OBS setup
How to go live with OBS Studio, from stream key to first broadcast.
1. Find your ingest URL and stream key#
- Open the dashboard Stream tab. The Ingest card shows your RTMP URL and your Stream key (Reveal to see it, Copy to copy it).
- If a Region selector is shown, pick the region closest to you; changing it updates the RTMP URL, so re-copy it afterwards.
- The Rotate button invalidates the current key for the next publish. After rotating, every encoder that still has the old key stops being able to connect.
2. Point OBS at the server#
- OBS: Settings, then Stream.
- Service:
Custom... - Server: the RTMP URL from the Stream tab.
- Stream Key: the stream key from the Stream tab.
3. Encoder settings#
Settings, then Output, set Output Mode to Advanced.
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Encoder | NVENC H.264 if you have an NVIDIA GPU, otherwise x264 |
| Rate control | CBR |
| Bitrate | 6000 to 8000 kbps for 1080p60; see the bitrate limits table below for higher resolutions and framerates |
| Keyframe interval | 2 s |
| Preset | x264: veryfast (slower only if your CPU has headroom); NVENC: Quality (P5) |
| Profile | high |
Bitrate limits
Every account may stream at any resolution up to 4K and any framerate up to 240 fps. The declared video bitrate is capped by the resolution and framerate your encoder announces; a stream that declares a bitrate above its cap is disconnected immediately when the stream starts.
| Resolution | Up to 60 fps | Up to 120 fps | Up to 240 fps |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1080p and below | 10000 kbps | 20000 kbps | 30000 kbps |
| 1440p | 20000 kbps | 30000 kbps | 40000 kbps |
| 4K (2160p) | 40000 kbps | 60000 kbps | 80000 kbps |
Watching is where quality is unlocked: every viewer can watch up to 1080p60 for free, the Baron subscription unlocks watching up to 1440p and 120 fps, and King unlocks everything up to 4K and 240 fps. If you stream above 1080p60, enable Enhanced Broadcasting (multitrack) in OBS or keep a lower quality rendition so free viewers still have something to watch; without one they see a subscribe prompt instead of your stream.
The keyframe interval matters: the player starts new viewers on a keyframe, so long intervals mean slower joins and higher latency. Leave it at 2 s.
Only H.264 video with AAC audio is accepted; HEVC and AV1 publishes are rejected.
4. Audio#
- Audio encoder: AAC.
- Bitrate: 160 kbps is plenty for stereo.
- Sample rate (Settings, Audio): 48 kHz.
5. Resolution and framerate#
Settings, then Video: any Output (Scaled) Resolution up to 3840x2160 and any FPS up to 240 work for every account, as long as the bitrate stays inside the limits table above. Remember the viewer side: only subscribed viewers can watch above 1080p60, so 1080p60 remains the best default for reach.
6. Going live#
- Set your title and category in the dashboard Stream Manager tab (or via the Public API).
- Check your scene: correct sources visible, audio meters moving, no muted mic.
- Press Start Streaming in OBS and watch the status bar: green square, stable bitrate, 0 dropped frames.
- Open your channel page in a browser tab and confirm video and audio.
- Your channel appears on the front page automatically while you are live.
- If nothing happens, open the dashboard Activity tab. Every rejected publish is logged there with the reason it was refused, which is the fastest way to find out why a stream did not go live.
Common failures#
| Symptom | Cause and fix |
|---|---|
| Disconnected right after Start Streaming | The stream key was rotated and OBS still has the old one; copy the current key from the Stream tab. Also caused by a declared bitrate above the limit for your resolution and framerate (see the bitrate limits table); the exact reason appears in the dashboard Activity tab. |
| OBS shows connected but the channel stays offline | Wrong Server URL, usually after a region change; re-copy the RTMP URL from the Stream tab. |
| Stream drops when a second device connects | A new publish with the same key takes over the running stream; stop the other encoder. |
| Stream rejected with an encoder error | HEVC or AV1 video, or non-AAC audio; switch to H.264 + AAC. |
| Stream killed at higher resolution or FPS | The declared bitrate exceeds the cap for that resolution and framerate; lower the bitrate or the output settings. The Activity tab shows the exact numbers. |
| Reconnecting straight after a failed start is rejected | The killed session is still holding your channel. A publish waits about 3 seconds for the slot and the old session lingers about 10 seconds after it ends, so an immediate retry answers Stream key already publishing. Wait roughly 15 seconds and start again. |
| Viewers report high delay | Keyframe interval not set to 2 s, or the encoder is overloaded (check dropped frames in the OBS status bar). |