The Tool Desk
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What custom RTMP means
RTMP (Real-Time Messaging Protocol) is used to deliver live media to an ingest server. An encoder such as OBS captures and combines sources—a game, webcam, display, or capture card—encodes the result, and sends it over the internet. The destination’s ingest system receives the feed, authorizes and registers it, and prepares it for viewers. Twitch describes that ingest flow in its Video Broadcast documentation.
“Custom” describes how you configure the encoder: instead of choosing only a named service preset, you supply the destination address and any required authorization value. It does not mean that every service accepts every protocol, URL format, codec, or setting. Get the current URL and key from the destination’s own dashboard or official documentation.
What the URL and key do
- Server URL: tells the encoder where to send the stream. It may be called an RTMP URL, broadcast URL, or Stream URL.
- Stream key: identifies or authorizes your broadcast at the destination. It is a credential, not the public URL viewers use to watch.
Some services provide separate URL and key fields; others use a combined address or a different authorization format. Follow the destination’s instructions rather than assuming one platform’s format applies everywhere.
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How to set up custom RTMP in OBS
- Get the destination details. In the platform’s dashboard, create or select the live broadcast and copy its current server URL and stream key. YouTube provides these in Live Control Room; Twitch assigns keys through its broadcaster tools. Do not paste real keys into public notes, screenshots, or an untrusted service. Twitch warns that sharing a key can compromise the channel; if it is exposed, replace or reset it using the platform’s key controls. See the Twitch Stream Key FAQ.
- Choose the custom service in OBS. Open Settings → Stream, choose Custom Streaming Server, then enter the URL and stream key in the appropriate fields. OBS documents this workflow in its overview guide. Field labels may vary in other encoders.
- Choose RTMPS when the platform offers it and your encoder supports it. For YouTube, retrieve the RTMPS address from the lock icon in Live Control Room; the default display may show the ordinary RTMP URL. YouTube recommends RTMPS. Its RTMPS help page explains how to find the address.
- Set compatible output options. Match resolution, frame rate, codec, bitrate, and keyframe interval to the destination’s current requirements and your available upload capacity. OBS notes that bitrate depends on both upload speed and service limits. YouTube’s published settings support RTMP/RTMPS, H.264, H.265 (HEVC), and AV1, up to 60 fps; YouTube recommends a two-second keyframe interval and says not to exceed four seconds. Those are YouTube-specific recommendations, not universal RTMP rules. Check YouTube’s encoder settings and the destination’s current guidance.
- Start the encoder and verify reception. Check the destination dashboard for incoming video and audio and a usable stream status before you announce or publish the broadcast. Status labels and how quickly they appear differ by platform.
How an RTMP address is structured
There is no single address format for every destination. Twitch documents a general pattern of rtmp://<ingest-server>/app/<stream-key>: the ingest server identifies the receiving endpoint, and the key identifies or authorizes the broadcast. Twitch also documents an optional bandwidthtest=true parameter for bandwidth testing with Twitch Inspector; it disables live viewing. Use that only as Twitch documents it, not as a general RTMP parameter. Details are in Twitch’s broadcast documentation.
YouTube’s LiveStreams API distinguishes primary and backup ingestion addresses, stream names, and RTMP and RTMPS fields. Depending on the encoder, the URL and stream name may be entered separately or combined in a form such as STREAM_URL/STREAM_NAME. See the YouTube LiveStreams reference. Do not concatenate fields or substitute a backup address unless the destination and encoder instructions call for it.
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RTMP versus RTMPS
RTMPS carries RTMP over TLS/SSL, encrypting the connection in transit. YouTube recommends RTMPS, and its RTMPS ingestion guide specifies port 443. The protocol in the address must be rtmps; changing only the port or assuming an ordinary RTMP URL is equivalent is not enough. For custom encoder implementations, Google also specifies the destination hostname for TLS SNI authentication. See Google’s RTMPS ingestion guide, last updated September 14, 2026, and YouTube Help.
If an encoder or device cannot use RTMPS, consult its documentation and the platform’s currently supported ingestion alternatives. Do not assume that a service accepts an unencrypted connection just because it accepts RTMP elsewhere.
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Settings to check before going live
- Protocol and security: Confirm whether the destination accepts RTMP, RTMPS, or another ingest protocol, and whether encryption is required or recommended.
- Address fields: Check whether your encoder expects separate server and key fields or a combined address. Copy the destination’s format exactly.
- Video compatibility: Verify supported codecs, resolution, frame rate, and keyframe interval for that destination. YouTube’s recommendations, including up to 60 fps and a two-second recommended keyframe interval, should not be applied to another platform without checking its requirements.
- Upload capacity: The connection needs to sustain the chosen bitrate. Leave headroom rather than selecting a bitrate that consumes all available upload bandwidth; OBS’s overview guide covers the relationship between bitrate, upload speed, and service limits.
- Redundancy: If the platform supplies a backup ingest address, learn when and how its documentation says to use it. YouTube’s API exposes primary and backup addresses, but their availability does not make them interchangeable in every encoder setup.
Common custom RTMP problems and fixes
“The RTMP server sent an invalid SSL certificate”
For YouTube RTMPS, check that the URL begins with rtmps, the endpoint and port are the RTMPS ones, and the encoder supports RTMPS. A custom implementation must also use the destination hostname for TLS SNI. Incorrect protocol, port, hostname, or TLS configuration can cause certificate errors; compare the setup with Google’s RTMPS guide.
“Failed to connect” or “connection timed out”
Confirm that the URL is complete, belongs to the selected broadcast, and is entered in the right field. For YouTube RTMPS, verify that the encoder establishes TLS rather than attempting cleartext RTMP, and that it uses the documented endpoint and port 443. If those values are correct, check encoder support and whether the network permits the connection.
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The encoder connects, but the platform shows no usable live stream
Check that the stream key belongs to the selected broadcast and is paired with the correct endpoint. Then confirm the stream’s video and audio settings meet the destination’s requirements and inspect its status indicators. A successful connection alone does not establish that the platform has received a valid, viewable broadcast.
Dropped frames or unstable output
Check upload capacity against the configured bitrate and reduce output demands if the connection cannot sustain them. Also distinguish network limits from source-capture or encoding-load problems: dropped frames do not, by themselves, prove an RTMP protocol fault. OBS discusses bitrate and upload constraints in its overview guide.
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Do you need a capture card?
Only if you need to bring an HDMI source, such as a camera or console, into the computer running OBS. OBS can use capture cards as scene sources, but a card is optional source-acquisition equipment—not a requirement for custom RTMP. The RTMP setup itself consists of the encoder and destination connection details; no particular capture-card model is required.
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