Streamlabs and OBS Controversy

It was such a long time that streamers had beef with Streamlabs. I wonder if it’s still going on. If you’re one of the streamers who had beef with Streamlabs, tell me what you think after reading this article.

Streamlabs is a popular name in the streaming game. When it aired in 2014, it did the basics for people livestreaming. I started using it 2016, and it seemed helpful. However, the company has been at the center of significant controversy due to its initial handling of the open-source software OBS (Open Broadcaster Software). Streamlabs has faced criticism for using OBS’s code without proper attribution and misleading the community about its relationship with OBS. While Streamlabs has made attempts to address these issues in recent years, the controversy has left lasting questions about the ethics of the company's practices and the future of its relationship with OBS.

Streamlabs’ Use of OBS: The Origins of the Dispute

The dispute between Streamlabs and OBS came into the spotlight in late 2021 when OBS publicly accused Streamlabs of using their software without proper credit. Streamlabs had launched a product called Streamlabs OBS (SLOBS), a modified version of OBS Studio, but the company gave little indication that it was using open-source code from OBS. The name "Streamlabs OBS" also created the false impression that there was an official partnership between the two companies.

In a public tweet, OBS stated, "We’ve had interactions with Streamlabs regarding their use of OBS. We’ve asked them not to use OBS in their name, and they’ve refused. We’ve tried to sort this out in private, and they have been uncooperative at every turn."

The OBS team made it clear that they were frustrated with Streamlabs’ refusal to change the branding and better acknowledge OBS’s contributions. The controversy quickly spread across social media, with many streamers and industry insiders accusing Streamlabs of exploiting the work of open-source developers for commercial gain.

After the backlash, Streamlabs issued a public apology. The company admitted that it should have been clearer in its branding and promised to change the name of the software to better reflect the fact that it was not officially affiliated with OBS.

"Streamlabs OBS is built on top of OBS, and we should have been clearer in our branding from the start," the company said in a statement. Streamlabs also committed to giving proper credit to OBS for its contributions going forward.

Despite the apology, the damage to Streamlabs’ reputation had already been done. Many in the community felt that the apology came too late, and some streamers began migrating to OBS Studio or other alternatives, feeling that Streamlabs had acted in bad faith.

Pretty much, SLOBS was making money off free open-source materials.

OBS

OBS is free, open-source, and highly customizable, with a large community of developers who continue to create plugins and updates. While it may require a bit more technical know-how than Streamlabs, OBS is widely regarded as a more flexible and lightweight solution. OBS is widely regarded as a more flexible and lightweight solution.

One of the key aspects of this controversy is the tension between commercial ventures and open-source projects. OBS is an open-source software that has long been a staple of the streaming community, allowing developers to freely modify and build upon its code. However, when a for-profit company like Streamlabs uses open-source code and fails to give proper credit—or worse, creates confusion about who is responsible for the software—it raises concerns about fairness and ethics in the tech industry.

Streamlabs' use of OBS raised questions about whether companies that profit from open-source projects should be required to do more to support and credit the original developers. In this case, the backlash against Streamlabs suggests that many in the community believe they should.

Strengthening the Relationship

In the wake of the controversy, Streamlabs began working more closely with OBS to address the rift between the two companies. One of the ways Streamlabs has attempted to rebuild trust is by developing plugins for OBS Studio. These plugins allow OBS users to access popular Streamlabs features like alerts, overlays, and widgets without switching between platforms.

Streamlabs has also made efforts to improve communication with the OBS team, acknowledging that past interactions could have been handled better. A Streamlabs representative said, "We’ve been working much more closely with the OBS team, especially on plugins and other integrations."

I haven’t seen more OBS direct tweets to Streamlabs, so things seem to be good now. Unfortunately, the internet never forgets

Ongoing Usage of Streamlabs

Despite the controversy, Streamlabs remains a widely used platform, particularly among newer streamers who appreciate its user-friendly interface and feature set. Streamlabs has built a large user base by offering easy-to-use tools for setting up streams, adding overlays, managing donations, and multi-streaming to platforms like Twitch, YouTube, and TikTok.

The Streamlabs and OBS controversy highlights important issues about open-source software, commercialization, and transparency in the tech industry. For streamers, the decision to use Streamlabs or OBS comes down to personal priorities.