In YouTube Studio, choose Create > Go live, then open the Stream tab in Live Control Room. Copy the Stream URL into your encoder’s server field and copy the separate Stream key into its key field; they are two different values.
If your encoder offers a YouTube preset, YouTube recommends using it. Otherwise, enter the URL and key manually, checking that the selected protocol matches what your encoder supports. The steps below follow YouTube’s encoder setup instructions; interface labels can change, so use the current wording shown in your Studio account.
Open YouTube Live Control Room
Sign in to the YouTube account that owns or manages the channel, then open YouTube Studio. Choose Create and then Go live. This opens Live Control Room, where you can prepare a new broadcast or manage an existing one.
If this is your first stream, YouTube may prompt you to create or configure a stream before showing its settings. For a repeat stream, it may load settings from a previous stream. Either way, the destination details you need are under the Stream tab. If you are working with a scheduled broadcast, make sure you have selected the stream you intend to send to rather than creating a separate one by accident.
The wording and layout in Studio may shift over time. Look for the named controls rather than relying on the position of a button in a screenshot: Create > Go live is the route into Live Control Room, and Stream is the tab for the connection details. YouTube’s current guide to creating a live stream with an encoder is a useful check if your screen differs.
You do not need to buy or install an encoder simply to find the URL. This task is about copying the destination information from YouTube into the software or device that will send the broadcast. If you are still deciding how you will run content continuously, keep that separate from this connection step: the URL and key identify how the encoder connects, not what video it plays.
Select the Stream tab
In Live Control Room, select Stream. YouTube presents the live stream settings there, including the Stream URL and Stream key. If the tab is not immediately visible, check the controls within the live control room rather than a channel’s general settings.
The two values serve different purposes. The Stream URL identifies the destination endpoint for the broadcast. The Stream key is a separate credential associated with your stream, comparable to a password for connecting an encoder. The YouTube live stream settings guide explains stream-key management; keep the key private and do not paste it into a field intended for the server address.
This distinction resolves a common setup failure. If you put the key into the server field, the encoder is not being told where to send the stream. If you put the URL into the key field, it is not being given the credential YouTube expects. Check the labels on both sides before starting: a server-related field needs the URL, and a key-related field needs the key.
Do not assume that a field’s visual placement makes the distinction obvious. Some encoders put the server address and key beside each other; others may show them in separate panels. The reliable method is to match the meaning of each label, not the order in which the fields appear.
Locate and copy the Stream URL
In the Stream tab, find Stream URL under the stream settings and copy the value shown. This is the address to enter in the encoder’s server field. Do not copy the Stream key in its place, even if the two items appear close together in the YouTube interface.
YouTube normally displays an RTMP URL. If your encoder is configured to use the encrypted RTMPS protocol, YouTube says to use the lock control next to the Stream URL to reveal and copy the RTMPS address. The ordinary RTMP address is shown by default, so check the protocol your encoder is set to accept instead of assuming that every URL shown is interchangeable. YouTube’s RTMPS instructions describe the lock control and note that the encoder must support RTMPS.
A URL beginning with https can indicate that the stream key is configured for HLS rather than RTMP. HLS is a different ingestion protocol; do not paste an HLS address into a setup that only accepts RTMP. YouTube’s HLS setup guidance explains that selecting HLS changes the Stream URL to an HTTPS address. Match the protocol selected for the stream with the protocol supported by the encoder.
| What you see or need | What to use | Practical check |
|---|---|---|
| Normal YouTube Stream URL | RTMP address | Use when the encoder is configured for RTMP |
| Encrypted connection | RTMPS URL revealed with the lock control | Confirm the encoder supports RTMPS |
| HLS stream configuration | HTTPS address | Use an encoder and workflow that support HLS |
| Encoder server or destination field | Stream URL | Do not put the Stream key here |
| Encoder key field | Stream key | Keep it separate from the server address |
Treat the protocol as part of the connection details, not as a cosmetic variation in the address. A rejected connection may be caused by a mismatch even when the URL was copied correctly. If in doubt, compare the encoder’s protocol option with the URL YouTube currently shows for that stream.
Find the encoder’s server field
Open the connection or streaming settings in your encoder and look for the destination field. Depending on the encoder, it may be labelled Server, Server URL, or RTMP server. YouTube notes that encoder interfaces differ and the destination may be called an RTMP server. The essential instruction is the same: paste the Stream URL into the field that specifies where the encoder sends the broadcast.
Do not infer a setting name from a different encoder’s guide or screenshot. If your software uses different words, identify the field by its purpose: it is the server or destination address, not the stream key. The field may be paired with a separate key input, but the arrangement is up to the encoder. This guide cannot name a specific menu path for every product without risking directions that do not match your interface.
For a manual setup, copy the URL from Live Control Room and paste it into the server field without adding text or combining it with the key. Then move to the separate stream-key field. If the encoder offers a YouTube preset, consider using it as described in the next section rather than filling in destination details by guesswork.
The same careful separation helps if you are troubleshooting an established setup. Verify the current Stream URL in YouTube, compare it with the encoder’s server value, and check that the key remains in its own field. If you are also building a continuous broadcast, a guide to looping multiple videos with OBS can help with playback design, but it does not change which value belongs in the server field.
Copy the separate Stream key
Return to the Stream tab in Live Control Room and copy the Stream key separately. In your encoder, paste it into the field labelled Stream Key or an equivalent key field. Do not substitute it for the Stream URL, and do not combine the two into a single entry unless the encoder’s own documented workflow specifically asks for a preset-based connection instead.
A stream key is sensitive. YouTube describes it as similar to a password: someone with the key may be able to connect a broadcast to the stream. Avoid publishing screenshots that expose it, including screenshots shared in support forums. If you think it has been exposed, YouTube says a channel owner or manager can reset it from the Stream tab; after resetting, update the encoder with the replacement key. See YouTube’s stream settings and key management guidance.
Keep a simple record of which stream configuration you used, but do not store the key in a public document or a note that anyone can access. If more than one person manages the channel, agree who is responsible for changing the key and updating the encoder. Otherwise, one person may reset the credential while another device continues trying to use the old one.
When you replace or reset a key, treat it as a change to the encoder’s connection credentials. A copied URL may still be correct while the key has changed, so check both values separately if a previously working setup stops connecting. The URL tells the encoder where to send data; the key authorises the stream connection.
Use a YouTube preset or enter details manually
If your encoder has a YouTube preset, YouTube recommends using it. Select the preset and provide the stream key if requested by that encoder. Do not assume that every preset asks for the same fields or uses the same labels: follow the prompts shown in your software and confirm that it is connecting to the intended YouTube stream.
If no preset is available, enter details manually: the Stream URL in the server or destination field, and the Stream key in the separate key field. Confirm that the encoder’s protocol selection is compatible with the YouTube URL. An RTMP-only encoder cannot use an RTMPS or HLS address merely because that address appears in Live Control Room.
Manual entry is straightforward when the fields are clearly labelled, but it leaves more room for swapping values or selecting an incompatible protocol. A preset may reduce the amount you have to enter, but it does not remove the need to choose the right stream or protect the key. In either case, check the destination, credential and protocol before you begin sending video.
If you are running a long loop, connection configuration is only one part of keeping the broadcast useful. For instance, choosing a suitable loop-file size addresses storage and media planning, while this page concerns YouTube’s destination and key. Keeping those tasks distinct makes troubleshooting more precise: first establish whether the encoder reaches YouTube, then investigate playback, audio or the media file.
Check the encoder connection
After entering the details, start the encoder’s connection or broadcast process. Watch Live Control Room for a preview or other indication that YouTube is receiving the stream. A successful connection to the ingest endpoint does not by itself mean a scheduled event is publicly live: for a scheduled stream, YouTube’s encoder instructions say to wait for the preview and then select Go live in Live Control Room.
If no preview appears, check the basics in order. Confirm that the URL is in the server field and the key is in the key field. Then compare the URL’s protocol with the protocol selected in the encoder, and verify that the key is current. Recopying both values from the intended stream can be a useful way to rule out a stale value or an accidental paste into the wrong box.
For RTMPS, confirm that the encoder supports RTMPS and that you copied the secure address revealed with the lock control, rather than the default RTMP address. For HLS, confirm that the encoder supports HLS and that the HTTPS address is appropriate to that configuration. These are different protocols, not alternate spellings of the same server entry.
If a stream used to work and now does not, consider whether the key was reset, whether a different stream is selected in Studio, or whether the encoder’s protocol setting changed. YouTube’s troubleshooting pages and the encoder’s own documentation are better references for product-specific error messages than a generic set of instructions. Avoid posting the key while asking for help; describe the error and the field labels instead.
Once the preview appears, check that the correct scheduled broadcast is selected before pressing Go live. This final step matters because an encoder can be sending a valid feed while the scheduled YouTube event is still waiting to be started from Live Control Room. For an always-on channel, a connection check is still useful after configuration changes, even if the same encoder has worked before.
If the recurring problem is not the URL but a broadcast that stops after it has been configured, use a focused diagnosis such as steps for a 24/7 stream that stops. That is a different fault from confusing the server URL with the key. Separating connection setup from continuity troubleshooting helps you test one cause at a time.
For a channel built around an uploaded file rather than a computer that must keep encoding all night, StreamNeo addresses the specific burden of keeping that computer running: you upload the video, provide the YouTube key, and the broadcast can continue with your computer off. This is YouTube-only; it does not change the distinction between YouTube’s Stream URL and Stream key when you configure an encoder yourself.
Before committing, compare the operating options on the pricing page. When the file and channel are ready, start free — 24-hour trial, no card.
FAQ
Where is the YouTube RTMP server URL?
Open YouTube Studio, choose Create > Go live, and select the Stream tab in Live Control Room. Find Stream URL in the stream settings and copy it into your encoder’s server or RTMP server field.
Is the Stream URL the same as the Stream key?
No. The URL is the destination address, while the Stream key is a separate credential. Put the URL in the encoder’s server field and the key in its stream-key field; keep the key private.
Why does my Stream URL start with https?
YouTube’s HLS setup uses an HTTPS Stream URL, unlike the usual RTMP address. Check which protocol the stream key and encoder are configured to use, and do not use an HLS address in an RTMP-only setup.
Do I need to click Go live after the encoder connects?
For a scheduled stream, wait for the encoder preview to appear in Live Control Room, then click Go live there. Starting the encoder sends the feed, but the scheduled event may still need to be started in Studio.