To set up a custom RTMP stream, get the destination’s server URL and stream key from its live-stream dashboard, enter them in your encoder, match the destination’s video settings, then start the encoder and confirm the destination reports an incoming stream. In OBS, use the platform preset if it supports the required protocol; otherwise choose Custom and fill in the server and stream key fields.
What you need before you start
A custom RTMP connection needs two destination-specific details: an ingest or server URL and a stream key. Get both from the platform that will receive the stream. Do not guess the URL or reuse one from another service: endpoints and credentials vary by destination and may vary by live event.
- Server URL: the receiving platform’s ingest endpoint.
- Stream key: a credential that authorizes your encoder to send video to that destination. Keep it private; do not share it or display it on stream.
- Encoder: software such as OBS, or compatible hardware, configured to send a video and audio feed.
- Stable upload connection: enough sustained upload bandwidth for the video bitrate, with some headroom for network variation.
For secure transport, prefer RTMPS when the destination supplies it and your encoder supports it. YouTube defines RTMPS as RTMP carried over a TLS/SSL connection, which encrypts the connection: YouTube Help: Encrypt your stream using RTMPS.
Set up a custom server in OBS
- Create or select the live destination. Open the platform’s live dashboard and create or select the event or input you intend to stream to. Find its ingest/server URL and stream key. The exact screens and how long credentials remain valid depend on the service.
- Open OBS’s stream settings. In OBS, open Settings, then Stream. If OBS offers a built-in service preset for your destination and it supports the protocol you need, select it. Otherwise choose Custom.
- Enter the endpoint and key. Paste the destination’s URL into Server and its credential into Stream Key. Copy the values carefully and keep the key out of screenshots, recordings, and public chats.
- Configure the outgoing video and audio. Set resolution, frame rate, codec, rate control, bitrate, and keyframe interval to values accepted by the destination and sustainable on your upload connection. The settings are platform-specific; YouTube’s recommendations below are not universal RTMP requirements.
- Check your sources. Add or select the game capture, display capture, camera, or other content source you want to send, along with an audio source. Confirm the OBS preview and audio meters behave as expected.
- Start streaming and verify reception. Select Start Streaming in OBS, then check the receiving platform’s dashboard or test player for an incoming or connected status. Starting OBS alone does not prove the destination is receiving a usable feed.
Choose settings that match the destination
There is no single bitrate or codec setting for every custom RTMP server. Follow the receiving platform’s current encoder guidance first, then make sure your internet connection can sustain the selected bitrate. YouTube’s published settings allow RTMP or RTMPS, H.264, H.265 (HEVC), or AV1, up to 60 fps, and AAC or MP3 audio. YouTube recommends CBR and a two-second keyframe interval, which should not exceed four seconds. See YouTube’s encoder settings, bitrates, and resolutions.
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| YouTube output | Codec | YouTube recommended bitrate |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p at 30 fps | AV1 or H.265 | 10 Mbps |
| 1080p at 30 fps | H.264 | 14 Mbps |
| 1080p at 60 fps | AV1 or H.265 | 12 Mbps |
| 1080p at 60 fps | H.264 | 17 Mbps |
These are YouTube recommendations, not guaranteed requirements for another platform or a promise that a particular connection can sustain the stream. If the stream stutters or drops frames, lower the output bitrate or resolution, or improve the upload connection before retrying.
Platform-specific setup notes
YouTube Live
YouTube recommends an RTMPS preset when your encoder provides one. If setting it manually, open Live Control Room and go to Stream settings. Use the lock icon to reveal the RTMPS URL, copy that URL rather than the ordinary RTMP URL, and copy the stream key into OBS. YouTube’s general RTMPS ingestion guidance specifies port 443: Google for Developers: Delivering Live YouTube Content via RTMPS.
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Twitch documents a broadcast URL in the form rtmp://<ingest-server>/app/<stream-key>. The ingest server identifies where Twitch receives the stream, and the key authorizes the broadcast. Use the endpoint and key Twitch supplies for your account rather than constructing your own values. Twitch documents software encoders such as OBS Studio and Streamlabs, as well as console and hardware encoder options: Twitch Developers: Video Broadcast.
For a bandwidth check, Twitch documents an optional bandwidthtest=true query parameter that prevents a test broadcast from being viewable live while it is checked with Twitch Inspector. Follow Twitch’s current instructions for where to add that parameter and how to run the test.
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Cloudflare’s OBS walkthrough, updated April 21, 2026, has you create a Live Input and record its RTMPS URL and unique key. In OBS, open the stream information settings, choose Custom, enter the supplied URL and key, add test content, and start streaming. Confirm the Live Input reports Connected and use its test player to check reception. The walkthrough describes webcam motion, screen capture, and a browser source as possible content sources; none is a prerequisite for configuring a custom RTMP destination. See Cloudflare Developers: First Live Stream with OBS.
RTMP, RTMPS, and connection failures
RTMP is the streaming protocol; RTMPS carries RTMP over TLS/SSL. If a destination supplies an RTMPS endpoint, use it when your encoder supports it. A URL with the wrong protocol, an incorrect port, or an unsupported secure connection can prevent the encoder from connecting.
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- OBS cannot connect: compare the server URL character for character with the destination dashboard. Check for a missing path, extra spaces, or an old endpoint.
- Secure connection or SSL error: confirm the supplied URL begins with
rtmps://if RTMPS is required, and confirm your encoder supports RTMPS. For YouTube, check that you copied the RTMPS URL and use port 443 as specified in its ingestion guidance. - Connection times out: verify the endpoint and port, then check whether your network or firewall blocks the connection. For custom low-level integrations, YouTube’s documentation also requires the server hostname for TLS SNI authentication; an encoder application normally handles this when given the correct endpoint.
- The platform connects but shows no usable video: check that OBS has an active source, that the correct scene is selected, and that the destination is receiving the expected codec and settings.
- The stream starts and then stutters or drops frames: the chosen bitrate may exceed what your upload connection can sustain. Reduce bitrate or output resolution and test again.
- The key is rejected: copy the key again from the selected event or input. Make sure it belongs to that destination and has not been rotated or replaced.
- A key may have been exposed: treat it as compromised. Use the destination’s dashboard to reset or replace it, then update the encoder before streaming again.
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