How to Link OBS to TikTok

Want to take your TikTok LIVEs from a single smartphone camera to a full-blown professional production? Pairing OBS Studio with TikTok is the answer, letting you add overlays, multiple cameras, screen shares, and high-quality audio to create streams that stand out. This guide breaks down exactly how to link OBS to your TikTok account, including how to find your stream key, configure OBS for vertical broadcasting, and dial in the best settings for a smooth, high-quality show.

So, Why Use OBS for TikTok LIVE Anyway?

You might be thinking, "My phone works just fine for going live." And it does! But if you're serious about creating a brand, engaging an audience, or just making your content look as good as possible, OBS (Open Broadcaster Software) opens up a whole new world of creative control. It's the free, industry-standard tool used by streamers on Twitch and YouTube, and you can bring that same power to TikTok.

With OBS, you can:

• Upgrade Your Video Quality: Use a professional camera (like a DSLR or mirrorless) instead of your phone's front-facing camera for a massive leap in visual clarity and depth.
• Share Your Screen: Perfect for gamers who want to stream mobile or PC gameplay, artists who want to showcase their digital art process, or educators who want to present slides or software tutorials.
• Create Professional Scenes: Instead of one static shot, you can create multiple scenes and switch between them seamlessly. Think a "Starting Soon" screen, a main webcam view, a screen-sharing scene, and a "Be Right Back" screen.
• Add Custom Overlays and Branding: Display your social media handles, a custom border around your camera, animated alerts for new followers, or your logo. This is how you really build a recognizable brand identity on stream.
• Use a High-Quality Microphone: Ditch the tinny phone audio and use a professional USB or XLR microphone for crisp, clear sound that keeps viewers tuned in longer.

In short, using OBS moves you from being just another person going live on their phone to being a creator producing a genuine *show* for your audience.

Pre-Stream Checklist: What You'll Need to Get Started

Before connecting anything, let's make sure you have the basics in place. You won't get far without these essentials.

• TikTok Account with LIVE Access: This is the big one. Historically, TikTok has required accounts to have at least 1,000 followers to unlock streaming capabilities. However, this rule can vary by region and account age. To check, open your TikTok app, tap the '+' create button, and see if 'LIVE' appears as an option in the bottom menu.
• OBS Studio: If you don't already have it, download and install the latest version of OBS Studio from the official website (obsproject.com). It's completely free for Windows, Mac, and Linux.
• A Stable Internet Connection: Live streaming requires a good upload speed. Run a speed test (like Speedtest by Ookla) and check your upload number. For a stable 720p or 1080p stream on TikTok, you should have at least 5-6 Mbps of consistent upload speed. Plugging directly into your router via an Ethernet cable is always better than relying on Wi-Fi.
• A PC or Mac: You'll need a computer powerful enough to run OBS, your game or applications, and encode the video stream simultaneously.

Finding Your TikTok Stream Key and Server URL

To tell OBS where to send your video feed, you need two pieces of information from TikTok: a Server URL and a Stream Key. The URL is the address of TikTok's servers, and the key is like a unique password that connects the stream specifically to your account. Here is how to find them.

Important note: You get a new stream key every time you start a live session, so you'll need to repeat these steps before each stream.

1. Open the TikTok app on your smartphone.
2. Tap the Create (+) button at the bottom of the screen.
3. Slide over to the LIVE option in the bottom menu.
4. Here, you should see options for either ‘Device camera’ or ‘Mobile Gaming.’ Sometimes another option, 'Live Studio' or ‘Cast on PC/Mac’, will be available here. Tap this option to proceed.
5. TikTok will now generate and display the two things you need: the Server URL and your unique Stream Key.
6. Keep this screen open on your phone for the next step. You can use the copy button to easily transfer them to your computer (e.g., by messaging them to yourself or using a universal clipboard).

Configuring OBS to Stream in Vertical Format

Now that you have your credentials, it’s time to set up OBS. The most important step here is to configure OBS to broadcast in a vertical 9:16 aspect ratio, which is native to TikTok. Streaming in a standard horizontal 16:9 format will result in black bars and a tiny video on users' phones.

Step 1: Set Your Canvas to a Vertical Resolution

The canvas is your working area in OBS. We need to flip it on its side.

1. In OBS, go to File >, Settings (or OBS >, Preferences on Mac).
2. Select the Video tab on the left-hand menu.
3. Change the Base (Canvas) Resolution. Instead of the default 1920x1080, flip the numbers to 1080x1920.
4. Change the Output (Scaled) Resolution to match it: 1080x1920. This is the resolution your stream will be broadcast in.
5. For Common FPS Values, either 30 or 60 will work. For fast-paced gaming, 60 is ideal if your computer can handle it. For most other content, 30 is perfectly fine and requires less processing power.
6. Click Apply, then OK. Your OBS preview window will now be a tall rectangle, ready for vertical content.

Step 2: Connect Your TikTok Account

Now we’ll use the Server URL and Stream Key you got from the app.

1. Go back into Settings >, Stream.
2. From the Service dropdown menu, select Custom….
3. Go back to your phone and copy the Server URL from TikTok. Paste it into the Server field in OBS.
4. Next, copy the Stream Key from TikTok and paste it into the Stream Key field in OBS. Be careful not to share this key with anyone - it's what links the stream directly to your profile.
5. Click Apply and OK. OBS is now connected to your TikTok account.

Optimizing Your OBS Output Settings for TikTok

Getting your resolution right is half the battle, the other half is dialing in your encoding settings to get a smooth, crisp picture without overwhelming your internet connection.

Navigate to Settings >, Output. Switch the Output Mode at the top to Advanced to unlock all the options.

Streaming Tab Settings:

• Encoder: If you have an NVIDIA graphics card, choose NVIDIA NVENC H.264 (new). This uses a dedicated chip on your GPU to handle the video encoding, putting less strain on your CPU. If you don't, select x264, which will use your processor.
• Rate Control: Select CBR (Constant Bitrate). This ensures a steady flow of data to TikTok's servers, which helps prevent buffering for your viewers.
• Bitrate: This is how much data you send per second. It depends heavily on your upload speed. A good starting point is 2,500 Kbps to 4,000 Kbps. If your stream lags or stutters, lower this number. If your quality looks pixelated and your upload speed can handle more, you can raise it. For reference, 4,000 Kbps is 4 Mbps.
• Keyframe Interval: Set this to 2 (seconds). TikTok often recommends this for stable stream intake.
• Preset (for NVENC): Start with Quality. If your stream lags, you can move it to Performance.
• Preset (for x264): Start with veryfast. This offers a good balance between quality and CPU usage. If your PC struggles, you can change it to superfast or ultrafast.
• Profile: Set to High or Main.

Click Apply and OK. Your settings are now optimized!

Going Live: The Final Steps and Troubleshooting

Your scenes are built, your settings are dialed in. It's showtime! Here’s the sequence of events to go live.

1. On your phone, get to the TikTok screen where you got your Server URL and Stream Key. Once you’re ready, tap the red Go LIVE button at the bottom of that screen. Your account will now be live but showing a 'waiting for signal' screen to viewers.
2. Switch over to OBS on your computer.
3. In the bottom right corner of OBS, click the Start Streaming button.
4. After a few seconds, you should see your OBS feed appear on your TikTok LIVE stream. You can monitor the chat and viewer count from your phone while you manage the content from your computer.

Common Trouble Spots

• Dropped Frames or Laggy Stream: Your bitrate might be too high for your internet connection, or your computer is struggling to encode the video. Try lowering the bitrate in Settings >, Output or using a faster encoder preset (e.g., from Quality to Performance).
• Stream Not Showing Up on TikTok: Double-check that you copied the Server URL and Stream Key correctly. Remember, you get a new key every time, so you can't reuse an old one.
• Pixelated or Blurry Video: This is also related to bitrate. If your connection allows, try increasing the bitrate. For 1080p video, 4,000-6,000 Kbps will look much cleaner, provided your internet can sustain it.

Final Thoughts

Connecting OBS to TikTok turns your live streams into dynamic, professional broadcasts that capture attention and build your brand. By setting up a vertical canvas, inputting your stream key, and optimizing your output settings, you can reliably push high-quality content to one of the world's most engaged platforms. It takes a few extra steps compared to simply hitting 'Go LIVE' on your phone, but the boost in production value is well worth the effort.

A great stream is just the beginning, the real growth comes from promoting it and repurposing the best moments. Once your broadcast ends, you have a ton of great content ready to be sliced into clips for TikTok, Reels, and Shorts. This is exactly why we're building Postbase to excel with short-form video. I wanted a tool that makes it easy to upload a video once and schedule it everywhere, customizing captions for each platform, without dealing with the clunky video workflows of older platforms. The goal is to spend less time wrestling with social media tools and more time creating great content.