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Faders docs: OBS plugin and extension setup
How Faders works, how to set up the free OBS plugin on your Twitch stream, and how viewers use the extension to set their own volume levels.
Faders is a free OBS plugin and browser extension that lets each viewer of a live stream set their own volume levels. The plugin sends the streamer's voice, game and music as separate audio layers alongside the stream, and the extension gives every viewer a slider for each one. The broadcast itself doesn't change.
Twitch is supported today. YouTube Live, Kick and X/Twitter support are on the roadmap and are not available yet. Faders is for a global audience; the website and docs are currently available in English, with no translations yet.
#How does Faders work?
Faders sends a second, separate copy of your audio next to your Twitch stream, split into layers, and the extension plays those layers in time with the Twitch video. Three parts work together:
- The plugin for OBS Studio (streamers, free) reads three of your OBS audio tracks, by default tracks 2, 3 and 4, and sends them as the Voice, Game and Music layers. It uploads only while at least one viewer is listening, at about 380 kbps. With nobody listening, it sends nothing.
- The browser extension (viewers, free) adds a Mix this stream button to the bottom right of the video on channels that use Faders. Clicking it opens a panel with a slider for each layer. The extension plays the layers in place of Twitch's mixed audio and keeps them lined up with the video.
- The streamer portal at faders.tv/portal is where you connect your channel, create plugin keys, watch live listener stats and manage your plan.
Your stream goes to Twitch exactly as before. Viewers without the extension, and everyone on phones and TV apps, hear your normal mix.
#How does the audio stay in sync with the video?
The extension matches its audio to what the viewer is watching. Twitch's video runs a few seconds behind the live action, and the delay changes with buffering and catch-up, so Faders measures it and follows it. It usually locks in within about 10–15 seconds and, in testing, stays within ±10 ms. Until it's synced, the viewer hears Twitch's normal audio, so they never hear the two mixes on top of each other. Viewers can also nudge the timing by hand. See Use the Faders extension.
#What happens during ads?
When a Twitch ad starts, Faders steps aside and the viewer hears the ad as normal, then it picks up again when the ad ends. It isn't an ad blocker, and streamers keep their ad revenue.
#What do I need to stream with Faders?
- OBS Studio 32 or newer. Streamlabs Desktop isn't supported yet; you can use OBS with Streamlabs' own plugin for alerts.
- Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit), or macOS 13 or newer (Apple silicon or Intel).
- A Twitch channel you own, which you confirm by signing in to the portal with Twitch.
- A few minutes to put your mic, game and music on their own OBS tracks. That's the only step that needs some thought: see Separate OBS audio tracks for viewer controls.
#What do viewers need?
A desktop browser with the Faders extension: Chrome, Edge or Firefox. There's no account and no sign-in. The extension only runs on twitch.tv and only does anything on channels that use Faders.
#What does Faders cost?
Viewers never pay. Streamers start on Free, which allows up to 25 viewers using Faders at once. Pro is US$15 a month or US$150 a year and allows up to 1,000 at once, plus a history of past streams. Over 1,000? There's a Partner plan; get in touch. When a channel is full, extra viewers simply hear Twitch's normal audio. See The streamer portal, plans and billing.
#What does Faders do with my data?
Very little, by design. The extension collects no personal data, has no accounts and doesn't track you: it asks Faders whether a channel uses it, by channel name only, and receives that channel's audio. Streamers' audio is relayed to listeners and held in memory for at most about a minute, so late joiners can catch up. It's never recorded or stored. The portal stores what it needs to run your channel, such as your sign-in details, plan and plugin keys, which are kept only as a one-way hash. The privacy policy lists every detail.
#Where do I start?
Streamers:
- Set up Faders on your stream: sign in, install the plugin, paste your key. About five minutes, with troubleshooting at the end.
- Separate OBS audio tracks for viewer controls: put each sound on the right layer.
- The streamer portal, plans and billing: keys, live stats, limits, upgrading and cancelling.
Viewers:
- Use the Faders extension: mix a stream, sync, ads, settings, and fixes for common problems.
#Can I try it first?
Yes. Our demo channel, twitch.tv/faderstv, is live around the clock with Faders turned on. With the extension installed, click Mix this stream at the bottom right of the video and drag the sliders.