TikTok is one of the most popular video apps in the world, letting you create short, pre-recorded videos you can share with your followers. But TikTok also lets you broadcast live videos to your audience if you have at least 1,000 followers. You can go live on TikTok from the mobile app, but you can also stream from a computer using a streaming software like OBS Studio.
To go live on TikTok from a PC, however, you must ensure you have access to RTMP streaming on TikTok. This feature isn’t available for all TikTok users; just because you have access to live streaming on TikTok does not mean you also have access to RTMP streaming.
How to stream on TikTok with OBS
To stream on TikTok from OBS, you’ll need to install the TikTok app on your phone and the OBS Studio software on your computer.
Find your TikTok stream key and server URL
- Launch the TikTok app on your phone and select the plus sign at the bottom of the screen.
- Select the LIVE option.
- Choose your live stream title and any filter effects you’d like to add.
- Select the PC or console option underneath the GO LIVE button.
- You’ll see your TikTok stream key and server URL. You’ll need to enter these in OBS later. You can either copy them and paste them to a text file on your phone, then send it to yourself so you can access it on your computer, then paste them into OBS. Or you can simply write them down by hand, then type them into OBS.
Connect OBS and TikTok
- Launch OBS Studio.
- Click File, and then click Settings.
- From the panel on the left, click Stream.
- Set Stream Type to Custom Streaming Server.
- Paste or enter the URL server and stream key you copied from TikTok into the Server and Stream Key fields in OBS. Then, click OK.
- Set up your scenes for your live stream in OBS, add your sources, and when you’re ready to start streaming, click Start Streaming.
Since TikTok is a mobile-first platform, you may want to stream in portrait (vertical) mode from OBS. You can do this by changing the resolution settings in OBS. Go to Settings, then Video. Then, for both Base (Camera) Resolution and Output (Scaled) Resolution, change it to 1080x1920.
How to stream on TikTok and other platforms with OBS
Why limit yourself to streaming on TikTok? You can send your broadcast to multiple streaming platforms, like Twitch, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook, at the same time. It’s simple:
- Create a free Restream account or log in if you have one already.
- Set your OBS streaming destination to Restream.io instead of Custom.
- Connect all your preferred streaming channels — including TikTok — to Restream.
- Click Start Streaming in OBS and you’ll be live on all the channels you’ve activated in your Restream account.
FAQs
Can I stream on TikTok with OBS?
Yes. You can stream to TikTok as a custom destination in OBS by entering your TikTok stream key and server URL. You can also change your video resolution in OBS so that it broadcasts in portrait mode.
How do I get a TikTok stream key for OBS?
To find your stream key on TikTok, tap the plus sign, then LIVE, then PC and console. Your stream key and server URL will display in your TikTok app. You can copy them and send them to yourself to enter into OBS on your computer.
How do I stream from my computer to TikTok?
You can stream from your computer to TikTok either using TikTok LIVE Studio or a third-party streaming software like Restream Studio. With Restream, you can customize your stream with graphics, add guests and even multistream to other platforms simultaneously.
How do I host a live stream on TikTok?
To host a live stream on the TikTok app, tap the create icon and swipe to the LIVE option. Choose an image and title for your stream and then tap Go LIVE when you’re ready to start. To host a live stream on TikTok using your computer, you’ll need to get your TikTok stream key and server URL and enter them into your third-party streaming software. You can also use TikTok’s desktop streaming software, TikTok LIVE Studio.
