How to Stream to Instagram from OBS

Streaming directly to Instagram from OBS opens up a world of creative possibilities, letting you move beyond a simple phone camera to use pro-level overlays, multiple scenes, and effects. This guide walks you through the entire process, covering how to configure OBS for Instagram's vertical format and how to connect it all to go live.

Why Bother Streaming to Instagram with OBS?

You might be wondering if it's worth the effort when you can just tap "Go Live" on your phone. For casual chats, the native app is fine. But if you want to create a polished, branded, and deeply engaging broadcast, OBS is the way to go. It changes the game entirely.

Here's what you gain:

• Professional Production Quality: Use high-quality cameras instead of your phone's selfie cam. Add professional-grade microphones for crystal-clear audio.
• Custom Graphics and Overlays: Add your logo, subscribe alerts, animated graphics, and lower-thirds to create a branded look that stands out.
• Multiple Scenes: Seamlessly switch between different layouts. You could have a "Starting Soon" screen, a full-screen camera view, a screen-sharing view for tutorials, and an "Ending Stream" screen.
• Screen Sharing and Gameplay: Show your audience exactly what's on your computer, whether you're walking through software, reviewing a website, or streaming live gameplay.
• Multi-Camera Setups: Switch between different camera angles for a more dynamic and watchable stream, perfect for product demos, art tutorials, or interviews.

This level of production elevates your content from a simple live chat to a must-see event, helping you build a stronger brand and capture your audience's attention in a very crowded feed.

Part 1: Setting Up OBS for Vertical Instagram Streaming

Before you do anything else, you need to tell OBS to think vertically. Instagram Live is a 9:16 aspect ratio world - the complete opposite of the standard 16:9 horizontal layout used for Twitch and YouTube. Getting this right from the start will save you a massive headache later.

Step 1: Create a Dedicated Profile for Instagram

You don't want to mess up your settings for other platforms. Creating a new profile keeps your Instagram configuration completely separate.

1. In OBS, go to the top menu and click Profile > New.
2. Name it something obvious, like "Instagram Live," and click OK.

Now, any changes you make will only apply when this profile is active.

Step 2: Change Video Settings to Vertical

This is the most important technical step. You're going to flip the standard horizontal resolution on its head.

1. Go to File > Settings in OBS.
2. In the settings window, select the Video tab.
3. Set the Base (Canvas) Resolution to 1080x1920. This creates a vertical canvas for you to work on.
4. Set the Output (Scaled) Resolution to also be 1080x1920. This makes sure your final stream is in the correct vertical format.
5. Set the Common FPS Values to 30 or 60. While 60 is smoother, 30 is perfectly fine for most content and requires less bandwidth.
6. Click Apply, but don’t close the settings window yet.

Step 3: Configure Your Output (Stream) Settings

Next, you'll set up the encoding and bitrate, which determines the quality and stability of your stream.

1. In the same Settings window, click on the Output tab.
2. Set the Output Mode at the top to Advanced to unlock all the options.
3. Click the Streaming tab.
4. Video Encoder: If you have an NVIDIA graphics card, choose NVIDIA NVENC H.264 (new). If you have an AMD card, choose its equivalent. If not, use x264, which relies on your CPU. NVENC is generally preferred as it has less impact on performance.
5. Rate Control: Set this to CBR (Constant Bitrate).
6. Bitrate: This depends on your internet upload speed. A good starting point for Instagram is between 2,500 and 4,000 Kbps. Run an internet speed test to check your upload speed and use about 50-60% of it to be safe. For example, if you have a 10 Mbps upload speed, a 4,000 Kbps (which is 4 Mbps) bitrate is a safe bet.
7. Audio Bitrate: Under the Audio tab, set the audio bitrate for Track 1 to 128. This is more than enough for clear audio on social media.
8. Click OK to save all your settings.

Your OBS is now perfectly configured for a high-quality vertical stream. The main interface will now show a tall, phone-shaped canvas ready for your content.

Part 2: Getting Your Instagram Stream Key and Server URL

Here's the tricky part: unlike Twitch or YouTube, Instagram doesn’t officially provide a public stream key for you to use in OBS. Instead, you need to use a third-party service to act as a bridge between OBS and Instagram. These services generate a temporary RTMP URL and Stream Key that you can use for a single broadcast.

There are several popular services out there that facilitate this (a quick search for "Instagram stream key service" will give you current options). While specific steps might vary slightly, the general process is almost always the same:

1. Sign up for a service: Create an account on a platform designed to connect streaming software to Instagram.
2. Connect your Instagram account: You'll securely log into your Instagram account through their platform to give it permission to broadcast on your behalf.
3. Generate your stream credentials: Once connected, the service will create a unique, single-use Server URL (RTMP) and Stream Key.

Important Note: These credentials are typically valid for only one stream and may expire if you don't go live within a certain timeframe. You'll need to generate a new URL and key every single time you want to stream. Always keep these keys private!

Part 3: Connecting OBS to Your Instagram Account

With your new RTMP URL and Stream Key in hand, you're ready to connect OBS to your Instagram.

1. Open OBS and go back to File > Settings.
2. Click on the Stream tab.
3. For the Service dropdown, select Custom….
4. Copy the Server URL from your third-party tool and paste it into the Server field in OBS.
5. Copy the Stream Key and paste it into the Stream Key field in OBS.
6. Click Apply and then OK.

That's it! OBS now knows where to send your video feed. The connection is established.

Part 4: Designing Your Vertical Stream Layout

Now comes the fun part: adding your content to the vertical canvas. The logic is the same as designing a horizontal stream, but you need to think vertically. Common sources include:

• Video Capture Device: Your main camera (DSLR, Mirrorless, or webcam).
• Display Capture: Your entire monitor.
• Window Capture: A specific application window, like Chrome or Photoshop.
• Image: For logos, backgrounds, or overlays.
• Media Source: For pre-recorded videos or animations.

Arrange them in a way that makes sense for a phone screen. A popular layout involves stacking elements:

Top Section: Place your main camera feed here so viewers can easily see your face. This is prime real estate.

Middle Section: This is the ideal spot for a screen share, gameplay, or showcasing product details. It’s what you want your audience to focus on.

Bottom Section: This area can be used for informational banners, scrolling text, logos, or just a simple branded background graphic. Remember that Instagram's own UI (like the comment box) will sometimes cover the very bottom, so keep important elements slightly higher up.

Create a few different scenes you can switch between. For example:

• Starting Soon: A scene with a countdown timer and background music.
• Main Scene: Your camera feed plus a screen share.
• Face Cam Only: A full-screen view of just your camera for Q&A sessions.
• Be Right Back: A simple graphic for when you need to step away for a moment.

Part 5: Going Live and Monitoring Your Comments

You’re all set. The configuration is done, and your scenes are ready. Here is the final sequence to go live:

1. Start the broadcast from your third-party service. Most services have a button like "Create Broadcast" or "Start" that primes Instagram to receive your feed.
2. Start streaming from OBS. Within a few seconds, click the Start Streaming button in OBS. This sends your video from OBS to the third-party service, which then relays it to Instagram.
3. Check your phone! Your Instagram Live should now be active. You'll see the broadcast happening as if you started it from your phone.
4. Monitor comments on your phone. This is extremely important. Your viewers’ comments and interactions will appear on your phone, not in OBS. Keep your phone next to you so you can engage with your audience in real-time. This is the difference between a broadcast and an interactive experience.

When you're finished, simply click Stop Streaming in OBS and end the broadcast within your third-party service. Your stream will then end on Instagram and be available for sharing to an Instagram Story, just like a normal live video.

Final Thoughts

Mastering a high-quality vertical stream from OBS to Instagram gives you a major advantage in creating professional, engaging live content that captures attention and builds your brand. By setting up the proper vertical canvas, using a third-party service for your stream key, and designing your scenes thoughtfully, you can produce a show that rivals television broadcasts, all from your own computer.

After your stream ends, the work of growing your brand continues. Those high-quality live sessions are gold mines for content, easily repurposed into short-form clips perfect for Reels, Shorts, and TikTok. Keeping track of all that content across different platforms can quickly become overwhelming. At Postbase, we built our platform specifically for this modern workflow. We focused on making it incredibly simple to plan and schedule all your content - especially video - on a beautiful visual calendar, so you can manage your entire social media presence without feeling like you're fighting your tools.