How to Stream on Kick: OBS, Browser and Phone Steps

Going live for the first time is mostly a setup job, not a performance. Once your stream key is in the right place and your settings match what the platform expects, the actual broadcast is one button. Plenty of small brands and solo creators use live video to show products, answer questions and build a following, and Kick is another place to do it.

Kick has its own help centre, and everything below follows it. There are three ways in: streaming software on a computer, the Web Go Live tool in your browser, and a phone app. I'll take them one at a time, then cover what to do when the connection won't start.

What you need before you stream on Kick

• A Kick account that you can log in to, with access to your creator dashboard.
• A way to broadcast: streaming software such as OBS or Streamlabs Desktop, Kick's browser tool, or a mobile streaming app.
• A camera and microphone, or a game or screen to capture.
• An upload connection that can carry your chosen quality. Kick's help tells you to check your upload speed first, because your bitrate shouldn't be higher than it.

Streaming on Kick with OBS on a computer

This is the route most people use. Kick's help walks through it like this:

1. Log in to the Kick account you want to stream from and open your creator dashboard at dashboard.kick.com/stream.
2. Click the Channel menu item, then Stream URL and Key. You'll see a Server URL and a Stream Key.
3. Open OBS and go to File, then Settings, then Stream.
4. Set the service to Custom, paste in the Server URL and the Stream Key, and press Apply.
5. In the Streamer Dashboard, click Edit Stream Info, set a title and category, and click Save.
6. Back in OBS, click Start Streaming.

Don't skip step five. Kick warns that your livestream may not start correctly if you haven't set the title and category first. To finish, click Stop Streaming in OBS. Viewers will see an offline banner and your video on demand copy is saved to your channel page.

Kick's technical limits for your stream settings

If your picture stutters or the connection drops, check your output settings against what Kick supports. The help centre lists these limits:

Setting	What Kick supports
Resolution	Maximum 1920x1080
Frame rate	Maximum 60 fps
Bitrate	Maximum 8,000 kbps
Video codec	H.264 only, no H.265
Rate control	CBR only, no VBR
Audio	Stereo, maximum 48kHz

On a Mac, Kick says to choose the x264 encoder so that CBR is available. If the stream lags, Kick's advice is to lower your bitrate in small steps until it runs smoothly, and to try a lighter encoder preset.

Going live on Kick from your browser with Web Go Live

If you'd rather not install anything, Kick has a browser tool called Web Go Live. Per Kick's help, it lets you stream from the website without separate software and includes scenes, widgets and camera and microphone controls. The steps:

1. Open the Creator Dashboard and click Go Live.
2. If it's your first time, complete the onboarding.
3. Click the pencil icon and set your stream details: title, category, language and rating.
4. Allow camera and microphone access when your browser asks.
5. Choose a scene, add any widgets you want, and set your audio levels.
6. Click Go Live at the bottom of the screen.

Missing details can trigger an error when you press Go Live, so fill in everything behind the pencil icon first. If you want sound from your computer in the stream, you'll also need to allow desktop audio.

Streaming on Kick from your phone

Kick's help describes a phone route using the Streamlabs Mobile app with a custom connection. You'll need camera and microphone permissions switched on, your stream key from the Streamer Dashboard, and a title and category set on the Kick website, since the app can't set them. Kick advises against 3G and suggests Wi-Fi, 4G LTE or 5G.

Menus in the app vary by version. In general you open the app's account settings, choose a custom RTMP connection, name it, enter the server URL and stream key from Kick's help article, save, and then tap Go Live. Copy the server address straight from Kick's own page rather than from a video or forum post.

Keeping your Kick stream key safe

Your stream key is like a password for broadcasting. Anyone who has it can send video to your channel, so never paste it into a chat, a screenshot or a shared document, and don't show your OBS settings window on camera. If you think it's leaked, click Reset in your Streamer Dashboard. You'll then need to enter the new key in your streaming software, or your stream won't connect.

If your Kick stream won't connect

Kick's troubleshooting article gives these causes, in this order. Work through them top to bottom:

1. The stream key is missing or wrong. Copy it again from the dashboard.
2. Your encoder settings don't match what Kick supports. Check the table above.
3. OBS or Streamlabs is out of date. Update it and restart.
4. A firewall or antivirus is blocking the encoder, or you're on a work or school network that blocks streaming ports.

Still stuck? Contact Kick's support team and include your Kick username, which encoder you use and its version, the exact error message and your operating system.

Making your Kick streams work for your business

A live stream is more useful when it's planned. Decide the topic, tell your audience when you'll be on, and keep a short list of points to cover so you're not filling silence. If you're comparing tools for your set-up, my round-up of StreamYard alternatives for live streaming shows what else is out there, and my tips on streamlining social media editing for your brand help when you want to turn a long live session into short clips afterwards.

Frequently asked questions

How do I start streaming on Kick?

Open your creator dashboard, copy the Server URL and Stream Key from Channel and then Stream URL and Key, paste them into OBS under Settings and Stream with the service set to Custom, set your title and category, then click Start Streaming.

Can I stream on Kick without OBS?

Yes. Kick's Web Go Live tool lets you stream from the website without separate software, and Streamlabs Mobile can stream from a phone. You need camera and microphone permissions either way.

What settings does Kick support?

Kick's help lists a maximum of 1920x1080 at 60 fps, a maximum bitrate of 8,000 kbps, H.264 video with CBR rate control, and stereo audio at a maximum of 48kHz.

Why won't OBS connect to Kick?

The usual causes are a wrong stream key, settings Kick doesn't support, an out-of-date encoder, or a firewall or antivirus blocking it. If none of those fix it, contact Kick's support team with your encoder details and the exact error.

How do I get a new stream key on Kick?

Click Reset in your Streamer Dashboard. Then enter the new key in your streaming software, because the old one will stop working.