Instagram Stream Key: Live Producer Setup and Settings
What this page covers, and what it cannot
Instagram's own documentation on streaming-software broadcasts is a single announcement, Instagram Live Producer, published on November 2, 2022 on about.instagram.com. It carries the disclaimer "Live Producer is limited access at this time." We could not find a current Instagram help-center page for it, so everything below comes from that announcement, and Instagram may have changed details since. Who is eligible (follower counts, account types) is not stated in that announcement, so we do not state it. Check what instagram.com offers your account.
How Live Producer works
- Open your streaming software and find where it takes a URL and stream key. Instagram says Instagram Live must be added as a Custom RTMP endpoint.
- Open instagram.com (Instagram says this feature is only available there), click the add-post button and choose Live.
- On the Go live screen, enter a title and pick the audience: Practice broadcasts to no one; Public broadcasts to your followers like a normal live video.
- Instagram shows your unique URL and stream key. You can copy the key or reset it. The stream key is not static and refreshes each time you use Live Producer.
- Paste them into your software and start streaming. A preview appears in the Live Producer on instagram.com and can take a few seconds.
- When the preview looks right, click Go live. Click End live video to finish.
Important: Instagram says that if you end the stream in your software before ending the Live Producer broadcast, the live video continues showing the last frame it received. End the broadcast in Live Producer first, then stop your software.
Settings Instagram lists
| Setting | Instagram's guidance (November 2022) |
|---|---|
| Aspect ratio | 9:16 recommended but not required; horizontal video is allowed but the viewer crops and zooms to fit 9:16 |
| Resolution and frame rate | 720x1280 at 30fps recommended; 60fps can be supported (the preview still shows 30fps); 480p30 and 360p supported but not recommended |
| Video bitrate | 2,250 to 6,000 kbps |
| Audio | 44.1 kHz, stereo, up to 256 kbps |
Limits Instagram lists
- Comments can be read and answered only inside Live Producer.
- Live Rooms, Shopping, Fundraisers and Q&A are not supported by Live Producer at this time.
- Moderation (Live Moderator) and adding guests or co-hosts are not supported.
- You can view, share and download the finished video from the Live Archive, if you have it enabled.
- Simulcasting is not natively supported, but you may use streaming software that allows simulcasting and add Instagram Live as a custom RTMP endpoint.
Instagram and other platforms
Because the key changes every time, add the current credentials to your relay or encoder just before each broadcast. See what is simulcasting, stream keys by platform, Facebook stream key and how to multistream with OBS Studio. For TikTok see how to stream on TikTok without a stream key.
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
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
Where each platform keeps its stream key, whether it can be reset or reused, and the protocol it uses.
Read the guideWhat a stream key is, how each platform treats it and how to keep it private.
Read the guide
Standard vs persistent stream keys, requirements and format settings from Facebook Help.
Read the guide
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