Go Live from a PC: YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok
The short answer
Every major platform lets you go live from a computer, but not in the same way. YouTube and Facebook offer a webcam route in the browser and an encoder route with a stream key. Instagram offers an encoder route only, through Live Producer. TikTok offers its own software, TikTok LIVE Studio. This page puts the published rules side by side, as of October 5, 2026, and points to one guide for each platform so nothing is repeated.
Going live from a PC, platform by platform
| Feature | YouTube | TikTok | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| From a computer | Webcam in the browser, or an encoder | Webcam, or streaming software | Streaming software through Live Producer on instagram.com | TikTok LIVE Studio (Windows and macOS) |
| Needs a stream key | Encoder route only | Streaming software route only | Yes, a new key each time | Not for LIVE Studio |
| Who can go live (as published) | No live streaming restrictions in 90 days, verified channel, 16 or older | Account 60 days old and 100 followers on the Page or professional profile | Limited access; no eligibility list published in the post | LIVE access; 18 or older; 1,000 followers (may vary by region) |
| Length limit or archive rule stated | Streams under 12 hours are archived automatically | 8 hours per live video | Not stated in the post | Not stated in the pages we reviewed |
| Settings published | Bitrate table, 2 s keyframe, CBR, RTMPS recommended | 1080p30, 3,000 to 6,000 kbps, 2 s keyframe | 720p30, 2,250 to 6,000 Kbps, 9:16 | None found |
| Our guide | YouTube from a PC | Facebook from a PC | Instagram from a PC | TikTok LIVE guide |
Which route is right for you?
Choose the webcam route if you just want to talk to your camera and you stream to one platform. It needs no software, no stream key and no bitrate decisions. Choose the encoder route if you need your screen or a game, overlays, several cameras or better audio, or if you want to reach several platforms: an encoder such as OBS Studio can send one RTMP or SRT stream to a relay, which delivers it to each platform.
Two things decide most setups: your upload speed (see the bandwidth calculator) and the encoder settings each platform accepts (see the bitrate recommender).
TikTok: one guide, not two
TikTok is covered in a single guide so the rules stay in one place: How to stream on TikTok without a stream key. It explains LIVE access, TikTok LIVE Studio, and what TikTok does not publish, such as exact LIVE Studio follower numbers and any server URL or stream key for third-party encoders. We do not repeat it here. The table above only shows the headline figures from TikTok's help article What is TikTok LIVE?, which says the requirements may vary across regions.
Using OBS Studio on any of them
OBS Studio is free, open source software that works on Windows, macOS and Linux, and it is the encoder these guides use. Start with the OBS Project's Quick Start Guide and then follow the guide for your platform: YouTube, Twitch or Facebook. For one set of settings that suits several platforms read best OBS settings for streaming. For where each platform keeps its stream key, see stream keys by platform.
Going live everywhere at once
If you go live from one PC to several platforms, a relay saves upload bandwidth: you send one stream and the relay makes the copies. Multistream Platform accepts RTMP and SRT and delivers to YouTube, Twitch, Facebook, Kick, TikTok and custom RTMP destinations; see features, pricing and what is multistreaming. Platform rules still apply to each destination, so check them before you stream.
Try it with Multistream Platform. Send one RTMP or SRT stream and relay it to YouTube, Twitch, Facebook, Kick, TikTok and custom endpoints. Start on the free Starter plan (2 channels, 20 streaming hours a month) and see the pricing page for paid plans.
Sources
- YouTube Help: Get started with live streaming
- Facebook Help Centre: Go live from your Facebook Page
- Instagram: Live Producer (published November 2, 2022)
- TikTok Support: What is TikTok LIVE?
- OBS Project: Quick Start Guide (page dated 2021-08-25)
Platform figures were checked on October 5, 2026. Platforms change their recommendations, so confirm against the current documentation before you go live.
Frequently asked questions
Keep learning
Webcam or encoder: the YouTube Studio steps, requirements, limits and settings YouTube publishes.
Read the guideWebcam or streaming software on Facebook: account requirements, steps, time limit and recommended settings.
Read the guideInstagram Live Producer from a computer: what Instagram's own post says, the settings and the limits.
Read the guideThe official ways to go LIVE on TikTok from the app or a computer without a stream key, with TikTok's published rules and sources.
Read the guide
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