How do I stream live to Facebook?
Facebook Live is a powerful way to reach your followers, customers, or community directly on the world’s largest social network. Whether you are broadcasting from a business Page or a personal profile, using professional streaming software like OBS gives you full control over your layout, graphics, and audio. Here is how to set up Facebook Live Producer, configure your encoder, and relay your stream to multiple platforms at once.
Setting up Facebook Live Producer
To stream from your computer, you need Facebook’s web-based dashboard called Live Producer. Navigate to facebook.com/live/producer on your desktop browser to get started. From here, you can choose whether to stream immediately or schedule a live event, and select your video source. Select “Streaming software” to reveal your stream key and server URL.
Make sure to configure your posting destination on the left-hand panel — you can stream to your personal timeline, a Page you manage, or a group. Giving your broadcast a clear title and description helps Facebook index it and notify your followers when you go live.
Configuring OBS for Facebook Live (RTMPS)
Facebook uses RTMPS (Secure RTMP) to encrypt your stream. In OBS, open Settings, go to the Stream tab, and choose “Facebook Live” as the service. OBS will configure the correct server URL automatically.
Alternatively, choose “Custom...” and copy the Server URL and Stream Key from Live Producer. Set your video settings to Facebook’s recommended specs: a resolution of 1080p or 720p at 30 fps, a keyframe interval of exactly 2 seconds, and a video bitrate between 3,000 and 6,000 kbps using the H.264 encoder. Set audio to 128 kbps AAC.
Important Facebook gotchas to watch out for
Facebook Live has a few strict rules that can trip up creators. First, if your connection drops briefly, Facebook Producer may end your live broadcast entirely rather than waiting for you to reconnect. This makes network stability critical.
Second, Facebook limits standard live streams to 8 hours (or 4 hours if you are not streaming from a Page). Finally, background copyrighted music is heavily policed on Facebook and can result in your stream being muted, flagged, or taken down automatically.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I find my Facebook stream key?
You can find it by visiting facebook.com/live/producer on your desktop web browser and selecting “Streaming software” as your video source.
Can I stream to Facebook and YouTube at the same time?
Yes. By streaming to Stream Repeater, you can add both Facebook and YouTube as destinations. We duplicate your stream server-side so it uses no extra upload bandwidth.
Does Facebook Live support 1080p60 streaming?
Facebook support for 1080p at 60 fps is generally limited to profiles and Pages that belong to the Level Up program or verified partners. Most accounts are limited to 1080p30 or 720p30.