Broadcast live from OBS, a hardware encoder, or a phone app. Your channel switches to the live feed automatically, and it can record the session to your Media Library for replays.
How going live works
Each channel has its own live server address and stream key. When your encoder starts sending video, the channel switches to your live feed automatically, with no button to press in the panel. When you stop streaming, it returns to its schedule. While you're live:
- The Go Live tab shows LIVE NOW, and the Studio monitor shows LIVE.
- Scheduled programming, station IDs, and ad breaks pause.
- Simulcast targets carry your live feed without reconnecting.
Set up OBS (or another encoder)
- In the panel, open the channel's Go Live tab.
- In OBS, go to Settings ? Stream and set Service to Custom….
- Click Copy server URL and paste it into OBS's Server field.
- Click Copy stream key and paste it into OBS's Stream Key field.
- Click Start Streaming in OBS. Within a few seconds, the Go Live tab shows LIVE NOW.
Some encoders have only one field for the whole address. In that case, put the server URL and stream key together with a / between them: <server URL>/<stream key>.
Recommended encoder settings
Your live feed is passed straight through to viewers without being re-encoded. The switch between scheduled and live programming is smoothest when your encoder matches the channel's Input Encoding Format, which you'll find on the Settings tab:
| OBS setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Output resolution | Same as the channel, for example 1280×720 |
| Frame rate | Same as the channel, for example 30 |
| Video bitrate | Close to the channel's video kbps |
| Encoder | x264 or a hardware H.264 encoder |
| Keyframe interval | 2 seconds |
| Audio | AAC, same sample rate as the channel (usually 48 kHz) |
Protect your stream key
Treat the stream key like a password. Anyone who has it can broadcast on your channel. If it leaks, click Rotate stream key. The old key stops working immediately, and you'll need to paste the new key into your encoder.
Recording live streams
Turn recording on
- Go to the channel's Settings tab and find Live Recording.
- Tick Record live streams. This is also available on the Go Live tab.
- Choose whether recordings should go straight into video on demand (see below), then click Save recording settings.
Recording starts with your next live session. While it's running, the Go Live tab shows ???? RECORDING. Capture begins a few seconds after the stream starts.
After the stream ends
The recording is processed and added to the Media Library as Live recording — <channel> — <date-time>.mp4, marked ???? recorded. You can add it to playlists like any upload, and it's included in backups. If nothing usable was captured, no file is created.
Video on demand for recordings
By default, recordings are saved hidden from the public on-demand list, so you can review them before they're published. To publish one, click its ???? Hidden button in the Media Library so it changes to ???? Visible.
To publish recordings automatically instead, tick Automatically add recordings to VOD on save under Live Recording on the Settings tab. The setting is checked when each recording finishes saving, so changing it during a stream still applies to that stream's recording.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | What to check |
|---|---|
| OBS can't connect | Check that the server URL and stream key were copied exactly. If you rotated the key, paste the new one. If it still fails, contact support. |
| Still showing "LIVE NOW" after you stopped | Click Clear stuck "live" status on the Go Live tab. |
| Picture jumps in size when switching between live and scheduled programming | Match OBS's resolution and frame rate to the channel's Input Encoding Format. |
| No recording appeared | Recording must be turned on before the session starts. Very short or failed sessions produce no file. |
