What Is a Stream Key? How It Works and How to Keep It Safe

A stream key tells a platform which channel your encoder is streaming to. How it works, how each platform handles it, and how to keep it private.
By Multistream Platform · Published October 5, 2026

What a stream key is

A stream key is a private code that tells a streaming platform which channel an incoming stream belongs to. Your encoder sends video to the platform's server address, and the key is what lets the platform accept it and attach it to your account. YouTube describes stream keys like this: "Stream keys are like your YouTube stream's password and address. They tell your encoder where to send your feed and let YouTube accept it." Twitch's developer documentation calls the key (also known as an authorization key) the value that uniquely identifies the stream and says Twitch assigns it.

Server URL plus stream key

Encoders ask for two things: the server (also called the stream URL or ingest address) and the key. Together they form an address like Twitch's documented format rtmp://<ingest-server>/app/<stream-key>. Some tools take both in one field; most take them separately. The protocol behind this is RTMP (or its encrypted form).

How the platforms treat their keys

From each platform's own documentation, retrieved October 5, 2026. Details: stream keys by platform.
PlatformWhere the platform says to find itReset or reuse (as documented)
YouTubeLive Control Room in YouTube Studio, Stream tabReset in the Live Control Room (channel owner or manager only); custom stream keys can be reused
TwitchBroadcaster dashboard on twitch.tv, or the Get Stream Key APIAssigned by Twitch; for resetting, see Twitch's Help Center
Facebookfacebook.com/live/create, Streaming softwareA standard key cannot be reused; a persistent stream key can, one live video at a time
KickCreator dashboard, Channel, Stream URL and KeyReset button in the Streamer Dashboard; update your software afterwards
LinkedIn LiveManage streams in LinkedIn Live Studio, per eventGenerated for each event, shortly before the start time
InstagramLive Producer on instagram.comNot static; refreshes each time you use Live Producer

Keep it private

Anyone with your key can usually stream to your channel. Facebook says it directly: never share your stream key or persistent stream key, because anyone with these details can stream to your post. YouTube says to reset the key if it is compromised, and Kick says to reset it from the dashboard and then update your streaming software. Practical habits that follow from this:

  • Do not paste a key into screenshots, chat, a public repository or a video.
  • Turn on your streaming software's option to hide the key field if it has one.
  • If you suspect a leak, reset the key on the platform and update every encoder and relay that uses it.
  • When you give a team member access, prefer the platform's own roles; YouTube, for example, restricts key reset to channel owners and managers.

Stream keys and multistreaming

When you use a relay such as Multistream Platform you add each destination's server URL and key once, and your encoder sends a single stream to the relay. The keys stay in the relay's settings instead of in every encoder. Find them with the RTMP URL and stream key helper or the per-platform pages linked from stream keys by platform. TikTok is a special case: 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

What is a stream key?
A private code that identifies your stream to a platform so that the video your encoder sends is attached to your channel.
YouTube describes stream keys as like your stream's password and address. They are not your account password, but whoever has the key can usually broadcast to your channel, so keep it private.
Reset it on the platform. YouTube, Kick and Instagram each document a way to get a new key, and then you must update your streaming software.
Not all in the same way. LinkedIn creates one per event, Instagram's changes each time, and TikTok's official help pages we reviewed describe other ways to go LIVE. See the per-platform pages.
In your encoder's stream settings, in the Stream Key field, with the server URL in the Server field. With a relay, you enter the destination key in the relay's settings instead.
It depends on the platform: YouTube supports custom reusable keys and Facebook has a persistent stream key option, while LinkedIn and Instagram generate new credentials.
To relay to a platform it needs a destination address and the key or credentials for it, which you add in your account. Treat them like passwords.
Have questions that aren't listed here? Talk to the team

Keep learning

Stream keys by platform

Where each platform keeps its stream key, whether it can be reset or reused, and the protocol it uses.

Read the guide
What is RTMP?

How an encoder publishes a stream with a server URL and key, the handshake, and RTMP vs RTMPS.

Read the guide
How to multistream with OBS Studio

Step-by-step OBS Studio settings to send one stream to a multistreaming relay and out to every platform.

Read the guide
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