Beamd

Where to find your YouTube stream key

The short version, then the thing that catches people out.

Finding the key

  1. Open YouTube Studio and choose Create, then Go Live.
  2. Pick the Stream tab, not Webcam.
  3. Under Stream settings, copy the value labelled "Stream key (paste in encoder)".
Server URL for YouTube
rtmp://a.rtmp.youtube.com/live2
Worth knowing

YouTube gives you two kinds of key. A key from a scheduled broadcast works once, for that broadcast. The one on the Stream tab is reusable, which is what a 24/7 channel needs. If your stream worked yesterday and refuses to connect today, you almost certainly copied the single-use one.

Using it with Beamd

With Beamd you can skip all of this: connect your YouTube account and it reads the reusable key straight from the API, so there is nothing to copy and nothing to keep track of.

Your key is stored encrypted and is never shown back to you, on screen or in email.

Stream 24/7 with your computer off

Other platforms

Instructions for every platform Beamd supports.

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