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OBS Studio

Where to Paste a YouTube Stream Key in OBS Studio on Windows

Paste your YouTube key in OBS at Settings > Stream > Stream Key. Here’s where to copy it, how the URL differs, and what to do if the field is missing.

By VGSources Team 3 min read
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In OBS Studio on Windows, open Settings > Stream and paste your YouTube stream key into the Stream Key field. Get the key from YouTube Studio under Create > Go live > Stream in Live Control Room. The stream key and stream URL are different: use the URL only in a separate server or URL field if OBS asks for one.

Copy the key from YouTube Studio

  1. Open YouTube Studio and select Create > Go live to open Live Control Room.

  2. Choose the Stream tab and copy the stream key shown in the stream settings. Treat it as a password: anyone with access to it may be able to send a feed to your stream. YouTube describes stream keys as “like your YouTube stream’s password and address.” YouTube Help: Manage live stream settings

Paste the key in OBS Studio

  1. In OBS, open Settings > Stream.

  2. Select YouTube as the service or preset if it is available. For a manual configuration, choose the YouTube RTMPS option documented in the OBS YouTube setup guide.

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  3. Paste the copied value into Stream Key, then select Apply and OK.

  4. If OBS also asks for a server or URL, copy YouTube’s Stream URL into that separate field. The URL is the destination for the encoder; the key identifies and authorizes the feed. Do not paste one in place of the other. YouTube Help: Manage live stream settings

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Start the stream and confirm it in YouTube

Start streaming in OBS, then check the Live Control Room preview. For a scheduled broadcast, wait for the preview and use YouTube’s Go live step when the control room indicates it is ready. YouTube recommends testing and monitoring audio and video. YouTube Help: Live streaming tips

If there is no Stream Key box

OBS’s documented manual key-based path is Settings > Stream. If you linked a Google account to OBS instead, the account-connected workflow may look different and may not require the same manual entry. OBS’s guide documents both account linking and manual configuration, and the exact presentation can vary by version. Check which connection method is selected before looking for a key field; the available documentation does not establish one universal fix for every missing-field case. OBS Project setup guide

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Fix key and connection problems

  • YouTube rejects the key or OBS cannot start the feed: return to Live Control Room, obtain a new key, and update the value in OBS. YouTube’s troubleshooting guidance recommends refreshing the key and encoder configuration. YouTube Help: Manage live stream settings

  • You suspect the key was exposed: reset it in Live Control Room, then replace the old value in OBS. YouTube says channel owners and managers can reset a key; editors and viewers cannot. Do not share or publish the key. YouTube Help: Manage live stream settings

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  • The stream connects but the scheduled broadcast is not live to viewers: check the Live Control Room preview and complete its Go live step if required.

  • Your channel cannot start a live stream: this may be an account eligibility or restriction issue rather than an OBS key-field issue. YouTube’s live-streaming tips say a channel must have had no live-streaming restrictions in the past 90 days; that is a YouTube eligibility condition, not an OBS setting. YouTube Help: Live streaming tips

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Or let it run in the cloud

If your goal is to keep uploaded videos playing on YouTube around the clock, rather than stream live gameplay from OBS, StreamNeo runs that playback from the cloud: upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key, and go live. Your computer and home connection do not have to stay on. Each slot streams the uploaded video as made, up to 4K 60fps, at one flat price per slot; it can recover automatically if YouTube drops the stream. The first day is free with no card. Monthly pricing is $9.99 per month. For this OBS how-to, continue using OBS for camera or gameplay capture; StreamNeo plays uploaded videos and streams to YouTube only. Try StreamNeo’s free first day.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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