Open the Discord app on your iPhone.
   
2. Tap the hamburger menu icon in the top right corner of the screen. It is the three horizontal lines.
   
3. The menu to the left shows a list of the servers you have created, as well as those you are following. Just tap the icon of a server and the app will take you there. To proceed, tap your own server’s icon.
   
4. In the main portion of the screen, you will see the existing channels on your server. By default, there is one text channel (#general) and one voice channel (General).
   
5. Tap the General voice channel.
   
6. A pop-up will appear asking you to confirm this action, so tap Join Voice. You might have to allow Discord to access the microphone, speaker, and camera on your device. In any event, you will see the notification if that is the case.
   
7. Once that is done, you will see the General voice call in your Discord app.
   
8. To enable a video call, simply tap the camera icon in the lower-left corner of the screen.
   
9. To end the call, tap the red Disconnect icon in the lower right corner of the screen.
   

How to Stream on Discord from an Android Device

Similar to iOS users, Android users can use the screen share function within Discord to stream games from their phone or tablet. To start out, open Discord and navigate to the server of your choice. Unlike the computer version of Discord, the mobile app will record your entire screen.

To start sharing, do this:

1. After you’ve selected the server from the left side of Discord, tap on the Voice channel you’re sharing to and tap Join Voice.
   
2. After you’ve joined the Voice channel, you’ll see an icon at the bottom of your screen that looks like a phone with an arrow. Tap it.
   
3. On the next window, tap Start Now when you’re ready to begin sharing.
   
4. Now that you’ve started screen sharing you can go to your phone’s app drawer, open the game or app that you want to share, and Discord will stream it all live for you. When you’re ready to stop streaming, head back to Discord and tap on Stop Sharing.

Of course, you can also tap on the red end call button to stop screen sharing and leave the voice channel.

How to Stream on Discord from a Chromebook

Chromebooks are essentially Google-customized Android devices in a laptop frame. In that sense, downloading and using the Discord app is the same as any Android smartphone and tablet.

1. To start, get the app on Google Play and then check out “How to Stream on Discord from an iPhone” further up this article.

Frequently Asked Questions

Although Discord has a user-friendly interface, things can get a bit complicated. In case we didn’t answer all of your questions already, we’ve included this section to help you with your streaming endeavors.

How many people can join my live stream on Discord?

Discord officially allows 10 people. But, right now, up to 50 can attend your live streams. The company increased the number of viewers during the 2020 Coronavirus outbreak and stated the increased number will remain as long as it is necessary.

The game I’m playing isn’t showing up. What can I do?

If you’re using a computer, you may not see the game you’re playing at first. Fortunately, there’s an easy fix.

1. Head over to the Game Activity setting in Discord and add your game from the dropdown menu. You can find the full tutorial for this in our article here.

My computer won’t let me screen share on Discord. How do I fix it?

If you can’t share on Discord, it’s because of a setting. Essentially, Discord doesn’t have permission to record your screen.

1. Mac users can rectify this easily by opening the System Preferences and activating Discord under the Privacy & Security settings.

2. You’ll need to click Screen Recording within the Settings to grant Discord the right permissions. If you can’t check the box initially, click on the lock icon in the lower left-hand corner of the pop-up window and enter your Mac password.

PC users will need to run the app as an Administrator.

1. Open Discord and right-click on the app in the toolbar. Click More then click Run as Administrator.

As soon as Discord is granted the right permissions you can share your screen.

Streaming Without any Lag

Hopefully, this article helped you learn how to stream on Discord. Regardless of the device or OS, streaming on Discord is a simple process. Now that you know how, it’s time to stream your favorite games, Netflix, Spotify, and more on Discord.

Have you managed to set up streaming on Discord? Do you find the mobile app useful enough? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.