Kick is a relatively new live streaming platform that offers fewer content restrictions and the potential for rapid audience growth. If you’re interested in Kick streaming, this guide will show you how to go live on Kick using OBS Studio. Let’s get started!
Create a Kick Account and Get Your Stream Key:
- Go to Kick.com and sign up for an account.
- Once logged in, go to the Creator Dashboard and open the "Settings" section.
- Find the "Stream Key" option.
- Copy both the Stream URL and Stream Key.
Install and Set Up OBS Studio:
- Download OBS Studio from obsproject.com and install it.
- Open OBS Studio and follow the Auto-Configuration Wizard or skip it to set up manually.
Add Your Kick Stream Key to OBS:
- Click "Settings" in OBS Studio.
- Go to the "Stream" tab, and choose "Custom" as your service.
- Paste the Stream URL into the "Server" field and the Stream Key into the "Stream Key" field.
Configure OBS for Kick Streaming:
- Output Settings: Go to the "Output" tab and adjust the settings to match your setup. Check more info here. To better understand bitrate and video encoding, read "What’s a Perfect Bitrate for Your Stream? Quality and Encoding".
- Video Settings: Go to the "Video" tab, set the Base (Canvas) Resolution to match your monitor, and set the Output (Scaled) Resolution to your desired streaming resolution (e.g., 1920x1080). Choose your preferred FPS (30 or 60 FPS).
- Audio Settings: Go to the "Audio" tab, set the Sample Rate (44.1 kHz or 48 kHz), and adjust your desktop audio and microphone settings.
Add Sources and Customize Your Layout:
- In the main OBS window, click the + button in the Scenes box to add a new scene if needed.
- Click the + button in the Sources box to add sources (e.g., Display Capture, Window Capture, Game Capture, Video Capture Device) and set them up.
- Arrange and resize your sources in the Preview window, add overlays, images, or text, and use the Mixer to adjust audio levels.
Edit Stream Info for Kick Streaming:
- Before starting your stream, go to the "Edit Stream Info" section in your Creator Dashboard on Kick.
- Enter your stream title, category, tags, and other details, then save your changes.
Start and End Streaming:
- Click the "Start Streaming" button in OBS Studio to begin your stream on Kick.
- When you're finished, click the "Stop Streaming" button in OBS Studio.
You're all set to dive into the world of Kick streaming! By following this guide, you've learned how to create a Kick account, set up OBS Studio, and customize your stream to make it uniquely yours. Now that you know how to go live on Kick, it's time to share your content and grow your audience. Happy streaming!