The stream deck belonging to Elgato came has easily become one of the most-loved parts of streaming equipment today.
You can have a wide variety of plugins on this stream deck. These only enhance your video, meeting or call for an improved experience.
But, in case you are unsure which to choose from, I have on this article a list of the best stream deck plugins and why you should consider them.
Table of Contents
14 Best Elgato Stream Deck Plugins
Among all the different kinds of stream deck plugins and app features on your Elgato deck, here are 14 plugins that will be the most useful and provide the most support.
1. Control Center
This plugin is mostly dedicated to light control. If you have key or ring light products also made by Elgato, this one will be very useful for controlling that.
Brightness and color temperature may be controlled, as well as RGB, if that’s something that’s supported by the light device itself.
Some other lights made by different manufacturers are compatible with this. So even if you don’t have these lights specifically, you’ll be able to control some aspects of them.
Besides lighting, multi-actions are also possible. This means having control over lighting, focus & camera visuals, chat comments, and audio in one place.
2. Twitch Studio
With this plugin, Twitch Studio application settings can be controlled through the stream deck.
One of the functions is going live directly from the stream deck. Then you can control your audio input and mute and unmute however you want. You will be able to start and end the recording, control which layers are shown (and which aren’t), and finally, switch between scenes.
This is a good plugin, but if you use a different streaming software, then it’s probably not that useful.
For OBS users, you’ll learn what the OBS plugin does a little further down the page!
3. Spotify Integration
Even if you’re not a streamer, it’s highly probable you are using Spotify. So having it as a stream deck plugin is useful.
But, if you are a streamer, you’ll play a lot of music during your streams, and probably do it through Spotify.
So, why not make it a plugin? Songs can be controlled by playing them directly from the deck.
Note: to use this plugin, you need to be a Spotify Premium user.
4. OBS Tools
So, your streaming software of choice is OBS, and require hotkeys that will ease use while streaming?
There’s access to different tools and commands that you’ll need often with this plugin.
Some of the commands are stream replay, audio source volume modifications, OBS CPU usage, and quick scenes toggle. You can also change transitions for enhanced design and set filters with this plugin.
5. Stream Counter
If you need to track something during a stream, this stream deck plugin will be your best friend.
For example, if counting down your sub count, then this type of sub counter plugin is needed.
You might want to track your gameplay, like how many times you’ve died; well, that’s possible with this program too!
6. Predictionbuttons
With these buttons, you can set predictions in your Twitch chat. These predictions can be related to anything you want.
When using predictions, you’ll enhance the quality of conversation, as this excites people and makes them more eager to engage. It’s a great push for improved engagement and site statistics.
7. Voicemeeter Integration
You might not know about this application yet, but Voicemeeter is an app whose main function is to control audio templates.
One great thing it does is control audio from different sources separately. This is useful while streaming gameplay. It’s easy to setup shortcuts using keyboard hotkeys, to switch up without pausing the game with a mouse action.
8. Audio Mute
This stream deck plugin does what is in its name.
You can toggle mute for both your speakers and your microphone.
You will never need to go through numerous windows in the search for what’s playing, between the game you’re playing and the videos you watch.
9. CPU
Streaming involves many programs being open at once next to the Twitch or Youtube account interface.
No matter if you’re using a Windows PC or a Mac, it’s inevitable that overheating will happen.
That’s why tracking your CPU is essential.
This plugin does exactly that – you can control what happens with the CPU with a press of a button and act accordingly.
10. App Switcher
As already mentioned, streaming involves a large number of windows and programs running together. This can cause confusion when changing between screens.
The main use of this plugin is to quickly change between apps by just clicking several keys. I assume this is something that you’ll use a lot.
11. Audio Switcher
Other things streaming has a lot of are audio input and output devices. Under many circumstances, you’ll need to change between them quite quickly.
This plugin has the ability to do just that, making the process much easier.
12. Countdown Timer
During your streaming career, you’ll require some kind of a timer for a count down.
When that time comes, a plugin for that is needed, and depending on your settings, once the time is over, it will start to flash a color of your choice.
13. World Time
World time is a specific plugin and might not seem useful at first, but hear me out!
Even though the majority of your audience might be from the USA, maybe some are not.
Having world time available and knowing where your viewers are coming from will be a very interesting addition to the community. This might even bring people closer.
14. VoiceMod
If you are among streamers who modify their voices, then consider VoiceMod as one of your included stream deck plugins.
This plugin changes your voice in real-time. It also comes with a huge library of sound effects as an option to enhance your stream and make it even more entertaining.
How To Install Elgato Stream Deck Plugins
Now that you know the plugins that are available for Elgato stream deck, let’s see how to install them.
Here are the steps that you need to follow in order to add plugins to your Elgato stream deck:
- Make sure the Elgato stream deck is plugged in.
- Open the stream deck app.
- Find the Install button, and click it.
- Several options for stream deck plugins will appear. Find the one you need and download it.
- Locate the plugin file on your computer.
- Open said file by double-clicking it.
- The Elgato stream deck app will launch it, and the plugin will be loaded in the header under Custom Actions.
- Once loaded, drag the plugin on the button of the stream deck that you want to be dedicated to.
That’s for installing separate plugins on your Elgato stream deck!
Conclusion
A stream deck is a device that generally makes the process of streaming extremely easier, and the quality of those services that it provides you with only grows when you choose the right stream deck plugins for you.
Once you choose one that will make your streaming experience easier, it will be very easy to integrate them into your routine and streaming profile, as they will be an intuitive addition that will help you out a lot.
FAQ
How do you add plugins to Stream Deck?
To add plugins to your stream deck, all you need to do is go to the app that controls the stream deck, find the Install section, choose the plugin you want, download it, and then open it.
After the app opens, you simply put it in the spot where you want it to be on the deck.
What software works with Stream Deck?
A stream deck can work with both Microsoft Windows and iOS; however, there are some stream deck plugins that work only with one and not the other, so you have to check that on the information page before installing.