How to Post a Prerecorded Video on Facebook Live

You can hit “go live” on Facebook with a perfectly polished, pre-recorded video, and it’s one of the smartest ways to boost your engagement. This cuts out the stress of a real-time broadcast - no network glitches, no fumbled lines, no unexpected interruptions - while still giving you the algorithmic benefits and audience excitement of a live event. This guide will walk you through exactly how to stream a pre-recorded video on Facebook Live, the strategy behind it, and the tools you need to pull it off flawlessly.

Why Go Live with a Pre-Recorded Video? The Surprising Benefits

If you're wondering why you shouldn't just upload the video as a regular post, the answer comes down to strategy and engagement. Going live, even with a produced video, taps into audience behavior in a way standard video uploads can't. It’s an easy-to-implement tactic that comes with some serious advantages for your brand.

Eliminate the Stress of a True Live Broadcast

Let's be honest: genuine live video is risky. A barking dog, a lagging internet connection, a slip of the tongue - plenty can go wrong. By pre-recording, you control the entire production. You can film multiple takes, edit out goofs, sweeten the audio, and add professional graphics, text overlays, and B-roll footage. You deliver a perfect, high-quality video every time without the anxiety of a live performance.

Boost Engagement with Facebook's Algorithm

Facebook’s algorithm gives live video prime placement. When you go live, your followers are more likely to receive a notification, and the broadcast often appears higher in their news feeds. This creates a sense of urgency and community, encouraging people to tune in right away so they don't miss out. This priority placement gives you a reach that can be much harder to achieve with a standard VOD (video on demand) post.

Engage with Your Community in Real-Time

Here’s the part that makes this strategy so powerful: while your video is streaming, you are free to be an active community manager in the comments section. You’re not focused on presenting, you're focused on connecting. You can welcome viewers by name as they join, answer questions the moment they’re asked, and react to comments as they roll in. This turns a passive viewing experience into an interactive conversation, building deeper relationships with your audience.

Schedule Content for Peak Viewing Times

Your audience might be most active at 8 PM, but you might have personal commitments then. Pre-recording your content frees you from that constraint. You can schedule your “live” broadcast for the optimal time - no matter your own availability. This is a game-changer for reaching audiences in different time zones or capturing engagement during evenings and weekends when you’d rather be offline.

What You'll Need to Get Started

Unlike a standard video upload, you can't just click a button on Facebook to schedule a pre-recorded video as a Live broadcast. You'll need a couple of extra tools to act as the bridge between your video file and the Facebook Live platform. Here’s a quick checklist:

• A Finished Video File: This is your pre-recorded video, fully edited and ready to go. An MP4 file with a resolution of 1080p is a safe bet for quality. Export it in the correct aspect ratio for your intended placement (e.g., 16:9 for landscape, 1:1 for square).
• A Facebook Page, Group, or Event: While you can technically go live on a personal profile, this strategy is best suited for a business Page, a community Group, or a specific Event where you're trying to capture an audience.
• Streaming Software (Encoder): This is the key piece of the puzzle. An encoder is a tool that takes your video file and broadcasts it to Facebook's Live platform. There are many options, but they generally fall into two categories:
  • Free & Powerful: OBS Studio is the undisputed king here. It’s free, open-source software for Windows, Mac, and Linux that gives you total control over your stream. It has a slight learning curve but is incredibly versatile.
  • User-Friendly & Web-Based: Tools like StreamYard, Restream, and OneStream Live offer simplified, browser-based solutions. They often come with subscription fees but make the process much easier with intuitive interfaces and built-in scheduling features.

For this tutorial, we will focus on using OBS Studio because it's free, completely customizable, and a valuable tool for any serious content creator to learn.

How to Go Live Using OBS Studio (Step-by-Step)

Don't be intimidated by the OBS interface. Once you master this basic workflow, you'll be able to set up a stream in just a few minutes. Follow these steps carefully, and you'll be on your way.

Step 1: Download and install OBS Studio

If you don’t have it already, head to obsproject.com and download the installer for your operating system. The installation is straightforward - just follow the on-screen prompts.

Step 2: Create a Scene and Add Your Video Source

When you first open OBS, you'll see two key windows: "Scenes" and "Sources."

• A Scene is like a blank canvas for your broadcast layout.
• A Source is any video, image, or audio you add to that canvas.

First, create your Scene:

1. In the "Scenes" box (usually bottom left), click the + button to add a new scene.
2. Name it something descriptive, like "Prerecorded Product Demo," and click OK.

Next, add your video file as a Source to this Scene:

1. In the "Sources" box (next to Scenes), click the + button.
2. Select Media Source from the list.
3. Give it a name, like "Main Video," and click OK.
4. In the properties window that pops up, click "Browse" to find and select your finished video file.
5. Important: If your video isn't intended to play on a loop, uncheck the "Loop" box. Ensure that "Restart playback when source becomes active" is also unchecked.
6. Click OK. You should now see your video appear in the main preview window. You can drag the corners to resize it if it doesn't fit the canvas perfectly.

Step 3: Get Your Stream Key from Facebook

Now you need to tell OBS where to send the video feed. You’ll do this using a unique code from Facebook called a "Stream Key."

1. Go to your Facebook Page or Group and find the option to create a "Live Video." This will take you to the Facebook Live Producer.
2. When prompted, select "Go Live."
3. For the video source, choose "Streaming Software."
4. Leave the "Schedule a live video" option for now. Scroll down to the "Streaming Software setup" section.
5. Here, you will find your Stream Key. It’s a long string of characters. Click "Copy." Treat this key like a password - anyone who has it can stream to your page.

Step 4: Connect OBS to Your Facebook Account

Now, head back to OBS and paste in the key you just copied.

1. In OBS, go to File >, Settings (or OBS >, Preferences on Mac).
2. Click on the "Stream" tab.
3. For "Service," select "Facebook Live."
4. Delete anything in the "Stream Key" field and paste the key you copied from Facebook.
5. Click Apply, then OK.

OBS now knows where to send your broadcast!

Step 5: Preview Your Stream

This is where you send the signal from OBS to Facebook so you can preview it before going live to your audience.

1. Back in the main OBS window, find your video in the "Media Source" list. If it has finished playing, you might need to right-click on it and select "Restart" to get it back to the beginning.
2. When you're ready, click the "Start Streaming" button in the bottom right corner of OBS.

This does not mean you're live on Facebook yet! It just means OBS has started sending your video to the Live Producer. Go back to your Facebook Live Producer page. After a few seconds, you should see your video feed appear in the preview window.

Step 6: Write Your Post and Go Live

Now you are in the final setup stage on Facebook.

1. On the left-hand side of the Live Producer, add a compelling Title and Description for your broadcast. Use strong keywords, ask a question to prompt engagement, and add relevant hashtags.
2. Check all your settings one last time.
3. When you're ready for your broadcast to be visible to the world, click the big blue "Go Live" button at the bottom left.

You are now officially live on Facebook! The video you set up in OBS is streaming to your audience.

Step 7: Engage, Engage, Engage!

Your work isn't done - the most important part has just begun. Open your Facebook Page on another device or browser tab and watch the stream as a viewer would. As comments and reactions come in, jump into the conversation. Thank new arrivals, respond to questions, and pin a key comment with a call-to-action link. This active engagement is what separates this strategy from just a normal video upload.

When your video finishes, you can stop the broadcast by clicking "End Live Video" on Facebook and then "Stop Streaming" in OBS.

Pro Tips for a Flawless Broadcast

Putting in a little extra thought will make your pre-recorded live stream even more effective. Keep these practices in mind:

• Promote your broadcast ahead of time. Don’t just go live without warning. Create an event on Facebook, send an email to your list, and post on social media to build anticipation. Let everyone know when you'll be going live so they can join you.
• Use a great hook. The first 15-30 seconds of your video are vital. Start with a bold statement, a compelling question, or a sneak peek of what's to come. Get straight to the point to capture attention.
• Add a countdown timer. Edit a 1- or 2-minute countdown timer to the beginning of your video. This is a polished touch that gives your audience a moment to settle in and allows the first wave of viewers to arrive before your main content begins.
• Test everything first. Before your big public broadcast, do a test run. Set the privacy of your test stream to "Only Me" on Facebook. This allows you to go through the entire process from start to finish to make sure both your video and audio are working perfectly.
• Check your upload speed. Even with a pre-recorded file, your computer still needs a stable internet connection to stream the video to Facebook. A wired Ethernet connection is always more reliable than Wi-Fi for streaming.

Final Thoughts

Streaming a pre-recorded video on Facebook Live brings together the best of both worlds: the high-quality production of an edited video and the viral reach of a live event. By using tools like OBS Studio, you can deliver a stress-free, professional broadcast while focusing your energy where it matters most - connecting with your community in the comments.

Planning these live events alongside all your other video content for platforms like Reels, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts can be a major challenge. As social media managers who experienced this chaos firsthand, we created Postbase to streamline that exact process. Our visual content calendar helps you plan and schedule all your posts, from pre-recorded Lives to daily Reels, in one clear view, making it easy to see how every piece of content fits into your broader brand strategy.