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Live streaming, demystified

Straight, practical answers to the questions creators and teams actually search for — multistreaming, stream quality, reliability, recording and more. No fluff, and where Stream Repeater can help, we’ll say so.

Popular topics
Multistreaming · 5 min read

How do I stream to multiple platforms at once?

Streaming to more than one platform at once — “multistreaming” or “simulcasting” — means reaching your audience wherever they alre...

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Multistreaming · 4 min read

How do I stream to YouTube and Twitch at the same time?

YouTube and Twitch are the two biggest live destinations, and plenty of creators want both — YouTube for discovery and VODs, Twitc...

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Stream quality · 6 min read

Why is my live stream blurry or low quality?

A blurry or pixelated live stream is almost always down to how your video is encoded and delivered, not your camera. Here are the...

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Multistreaming · 4 min read

Does multistreaming use more upload bandwidth?

It depends entirely on *how* you multistream. Done one way it multiplies your upload; done the other way it costs you nothing extr...

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Reliability · 5 min read

Why does my live stream keep buffering or dropping?

A stream that keeps buffering, dropping frames or disconnecting is maddening for you and your viewers alike. Almost always it come...

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Recording · 4 min read

How do I record a live stream?

A live stream is gone the moment it ends — unless you record it. Whether you want a YouTube VOD, clips for shorts, or an archive o...

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Automations · 3 min read

How do I flash my lights when someone subscribes on Twitch?

A burst of colour when a new sub drops is one of the most satisfying bits of stream interactivity there is. Here’s how to wire you...

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Automations · 3 min read

How do I automatically announce going live on Discord?

Your community lives in Discord, so a “we’re live!” post the instant you start streaming is one of the highest-value automations y...

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Watch pages · 4 min read

How do I embed a live stream on my website?

Keeping viewers on your own website — instead of sending them off to a third-party platform — is great for branding, control and c...

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Basics · 4 min read

What is restreaming?

Restreaming is the practical way to send one live feed to multiple platforms without multiplying your upload or your CPU. You send...

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Basics · 5 min read

RTMP vs RTSP vs SRT: which streaming protocol should you use?

RTMP, RTSP and SRT are three ways to move live video from your encoder to a server, and no, you don’t need to memorise all three —...

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Stream quality · 4 min read

What is the best bitrate for 1080p streaming?

There’s no single magic number, but there is a sensible range. The right 1080p bitrate is a balancing act between sharpness and wh...

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Worship · 5 min read

How do I stream church services online?

Streaming your services lets members worship from home, while travelling, or catch up later. You don’t need a broadcast studio — j...

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Scheduling · 3 min read

How do I make a stream go live automatically on a schedule?

If you broadcast on a regular cadence — a weekly show, a service, a class — you don’t want to rely on someone remembering to hit “...

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YouTube Live · 5 min read

How do I go live on YouTube?

To go live on YouTube with OBS, enable live streaming on your channel, create or schedule a stream in YouTube Live Control Room, c...

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OBS troubleshooting · 5 min read

How do I fix dropped frames in OBS?

Dropped frames in OBS usually mean one of two things: your connection cannot send data to the ingest server fast enough, or your c...

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Bandwidth · 5 min read

What upload speed do I need to stream?

Upload speed is the number that actually matters for going live — not download. Your stream bitrate must fit inside your sustained...

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OBS Studio · 5 min read

How do I restream on OBS Studio?

OBS Studio is the default choice for many streamers, and it plays brilliantly with a server-side relay. You only need one output f...

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vMix · 5 min read

How do I restream on vMix?

vMix is a strong choice when you want a more production-focused Windows switcher. Restreaming from vMix is refreshingly straightfo...

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Streamlabs · 5 min read

How do I restream on Streamlabs Desktop?

Streamlabs Desktop is built on OBS under the hood, so restreaming from it is just as simple: send one stream to a relay, then let...

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XSplit · 5 min read

How do I restream on XSplit Broadcaster?

XSplit Broadcaster is a polished Windows encoder with channel-based outputs. For restreaming, you only need one custom RTMP output...

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FFmpeg · 6 min read

How do I restream with FFmpeg?

FFmpeg is the right tool when you want a scriptable, headless restreaming setup — no GUI required. Point it at one ingest URL and...

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Larix · 5 min read

How do I restream from Larix Broadcaster?

Larix Broadcaster is a strong mobile encoder when you want proper, professional control from a phone. Point one connection at Stre...

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Facebook Live · 4 min read

How do I stream live to Facebook?

Facebook Live is a brilliant way to reach your followers, customers, or community right on the world’s largest social network. Whe...

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Mobile · 4 min read

How do I multistream from my phone?

Broadcasting on the go from a smartphone is easier than ever, but streaming to multiple platforms at once directly from your devic...

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Reliability · 5 min read

How do I add a backup stream for redundancy?

For a broadcast that matters — a paid event, a service, a tournament final — a single dropped connection shouldn’t end the show. R...

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Encoders · 5 min read

Streamlabs vs OBS: which should you use?

OBS Studio and Streamlabs Desktop are the two most popular ways to broadcast from a computer — and Streamlabs is actually built on...

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Basics · 5 min read

Live stream latency explained

Latency is the delay between something happening in front of your camera and a viewer actually seeing it. A little is unavoidable;...

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TikTok LIVE · 5 min read

How do I stream on TikTok LIVE?

To stream on TikTok LIVE, your account first needs LIVE access. From there you can go live directly from the TikTok mobile app, us...

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Basics · 5 min read

What is a CDN for live video?

A CDN for live video is the delivery layer that gets a live stream from a central origin out to lots of viewers. Instead of every...

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Twitch · 5 min read

How do I stream on Twitch?

Twitch is the world's leading live streaming platform for gamers, creators, and esports. Streaming to Twitch takes broadcasting so...

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Kick · 4 min read

How do I stream on Kick?

Kick is a creator-friendly live streaming platform known for its competitive revenue split and fast-growing community. Streamers c...

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Twitch · 5 min read

How do I restream to Twitch?

If Twitch is one of your destinations, the cleanest setup is to send one feed into a relay and let it push the stream to Twitch fr...

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YouTube Live · 5 min read

How do I restream to YouTube?

YouTube is often the main discovery destination, but it doesn’t need a separate direct output from your encoder. Publish one strea...

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Facebook Live · 4 min read

How do I restream to Facebook Live?

Facebook Live works well as part of a multistream workflow, but it’s not worth sending a separate direct output from your encoder...

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TikTok LIVE · 5 min read

How do I restream to TikTok LIVE?

TikTok LIVE is often part of a wider multistream strategy now, especially for creators repurposing one live show across mobile and...

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Kick · 4 min read

How do I restream to Kick?

Kick is a common add-on destination for creators who already stream elsewhere. It’s a good fit for a relay-based workflow because...

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Chaturbate · 5 min read

How do I stream on Chaturbate?

Chaturbate is one of the largest live adult webcam sites in the world, and the best broadcasts on it rarely come from the built-in...

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OnlyFans · 4 min read

How do I stream on OnlyFans?

OnlyFans lets creators connect directly with their subscribers through live streaming, and going live with OBS Studio is what take...

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Stripchat · 5 min read

How do I stream on Stripchat?

Stripchat is one of the biggest live webcam platforms out there, and performers can lift their stream quality noticeably by ditchi...

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CamSoda · 4 min read

How do I stream on CamSoda?

CamSoda is a highly interactive live adult platform, and broadcasters who stream in via OBS Studio get a lot more room to play wit...

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CAM4 · 4 min read

How do I stream on CAM4?

CAM4 is a pioneer in live adult entertainment, and broadcasting into it with OBS Studio opens up the good stuff — green screens, o...

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MyFreeCams · 4 min read

How do I stream on MyFreeCams?

MyFreeCams is one of the largest and most established adult webcam communities around, and streaming into it with OBS Studio is th...

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Instagram Live · 5 min read

How do I stream on Instagram Live from my computer?

Instagram Live Producer lets you broadcast to Instagram Live using streaming software like OBS Studio, vMix, or Streamlabs instead...

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SRT Protocol · 5 min read

How do I stream with SRT (Secure Reliable Transport)?

SRT (Secure Reliable Transport) is a modern video streaming protocol built to deliver low-latency, secure, reliable video even ove...

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GoPro Streaming · 4 min read

How do I stream live from a GoPro camera?

GoPro cameras are brilliant for streaming action sports, outdoor adventures, or mobile vlogging. Using the GoPro Quik app, you can...

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Drone Streaming · 5 min read

How do I stream live from a DJI drone?

Live streaming from a DJI drone lets you share real-time aerial views of events, search-and-rescue operations, or scenic environme...

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Engagement · 4 min read

How do I run a giveaway in my stream chat?

A chat giveaway is one of the simplest ways to reward viewers and spike engagement: pick a keyword, let people type it to enter, t...

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Engagement · 4 min read

How do I add a poll to my stream?

Polls turn passive viewers into participants — "which game next?", "which build should I run?" — and hand you instant feedback to...

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Unified chat · 5 min read

How do I moderate chat across multiple platforms?

When you stream to several platforms at once, your chat splits across just as many windows — and so does your moderation. A unifie...

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Engagement · 4 min read

How do I set up chat commands without a separate bot?

Chat commands answer the questions viewers ask over and over — "what are your specs?", "where is your Discord?" — automatically, s...

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Overlays · 5 min read

How do I add a chat overlay to OBS?

A chat overlay puts your audience's messages on screen so viewers and clip-watchers can follow along with the conversation. The cl...

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Multistreaming · 4 min read

How do I stream to Twitch and Kick at the same time?

Kick has grown fast, and plenty of creators want to keep their Twitch home while building a Kick audience alongside it. Streaming...

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Multistreaming · 4 min read

How do I stream to Kick and YouTube at the same time?

Pairing Kick’s creator-friendly terms with YouTube’s reach and discoverability is a popular combination. Streaming to both at once...

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Unified chat · 4 min read

How do I see Twitch and YouTube chat in one place?

If you stream to Twitch and YouTube at the same time, watching two separate chat windows is a recipe for missing messages and slow...

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Recording · 4 min read

How do I clip a highlight from my live stream?

The best clips happen when you’re busy streaming and can’t stop to mark them. The fix is two-fold: have your stream spot the big m...

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Multistreaming · 3 min read

How do I set my stream title and category on every platform at once?

When you multistream, one of the small but constant annoyances is setting your stream title and game/category separately on each p...

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Engagement · 4 min read

How do I add chat games to my stream?

Games are one of the easiest ways to turn passive viewers into a chatting, returning audience — especially during downtime, interm...

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3D printing · 4 min read

How do I live stream my 3D printer?

A 12-hour print is only content if viewers can actually see what’s happening. Streaming a 3D printer means getting two things onto...

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Cameras · 4 min read

How do I add an IP camera or encoder to my stream?

IP cameras, hardware encoders and second capture boxes usually speak standard protocols like RTSP, RTMP or SRT on your local netwo...

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Analytics · 4 min read

How do I see analytics for my live stream?

When you stream to several platforms, your numbers scatter across several dashboards — Twitch here, YouTube there, chat somewhere...

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Browser streaming · 4 min read

How do I go live from my browser without any software?

Downloading and configuring an encoder like OBS is overkill when you just want to talk to camera or share your screen for a few mi...

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Getting started · 5 min read

How do I stream without OBS?

OBS is popular, but it’s just an encoder — software that turns your scene into an RTMP stream. Plenty of people find it heavy, fid...

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Audio · 4 min read

How do I talk over my stream without OBS?

If you go live without OBS — from our Local Agent’s game broadcast — you still want to be heard. Wiring a microphone into a stream...

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Multistreaming · 5 min read

How do I stream vertical and landscape at the same time?

Landscape rules the big screens; vertical owns the phone. Reaching both used to mean two separate streams or re-cropping later. Wi...

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Overlays · 4 min read

How do I show the current song playing on my stream?

A “now playing” card is a small touch that makes a stream feel produced — and it saves you answering “what’s this song?” in chat a...

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Engagement · 4 min read

How do I run a giveaway on my live stream?

Giveaways are one of the most reliable ways to grow a channel — but only if the draw feels fair and you’re handling entrants’ deta...

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Overlays · 4 min read

How do I add alerts to my stream?

On-screen alerts are the heartbeat of an interactive stream — they thank supporters the moment they act and pull the rest of chat...

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Overlays · 3 min read

How do I add a countdown timer to my stream?

A countdown gives your audience a reason to wait around — “live in 5:00” fills the pre-stream lobby, and a break timer keeps peopl...

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Streaming · 4 min read

How do I stream 24/7?

A 24/7 channel keeps you discoverable and gives fans something to land on between live shows. Doing it by leaving a home PC and OB...

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Automation · 3 min read

How do I schedule my streams to go live automatically?

Consistency grows channels, and a schedule your tools actually enforce beats one that only lives in your head. Here’s how to have...

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TikTok LIVE · 5 min read

How do I use OBS with TikTok?

You can broadcast to TikTok LIVE from OBS Studio, but only if your TikTok account has external streaming (RTMP) access. When it do...

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TikTok LIVE · 4 min read

Where is my TikTok stream key?

TikTok only shows a stream key (and a server URL) once your account has external streaming access. When you have it, the key appea...

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TikTok LIVE · 4 min read

How do I stream vertical (9:16) to TikTok?

TikTok LIVE is a portrait experience, so your feed should be 9:16. Either set OBS to a vertical 1080 × 1920 canvas, or keep your l...

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