To set up a custom RTMP stream, get the ingest URL and stream key from the platform receiving your broadcast, then enter them in your encoder—such as OBS—under its custom stream settings. Use the platform’s RTMPS endpoint when provided, match its encoder requirements, start streaming, and confirm the destination reports an incoming connection.
What you need before you start
- An ingest or server URL: the destination endpoint that receives your video.
- A stream key: a private credential that authorizes your encoder to send a stream to that destination.
- An encoder: software or hardware that packages your video and audio for delivery. The steps below use OBS.
- A destination live input or event: create or select it in the platform’s live dashboard so you can obtain the correct URL and key.
Get both connection values from the destination itself. Do not guess an endpoint or reuse a URL or key from another service: endpoints and credential lifetimes differ by platform.
Set up the custom stream in OBS
- Create or select a live destination. In the receiving platform’s live dashboard, create a live event or input if required. Open its stream settings and copy the ingest URL and stream key. Keep the key private.
- Open OBS stream settings. In OBS, go to Settings > Stream. If OBS offers a built-in service preset for your destination and protocol, choose it. Otherwise select Custom.
- Enter the endpoint and key. Paste the destination’s URL into the Server field and its key into Stream Key. Check for stray spaces or missing characters; do not expose the key in a screenshot, recording, or live scene.
- Configure the encoder. Set a resolution, frame rate, codec, rate control, bitrate, and keyframe interval that the destination supports and your internet upload can sustain. The destination’s requirements take precedence over general presets.
- Add sources and start the broadcast. Choose the video and audio sources you want to send, then select Start Streaming in OBS.
- Verify reception at the destination. Check its dashboard or test player for an incoming or connected status. Starting the encoder alone does not confirm that the platform is receiving the stream.
Choose RTMP or RTMPS
RTMPS is RTMP carried over a TLS/SSL connection, which encrypts the connection. If the destination supplies an RTMPS URL and your encoder supports it, use that endpoint. YouTube specifically recommends copying its RTMPS URL rather than the ordinary RTMP URL. In YouTube Live Control Room, open Stream settings, use the lock icon to reveal the RTMPS URL, and copy it into OBS along with the stream key. YouTube Help: Encrypt your stream using RTMPS.
Do not change only the protocol prefix or guess a port: use the complete endpoint supplied by the destination. For YouTube RTMPS ingestion, Google documents port 443 and requires the server hostname for SNI authentication in lower-level integrations. Google for Developers: Delivering Live YouTube Content via RTMPS.
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YouTube encoder settings to check
These are YouTube recommendations, not universal requirements for every custom RTMP destination. YouTube’s current encoder guidance lists RTMP/RTMPS, H.264, H.265 (HEVC), or AV1 video, up to 60 fps, CBR rate control, and AAC or MP3 audio. It recommends a two-second keyframe interval and says not to exceed four seconds. YouTube Help: Choose live encoder settings, bitrates, and resolutions.
| YouTube output example | Codec | Recommended bitrate |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p at 30 fps | AV1 or H.265 | 10 Mbps |
| 1080p at 30 fps | H.264 | 14 Mbps |
| 1080p at 60 fps | AV1 or H.265 | 12 Mbps |
| 1080p at 60 fps | H.264 | 17 Mbps |
Use the recommendation for your chosen codec and frame rate, then make sure your upload connection can sustain the video bitrate plus audio and network overhead. A bitrate recommendation is not a guarantee of stable delivery on a congested or inconsistent connection.
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Platform-specific setup notes
YouTube Live
Use a YouTube preset if your encoder provides one and it selects the desired protocol. Otherwise, in Live Control Room open Stream settings, reveal and copy the RTMPS URL, and paste it and the stream key into OBS. Confirm that the dashboard detects the incoming stream before relying on the live player.
Twitch
Twitch describes its broadcast URL format as rtmp://<ingest-server>/app/<stream-key>: the ingest server indicates where the broadcast is received, while the key authorizes it. Use the server information assigned or recommended by Twitch rather than constructing a URL from another service’s details. Twitch’s documentation also describes an optional bandwidthtest=true query parameter for testing with Twitch Inspector without making the stream viewable live. Keep the key private. Twitch Developers: Video Broadcast.
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Cloudflare Stream with OBS
Cloudflare’s OBS walkthrough has you create a Live Input, note its RTMPS URL and unique key, then select Custom in OBS stream settings and enter those values. Add test content, start the stream, and check that the Live Input status reports Connected. The walkthrough’s webcam, screen-capture, and browser-source examples are possible content sources, not prerequisites for using a custom endpoint. Cloudflare Developers: First Live Stream with OBS.
Protect your stream key
A stream key is an authorization credential, not a public channel address. Twitch says the key uniquely identifies and authorizes the stream as it enters its ingest system. Store it privately, avoid showing it in a screen share or recording, and use the destination’s controls to replace or reset it if you think it has been exposed. Twitch Developers: Video Broadcast.
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Troubleshoot a custom RTMP connection
| Symptom | What to check | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Destination does not show an incoming stream | URL, key, selected destination, and whether the encoder is actually streaming | Copy the URL and key again from the correct live input or event. Re-enter them carefully, start streaming, and check the destination dashboard’s connection status. |
| RTMPS connection fails or times out | Whether the supplied URL is RTMPS, whether the encoder supports RTMPS, and whether the endpoint and port match the destination’s instructions | Use the complete RTMPS endpoint supplied by the platform. For YouTube ingestion, check the documented port 443. If you are integrating at the API or socket level, verify TLS configuration and use the server hostname for SNI. |
| Stream connects but video or audio is rejected or unstable | Codec, resolution, frame rate, rate control, bitrate, keyframe interval, and upload capacity | Compare every setting with the receiving platform’s current encoder guidance. For YouTube, use CBR, a two-second keyframe interval (no more than four seconds), and a codec- and frame-rate-appropriate bitrate. |
| Credentials stop working | Whether the key belongs to the currently selected event or input, and whether the platform has changed or expired it | Return to the destination’s live settings and copy the current key and URL. Credential lifetime and setup screens vary by service. |
| Twitch bandwidth test appears offline to viewers | Whether you intentionally added bandwidthtest=true |
This parameter is intended to test delivery with Twitch Inspector while disabling live viewing; remove it when you want a normal public broadcast. |
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If your goal is a continuous YouTube stream from uploaded videos, StreamNeo is a different option from configuring OBS on a computer: upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. StreamNeo loops the video from the cloud, so your computer and home connection do not have to stay on. It offers any uploaded quality up to 4K 60fps at one flat price per slot, with automatic recovery if YouTube drops the stream. The first day is free with no card. The monthly option is $9.99 per month. See StreamNeo or its pricing page. Start your free first day with StreamNeo.
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