Going Live with OBS (Step by Step)

Last updated: October 16, 2026

What this page helps you do: go from a fresh OBS install to live on Facebook and Instagram, one click at a time.

OBS sends one stream to Streamster, and Streamster simulcasts it to Facebook and Instagram. You set OBS up once with Streamster's Server URL and your private Stream Key. Then, every broadcast, you follow the five steps on the dashboard's Go live panel: get ready, prepare to go live, start streaming in OBS, check platform status, and press Go Live on each platform. Any RTMP encoder works; this guide uses OBS Studio.

Facebook and Instagram only. Streamster does not stream to TikTok, YouTube or any other platform. Facebook alone works. Instagram Live from a computer needs a Professional (Creator or Business) account that meets Instagram's own live eligibility rules: the account must be public, and Instagram sets a follower minimum and other requirements it can change. No computer? See Streaming from a phone.

Part 1: One-time setup

1. Point OBS at Streamster

  1. Download OBS Studio and open it.
  2. In Streamster, open your dashboard and find the Go live panel under the "Get live" checklist. Under Start streaming in OBS, copy the Server URL (rtmps://global-live.mux.com:443/app) and your Stream Key with the copy buttons. (The checklist's Connect OBS step has a button that jumps there.)
  3. In OBS go to Settings → Stream, set Service to Custom…, and paste the Server and Stream Key.
  4. In Settings → Output (Output Mode: Advanced): Rate Control CBR, Bitrate 4500 Kbps (2500 on a slow connection), Keyframe Interval 2 seconds.
  5. In Settings → Video: Base and Output resolution 1280×720, 30 FPS. Click Apply, then OK.

Your Server URL and Stream Key don't change between broadcasts, you never re-paste them into OBS. Keep the key private. The Connect OBS step ticks itself the first time your feed reaches Streamster. Full encoder details: RTMP Setup.

2. Save your Facebook key

  1. On a computer, open facebook.com/live/producer → Streaming software.
  2. Turn on Use a persistent stream key and copy the stream key.
  3. Paste it into Streamster, not OBS, in the checklist's Add your Facebook or Instagram key step, and save. Streamster reuses it every broadcast. (Going on Instagram only? You can skip this, either platform is enough.)

3. Add the buy card to OBS (recommended)

Facebook and Instagram viewers only see your product card if it's burned into your video. Copy your overlay URL from the Your OBS overlay URL card on your dashboard and add it once in OBS as a Browser source (1920×1080, above your camera). Steps: Show the buy card on Facebook & Instagram.

4. Finish the rest of setup

Add at least one product (the checklist's first step), and connect Stripe (step 4) so buyers can pay you. Until you do, the Go live panel's main button says Connect Stripe first; Practice stream (buyers can't buy) still lets you test this whole walkthrough. Shipping labels aren't a go-live step: on Creator+, Pro and the trial you connect Shippo when you buy your first label; on Starter you add tracking yourself with Mark shipped. See Getting Started.

Part 2: Every broadcast

Open the Go live panel on your dashboard and work down the five steps.

Step 1: Get ready

  1. Facebook: check it says Stream key saved. Tick Skip today if you don't want Facebook this time.
  2. Instagram: on a computer, open instagram.com, click Create (+) → Live video, add a title, and continue until Instagram shows a Stream key. Copy the Stream key (and Stream URL) and paste them into the Instagram fields on the Go live panel. Instagram keys are single-use: you need a fresh one for every Live session, and the panel shows how long a saved key has left. Tick Skip today if you don't want Instagram this time. Keep the Instagram tab open while you're live.

Paste the Instagram key into Streamster, not into OBS. OBS always points at Streamster.

Step 2: Prepare to go live

Click "Prepare to go live" before you start OBS. This connects Facebook and Instagram while your camera is idle.

  • On a free trial? Add your card in the checklist's Add a card step first. If you skipped it, you'll be asked to Add a card here instead; add it, then click Prepare to go live again. The trial includes 3 live hours in total; the card is only charged if a stream runs past it (extra time is billed at $8/hour), and the trial never turns into a paid plan by itself. See Free trial and adding a card.
  • See "Streaming limit reached"? Your plan doesn't include live streaming (free plan or ended trial), you've used your trial's live hours, or you've used this month's live hours. Choose or upgrade a plan in Billing.

Step 3: Start streaming in OBS

Now press Start Streaming in OBS. The Go live panel (which also shows your Server URL and Stream Key, if you need to re-check them) flips from Waiting for your OBS feed… to ✓ Receiving your stream as soon as your video arrives.

No feed after about 90 seconds? The panel shows the three usual fixes. OBS isn't streaming yet, the Stream Key in OBS is wrong, or the Server URL in OBS is wrong, and a Check again button.

Started OBS too early? You'll get a STREAM_ALREADY_ACTIVE error. Stop streaming in OBS, click Prepare to go live, then start OBS again.

Step 4: Platform status

Watch the Facebook and Instagram chips turn live. If one shows Error, click Prepare to go live again, and paste a fresh key for that platform if it persists.

Step 5: Press Go Live on each platform

Streamster sends your video to each platform, but you press the final Go Live button, once in Facebook Live Producer and once on Instagram. The page has buttons to open both.

✓ What success looks like: both platform chips show live, your broadcast is visible on Facebook and Instagram, and the live preview on the Go live panel updates every few seconds (there's a normal ~20–30 second delay).

While you're live

  • Tap Feature on a product to make it the buy card, then copy and pin its buy link on Facebook. See Buy Links.
  • Use the break slate for a "be right back" moment. See Break Scene.

Ending the stream

Click End broadcast & disconnect platforms on the Go live panel (or Emergency Stop if something is stuck), and press Stop Streaming in OBS. That cleanly disconnects Facebook and Instagram so your next stream starts fresh.

Live hours

Starter includes 10 live hours a month, Creator+ 40, and Pro 100. The free trial includes 3 live hours in total. When you've used them you can't start a new stream until they reset or you upgrade (on the trial, until you choose a plan), except on Pro, which keeps streaming past 100 hours at $8 per live hour. If a stream that's already live runs past your hours, the extra time is billed at $8 per live hour, prorated by the minute, on your monthly bill, or for the trial, to your saved card. Track your usage in Billing.

Next Steps

Frequently Asked Questions

Does my Streamster stream key change every broadcast?

No. Your Streamster Server URL and Stream Key are persistent, you paste them into OBS once. Only the Instagram key changes: Instagram issues a new single-use key for every Live session, which you paste on the Go live panel, not in OBS.

Can I stream to TikTok or YouTube with Streamster?

No. Streamster simulcasts to Facebook Live and Instagram Live only.

What happens when I run out of live hours?

On Starter and Creator+ you can't start a new stream until your hours reset next month or you upgrade. If a stream that is already live runs past your included hours, the extra time is billed at $8 per live hour, prorated by the minute, on your monthly bill. On Pro you can keep going live past 100 hours; the extra time is billed the same way, and you get a warning at 90 hours.