How to Stream to a Custom SRT Server in OBS Studio

This guide provides a straightforward, step-by-step walkthrough on how to configure OBS Studio to stream live video to a custom server using the Secure Reliable Transport (SRT) protocol. You will learn how to format the connection URL, input the correct settings in OBS, and optimize your broadcast for low-latency, high-performance streaming.

Step 1: Gather Your SRT Server Details

Before configuring OBS Studio, you need the connection details of your target SRT server. A standard SRT destination URL requires the following components:

• IP Address or Domain: The address of your destination server.
• Port Number: The specific port configured on the server to receive the SRT stream (e.g., 10000).
• Stream ID (Optional): A unique identifier required by some ingest servers to route your stream correctly.

Step 2: Format the SRT Connection URL

OBS Studio utilizes a specific URL structure to establish an SRT connection. You must combine your server details into a single path.

The standard format for a “caller” connection (where OBS initiates the stream to a receiving server) is:

srt://your.server.ip:port?mode=caller&streamid=your_stream_id

Replace your.server.ip with your server’s IP address, port with the assigned port number, and your_stream_id with your unique ID. If your server does not require a Stream ID, you can omit the query parameter:

srt://your.server.ip:port?mode=caller

Step 3: Configure OBS Studio Settings

1. Open OBS Studio.
2. Click on Settings in the bottom-right corner, or go to File > Settings in the top menu.
3. Select the Stream tab from the left-hand menu.
4. Click the Service dropdown menu and select Custom….
5. In the Server text field, paste your formatted SRT URL (e.g., srt://192.168.1.100:10000?mode=caller).
6. Leave the Stream Key field completely blank. (SRT handles identification through the streamid parameter inside the Server URL).
7. Click Apply to save the changes.

Step 4: Optimize Video and Audio Settings

Because SRT is designed for high-quality, low-latency streaming, your encoding settings should align with these capabilities.

1. Navigate to the Output tab in the Settings window.
2. Set the Output Mode to Advanced.
3. Under the Streaming tab, select your preferred video encoder (such as NVIDIA NVENC H.264 or x264).
4. Set Rate Control to CBR (Constant Bitrate) for consistent network performance.
5. Set your Bitrate according to your upload bandwidth capacity (typically between 3000 Kbps and 8000 Kbps for 1080p streaming).
6. Set the Keyframe Interval to 2 seconds.
7. Click OK to save all settings.

Step 5: Start the Stream

Once your settings are saved, return to the main OBS Studio interface. Click the Start Streaming button in the Controls dock. OBS will initiate the handshake with your custom SRT server and begin broadcasting securely with minimal delay.