Configure Secure SRT Connection in OBS Studio
This guide provides a straightforward walkthrough on how to configure a Secure Reliable Transport (SRT) connection string in OBS Studio using a passphrase for encrypted streaming. By the end of this article, you will know how to properly format your SRT URL with security parameters and apply these settings within OBS Studio to secure your live stream ingestion.
Understanding the SRT Connection String Format
To secure an SRT stream, you must append encryption parameters directly to the SRT connection URL. The standard format for a secure SRT connection string is:
srt://[host]:[port]?mode=caller&passphrase=[your_passphrase]&pbkeylen=[key_size]
- [host]: The IP address or domain of the receiving ingestion server.
- [port]: The port number assigned for the SRT stream (typically 9000 or similar).
- mode=caller: Defines OBS Studio as the sender (caller) initiating the connection.
- passphrase: The secret password used to encrypt the stream. It must be between 10 and 79 characters long.
- pbkeylen: The Crypto Key Length in bytes. This
determines the AES encryption strength. Accepted values are:
16for AES-128 encryption.24for AES-192 encryption.32for AES-256 encryption (recommended).
Example of a completed secure string:
srt://stream.example.com:9000?mode=caller&passphrase=MySecurePassword123&pbkeylen=32
Step-by-Step Configuration in OBS Studio
Follow these steps to input your secure SRT connection string into OBS Studio:
Open OBS Studio Settings Launch OBS Studio, click on Settings in the bottom-right Controls panel, or go to File > Settings in the top menu.
Navigate to Stream Settings In the Settings window, click on the Stream tab on the left sidebar.
Change Service to Custom Click the dropdown menu next to Service and select Custom….
Input the Connection String
- In the Server field, paste your fully formatted SRT
connection string (e.g.,
srt://stream.example.com:9000?mode=caller&passphrase=MySecurePassword123&pbkeylen=32). - Leave the Stream Key field completely blank. SRT handles authentication and routing directly through the connection string parameters, making a separate stream key unnecessary.
- In the Server field, paste your fully formatted SRT
connection string (e.g.,
Save and Apply Click Apply in the bottom right, then click OK to close the Settings window.
You can now click Start Streaming in OBS Studio. Your stream will be encrypted using the specified passphrase and transmitted securely to your ingestion server.