How to Connect TikTok to Restream

Going live on TikTok while you’re also streaming to Twitch and YouTube is a game-changer for reaching a wider audience. By connecting your TikTok account to Restream, you can use your professional streaming setup to broadcast everywhere at once. This guide will walk you through the entire process, from checking TikTok’s requirements to configuring your software for a flawless vertical multistream.

Why Stream to TikTok with Restream? The Big Wins

Multistreaming isn't just about saving time, it's about strategic growth. When you pipe your live content through Restream to TikTok alongside platforms like Twitch, YouTube, or Facebook, you’re creating a bridge for your audience. Viewers who love your content on one platform get a direct invitation to follow you on another, helping you grow your communities in parallel.

Here are the biggest benefits:

• Expand Your Reach Instantly: Tap into TikTok’s massive, highly engaged audience without neglecting your loyal followers on other platforms.
• Use Your Pro Setup: Ditch the shaky phone camera. You can use your high-quality camera, microphone, and a polished OBS or Streamlabs setup to create a professional-looking TikTok LIVE that stands out.
• Engage Multiple Communities: With tools like Restream’s unified chat, you can see messages from all platforms in one place, allowing you to acknowledge and interact with your entire audience at once.
• Supercharge Your Growth: Cross-promotion happens naturally. When you're live everywhere, you can verbally encourage your Twitch audience to follow you on TikTok (and vice versa), leading to faster growth across all your channels.

Before You Start: TikTok's LIVE Streaming Requirements

Getting access to go live on TikTok from a desktop is a bit different than just hitting the button on your phone. TikTok has specific requirements for granting a “Stream Key,” which is the piece of information you need to connect to services like Restream. Before you try to set anything up, make sure you meet the current criteria.

Keep in mind that TikTok rolls out this feature selectively, so access isn't guaranteed even if you meet the requirements. It's often referred to as "LIVE Studio" or "Cast on PC/Mac" access inside the app.

Generally, you must:

• Be 18 years or older. This is a strict requirement for streaming from a desktop.
• Have at least 1,000 followers. This is the most common prerequisite for unlocking advanced LIVE features. If you're not there yet, focus on growing your account with short-form videos first.
• Have a good standing. Your account should be free of any community guideline violations.

Sometimes, going live from your mobile device a few times can help trigger your account’s eligibility for desktop streaming. If you open the LIVE settings and don’t find the options mentioned in the next section, you likely haven’t been granted access yet.

Step-by-Step Guide: Connecting TikTok to Restream

If you have access, linking the two services is a straightforward process. You'll grab your unique streaming details from TikTok and then plug them into Restream as a "Custom RTMP" destination. Here’s exactly how to do it.

Step 1: Get Your TikTok Stream Key and Server URL

This is the most important part of the entire process, and it comes with a major catch: your TikTok Stream Key and Server URL reset for every single stream. Unlike Twitch, you can’t save these details and reuse them later. You must perform this step right before you plan to go live, every time.

1. Open the TikTok app on your phone.
2. Tap the plus icon (+) at the bottom center of the screen.
3. Swipe along the bottom menu until you get to the LIVE option.
4. Set up your LIVE screen with a title, topic, and cover image as you normally would.
5. Before going live, look for an option like “Cast on PC/Mac” or “Stream Key.” The exact wording and location may vary slightly.
6. Once you tap it, TikTok will present you with two pieces of information: a Server URL and a Stream Key.
7. Keep this screen open on your phone or carefully copy both lines of text. You’ll need them immediately.

Again, this URL and key are only valid for your current session. If you close the app or wait too long, they will expire, and your connection will fail.

Step 2: Add TikTok as a Custom RTMP Channel in Restream

Now, head over to your Restream account in a web browser. This is where you’ll tell Restream where to send your video feed.

1. Log in to your Restream dashboard.
2. On the main screen where your destinations are listed, click the “Add Destination” button.
3. A list of platforms will appear. Scroll to the bottom and select “Custom RTMP.”
4. A small configuration window will pop up. This is where you'll paste the information you just got from TikTok.
5. In the first field, labeled ”RTMP URL,” paste the Server URL from the TikTok app.
6. In the second field, labeled “Stream Key,” paste your unique Stream Key.
7. Give this destination a name you’ll recognize, like “TikTok LIVE Session.”
8. Click “Add Destination.”

You should now see the Custom RTMP destination for TikTok in your dashboard, ready to be toggled on for your next multistream.

Step 3: Configure Your Streaming Software for Vertical Video

You can't just send your standard 16:9 widescreen broadcast to TikTok and hope for the best. TikTok is a vertical platform, and viewers expect content formatted for their phones. To look professional, you need to set up your streaming software (like OBS or Streamlabs) with a vertical canvas.

Here’s how to do it in OBS:

1. Go to File > Settings.
2. In the settings menu, click on the Video tab.
3. Change the Base (Canvas) Resolution from 1920x1080 to 1080x1920.
4. Change the Output (Scaled) Resolution to match it: 1080x1920.
5. Set your Framerate to 30 or 60 FPS. 30 FPS is often safer for mobile viewing.
6. Click Apply and OK.

Your OBS canvas will now be vertical. You'll need to rearrange your sources (webcam, screen capture, alerts, graphics) to fit this new 9:16 layout. A common setup is to have your main face cam in the top third of the frame, with gameplay or other content filling the bottom two-thirds.

Going LIVE: Your Pre-Flight Checklist

You’ve done all the prep work. Now it's time to bring it all together. Follow these steps in order to ensure a smooth start.

1. Start in the TikTok app: Open the LIVE screen and get a fresh Server URL and Stream Key.
2. Update Restream: Quickly go to your Custom RTMP channel settings in Restream and paste in the new URL and key you just generated.
3. Select Your Destinations: In the Restream dashboard, toggle on your newly configured TikTok destination along with any other channels you want to stream to (Twitch, YouTube, etc.).
4. Go Live from Your Encoder: Start streaming from OBS or your broadcasting software. This sends your video feed to Restream, which then pushes it to all of your activated channels.
5. Final Confirmation on TikTok: Look at your phone. You should see a preview of your OBS feed on the TikTok LIVE screen. Tap the final "Go LIVE" button in the app to officially start the broadcast to your TikTok followers. This final tap is the manual confirmation TikTok requires to begin the stream.

Tips for a Great Multistream That Includes TikTok

Just connecting the tech is half the battle. Here’s how to create a great experience for all your viewers when streaming vertically.

• Design Your Scenes for Vertical: Don't just place a blurry, cropped version of your horizontal stream on the screen. Create dedicated vertical scenes. Prioritize your face cam and any key information to be clean and legible.
• Acknowledge All Chats: Use the Restream chat overlay or a separate monitor to view messages from all platforms. Make a point to shout out TikTok viewers by name. This makes them feel included and much more likely to stick around.
• Promote Your Presence: Use a simple graphic on your stream that says, "We're live on Twitch and YouTube too! Links in bio!" This helps funnel viewers between your profiles.
• Check Your Audio on a Phone: Your expensive headphones are great, but most TikTok users are watching on phone speakers. Do a quick sound check to make sure your mix is clear and balanced for a mobile viewing experience.
• Re-enter That Stream Key: We're saying it a final time because it's the number one reason streams fail. Always, always, always copy and paste a new key from the TikTok app before you go live. Make it the first step in your routine.

Final Thoughts

Tying TikTok into your Restream workflow allows you to merge audiences, maximize your reach, and grow your brand on multiple fronts simultaneously. Once you get the hang of grabbing the temporary stream key and streaming from a vertical canvas, it becomes a powerful part of any content creator's toolkit.

And once your streams are over, the work of promoting that content begins all over again. Here at Postbase, we know how much time goes into managing content meant for different platforms. We built our platform with a video-first approach, so planning out and scheduling your best stream clips as TikToks, Reels, and YouTube Shorts is simple and reliable. Our visual calendar gives you a clear view of your entire content plan, helping you turn one great livestream into a week's worth of content across all your social channels without the headache.