Streaming from OBS or vMix with RTMP

Where to find the server address and stream key, which encoder settings to use, and what to check when the connection is not picked up.

Updated 2026-09-08 · 3 min read

If you already work in OBS, vMix or a hardware encoder, there is no need to move to the browser studio. You send us one stream from the software you know, and we distribute it onward to the destinations you chose.

Where the address and key are

The broadcast page carries an Encoder card. If the screen is in its offline state you can reach the same place through the button for connecting OBS/vMix. The same details also appear on the Connections page, on the ingest tab.

The card has protocol tabs: RTMP, RTMPS, SRT and WHIP (beta). Each has its own address and a copy button. The stream key is shown masked, with an eye button to reveal it and a separate button to copy it.

Two points that save time:

• The key is created together with the broadcast. If the card says it is preparing, wait a moment — the address is not ready yet.
• SRT and WHIP have no separate key field. The key is part of the address itself, so copy the whole address.

The stream key is a password in every sense. Anyone holding it can broadcast as you, so do not publish it and do not leave it visible in a screenshot.

Recommended encoder settings

In OBS: Settings → Stream → Service Custom, then paste the address into the server field and the key into the key field. vMix is the same in substance: a custom RTMP destination.

What to set:

• Resolution 1920×1080 for ordinary landscape; 1080×1920 if the destination is vertical
• Bitrate 4,500–6,000 Kbps. Going much higher does not improve anything — it raises the chance a network rejects the stream
• Keyframe interval: 2 seconds. The networks require this, and it is the common reason a stream we accept is refused by them
• Audio around 160 Kbps

A rule of thumb for the connection: the bitrate should sit comfortably inside your upload bandwidth, not equal it.

Which protocol to choose

RTMP is the default and the most compatible. RTMPS is the same thing encrypted, on port 443 — choose it when your network blocks the ordinary port, which is common on corporate networks. SRT copes better with an unstable line and runs over UDP. WHIP gives very low latency and is in beta.

What happens when the encoder connects

We check the ingest state every ten seconds. As soon as signal is detected the state moves to live, a message confirms the stream was picked up, and chat ingestion begins. If you saved destinations, distribution to them opens automatically — and if you selected no channel at all, an explicit warning appears, because a stream arriving with no destinations goes nowhere.

The preview is HLS, and that is why it lags your encoder: the stream is typically detected five to fifteen seconds before the preview is ready, and the manifest itself takes ten to thirty seconds to build. If it does not arrive, an explanation and a retry button appear. Do not judge your viewers' latency by this preview — it exists for monitoring.

When the connection is not picked up

Work through these in order:

1. The address and key were copied whole — use the copy buttons. A trailing space on the key is enough to have the connection refused.
2. The port is blocked — switch to the RTMPS tab, which runs on 443 and passes through almost any network.
3. The key belongs to a different broadcast — each broadcast gets its own key. If you opened a new one, take the new key.
4. The encoder says connected but we are silent — wait up to thirty seconds. Detection is not instant.
5. Too many broadcasts left open — if many old broadcasts accumulated, a message asks you to delete some of them.

If signal drops mid-broadcast there is a minute and a half of grace from the start, after which an outage lasting about half a minute ends the broadcast and you are notified. Pressing stop on our side does not flip back to live even if the encoder keeps pushing for a moment.

Note that the Preflight button in the studio checks the browser's camera, microphone and network — it does not test your external encoder.

Frequently asked questions

Where do I find the stream key?

On the broadcast page in the Encoder card, or on the Connections page under the ingest tab. The key is masked; an eye button reveals it and a separate button copies it.

RTMP or RTMPS?

RTMP is the default. Switch to RTMPS if your network blocks the ordinary port — it runs on 443, which is almost always open.

My encoder says connected but you are not live yet

The check runs every ten seconds and the preview builds after it. Give it up to half a minute. If it stays silent, confirm the key was copied whole and belongs to this broadcast.

Why does the preview lag behind my encoder?

The preview goes through HLS, which is built in segments. It is a monitoring view, not a measure of the latency your viewers experience on the networks.

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