Overview
A live production used to need a rack of hardware: a vision mixer, a character generator, a playback machine, an audio desk and an encoder. vMix does all of it in software on one reasonably specified computer, and it does it reliably enough that it is used for real broadcasts, sports coverage, conferences and church services rather than only for hobby streams.
The interface is the familiar gallery layout, a row of input thumbnails at the bottom, preview and program monitors above, and transition buttons between them. Everything else, the overlays, the audio mixer, the replay system, the title editor, hangs off that. This build is the Pro edition with the licensing handled, which means unlimited inputs, 4K support, the instant replay system, the multi corder recording and the full effect set, with no watermark on output and no time limit on a session.
Inputs and switching
An input can be a capture card, a webcam, a network camera, an NDI source from another machine, a video file, an image, an audio file, a browser page, a screen capture, a title, a colour, or a remote guest called in over the internet. They all appear as thumbnails in the same row and all switch the same way.
Switching is a cut, a fade, or one of the effect transitions, on four assignable buttons, with keyboard shortcuts and support for hardware control surfaces. Overlays sit on four independent layers for lower thirds, bugs, picture in picture and full screen graphics, each with its own transition in and out.
Graphics, keying and virtual sets
The title editor builds animated lower thirds and full screen graphics with fields that can be updated live during a show, or driven from a spreadsheet or a data source so that a scoreboard or a name plate updates itself. Templates carry across shows.
Chroma keying is good enough for a properly lit green screen and adequate for an imperfect one, with spill suppression and edge control. Virtual sets place the keyed presenter into a 3D environment with camera positions you can cut between, which gives a small room the appearance of a studio.
Audio, replay and recording
The audio mixer handles multiple buses, per input gain, compression, equalisation, noise gating, delay for lip sync, and automatic mix minus so that a remote guest does not hear themselves. Audio can follow video or be locked open, which is the difference between a clean show and a presenter talking over a package.
Instant replay records the inputs continuously and plays back at variable speed with in and out points marked on the fly, which is what makes live sports coverage possible. Multi corder records each input separately at the same time as the program mix, so the isolated cameras are available for an edit afterwards rather than only the switched output.
Output and how it scales
Streaming goes out to several destinations at once at independent bitrates, with hardware encoding on the graphics card. Program output also feeds NDI for other machines, SDI or HDMI through a supported card for screens and projectors in the room, and a virtual camera for a conferencing application.
The machine matters more than in most software. A modern six core processor with a mid range card handles a typical multi camera HD show comfortably. 4K, instant replay and multi corder recording together push it much harder, and this is one of the few applications where the honest advice is to test your intended show configuration before the day rather than trusting a specification sheet.
What you get
- Unlimited inputs from capture cards, cameras, NDI, files, browsers and screens
- Cut, fade and effect transitions with hardware control surface support
- Four independent overlay layers
- Animated title editor with live and data driven fields
- Chroma key with spill suppression and virtual 3D sets
- Multi bus audio mixer with compression, equalisation and gating
- Automatic mix minus for remote guests
- Instant replay with variable speed and live in and out points
- Multi corder isolated recording of every input
- Simultaneous streaming to several destinations at different bitrates
- Hardware encoding on the graphics card
- NDI, SDI, HDMI and virtual camera output
- 4K support in the Pro edition
Inside the archive
- vMix Pro, offline installer
- Title and virtual set template libraries
- NDI runtime components
- Sample production files
- Readme with the licensing step and a note on testing before a live show
System requirements
| Operating system | Windows 10 version 22H2 or Windows 11, 64-bit |
|---|---|
| Processor | Six core 3.5 GHz or faster, more for 4K and replay |
| Memory | 16 GB minimum, 32 GB for 4K productions |
| Graphics | 6 GB VRAM minimum, 8 GB or more recommended |
| Storage | SSD required, fast and large for multi corder recording |
| Network | Wired connection strongly recommended for streaming |
Installing it
- Unpack the archive to a local drive.
- Disable real time protection for the install.
- Run setup as administrator and install the NDI components when offered.
- Apply the licensing step from the readme before launching.
- Build your show, then rehearse the full configuration once before the live date. This is not optional advice for a broadcast.
Mirrors
| Route | Region | Note | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct, primary | Europe | No wait, resumable | Online |
| Direct, secondary | North America | No wait, resumable | Online |
| Torrent magnet | Global | Optional | Online |
Release history
- Instant replay buffer handling reworked for longer recordings
- Fixed audio delay resetting on input reconnect
- Faster NDI discovery on large networks
- Multi corder recording extended to more simultaneous inputs
- Title editor data source binding added
- Virtual set rendering rebuilt
- Simultaneous stream destination limit raised
Questions about this release
What does Pro add over the lower editions?
Unlimited inputs, 4K, instant replay, multi corder and the full effect set. All active in this build.
Is there a watermark or a session limit?
No. Output is clean and a session runs as long as you need it to.
Can it take remote guests?
Yes, called in over the internet as an input, with automatic mix minus so they do not hear themselves delayed.
What machine do I need?
More than you think if you want 4K with replay and isolated recording. Rehearse your actual configuration rather than trusting a minimum specification.
Comments
Mix minus alone makes remote guests workable. Pro features all unlocked, no mark on the stream.
Virtual set makes our tiny room look like a studio. Green screen lighting matters more than the key settings.
Comments are read before they appear. If a build stops working, say so here and it gets rebuilt rather than quietly left up.
Four cameras, replay and isolated recording on a 7800X3D. Ran a three hour match without a dropped frame.