In Discord streaming, Source usually means the stream is shown at the same resolution as the original window or screen you’re sharing, instead of being downscaled. Discord’s help page says Go Live and screen share lets you share an application window or your entire screen, and a guide notes that “Source” uses the source’s resolution up to the maximum allowed.

What it means

  • Source = original size/quality from the thing you’re streaming.
  • It’s typically the highest-quality option compared with lower presets like 480p, 720p, or 1080p.
  • If your source is 1440p or 4K, Discord will still only use whatever Discord allows for that stream tier and setup.

Why people pick it

  • It gives the clearest image for games, design work, or anything with small text.
  • It can use more bandwidth and be harder on performance than lower-quality settings.
  • In some Discord setups, higher stream quality may depend on Nitro or the server’s streaming limits.

Simple example

If you’re sharing a 1920x1080 game window and choose Source , viewers see it at that original 1080p rather than a reduced version. If you choose a lower preset, Discord compresses it more.

Bottom line

So, in Discord streaming, Source means “match the original stream quality as closely as possible.”