How to Stream to Instagram Live with OBS Studio

Streaming directly to Instagram Live from your computer is now possible using OBS Studio and Instagram’s native Live Producer tool. This guide provides a straightforward, step-by-step walkthrough on how to locate your unique Instagram RTMP URL and stream key, configure your OBS Studio settings for vertical video, and successfully broadcast high-quality content directly to your Instagram followers.

Step 1: Get Your Instagram Stream Key and URL

To stream to Instagram from a computer, you must retrieve your custom stream key and RTMP server URL using a desktop web browser.

  1. Open your web browser, go to Instagram’s website, and log into your account.
  2. Click the Create button (the plus icon) on the left-hand navigation menu.
  3. Select Live Video from the options.
  4. Enter a title for your live stream and choose your audience (Practice for testing or Public for a real broadcast).
  5. Click Next. A window will appear containing your unique Stream URL and Stream Key. Keep this window open, as you will need to copy these credentials into OBS.

Step 2: Configure OBS Studio for Vertical Video

Instagram Live utilizes a vertical 9:16 aspect ratio. You must adjust your OBS video settings to match this format to avoid black bars or cropped content.

  1. Open OBS Studio.
  2. Click on Settings in the bottom-right corner.
  3. Go to the Video tab.
  4. Change both the Base (Canvas) Resolution and Output (Scaled) Resolution to 1080x1920. You will need to type this in manually, as it is not in the default dropdown menu.
  5. Go to the Output tab and set the Output Mode to Advanced.
  6. Under the Streaming tab, set your Bitrate between 3000 Kbps and 6000 Kbps, which is optimal for 1080p vertical streaming.
  7. Click Apply and then OK.

Step 3: Input Stream Settings into OBS

Now you need to link OBS Studio to your Instagram account using the stream credentials you generated in Step 1.

  1. In OBS Studio, open Settings again.
  2. Go to the Stream tab.
  3. In the Service dropdown menu, select Custom…
  4. Copy the Stream URL from Instagram and paste it into the Server field in OBS.
  5. Copy the Stream Key from Instagram and paste it into the Stream Key field in OBS.
  6. Click Apply and OK.

Step 4: Start the Broadcast

Once your video sources (like your webcam, capture card, or microphone) are arranged inside the vertical OBS canvas, you are ready to go live.

  1. Click Start Streaming in the bottom-right corner of OBS Studio.
  2. Return to your desktop web browser where the Instagram Live Producer window is open.
  3. Within a few seconds, a preview of your OBS feed will appear in the Instagram browser window.
  4. Once you confirm the preview looks correct, click the Go Live button in the upper-right corner of the Instagram screen to start broadcasting to your followers.

To end the stream, click End Live Video on the Instagram browser window first, and then click Stop Streaming in OBS Studio.