StreamLive ProOBS settings for multistreaming to several networks
OBS settings for multistreaming to YouTube, Facebook and more from one stream: codec, CBR, bitrate, keyframes, resolution and audio, each with its source.
When OBS feeds several networks at once, every setting has to pass the strictest of them, plus the server that receives your stream first. A setting that YouTube accepts can still break the stream elsewhere: HEVC that the relay cannot read, a 20 Mbps bitrate above the relay's ceiling, or a keyframe every 8 seconds that YouTube complains about. This guide gives one set of OBS settings that passes all of them, with the published source for every number, and explains which ones you can change for your kind of content.
The short version: H.264, CBR, keyframe interval 2, AAC audio at 128 kbps, and a bitrate that sits well inside your upload and under 10 Mbps.
Who has to accept your stream
With a relay such as StreamLive Pro, OBS sends one stream to the relay, and the relay sends copies to each network. So there are two layers of rules:
- The relay's ingest. StreamLive Pro receives encoder streams through Cloudflare Stream. Its published requirements: H.264 video and AAC audio only; combined bitrate between 2 and 14 Mbps, typically under 10; keyframe interval between 2 and 10 seconds with closed GOPs; CBR when possible (Cloudflare Stream: Start a live stream, checked 5 November 2026).
- Every destination. YouTube's encoder page asks for CBR, a keyframe every 2 seconds and never more than 4, AAC or MP3 audio at 128 kbps stereo and 44.1 kHz, and lists bitrates per resolution (YouTube Help: Choose live encoder settings, checked 5 November 2026). Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and others publish their own limits, and some are lower than YouTube's recommendations. We do not quote their numbers here; check each network's current page.
The setting that satisfies both layers is the one to use. The StreamLive Pro side of the setup (where the address and key are) is in Connect OBS to StreamLive Pro and multistream.
Decision table
| Your content | Resolution and frame rate | Video bitrate (CBR) | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Talking head, lecture, class, slides | 1080p at 30 fps | 4,500 to 6,000 kbps | Little motion; 30 fps is enough. YouTube's minimum for 1080p30 is 5 Mbps, so the upper end of this row is safer for YouTube |
| Weak or shared upload | 720p at 30 fps | 3,000 to 4,000 kbps | YouTube's minimum for 720p30 is 3 Mbps. A steady 720p looks better than a 1080p that stalls |
| Sport, music, moving cameras | 1080p at 60 fps | 6,000 to 9,000 kbps | Every frame changes. YouTube lists 6 Mbps minimum for 1080p60; stay under the relay's typical 10 Mbps |
| Mainly TikTok or Instagram | 1080x1920 at 30 fps | 4,500 to 6,000 kbps | Vertical canvas for phone viewers; every destination receives the same picture |
The bitrate ranges are our suggestion inside the published limits, not a rule from any network. YouTube's own "recommended" column is higher (14 Mbps for 1080p30), but that is above what the relay accepts as typical and above what many home uploads can hold. Whatever you pick, it must fit your upload with room to spare: see Upload speed and bitrate for multistreaming for the arithmetic.
OBS, screen by screen
Settings, Stream
Service: Custom. Server and Stream Key: from the Encoder card in StreamLive Pro. RTMPS is the safer tab on locked-down networks.
Settings, Output
Switch Output Mode to Advanced, then the Streaming tab:
- Video Encoder: an H.264 encoder. OBS recommends hardware encoders (NVIDIA NVENC, AMD AMF, Intel Quick Sync, Apple VideoToolbox) for performance, as they move the work off the processor (OBS: Hardware encoding). Choose the H.264 version, not HEVC or AV1: the ingest accepts H.264 only, and a stream in another codec can connect and show no picture. On an Intel Mac, OBS says Apple VideoToolbox cannot stream and you must use x264.
- Rate Control: CBR. Constant bitrate keeps the upload flat; variable bitrate spikes on busy scenes, exactly when your line is already full.
- Bitrate: from the decision table.
- Keyframe Interval: 2. Leaving 0 means "auto", which some encoders turn into long intervals.
Settings, Audio
The audio encoder in OBS's streaming output is AAC by default. Set Audio Bitrate to 128 (YouTube's stereo value). YouTube lists 44.1 kHz; OBS's sample rate is under Settings, Audio. Add the audio bitrate to the video bitrate when you check your upload.
Settings, Video
- Base (Canvas) Resolution: the shape you design in. 1920x1080 for landscape, 1080x1920 for vertical.
- Output (Scaled) Resolution: what you send. Scale down here (for example to 1280x720) instead of redesigning your scenes.
- Common FPS Values: 30 for speech; 60 only when motion needs it, since it costs more bitrate.
Landscape or vertical for mixed destinations
Every network receives the same picture. If YouTube and a Facebook Page are your audience, stay landscape. If TikTok or Instagram matter most, use a vertical canvas, and accept that YouTube receives a vertical live too. With landscape, keep faces and captions inside the centre third so a phone crop does not cut them. Stream to TikTok and YouTube at the same time walks through that decision.
Test before the real broadcast
- Run a test broadcast through StreamLive Pro with the exact settings, for at least twenty minutes, to a destination where nobody is watching yet.
- Watch "Dropped Frames (Network)" in the OBS status bar. A counter that keeps climbing means the bitrate is too high for the line.
- Check YouTube Studio's stream health for warnings about bitrate or keyframes.
- Lower the bitrate one step and repeat if needed.
Common mistakes
- HEVC or AV1 chosen because it looks better. The ingest accepts H.264 only.
- Keyframe Interval left at 0. Type 2.
- Bitrate copied from YouTube's "recommended" column. 14 Mbps or more is above the relay's typical range and above many uploads.
- VBR or a quality-based mode for live. Use CBR.
- Adding OBS multistream plugins on top of a relay. Each plugin output is another full upload from your line; with a relay you need only one.
Where StreamLive Pro fits
StreamLive Pro is the relay in this setup: OBS sends one stream and our servers send it to YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, LinkedIn, Twitch, Kick or any RTMP or SRT server. Encoder ingest (OBS, vMix, hardware encoders) is on the paid plans; the 7-day trial uses the browser studio. Plans and how many destinations each allows are on the pricing page. If your stream connects but nothing appears, see My encoder says it is streaming, but there is no picture.
Frequently asked questions
What bitrate should OBS use when streaming to several platforms?
There is no single number. For 1080p at 30 fps, 4,500 to 6,000 kbps CBR passes YouTube's minimum range and stays inside the relay's typical limit, as long as your upload has room to spare.
Should I use NVENC or x264 in OBS?
OBS recommends modern hardware encoders such as NVENC for performance. Either works for multistreaming as long as you choose the H.264 version, CBR and a keyframe interval of 2.
Can I stream HEVC or AV1 from OBS to StreamLive Pro?
No. The ingest accepts H.264 video and AAC audio only. A stream in another codec may connect and still show no picture.
What keyframe interval should I use?
2 seconds. The ingest accepts 2 to 10 seconds and YouTube asks for 2 and no more than 4, so 2 satisfies both.
Do I need different OBS settings for each network?
No. With a relay you send one stream with one set of settings, so choose values every destination accepts. Only the shape is a real choice: landscape or vertical.
Keep reading
Multistream from OBS to YouTube, Facebook and more: a multiple-RTMP plugin that uploads once per network, or one stream to a relay such as StreamLive Pro.
How to multistream: the complete guide to several networksHow to multistream to several platforms at once: your own keys from your computer, or one upload sent on by a server. Upload needs, network rules and pair guides.
How to live stream to several platforms at onceA complete guide to sending one broadcast to YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and more — from the first connection to going on air.
Stream a Microsoft Teams meeting to YouTube and FacebookSend a Microsoft Teams meeting to StreamLive Pro with the Custom Streaming app (RTMP-Out), then on to YouTube, a Facebook Page and more: admin setting and steps.
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