How to Simulcast to Facebook and YouTube

Going live on a single platform feels limiting, but broadcasting to both Facebook and YouTube simultaneously can double your reach without doubling the work. This process, known as simulcasting or multistreaming, allows you to send one video stream to multiple destinations simultaneously. This guide will walk you through the primary methods for simulcasting, from easy-to-use software to a more hands-on, free approach, so you can interact with all of your followers in real-time, no matter where they are.

What Exactly is Simulcasting (and Why Bother)?

Simulcasting is the practice of broadcasting your live video content to two or more social media platforms at the same time. Instead of choosing between your YouTube subscribers and your Facebook followers, you can engage both audiences from a single stream. For creators, marketers, and brands, this isn't just a technical trick, it's a powerful growth strategy.

Here’s why it’s so effective:

• Maximize Your Reach Instantly: Every platform hosts a different segment of your audience. Some fans prefer YouTube's search and discovery features, while others are more active in Facebook Groups. Simulcasting lets you meet them where they already are, drastically expanding your potential live viewership without any extra effort.
• Save a Ton of Time and Energy: The alternative to simulcasting is going live on one platform, ending the stream, and then starting a whole new one on another. That's twice the setup, twice the introductions, and twice the performance. Simulcasting streamlines your workflow down to a single "Go Live" button.
• Discover Where Your Audience Is Most Engaged: By streaming to both Facebook and YouTube, you can gather real-time data. Where do you get more questions? Which platform brings in more viewers? This information is invaluable for honing your content strategy and understanding your community on different platforms.
• Cross-Promote Your Channels Organically: When you're live everywhere at once, you introduce your Facebook audience to your YouTube channel and vice versa. It’s a natural, effective way to encourage followers to connect with you across all your social touchpoints.

Method 1: Using a Dedicated Simulcasting Platform (The Easiest Route)

For most people, the simplest and most reliable way to simulcast is through a third-party multistreaming service. These platforms are designed specifically to handle the technical gymnastics of sending your stream to multiple destinations. They connect to your social accounts, ingest your single video stream, and then distribute it flawlessly to Facebook, YouTube, and other platforms you’ve selected.

Popular choices in this space include StreamYard, Restream, and Melon. While each has a slightly different interface, the core process is practically identical.

Step-by-Step Guide with a Simulcasting Service:

1. Choose Your Tool and Sign Up: First, select a simulcasting platform. Many offer free tiers that allow streaming to two or three destinations, which is perfect for broadcasting to Facebook and YouTube. Create an account to get started.
2. Connect Your Social Accounts: This is the most important step. Inside your dashboard, you'll find an option to "Add Destination" or "Add Channel." You'll need to authorize the service to access both your YouTube account and your Facebook profile, Page, or Group. This is a secure, standard process that uses OAuth, so you won't need to share your passwords. Grant the necessary permissions for the platform to stream on your behalf.
3. Set Up Your Stream Title and Description: Before you go live, you’ll need to set up the event details. A good simulcasting tool lets you write separate titles, descriptions, and privacy settings for each platform from one central dashboard. This is great, as you can optimize your YouTube title for search while writing a more conversational Facebook description.
4. Get Your Unique Stream Key &, Server URL: Once your destinations are configured, the platform will give you a unique RTMP server URL and a stream key. Think of this as the mailing address and key to the front door for your live stream. You’re going to give this "address" to your broadcasting software so it knows where to send your video. Some tools, like StreamYard, let you broadcast directly from your browser, skipping this entire step!
5. Configure Your Broadcasting Software (like OBS): If you’re not streaming from your browser, you'll need broadcasting software like OBS Studio (a free and powerful option), Streamlabs, or Ecamm Live.
   • In OBS, go to Settings >, Stream.
   • For the "Service" dropdown, choose "Custom...".
   • Copy the server URL and stream key from your simulcasting platform (from step 4) into the corresponding fields in OBS.
   • Click "Apply" and "OK."
6. Start the Stream and Go Live!: Once you start streaming from OBS (or your software of choice), the video feed is sent to your simulcasting service. The service then works its magic, pushing that identical feed out to your connected Facebook and YouTube channels. All you had to do was press one button.

Method 2: For the DIY Creator - Simulcasting with OBS and a Plugin (The Free Route)

If you're comfortable with a little technical setup and want to avoid using a third-party service, you can simulcast directly from OBS Studio for free. By default, OBS can only stream to one RTMP destination at a time. However, a free plugin completely unlocks this capability, allowing you to send your stream to multiple places simultaneously from your own computer.

This method requires more of your computer’s processing power and a strong upload speed, so make sure your internet connection can handle sending two separate streams out at once. A minimum upload speed of 10-15 Mbps is recommended.

Step-by-Step Guide with the OBS Plugin:

1. Download and Install a Multiple RTMP Output Plugin: The most popular plugin for this is called "Multiple RTMP outputs" by sorayuki. A quick search for "OBS multiple RTMP plugin" will lead you to its download page on the OBS Project website. Download the latest release and follow the installation instructions for your operating system (Windows, Mac, or Linux).
2. Restart OBS and Find the Plugin Dock: After installation, restart OBS Studio. You should now see a new dockable window titled "Multiple Outputs." If you don’t see it, go to the top menu bar, click on Docks, and make sure "Multiple Outputs" is checked.
3. Get Your Stream Keys from Facebook and YouTube: Now, you need the unique "address" for each platform.
   • For YouTube: Go to your YouTube Studio, click the "Create" button in the top-right, and select "Go live." This will take you to the YouTube Live Control Room. Here, you’ll find your RTMP server URL and your private stream key. Keep this handy.
   • For Facebook: Go to the Facebook page or group where you want to stream and find the "Live Video" option. This will open the Facebook Live Producer. Choose "Streaming Software" as your video source. Your server URL and stream key will appear here.
   Remember: These keys are private. Never share them publicly.
4. Add Your New Destinations in the OBS Plugin: Go to the "Multiple Outputs" dock in OBS and click the "Add new target" button.
   • Name your first target "Facebook".
   • In the "RTMP Server" field, paste the server URL from Facebook Live Producer.
   • In the "RTMP Key" field, paste the stream key from Facebook.
   • Click "OK."
   Repeat this process by clicking "Add new target" again, but this time for YouTube. Name it "YouTube" and use the RTMP details from your YouTube Studio.
5. Configure Your Main OBS Stream (Optional but Recommended): For this to work smoothly, it's best to set one of your destinations (say, YouTube) as your main stream in OBS's primary settings (Settings >, Stream). This helps stabilize everything. Then, add Facebook as a secondary output in the plugin window.
6. Start Streaming!: Here's the sequence. First, click the main "Start Streaming" button in OBS. This will begin your broadcast to the primary destination you set up (e.g., YouTube). Next, go to the "Multiple Outputs" window and click the "Start" button next to your other destination (e.g., Facebook). That’s it! Your single stream is now being broadcast to both locations directly from your computer.

Tips for a Smooth and Engaging Simulcast

Going live on two platforms is more than just a technical setup, it's a community management opportunity. Here's how to make it great.

Keep an Eye on Both Chats

Your viewers on Facebook can't see the comments from YouTube and vice versa. It's your job to be the bridge. Many simulcasting tools (like Restream or StreamYard) provide a unified chat window that combines comments from all platforms into a single, cohesive feed. If you're using the OBS plugin method, you may need a workaround, like opening both chat windows on a separate monitor or using a free tool like Restream's chat overlay, which can be integrated into your OBS scene.

Make sure to acknowledge viewers from both platforms. Saying things like, "Great question from Sarah over on Facebook," and, "Thanks for tuning in, Mike, over on YouTube," makes everyone feel included and part of the same event.

Optimize Your Titles and Descriptions for Each Platform

YouTube is a search engine. Its titles and descriptions should contain keywords that people are searching for. Facebook is more about creating immediate intrigue in the feed. When setting up your stream, create slightly different metadata for each.

• For YouTube: "How to Set Up a Home Recording Studio - Complete Gear Guide"
• For Facebook: "We're setting up our home studio LIVE! Come hang out and ask me anything about audio gear."

Test Your Bandwidth

Simulcasting, especially with the OBS plugin method, requires significant upload speed because you're sending multiple feeds from your computer. Before your first big live stream, run a speed test (like Speedtest by Ookla). A stable upload speed of at least 10 Mbps is a safe starting point. If your connection is weaker, a third-party simulcasting service is a better option, as you only need enough bandwidth to send one stream to them, and they handle the heavy lifting of sending it out to your destinations.

Final Thoughts

Simulcasting to both Facebook and YouTube is one of the most efficient ways to grow your live audience and strengthen your community. You can choose a user-friendly platform to handle the heavy lifting or set it up for free yourself using an OBS plugin. Regardless of the method, the ability to connect with all your followers in one go is a massive advantage for any creator or brand.

Of course, going live is only one part of building a strong social media presence. Managing your community, scheduling announcements for your streams, and analyzing your content's performance across all platforms are just as vital. That's why we created Postbase. After your stream ends and the DMs and comments start rolling in, our unified inbox brings all your conversations into one place so you never miss a message. We designed a clean, reliable, and modern social media manager to handle the scheduling, engagement, and analytics so you can focus on creating great content, not fighting with your tools.