How to Multistream on Instagram and Facebook

Going live on a single platform is a powerful way to connect with your audience, but simultaneously broadcasting to both Instagram and Facebook can supercharge your reach instantly. It’s about meeting your entire community right where they are, without doubling your workload. This guide will walk you through the practical methods for multistreaming, explain the tools you’ll need, and share best practices to make your next live video a massive success.

Why Bother Multistreaming? Reaching Your Entire Audience Where They Are

Simulcasting your live video might seem like a small technical change, but its impact on your social media strategy is anything but. By going live on Instagram and Facebook at the same time, you unlock several key advantages that make the effort worthwhile.

• Maximize Your Reach: The simple truth is that your Facebook audience and your Instagram audience are not identical. Even with overlaps, there are followers who primarily use one platform over the other. Multistreaming ensures you’re not ignoring a segment of your community, allowing you to connect with everyone in real-time.
• Boost Engagement Signals: Live videos command attention. Social media algorithms tend to favor live content, pushing notifications to your followers and giving your broadcast prominent placement. By streaming to two platforms, you double the potential for real-time comments, questions, and reactions, which can amplify your visibility even further.
• Massive Time Savings: The most obvious benefit is efficiency. Planning, setting up, and hosting a live stream takes time and energy. Instead of repeating the entire process for each platform, you do the work once and reap the benefits twice. This frees you up to focus on creating great content rather than juggling logistics.
• Double Your Content Assets: Once your stream is over, you’re left with two valuable video assets. You can save the full broadcast from both Facebook and Instagram. These can be repurposed into highlights, shared as Reels or Stories, clipped for TikTok and YouTube Shorts, or even embedded into a blog post, extending the life of your content far beyond the initial broadcast.

The Catch: Why You Can't Just Press a "Go Live Everywhere" Button

Before you get started, it’s important to understand a key technical hurdle. While platforms like Facebook, YouTube, Twitch, and X (formerly Twitter) are relatively open, allowing creators to connect using third-party software via something called an "RTMP key," Instagram works differently.

Instagram Live was designed as a closed, mobile-first ecosystem. Its API (the backend code that allows apps to talk to each other) has strict limitations and doesn't officially support direct streaming from desktop software in the way other platforms do. This means there's no native, built-in feature in either app to simply hit one button and go live on both channels. For a long time, this made multistreaming to Instagram a non-starter.

However, clever workarounds and third-party tools have emerged to bridge this gap. Every solution involves either a manual approach or using a specialized service that has figured out how to integrate with Instagram safely. Let's look at the best ways to do it.

Method 1: The Two-Phone Method (Simple, but Clunky)

The most straightforward and accessible way to multistream is by using two separate devices. It requires no special software and relies entirely on the native apps you already use. While it’s not the most elegant solution, it’s a great starting point if you're on a tight budget or just want to test the waters.

What You'll Need

• Two Devices: This could be two smartphones or one smartphone and a tablet.
• Two Tripods: To keep your shots stable and consistent, you'll need a way to mount both devices side-by-side. Trying to hold them is not a realistic option.
• A Stable Internet Connection: A strong Wi-Fi connection is best, as streaming video from two devices simultaneously can be demanding on a mobile network.
• External Microphone (Recommended): An external mic (like a lapel mic or a USB mic with an adapter) connected to one of your phones will dramatically improve your audio quality. Good audio is non-negotiable for a professional-feeling stream.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Frame Your Shot: Mount both devices on their tripods, positioning them as close together as possible. Frame your shot on both screens to ensure the viewing experience is similar for both audiences.
2. Launch the Apps: Open the Instagram app on one phone and swipe over to the "Live" camera screen. On the other device, open the Facebook app and navigate to the "Live" video option.
3. Check Your Audio: If you're using an external microphone, connect it now. Make a quick note of which stream has the superior audio, so you can tell your audience if needed.
4. Start Both Streams: Try to tap the "Go Live" button on both apps at roughly the same time. A second or two's difference doesn't matter.
5. Manage Your Feeds: This is the tricky part. You’ll have to watch two different sets of comments and alternate your gaze between the two camera lenses.

Pros and Cons of This Method

• Pros: It’s completely free and uses technology you already own. Since you’re using the native apps, it’s extremely reliable - you don't have to worry about a third-party service failing.
• Cons: Managing comments from two separate screens at once is chaotic and can lead to you missing questions. Shifting your eyes between two cameras can look awkward to viewers. Inconsistent audio and video quality between the two streams can make the broadcast feel amateurish.

Method 2: Using a Third-Party Multistreaming Service (The Professional Approach)

For a more polished and manageable broadcast, a third-party multistreaming tool is the way to go. These services act as a centralized hub: you send your single audio and video feed to them, and they broadcast it out to all of your connected destinations - including Facebook and Instagram.

Services like Restream, StreamYard, and OneStream Live have developed integrations that work with Instagram's system. They typically link to your Instagram business account and allow you to schedule or start a vertical live-stream from their dashboard. This method streamlines your workflow and provides features that are impossible with the two-phone setup.

General Step-by-Step Guide

While the exact steps vary slightly by platform, the general workflow is very similar across the board.

1. Sign Up for a Service: Choose a multistreaming provider and create an account. Most offer a free tier with limitations (like platform branding on your stream) and paid plans that unlock more destinations, higher quality, and advanced features.
2. Connect Your Social Accounts: In your tool’s dashboard, find the section for "Destinations" or "Channels." From there, you'll connect your Facebook Profile, Page, or Group, plus your Instagram Business account. The process involves logging in and authorizing the service to post on your behalf.
3. Set Up a Vertical Stream: This is critically important! Instagram is built for vertical video (a 9:16 aspect ratio). The multistreaming platform must be configured to output in a vertical resolution, like 1080x1920. Most reputable services have a simple toggle or setting for "Reels" or "Vertical" streaming. Your Facebook stream will simply show this vertical video (which looks great on mobile, where most users are).
4. Customize Your Stream Studio: The best tools offer a virtual studio where you can add overlays, brand colors, logos, and lower-third graphics. You'll also use this dashboard to select your camera and microphone sources.
5. Enter Titles and Captions: Before you broadcast, you'll need to input the stream title and description for Facebook, and you can pre-fill the caption for Instagram.
6. Go Live with One Click: When you're ready, you’ll hit one "Go Live" button inside your streaming tool’s dashboard. It will then syndicate your feed to both Facebook and Instagram simultaneously.
7. Enjoy a Unified Chat: One of the biggest advantages is a unified chat feature. The tool pulls comments from both Facebook and Instagram into a single feed. You can read everything in one place, and many platforms even let you showcase a comment on-screen for both audiences to see.

Tips for a Smooth Multistreaming Experience

Regardless of the method you choose, a few best practices will elevate your broadcast from good to great.

• Always Test Your Setup: A few minutes of testing can save you from a major headache. Do a "private" test stream to a "friends only" Facebook setting or a dummy Instagram account. Check your audio levels, video clarity, and internet stability before your real audience tunes in.
• Remember the Mobile Audience: Both platforms are overwhelmingly mobile-first. Plan your shot accordingly. Use vertical video, ensure any on-screen text or graphics are large and easy to read on a small screen, and frame yourself with the phone screen in mind.
• Engage with Both Audiences Verbally: Make everyone feel seen and included. Start with a greeting like, "Hello to everyone joining us on Facebook and Instagram today!" When answering a question, call out the platform: "That's a great question from Mark over on Facebook..." It bridges the gap between the two comment sections.
• Outline Your Talking Points: You don't need a full script, but you should have a clear plan for your stream. What is the main objective? Are you announcing something, running a Q&A, or demonstrating a product? A simple outline keeps the stream focused and prevents awkward silences.
• Promote Your Stream in Advance: Treat your live stream like a mini-event. Create suspense and build an audience by promoting it a day or two beforehand. Use Stories with countdown timers, create a short announcement Reel, and make a post telling people exactly when you'll be live and what you’ll be talking about.

Final Thoughts

Multistreaming on Instagram and Facebook is an incredibly effective strategy for boosting your reach, saving time, and engaging your entire community at once. While a simple two-phone setup can get the job done, leveraging a dedicated third-party service will give you a more professional, polished, and manageable broadcast that unifies your audiences' experience.

Once your live stream is over, the work of managing your social media continues. That’s where we built Postbase to simplify the rest. We help you take clips from that live stream and schedule them as Reels and Shorts across all your platforms from one clean, visual calendar. We even bring all your post-stream comments and DMs into a single inbox so you never miss a conversation, helping you turn those live viewers into a loyal community.