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How to Add a YouTube Radio Stream Key to OBS Without Exposing It

Add the YouTube stream key in OBS’s Stream settings, keep credential screens out of captures, and reset the key if it is exposed.

By VGSources Team 4 min read
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Enter your YouTube stream key in OBS under Settings > Stream—not in a scene or source—and keep both YouTube Live Control Room and OBS settings out of any display or window capture while you handle it. YouTube treats the key like a password: anyone who gets it may be able to send a feed to your stream. If it has already appeared in a recording or on screen, reset it in YouTube Studio and replace the saved key in OBS.

Get the key for the intended YouTube stream

  1. In YouTube Studio, select Create > Go Live, then open the Stream tab.
  2. Create a stream if needed, or select the stream you intend to use. Check that you are working with the correct channel and stream before copying credentials.
  3. Copy the stream key and, if you are configuring a custom server in OBS, the stream URL shown in Live Control Room. YouTube describes stream keys as “like your YouTube stream’s password and address.” Treat the key as a secret; do not put it in a public chat, screenshot, tutorial, or document.

If you have streamed before, YouTube may load previous settings and a previously selected key. You do not necessarily need a new key for every broadcast.

Add the key in OBS

  1. In OBS, open Settings > Stream.
  2. If OBS offers YouTube as a service, select it and use the connection flow shown in your version. Depending on the available integration, you may not need to paste the server URL separately.
  3. If you are configuring a custom streaming server, choose the custom service option, enter the server URL supplied by YouTube, and paste the stream key into the stream-key field. Use the exact URL and key for the intended stream; do not guess an endpoint.
  4. Save the settings. Before going live, confirm that OBS is connected to the intended YouTube stream and that your scene and audio are ready.

OBS’s labels and available YouTube connection options can differ by version. The relevant credential field is in Stream settings, not a video source. YouTube’s encoder setup guide describes copying the stream details from Live Control Room and entering them in encoder software.

Keep the key out of the broadcast and recordings

OBS can capture an entire display or a selected window. If a capture includes YouTube Studio’s key field or OBS’s Stream settings, viewers or a screen recording may reveal the credential. This is a practical risk of what is visible in the captured image; do not assume the interface automatically masks the key in every capture.

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  • Set up or update the key before starting a tutorial recording or live screen share.
  • If you must handle the key during a recording, pause the recording or disable the relevant capture source first. Resume only after the credential screen is closed.
  • Use a scene or window capture that excludes Live Control Room and OBS settings while you are entering credentials.
  • Review a private test recording or private preflight before publishing a tutorial that shows your desktop. Check the actual output, not only the editor preview.

For the connection between OBS and YouTube, prefer YouTube’s RTMPS preset when available. YouTube describes RTMPS as “RTMP over a Transport Layer Security (TLS/SSL) connection” that provides encryption. If you need a custom URL, use the RTMPS URL YouTube supplies in Live Control Room. This protects the connection in transit; it does not hide a key that is visibly captured on your computer.

If you accidentally exposed the key

  1. In YouTube Studio, go to Create > Go Live > Stream for the affected stream.
  2. Find the Stream key and select Reset next to the hidden key.
  3. Copy the newly generated key and replace the old value in OBS > Settings > Stream. The previous key is no longer the one to use, so update any encoder configuration that saved it.
  4. Make another private preflight before resuming a public broadcast or recording.

YouTube says channel owners and managers can reset a key; editors and viewers do not have that permission. If OBS reports an encoder-start problem without evidence of exposure, YouTube’s troubleshooting guidance also recommends obtaining a new key in Live Control Room and updating the encoder. For a confirmed or suspected disclosure, resetting is the security response.

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