In Streamlabs Talk Studio, open Settings (or press Shift+G) to adjust participant names, status cues, audio notifications, self-view, and video layout. Inviting someone is a separate step: use Add Guest, then move the guest from the queue to the live canvas with Show on stream. Joining the studio alone does not put a guest on stream or make their microphone audible to the audience.
What guest settings control—and what they do not
Talk Studio separates participant presentation settings from admitting a guest to the live canvas. Settings change how participant information or video is presented; the Add Guest workflow invites someone, and Show on stream puts an admitted guest into the stream editor. A guest can be connected in the studio queue without being on the live stream.
Streamlabs describes Participant Settings as offering attributes when guests accept or join a live stream. In practice, the useful distinction is who sees each result: settings can affect the host’s view, the guest’s view, or what appears to the audience. Connection-quality indicators, for example, are described as visible to guests—not viewers or followers.
Open Settings and choose how participants appear
Set the host’s name and avatar
Open Settings in the studio. The host can change their displayed name and avatar there. These identify the host in the studio; they are separate from inviting or showing a guest.
The Tool Desk
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Choose name-tag and video-corner presentation
Participant presentation options include showing name tags, placing names at the bottom, and rounding video-feed corners. Choose the name placement and corner style that keep faces and any documentary visuals unobstructed. These are layout choices, not controls for bringing someone into the stream.
Decide whether guests see connection quality
Connection-quality indicators are intended for guests to see. Do not treat them as an audience-facing overlay or assume viewers and followers can see them.
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Configure audio status and speaking cues
| Control | What it does | Where it helps |
|---|---|---|
| Audio Status | Shows a participant’s audio status, such as whether they are muted. | Helps identify a muted participant in the studio. |
| Audio Warning | Detects when someone speaks while their microphone is muted. | Can alert a participant to check their mic before continuing. |
| Text-to-speech (TTS) on join | Announces a guest audibly when they join. | Useful when the host needs an audio cue that someone has arrived. |
| Speaker Indicators | Shows who is speaking. | Helps distinguish active speakers during a conversation. |
These cues do not replace the guest’s microphone setup, and they do not put a queued guest on the live canvas. In particular, a guest’s microphone is not heard on stream until the host selects Show on stream.
Invite a guest and put them on stream
- Choose Add Guest. In the studio, click Add Guest to start an invitation.
- Send the invitation. Copy the invitation link or send it by email, then share the guest instructions. The link changes for each invitation unless Permanent Link is enabled.
- Wait for the guest to join. A guest who joins appears in the studio’s queue. Being in the queue does not mean they are already visible or audible to the audience.
- Select Show on stream. Move the guest into the editor with Show on stream when you are ready for them to appear. Their microphone is not heard on stream before this step.
Check participant capacity before planning a panel
Streamlabs’ capacity figures use different definitions across its current-facing pages. Its article “It’s Live! 25 Participant Support,” last updated September 17, 2025, lists Standard for up to 6 total participants and Pro for up to 16 on-screen and 25 total participants. Its getting-started page, last updated October 1, 2025, instead lists Standard for up to 5 guests and Pro for up to 11 guests. These figures are not directly interchangeable: one distinguishes total participants and on-screen participants, while the other counts guests. Confirm the current allowance shown in your Talk Studio plan before arranging a session where the number matters.
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What guests need to check before joining
Camera and microphone
The guest onboarding flow asks the guest to enter a display name and choose a speaker, microphone, and camera. The browser needs camera and microphone permission for those devices to work. If access was denied, the guest may see unavailable feeds or an error; they should review browser permissions and select the intended devices in onboarding.
Supported browser recommendations
Streamlabs recommends Chrome for guests on PC, Mac, and Android, and Safari for guests on iOS. If a guest’s camera or microphone is unavailable, checking the browser and its permissions is a useful first step before changing the host’s participant settings.
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Screen sharing on a Mac
A guest using a Mac should grant the browser Screen Recording permission before joining: open System Settings > Privacy & Security > Screen Recording, enable access for the browser, and relaunch it if macOS prompts for a restart. Ask guests who plan to share their screen to do this before the session so permission prompts do not interrupt the conversation.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Prevent a recursive screen-share view
If a shared screen includes the Talk Studio output that contains the same shared screen, the display can repeat into a “hall of mirrors.” Turn off Show screen share to self to prevent the host’s own screen share from being shown back to them. This changes the host’s self-view; it is distinct from putting a guest on stream.
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Troubleshoot common guest problems
| What you see | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The guest has joined, but viewers cannot see or hear them. | The guest is still in the queue and has not been moved to the editor. | Select Show on stream. A queued guest’s microphone is not heard on stream until this step. |
| The guest’s camera or microphone is unavailable, or an error appears. | The browser does not have camera or microphone permission, or the wrong device was selected. | Have the guest check browser permissions, then choose the intended camera and microphone in the guest onboarding flow. |
| A guest cannot share their Mac screen. | The browser lacks macOS Screen Recording permission. | On the Mac, open System Settings > Privacy & Security > Screen Recording, allow the browser, and relaunch it if prompted. |
| The screen share appears recursively. | The host is seeing their own screen share in the studio. | Disable Show screen share to self. |
| The host expects a connection-quality indicator to appear to viewers. | The indicator is described as guest-visible, not audience-facing. | Use it as a cue for the guest; do not rely on it as an audience overlay. |
Or let it run in the cloud
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Quick Recap
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