There are three ways to stream on YouTube: use a webcam, your mobile device, or an encoder (streaming software or a hardware encoder). Using an encoder lets you:
- Share your screen or broadcast your gameplay
- Use external audio and video hardware
- Manage an advanced production (like a few cameras and microphones)
The steps below will help you get started with your first live stream.
1. Enable live streaming
Enabling a live stream for the first time may take up to 24 hours. Once enabled, your stream can go live instantly. Learn how to start live streaming.
2. Install an encoder
An encoder converts your video into a digital format to stream on YouTube. Some encoders are software apps on your computer, while others are standalone hardware.
Watch this video to learn more about why you should use an encoder and how they work.
Encoder Live Streaming: Basics on How to Set Up & Use an Encoder
YouTube Live verified encoders
Here’s a list of YouTube Live verified encoders. None of these products are made by YouTube. Make sure to evaluate the products and decide which option makes the most sense for you or your business.
Software encoders
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AWS Elemental MediaLive is a broadcast-grade live video processing service, supporting live streaming all the way up to 4Kp60 HEVC. |
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(Mac & iOS) The all-in-one multi-camera video recording, editing, and live streaming app. Include up to 8 local iPhones, digital cameras, and remote guests via Zoom in HD. Add overlays, graphics, audio, video, screens, and visual effects. Stream to YouTube, Zoom, RTMP. Save hours building your video library with the In-App Editor. |
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Elgato Game Capture Software Record and stream your Xbox, PlayStation, or Wii U gameplay. |
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Gamecaster The easiest way to stream and record your greatest gaming moments at the click of a button. Perfect for sharing your gameplay. |
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Grabyo Producer is a cloud-native live production platform. A virtual, browser-based gallery with the tools to create, manage, distribute and monetize live productions. Features include: Camera switching, audio mixing, instant replay, remote talent contribution, graphics operation, SCTE-35 and RTMP (YouTube) ad insertion, plus much more. Grabyo supports the ingest and delivery of live video in multiple formats including RTMP, SRT, Zixi, and RTP. |
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Nimble Streamer is a software media server for building cost-efficient streaming and content delivery networks. Network capabilities include RTMP, SRT, NDI, Dante, WebRTC, Icecast, HLS, DASH and much more along with Transcoder add-on for content transformation. Playout, ads insertion, paywall and other features allow easy to use content monetization. |
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Open source software for video recording and live streaming at no charge. |
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Windows PRISM Live Studio is a streaming software for Windows that is recognized for its intuitive user interface and convenient usability. Streamers love this software for its stable streaming quality and attractive features such as beauty and sticker effects, drawing, virtual background, virtual camera, and integration with PRISM mobile apps. All the features are given for no charge. |
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The leading live streaming broadcasting studio for creators and businesses. Stream live to 30+ platforms simultaneously from our cloud studio. Invite guests, add overlays, play videos, & professionalize your stream – at no charge, and easy to use. |
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Easily produce and distribute broadcast quality live streams. You can invite guests from anywhere, drag-and-drop media and graphics, add live commerce to your streams, interact with audiences and earn revenue. |
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Streamlabs Streamlabs is the leading broadcast software for streamers. There's no charge, it's open-source, and packed with powerful features to help you grow, get to know, and monetize. |
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Best live streaming app for professional quality-live streams from your browser. Invite guests with ease. Packed with features, tons of customization options, donations, and no downloads needed. |
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StreamYard is the most popular live streaming and podcast studio in the world. Interview guests, feature live chats on screen, brand your broadcasts, and more. All in your browser, no downloads required. Get started. |
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TITAN Live is a high-quality and high-density video processing solution that is designed for Cable, DTH, DTT, IPTV, OTT Live delivery of SD, HD and UHD content. Featuring cutting edge technology, TITAN Live can ingest any channel to simultaneously produce multiple streams in real-time and deliver live video compression for the converged head-end. TITAN Live is a pure software solution, virtualizable and CPU and hardware agnostic, allowing deployments on and off premises from an appliance-like installation on bare metal to a docker orchestrated cloud native solution. |
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Wirecast Easy-to-use, award-winning live streaming and production software. Add cameras, live screenshots, titles, graphics, and more with just a click of a button. Stream directly to YouTube or any RTMP destination. Works with the YouTube API so you can manage, create, and schedule or stream your live channel without leaving the app. |
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XSplit Broadcaster Revolutionary audio/video-mixing app that allows you to create professional live broadcasts and video recordings. |
Hardware encoders
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AirServer Mirror your mobile device or computer to YouTube. |
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AWS Elemental Live is an on-premises video encoder that processes live video for broadcast and streaming to any device. |
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The ultimate HD and Ultra HD streaming solution that includes a professional hardware streaming engine for streaming up to 2160p60 directly to YouTube. |
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Intinor develops products for sending high quality video over the internet. Our products are easy to use, mobile, robust, and reliable. Used by broadcasters and is the trusted encoder of choice for major esports events. Made in Sweden. |
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Elgato is a world-leading provider of audiovisual technology for content creators on all video sharing platforms and the creator of Stream Deck, a programmable usb controller that has over 200 ready-made plugins or map keyboard shortcuts to keys or dials for your live stream production. |
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The Pearl-2 is a video switcher, recorder, streamer, splitter, and scaler all in one. This software offers six video inputs and four for XLR professional audio, 4K streaming and recording, NDI support, chroma keying, and much more. Pearl-2 brings the pro features and processing power required for the most demanding live streams. |
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Best-in-class, plug-and-play video encoder offering one-touch, wireless live streaming directly from your camera/switcher to YouTube and other online destinations. Reliably stream from anywhere using the same LRT™ bonding technology used by major broadcasters. |
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NVIDIA GPUs contain a hardware-based encoder (NVENC) which provides fully accelerated hardware-based video encoding, enabling higher-quality live streaming and better game performance without the need to utilize your CPU. |
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The industry's first portable, wireless multi-camera broadcasting platform. Monitor, record, switch, edit, and stream live HD-quality video wirelessly to YouTube. |
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Stream in broadcast quality on-the-go from any camera, switcher, or video source. Compact and portable, the Vidiu Go supports full 1080p60 SDI and HDMI workflows for the most discerning user. |
Mobile encoders
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AirServer Mirror your mobile device to YouTube. |
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iOS, Android Larix Broadcaster is a mobile app for iOS and Android for capturing and streaming live via protocols like SRT, RTMP, NDI, WebRTC, Zixi and more. Users can utilize the full power of their mobile cameras to contribute content with web and text overlays, graphics, dynamic camera manipulation, advanced audio settings and other enhancements to make your IRL streams of any kind. |
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iOS, Android PRISM Live Studio is one of the most popular mobile apps optimized for IRL and gaming streaming. It is loved by streamers for its stable streaming quality and attractive features such as decoration and beauty effects, source overlay, and chroma key. All the features are given for no charge. |
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Streamlabs Built on OBS, and combines Streamlabs alerts, shortcuts, tipping, face masks, and thousands of themes and overlays for no charge. |
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Wirecast Go There's no charge when downloaded from the iOS App Store. Easily produce professional live broadcasts from your iPhone and stream them to YouTube. Switch shots, add photos, graphics, and more on up to three layers at a time for powerful mobile production. Read YouTube comments and chat in real time and interact with your audience. Schedule, create, and manage your YouTube live streams directly inside the app. Upgrade from the no charge version to stream to any RTMP destination. |
3. Connect your hardware
If you’re using hardware, like a webcam, a microphone, or a headset, connect them and make sure they’re set up with your encoder.
Depending on your stream, you may use different hardware. Here are some typical examples:
Gaming & casual live streams
Many streamers use an external microphone, webcam, and headphones. Gamers may also use other tools like a greenscreen.
Professional live streams
Advanced stream setups can include more than one microphone, camera, mixer, and hardware encoder.
4. Connect your encoder and go live
To start streaming, enter your YouTube Live server URL and stream key into your encoder. If you have audio and video hardware, set it up with your encoder, also known as streaming software.
Introducing Live Control Room - for Live Streaming
Start live streaming now
First, create a stream
- Go to YouTube Studio.
- From the top right, click CREATE
Go Live
to open the Live Control Room.
- Click the Stream tab.
- If it's your first live stream: Edit your stream and click Create stream.
If you’ve live streamed before: Your previous stream settings will load, including your stream key, which means you won’t need to update your encoder. - If you’re in the YouTube Partner Program, you can monetize your live stream. Learn more.
Go Live 
to open the Live Control Room.Next, connect your stream to your encoder, and then go live
- In your encoder stream settings, if you see the option to stream to YouTube, select that. Otherwise copy the stream URL from YouTube and paste it into your encoder's Stream settings server. It may say RTMP server.
- Copy the stream key from YouTube and paste it into your encoders Stream settings where it says Stream Key.
- Set up your encoder, then start the stream with your encoder. A watch page is now created for your stream, and you're now live on YouTube. Notifications will be sent and your stream will show up in subscriber feeds.
- To end the stream, stop sending content from your encoder. All streams under 12 hours will be automatically archived. You can find previous, current, and upcoming streams in the Live Tab on your YouTube Studio dashboard. Learn more.
Schedule a live stream
Scheduling a stream lets you promote your stream. Viewers can get reminders on upcoming streams, you can share the URL on social media, and more.
Schedule a stream
- Go to YouTube Studio.
- From the top right, click CREATE
to open the Live Control Room.
- Click the Manage tab.
- Click SCHEDULE STREAM.
- You can reuse settings from a previous stream and click Reuse settings, or you can create a stream by clicking Create new.
- If you’re in the YouTube Partner Program, you can monetize your live stream. Learn more.
to open the Live Control Room.Tip: Get your audience excited about your upcoming live stream by showing a trailer. Learn more.
When it’s time to start your stream
Connect your stream to your encoder, and then go live.
- In your encoder stream settings, if you see the option to stream to YouTube, select that. Otherwise copy the stream URL from YouTube and paste it into your encoder's Stream settings server. It may say RTMP server.
- Copy the stream key from YouTube and paste it in to your encoders Stream settings where it says Stream Key.
- Set up your encoder, then start the stream.
- In Live Control Room, wait for the stream preview to show up, and then click Go live.
- To end the stream, click End Stream and stop sending content from your encoder. All streams under 12 hours will be automatically archived. You can access previous, current, and upcoming streams in the Live Tab on your YouTube Studio dashboard. Learn more.
Use the Live Control Panel
When you live stream, you can use a compact version of the Live Control Room (Live Control Panel) to minimize the display area you need for your stream. The Live Control Panel shows you important info from the Live Control Room, such as Views and Chat revenue, in a smaller display area.
To turn on the Live Control Panel:
- In the Live Control Room, go to the stream dashboard.
- In the lower left-hand corner, click Popout dashboard
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.To close the Live Control Panel, exit out of the window.