Tutorial · 4 min read
How to Find Your YouTube Stream Key
Before StreamOrbit can broadcast your videos to YouTube, it needs one thing from you: your YouTube stream key. This short token is what lets our cloud encoder push a live signal to your channel. Here's how to grab it in a couple of minutes and connect it to StreamOrbit.
What a stream key actually is
Think of your stream key as the password for your channel's live feed. YouTube gives every account a unique key, and any encoder that has it — OBS, FFmpeg, or a managed service like StreamOrbit — can send a broadcast straight to your channel. That's why it's powerful, and why you should treat it like a secret.
Find your stream key in 4 steps
1. Open YouTube Studio and click “Go live”
Sign in to YouTube, open YouTube Studio, and hit the Create button in the top-right corner. Choose Go live to launch the Live Control Room. If this is the first time you've streamed, YouTube may ask you to verify your account and wait up to 24 hours before live streaming unlocks.
2. Open the Stream settings
Inside the Live Control Room, switch to the Stream tab. You'll see a panel labelled Stream settings that lists your Stream URL and, just below it, your Stream key shown as a row of dots.
3. Copy your stream key
Click the Copy button next to the stream key. YouTube keeps the key hidden for safety, so you don't need to reveal it — copying is enough. Keep this key to yourself: anyone who has it can stream to your channel.
4. Paste it into StreamOrbit
Head back to your StreamOrbit dashboard. In the Go live on YouTube panel, paste the key into the YouTube stream key field, pick the video (or videos) you want to loop, and press Go live. StreamOrbit stores the key encrypted and starts pushing your broadcast within seconds — then just click Go live in YouTube Studio to confirm.
Keep your stream key private
- Never post it in a screenshot, description, or public chat.
- If you ever shared it by accident, open Stream settings and hit Reset — YouTube issues a new key instantly.
- Inside StreamOrbit your key is encrypted at rest and never displayed back in full.
That's it. With your key connected, StreamOrbit can keep your channel live 24/7 from pre-recorded videos — no PC, no OBS, no downtime. Create a free account and go live today.
Frequently asked questions
Where exactly is the YouTube stream key?
In YouTube Studio, click Create → Go live to open the Live Control Room. The Stream key sits in the Stream settings panel, right next to the Stream URL.
Is the stream key the same as the stream URL?
No. The Stream URL is YouTube's RTMP address that every creator shares, while the stream key is the private token that tells YouTube the broadcast belongs to your channel. StreamOrbit only needs the key — the URL is already built in.
Does my stream key ever change?
Your default key stays the same across streams, so you can reuse it. If it ever leaks, open Stream settings and reset it — YouTube generates a fresh key instantly and the old one stops working.
I pasted the key but the stream won't start. Why?
Almost always it's a copy issue: a missing character or a trailing space. Re-copy the whole key from Studio, paste it into StreamOrbit again, and make sure live streaming is enabled on your channel (a one-time 24-hour wait applies on first activation).
Start your 24/7 YouTube live stream
Upload your pre-recorded videos, paste your YouTube stream key, and go live around the clock — no PC, no OBS, no monthly fee.