Streamlabs Desktop
Included with Macro DeckSwitch scenes, control your stream, recording and audio sources in Streamlabs Desktop.
The Connect Streamlabs Desktop dialog with the API token field
- Switch scenes and transition in studio mode
- Start and stop streaming, recording and the replay buffer
- Mute audio sources and set their volume
- Show, hide, flip, rotate or fit sources in a scene
- Live variables for stream and recording status and time
The Streamlabs Desktop integration connects Macro Deck to Streamlabs Desktop (formerly Streamlabs OBS) through its remote control API. You connect with the API token that Streamlabs Desktop shows, and from then on your buttons control your scenes, sources, audio and outputs.
What you can do
- Switch the active scene, turn studio mode on or off, and transition the studio-mode preview to the live output.
- Start, stop or toggle streaming, recording and the replay buffer, and save a replay.
- Show, hide or toggle a source in a scene.
- Mute, unmute or toggle an audio source, set its volume or raise and lower it by a step.
- Run a transform on a source: reset the transform, flip it horizontally or vertically, fit, stretch or center it on the screen, or rotate it.
- Read the volume or mute state of an audio source, or the visibility of a source, into a variable.
Some example setups:
- A BRB button that switches to your BRB scene and mutes your microphone.
- A Clip it button that saves the replay buffer.
- A Go live button that toggles streaming and shows whether you are live.
- A flow that runs on Streaming Started and shows your webcam source.
How it behaves
Macro Deck listens to the events Streamlabs Desktop sends, so the scene, streaming, recording, replay buffer and studio mode variables follow what you do in Streamlabs Desktop. Triggers fire when the scene changes, when streaming or recording starts, stops or changes status, when the replay buffer starts or stops, when studio mode changes, and when a source is muted, shown or hidden.
The integration has a single configuration. It connects to Streamlabs Desktop on the same computer by default. Under Advanced configuration in the setup, you can enter the address of another computer. When Streamlabs Desktop closes, Macro Deck keeps trying to reconnect. If you generate a new token in Streamlabs Desktop, the integration page shows Streamlabs Desktop rejected the API token, and you run the setup again with the new token.
What you need
- Macro Deck 3 on Windows, macOS or Linux
- Streamlabs Desktop running on this computer or another one in your network
- Remote control switched on in Streamlabs Desktop, and its API token
Set it up
Step 1: Find the API token in Streamlabs Desktop
In Streamlabs Desktop, open Settings and then Remote Control. In newer versions it is under Mobile, Third Party Connections, and you have to switch it on there. Click the QR code and choose show details to reveal the API token, then copy it.
Step 2: Open Streamlabs Desktop in Macro Deck
In Macro Deck, click Integrations in the sidebar and click Streamlabs Desktop. On the Overview tab, click Set up in the Configuration section. Turning on the switch at the top right opens the same dialog, and the integration is turned on once the setup is done.
Step 3: Paste the API token
In the dialog Connect Streamlabs Desktop, paste the token into API token.
If Streamlabs Desktop runs on another computer, turn on Advanced configuration and enter its IP address as Address. Leave Port empty unless you know it differs from
59650. Click Continue. Macro Deck tests the connection before it saves it.Step 4: Add a Streamlabs Desktop action to a button
On the Deck page, click the button you want to use. The deck must be unlocked: when the button at the top right reads Lock, it is unlocked. The editor opens with Short Press selected. Click + Add action, select Streamlabs Desktop on the left of the Add action dialog and pick an action such as Set Scene. Select the Scene, then click Save.
Step 5: Press the button
Press the button on your phone, tablet or in the web client. Streamlabs Desktop switches to the scene. If nothing happens, check that Streamlabs Desktop is running and that the configuration shows Connected on the Streamlabs Desktop page under Integrations.
Actions19
Put these on a button or run them from a flow.
- Set Scene
- Switches the active scene.
- Start Streaming
- Starts the stream if it is not already live.
- Stop Streaming
- Stops the stream if it is live.
- Toggle Streaming
- Starts or stops the stream.
- Start Recording
- Starts recording if it is not already running.
- Stop Recording
- Stops the current recording.
- Toggle Recording
- Starts or stops recording.
- Start Replay Buffer
- Starts the replay buffer.
- Stop Replay Buffer
- Stops the replay buffer.
- Toggle Replay Buffer
- Starts or stops the replay buffer.
- Save Replay
- Writes the current replay buffer to disk.
- Set Source Visibility
- Shows, hides or toggles a source in a scene.
- Get Source Visibility
- Reads whether a source is visible into a variable.
- Mute Audio Source
- Mutes, unmutes or toggles an audio source.
- Set Audio Volume
- Sets, raises or lowers the volume of an audio source.
- Get Audio Source State
- Reads the volume or mute state of an audio source into a variable.
- Scene Item Action
- Resets, flips, fits, stretches, centers or rotates a source in a scene.
- Toggle Studio Mode
- Turns studio mode on or off.
- Studio Mode Transition
- Transitions the studio-mode preview to the live output.
Triggers14
A button or flow can react to these events.
- Scene Changed
- The active scene changed. Optionally only for one scene.
- Streaming Started
- Streamlabs Desktop started streaming.
- Streaming Stopped
- Streamlabs Desktop stopped streaming.
- Streaming Status Changed
- The stream moved between offline, starting, live, ending and reconnecting.
- Recording Started
- Streamlabs Desktop started recording.
- Recording Stopped
- Streamlabs Desktop stopped recording.
- Recording Status Changed
- The recording moved between offline, starting, recording and stopping.
- Replay Buffer Started
- The replay buffer started.
- Replay Buffer Stopped
- The replay buffer stopped.
- Studio Mode Changed
- Studio mode was turned on or off.
- Source Mute Changed
- An audio source was muted or unmuted.
- Source Visibility Changed
- A source was shown or hidden in a scene.
- Connected
- Macro Deck connected to Streamlabs Desktop.
- Disconnected
- The connection to Streamlabs Desktop was lost.
Variables7
Show these values on buttons and widgets, or use them in conditions.
streamlabs_is_connected- Whether Macro Deck is connected to Streamlabs Desktop.
streamlabs_current_scene- The active scene.
streamlabs_scene_count- How many scenes there are.
streamlabs_is_streaming,streamlabs_streaming_status,streamlabs_streaming_seconds- Whether you are live, the stream status and how long the stream runs.
streamlabs_is_recording,streamlabs_recording_status,streamlabs_recording_seconds- Whether you are recording, the recording status and how long it runs.
streamlabs_replay_buffer_active,streamlabs_replay_buffer_status- Whether the replay buffer runs and its status.
streamlabs_studio_mode_active- Whether studio mode is on.
Frequently asked questions
Does it work when Streamlabs Desktop runs on another computer?
Yes. During setup, turn on Advanced configuration and enter that computer's IP address as Address. The port 59650 has to be reachable through its firewall.
Streamlabs Desktop rejected the API token. What now?
The token was generated again in Streamlabs Desktop, or remote control was switched off. Switch it on, reveal the current token and run the setup again with it.
What happens when Streamlabs Desktop closes?
Macro Deck keeps trying to reconnect and connects again once Streamlabs Desktop is running. Until then, actions fail with Streamlabs Desktop is not connected.
Is the volume in decibels?
No. Set Audio Volume uses the fader position that Streamlabs Desktop shows, in percent, not a decibel value.
Where is the API token stored?
Macro Deck stores the token encrypted on the computer that runs Macro Deck and only uses it to connect to Streamlabs Desktop.
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