Applies to: Multicast Video. Not sure which panel you have? See Which radio or video panel do I have?

Your channel plays the videos in your playlist on its own. When you want to go live (a studio show, a match, an event, an interview), you need a program on your computer that takes the picture and sound from your cameras and microphones and sends them to the server. The best known programs for this are the free OBS Studio and the professional vMix. This article shows you, step by step, how to connect them to your channel.

The connection uses RTMP. It's the most common way of sending live video to a server, and almost every live streaming program and device supports it.

How live streaming works

• While you're not broadcasting, viewers see your playlist (or your restream, if one is active).
• As soon as you click "Start Streaming" in OBS, the channel switches automatically to your live picture within 2-4 seconds. Live has the highest priority: it interrupts the playlist and any restream.
• When you stop streaming in OBS, the channel goes back by itself, in about 2 seconds, to the restream (if there is one) or to the playlist. You don't need to click anything in the panel.
• The server re-encodes your live picture to the resolution and fps set in your Output Settings. Your channel's overlays and watermark are added on top.
• While you're live, ads, jingles and "Play now" don't show. They play again once the playlist is back.

The priority order is: Live → Restream → Scheduled restream → Playlist. More in First steps.

What you need

• OBS Studio (free, Windows / Mac / Linux, from the official site obsproject.com) or vMix (Windows, paid).
• A stable internet connection with enough upload speed. Allow at least one and a half times the bitrate you'll send. So for 2500 kbps you need a steady upload of at least 4 Mbps. Use a cable rather than Wi-Fi.
• The connection details from the panel (see below).
• The channel must be running. Before going live, make sure the Dashboard shows the status Active. If not, click Start (see Dashboard). If the channel is stopped, OBS may look connected, but viewers see nothing.

1. Find the connection details

1. In the menu, under Streaming, click Live. You can also get to this page from the user menu at the top right → Stream Settings.
2. Find the OBS / RTMP Settings card. It has two fields, each with a copy button next to it:
   • RTMP Server: an address like rtmp://[domain]:1935/live.
   • Stream Key: a secret code starting with sk_.
3. Copy them with the copy buttons so you don't make typing mistakes. The same details are also on the Dashboard, in the Streaming Information card (RTMP URL and Stream Key).

Port: always use the RTMP Server address exactly as shown. It already includes port 1935, so you don't need to enter it separately.

The Stream Key is like a password: anyone who has it can broadcast on your channel. Don't show it in screenshots and don't send it to others.

2. Setting up OBS Studio

Connecting to the server

1. Open OBS and click Settings, at the bottom right.
2. Go to the Stream tab.
3. Under Service, choose Custom....
4. In Server, paste the RTMP Server from the panel (e.g. rtmp://[domain]:1935/live).
5. In Stream Key, paste the Stream Key from the panel.
6. Click Apply.

Picture and sound quality

1. Go to the Output tab and set Output Mode to Advanced.
2. In the Streaming sub-tab set:
   • Encoder: x264, or your graphics card's encoder (e.g. NVIDIA NVENC H.264) if you have one. The second puts less load on your computer.
   • Rate Control: CBR.
   • Bitrate: equal to or lower than your package's maximum bitrate (see below).
   • Keyframe Interval: 2 (seconds).
3. In the Audio tab set Sample Rate to 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz. Under Output → Audio set Audio Bitrate to 128.
4. In the Video tab set Output (Scaled) Resolution to 1280x720 or 1920x1080. Set Common FPS Values to 25 or 30. Ideally, use the same values as your channel's Output Settings.
5. Click OK.

These settings match what the panel suggests under Recommended OBS settings on the Live page: Video Codec H.264, Audio Codec AAC, Audio Bitrate 128 kbps, Keyframe Interval 2 seconds, Resolution 1920x1080 or 1280x720.

How much bitrate should I use?

Each package has a maximum bitrate. You can see it:

• on the Live page, under Recommended OBS settings (the line "Video Bitrate: ... kbps (max)") and in the "Stream Info" card ("Max Bitrate");
• on the Dashboard, in the Streaming Information card ("Max Bitrate").

Keep the OBS bitrate at or below this limit. It's good to leave a little headroom too. If the limit is e.g. 4096 kbps, use 3500-3800 kbps. While you broadcast, the Bitrate bar on the Dashboard shows how much you're sending: green means plenty of room, orange means you're getting close to the limit, red means you're above 90% or over it.

Suggested values:

A bitrate above the limit doesn't improve the picture, because the server re-encodes the broadcast according to your package. It only increases the risk of drop-outs.

3. Go on air

1. Make sure the channel is running (Dashboard → Active).
2. In OBS click Start Streaming. At the bottom right you'll see a green square and the broadcast time counting up.
3. On the panel's Live page, in the Output Preview card, the badge changes to ● LIVE (red). The badge refreshes every 10 seconds. In the "Stream Info" card, "Source" shows "● Live RTMP". On the Dashboard, under now playing, you'll see Live Broadcast and "Streaming from OBS/Encoder".
4. Click the preview to see what viewers see. You'll see your live picture with a delay of a few seconds. That's normal and depends on your Stream Latency.
5. To finish, click Stop Streaming in OBS. The channel goes back automatically to the playlist or restream.

Tip: to avoid hearing yourself with a delay, and to avoid echo, don't let the panel's preview play with sound on the studio speakers. Use headphones.

Setting up vMix

vMix uses exactly the same details:

1. Click the cog next to the Stream button at the bottom of the window.
2. Under Destination, choose Custom RTMP Server.
3. In URL, enter the RTMP Server from the panel.
4. In Stream Name or Key, enter the Stream Key.
5. In the quality settings choose H.264, resolution 1280x720 or 1920x1080, a video bitrate within your package limit, AAC 128 kbps audio, and a keyframe every 2 seconds.
6. Close the window and click Stream to start.

You connect other programs and devices the same way (hardware encoders, Wirecast, cameras with RTMP): all you need is the RTMP Server address and the Stream Key.

If you want to change the Stream Key

If you think someone else has learned your Stream Key, you can change it under Settings → Stream Settings card → Regenerate next to the Stream Key.

Don't click "Regenerate" unless you really mean it. The change happens as soon as you confirm it in the window that opens. The old key stops working and you must enter the new one in every program you use (OBS, vMix). See Account settings.

No OBS? Go live from your browser

If you just want to go live with your laptop camera or a webcam, without installing anything, see Going live from your browser with a camera. For more advanced production inside the panel, see the Mixer.

Messages / Common problems