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To add a YouTube stream key to Castr, copy the stream server and key from YouTube Studio, add YouTube as a destination in your Castr livestream, choose Setup with Server/Key, and create the platform. If you prefer to link your Google account and select a YouTube event instead, Castr also documents that option.

Before you start

  • Make sure you can access the YouTube channel you want to stream to and the relevant Castr livestream project.
  • Keep your stream key private. You will paste it into Castr, but do not share it in messages or screenshots.

Copy the YouTube server and stream key

  1. In YouTube Studio, select Create > Go live.
  2. Choose the encoder stream source, then open Stream Settings.
  3. Copy the stream server and stream key shown there. You will enter them in Castr’s corresponding fields if the setup form requests both.

For YouTube’s key-retrieval steps, see Castr’s guide, How to Find my YouTube Stream Key. Dashboard labels can change, so look for the live setup’s stream settings if the exact wording differs.

Add YouTube to Castr with the key

  1. Open the livestream project in Castr and select Add destination. Some Castr pages use the label Add Platform.
  2. Choose YouTube.
  3. Select Setup with Server/Key.
  4. Paste the YouTube stream key into the key field. If Castr displays a server field, enter the matching server address copied from YouTube Studio.
  5. Create the platform. When you are ready to broadcast, confirm that the destination is enabled.

See Castr’s YouTube connection instructions and its YouTube destination setup guide for the documented workflow.

Choose between key setup and linking a YouTube account

Method What you do What to know
Server/key Copy the YouTube server and key, then enter them in Castr. Castr says the stream description must be edited in YouTube’s dashboard.
YouTube Events account connection Choose Connect to YouTube Events, sign in to Google, select the channel and event, enter event details, and create the platform. Use this connected flow when you want to select and manage the YouTube event through Castr.

The account-linked flow is also relevant if you need Castr’s YouTube chat overlay: Castr says the overlay requires the direct account/API connection, not custom RTMP. See Castr’s YouTube chat overlay instructions.

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Enable the destination at the right time

Castr recommends leaving destinations off while the stream is offline, then enabling them after the stream source is live. This sequencing can help avoid connection problems on later broadcasts. If your project uses multiple destinations, apply the same check to the YouTube destination before you begin.

Troubleshoot a YouTube destination that will not connect

  • The key or server address may be outdated: Return to YouTube Studio’s Stream Settings, retrieve the current values, and update Castr’s destination fields.
  • The destination is enabled before the source is live: Turn it off while offline, bring the source live, then enable the destination as Castr recommends.
  • You need to change the stream description: With the server/key method, make that change in YouTube’s dashboard.
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  • You still see an authentication or connection error: Confirm the channel and event, if using the connected method, and recheck the server/key values. Castr’s cited setup instructions do not establish one universal fix for every error.

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