If you want to broadcast to TikTok from OBS, vMix, or any hardware encoder, you need two things: a Server URL and a TikTok stream key. Together they tell your encoder exactly where to push your video and how TikTok should authenticate it. The catch is that TikTok does not hand these out as freely as YouTube or Twitch, and where you find them depends on your account and which tool you use. This guide walks through what the stream key is, the real follower requirement, how to get a stream key on TikTok, and how to plug it into your encoder without guesswork.
What a TikTok Stream Key and RTMP URL Actually Are
A stream key is a unique, private token that identifies your broadcast to a platform. Pair it with a Server URL (the RTMP ingest address) and your encoder has a complete destination. If you are new to the concept, our explainer on what a stream key is covers the fundamentals in more depth.
For TikTok, the pair looks something like this:
Server URL: rtmp://push.tiktokcdn.com/live/
Stream Key: a long unique string TikTok generates per sessionThis is standard TikTok RTMP ingest. RTMP (Real-Time Messaging Protocol) is the same protocol nearly every streaming platform uses to accept video from an encoder. If you want the background on why RTMP is still the default ingest format, see our RTMP vs SRT vs HLS breakdown.
The important thing to understand: TikTok issues the Server URL and stream key per session. Unlike some platforms that give you a persistent key, TikTok often regenerates the key each time you start a new external broadcast. Treat it as single-use and always copy the fresh pair before you go live.
Your stream key is a password to your broadcast. Anyone who has it can stream to your account. Never show it on screen, and if you suspect it leaked, end the session and generate a new one.
The Follower Requirement: The Honest Version
Here is the part TikTok does not make obvious. Going live on TikTok has historically required 1,000 followers to unlock the LIVE button inside the mobile app. That threshold is real, but it is not the whole story.
TikTok runs several paths to LIVE access, and they do not all share the same rule:
- In-app mobile LIVE: the classic route, generally gated at 1,000 followers.
- TikTok Live Studio: TikTok's own desktop streaming app, which can grant streaming ability separately.
- LIVE Access (web dashboard): a browser-based LIVE Center where eligible accounts enable third-party streaming and pull a Server URL plus stream key.
Requirements shift frequently, vary by region, and depend on account age and standing. Some creators report getting access below 1,000 followers through the desktop and web routes, others do not. The only reliable answer is to open your own LIVE Access dashboard or TikTok Live Studio and see what your account is offered. Do not trust a fixed number you read anywhere (including here); check your own account status.
If you do not have access yet, no stream key exists for you to copy. That is the single most common reason the key fields show up blank.
How to Get a Stream Key on TikTok
There are two practical routes to get a stream key. TikTok Live Studio is the simplest; the web/RTMP route gives you the raw credentials for OBS and other encoders.
Route 1: TikTok Live Studio
TikTok Live Studio is a free desktop app (Windows, with Mac availability expanding) that acts as both an encoder and a bridge. For many creators it is the fastest way to go live from a computer.
- Download and install TikTok Live Studio from TikTok's official site.
- Sign in with your TikTok account.
- If your account is eligible, you can stream directly from Live Studio using its built-in capture (screen, game, camera).
- To use OBS or another encoder instead, look for the streaming or connection settings inside Live Studio that expose a Server URL and stream key you can copy out.
Live Studio is convenient because it handles authentication for you. The tradeoff is that its built-in production tools are lighter than OBS, and it does not natively send your stream anywhere except TikTok.
Route 2: The Web / LIVE Access RTMP Route
This is the route you want if OBS is your encoder of choice.
- Open the TikTok LIVE Access dashboard (the web LIVE Center) in a browser and sign in.
- Start creating a new LIVE and choose the option for streaming with third-party software or OBS.
- TikTok generates a Server URL and a Stream Key for this session.
- Copy both. You will paste them into your encoder in the next step.
If the fields are empty, the usual causes are that your account lacks LIVE access, you have not selected the third-party streaming option, or an old session is still open. Refresh the page or end the previous session and try again.
Plugging the Stream Key Into OBS
Once you have the Server URL and stream key, OBS setup takes under a minute.
- Open OBS and go to Settings > Stream.
- Set Service to Custom...
- In Server, paste the TikTok Server URL (for example
rtmp://push.tiktokcdn.com/live/). - In Stream Key, paste the key TikTok gave you.
- Click OK.
That is the entire integration. OBS now points at TikTok. When you click Start Streaming, your broadcast goes live on TikTok as long as the session is still valid on TikTok's side.
Because TikTok regenerates keys per session, start the LIVE on TikTok's dashboard first, copy the fresh key into OBS, then hit Start Streaming. If you reuse an old key, TikTok will reject the connection.
Recommended Encoder Settings for TikTok Live
TikTok is vertical and mobile-first, so your settings should differ from a landscape YouTube stream. The most native fit is a portrait 9:16 canvas. Here are settings that work well for most connections.
| Setting | Recommended Value |
|---|---|
| Output Resolution | 720x1280 (vertical) or 1080x1920 |
| Orientation | Portrait 9:16 |
| FPS | 30 |
| Encoder | NVENC H.264 (GPU) or x264 (CPU) |
| Rate Control | CBR |
| Bitrate (720x1280) | 2,500 to 4,000 Kbps |
| Bitrate (1080x1920) | 4,000 to 6,000 Kbps |
| Keyframe Interval | 2 seconds |
| Audio Bitrate | 128 to 160 Kbps |
To stream vertical from OBS, set your Base (Canvas) Resolution and Output (Scaled) Resolution to a portrait ratio like 720x1280 under Settings > Video. If you send a landscape 1920x1080 signal, TikTok will letterbox or crop it, which wastes most of the phone screen.
The 2-second keyframe interval is not optional. TikTok, like nearly every RTMP platform, expects a keyframe every 2 seconds so viewers who join mid-stream get a clean image quickly. For a fuller walkthrough of encoder tuning (bitrate headroom, CBR, NVENC vs x264), our guide to the best OBS settings for 1080p applies directly, just scale the numbers down for vertical.
Common Failure Points
When a TikTok stream will not start, it is almost always one of these:
- No LIVE access: the account has not been granted streaming ability, so no key is issued. Check your LIVE Center.
- Stale stream key: you reused a key from a previous session. Generate a fresh one and paste it again.
- Session not started on TikTok: OBS is pushing but TikTok has no active LIVE waiting for the feed. Start the LIVE on TikTok's side first.
- Wrong Server URL: a trailing character got dropped, or you pasted the key into the Server field. Re-copy both fields cleanly.
- Bitrate too high for TikTok: sending far more than TikTok expects can cause rejects or instability. Stay within the ranges above.
- Blank key fields: usually means the third-party streaming option was not selected, or an old session is still open. Refresh and retry.
If OBS shows it is streaming but nothing appears on TikTok, the mismatch is almost always between an OBS that is live and a TikTok session that is not, or a key that no longer matches the current session.
Multistreaming TikTok Alongside YouTube and Facebook
Here is a real limitation: OBS sends your stream to exactly one RTMP destination at a time. If you want to reach TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook in the same broadcast, OBS alone cannot do it. Neither can TikTok Live Studio, which only pushes to TikTok.
This is where a multistreaming service earns its place. You send your single OBS feed once to one ingest point, and the service fans it out to every platform you have connected. That means one upload from your machine, several simultaneous destinations, and no extra encoding load on your PC.
Livepush is built for exactly this. You connect your social media accounts once, then use multistreaming to broadcast to TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, and more from a single stream. Instead of juggling per-platform keys in OBS, you point OBS at Livepush and manage destinations from one dashboard. For a concrete example of the multi-destination workflow, see our guide on how to stream to YouTube and Facebook simultaneously; adding TikTok to that mix follows the same pattern.
An honest caveat: TikTok's LIVE access rules still apply no matter how you stream. A multistreaming service cannot bypass the follower or eligibility requirement, and depending on how TikTok provisions your key, you may still need to pull a fresh key per session. What it does remove is the pain of only being able to pick one platform per broadcast.
Quick Recap
- A TikTok stream key plus Server URL is your RTMP destination; TikTok issues them per session, so treat the key as single-use.
- LIVE access is the gate. The 1,000-follower rule applies to in-app mobile LIVE, but TikTok Live Studio and the LIVE Access web dashboard can offer other paths. Check your own account.
- Get the key from TikTok Live Studio (easiest) or the LIVE Access web route (best for OBS).
- In OBS, use Settings > Stream > Custom and paste the Server URL and key.
- Stream vertical 720x1280 or 1080x1920, CBR, 2-second keyframe, and a bitrate matched to the resolution.
- To reach TikTok plus other platforms in one go, use a multistreaming service, since OBS can only target one destination on its own.
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