How to Broadcast from your Computer to Facebook Live
By 
FACEBOOK LIVE BUTTON
Use Facebook Live on your profile, page or group:
Choose where you want to go live, compose your post and
get the stream key to broadcast from your computer. Find out how, below!
BUTTON NOW WORKING
The Facbook GO LIVE button is now working again. Due to a bug, it was outputting an error. Thankfully, it's now fixed!
Finding this Button Invaluable?
Looking for the Go Live button?
The go live button doesn't work on mobile devices. View this page on your laptop or desktop to broadcast to Facebook Live.
Want to use Facebook Live from your Computer?
...On your Facebook Profile, Page or Group?
...For Free? On your Mac or PC?
You can now broadcast to Facebook Live from your computer. You can stream to your Facebook profile, pages, groups or event pages.
Facebook allow you to do this simply via the Facebook website.
But in this article, I am going to show you how to take things further so you can use multiple cameras, embed videos and audio files, and overlay images all with slick transitions.
Cool eh? Want to know how? Watch my walk-through video and read on...!
Walkthrough Video
Choose your Live Video Tool...
If you want to broadcast from your computer, you'll need to use an app. This can be a web app that runs in your browser (such as Facebook itself, or BlueJeans) or an app that runs on your Mac or PC (usually known as an encoder).
There are quite a few that work with Facebook Live, but the most popular ones are OBS Studio and Wirecast, but there are others...
- OBS Studio (Mac, PC & Linux, Free, Open Source)
- Wirecast (Mac & PC, from $695)
- vMix (PC only, Free & from $60)
- XSplit Broadcaster (Windows only, Free version and from $4.17/month)
- mimoLive (Mac only - $199/yr for personal use, from $699/yr for commercial)
- Ecamm Live (Mac only, $29.95)
- BeLive - (web app with guests and multiple camera angles, Free & from $12/mth)
- Lightstream (web app, currently free)
- BlueJeans onSocial (Web app - initial price $39.95/mth for live meetings with up to 25 guests and live streaming to Facebook)
- Zoom - (Mac & PC - Facebook integration on paid version with Webinar bolt-on - from $14.99+$40/mth upwards)
Then there are some apps and tools that offer video meetings or broadcasts but don't currently integrate with Facebook Live. The good news, you can integrate these with Facebook Live by sharing the window in OBS Studio and Wirecast. Examples include:
- Skype
- GoToMeeting
- Amazon Chime
- Webinar platforms such as GoToWebinar, WebinarJam etc
In this article, I will guide you how to set up the free OBS Studio to broadcast to Facebook Live (to your profile, groups or pages). OBS Studio is incredibly powerful, and it's free!
Both OBS Studio and Wirecast can use many different sources for your live stream including:
- Multiple webcams
- DSLR cameras
- Image and Videos on your computer
- Your phone's camera (via an IP Camera app)
- Your display
- A Window on your computer
They support multiple displays at the same time (including picture-in-picture) and you can easily set up keyboard shortcuts with slick scene transitions. OBS Studio and Wirecast allow you to stream to a plethora of services including Facebook Live and YouTube.
OBS Studio is an amazing piece of kit, however, if you're wanting more power and features, and you want to take things to the next level, then I highly recommend Wirecast. It costs $495, which might be a hefty investment for some, but it's an amazing tool. It does pretty much the same thing as OBS Studio, and although it's perhaps a little more fiddly to use, you have many more features to play with.
For a step by step guide on how to broadcast to Facebook Live using Wirecast, check out my sister article - Click here to view.
For more information, and to download a free trial of Wirecast click the following:
What You'll Need
Streaming to Facebook Live from OBS Studio or Wirecast requires a good internet connection. Check the following:
- Fast Upload Speed:
You'll need a fast internet speed (10Mbps Upload).
It's the UPLOAD speed that counts. Facebook mention you should have at least 3Mbps UPLOAD speed. However, to get good results, I recommend an upload speed of at least 10Mbps is more like it.
I've had reasonable quality with lower (say 4Mbps) and I've heard reports from some who have worked with as low as 2Mbps, but it depends on what quality you are happy with. A good download speed is useful, but it is the upload speed that is important. Check your upload speed with the speedtest tool.
Go Wired: You'll get a higher and more stable upload speed if you connect straight to your router with an ethernet cable.
WiFi is great, but your internet speed can reduce rapidly the further away you are from your router. To give you an example, my download speed when plugged in is 200Mbps, but it goes down to 34Mbps when I use WiFi. The same is true for my upload speed - it goes down a lot when I use WiFi. - Fast & Powerful Computer:
You need a pretty powerful computer to broadcast live video.
Ideally, you should have a modern i7 processor and 16Gb of RAM.
Your computer needs to encode the video before sending it over to Facebook. Encoding video requires a fast processor and a modern i7 can cope with this. If you have a dedicated graphics card that helps too - as will a good bit of memory. To help things, it is best to close as many apps running in the background as possible - so that OBS Studio can have as many resources as possible to encode the video. To give you an example, my 6yr old Dell with an i5 processor, 8Gb RAM and a dedicated graphics card almost copes - but it's not perfect. I'm waiting for a new computer as we speak! - Enabling Pop-ups:
If you're using the Go Live button on this page, you'll need to allow pop-ups from this site (iag.me). Usually, the first pop-up will open, but once that closes, a 2nd pop-up should open. If it does not, you'll need to enable pop-ups. - Allow RTMP:
Really, this shouldn't be an issue for most people. However, make sure your firewall, router and ISP all allow RTMP. You don't need to know what that is, apart from that it's the method (or protocol) Facebook Live use for Facebook Live. If you can't connect, you'll need to check your firewall settings or contact your ISP. - If you're still having issues, Facebook recommends you "disable all ad blocking software or browser plugins that could prevent the video player from loading". I think that's a bit extreme, but if you're having issues, it's best to try.
Webcams & Microphones
If your computer has an integrated webcam and microphone, you can get going straight away. However, if you want to enhance the quality, I recommend investing in a decent webcam and if budget allows, a webcam.
Webcams
Logitech HD Pro Webcam C920
I recommend the Logitech HD Pro Webcam C920.
There is a newer version, but the C920 works really well, has amazing reviews and is fairly inexpensive.
SLR Cameras & HDMI
If you want to take things to the next level, then you could consider an SLR camera such as the Canon EOS 70D, but you'll need to connect it to your computer via an HDMI capture card.
Microphones
The microphone in the C920 is pretty good, but if you can afford the cost of a microphone, it's well worth it.
Audio quality really matters. If people can't hear what you're saying, they'll just turn off. There are so many amazing microphones out there, and you can get really geeky and get mixing desks, external sound capture cards and more.
Blue Yeti USB Microphone
I'm really happy with my Blue Yeti Microphone (Amazon) - It's lasted me a while. You do need to set it up correctly and minimize background noise as it can pick up noise from the background very easily. You can plug this microphone straight into your Mac or PC and it should just work! It also can be used with your iPhone or Android (with the appropriate cables)!
SE Electronics sE X1 USB Microphone.
Award-Winning Podcast producer and founder of the Art of Podcast, Emma Victoria, recommends another microphone over the Yeti. It's the sE Electronics sE X1 USB Microphone. It's inexpensive ($99) and again you can plug it straight into your Mac or PC and it just works! Unfortunately, it’s currently unavailable at Amazon, but the larger $199 version is.
Heil PR-60
It's not cheap ($327), but the Heil PR-40 dynamic microphone from Heil is probably the most highly rated microphone by professional podcasters. Cliff Ravenscraft (the Podcast Answer Man) has used it for years. Leo Laporte from TWiT TV uses it and so do many others. You'll need an XLR to USB converter or use a USB mixing desk so you can channel the sound into your computer.
Getting Creative
You can get really creative at this point and invest in multiple webcams. That way you can change camera angles throughout your broadcast. To get an idea of what you can do, check out this live broadcast by David Antunes. He produces live band sessions "David Antunes & Amigos" every week using OBS Studio, his Macbook Pro, 4 webcams and a bluetooth keyboard which he controls while playing the piano. He regularly gets 50,000 views, with around 1,500 watching live:
Copyright Warning!
This is really important! Facebook is very good at detecting the use of copyrighted music. A number of users have been banned from broadcasting to Facebook Live for up to 3 months for inadvertently or intentionally playing copyrighted music. I'd hate that to happen to you.
Techie Stuff
You don't need to know this stuff, but it's useful, particularly if you encounter any issues.
- RTMP - Facebook uses RTMP as the method (or protocol) to stream your live video. RTMP stands for Real-Time Messaging Protocol and was developed by Macromedia (and then Adobe) to stream audio and video via Flash.
- Max Resolution: 720p (720 x 1280) at 30 frames per second. That's not quite full HD (which is 1080 x 1920).
- Max Title length: 255 characters
- Video encoding: H264 encoded
- Audio encoding: AAC
- Max Video length: 240 minutes (4hrs)
- Pixel Aspect Ratio: Square
- Frame Types: Progressive Scan
- Recommended max bit rate: 4000 Kbps
- Audio Sample Rate: 44.1 KHz
- Audio Bitrate: 128 Kbps stereo
- Bitrate Encoding: CBR.
Broadcasting to Facebook Live: Getting Started
#1 Download OBS Studio
As I said, in this tutorial, we're going to be using the free and open source software, OBS Studio:
So, head on down to the Open Broadcaster Software website and download OBS Studio:
IMPORTANT! Please download OBS Studio (for Windows, Mac or Linux) and not the old OBS Classic (Windows Only). OBS Studio has built-in support for Facebook Live while the classic version does not.
#2 Get your Stream Key
In order to start streaming to Facebook Live, you need a Stream Key and the ability to publish a live video via Facebook.
First of all, do you want to go live from your Facebook page or your profile?
There is a different method for each.
The first is for Facebook Pages only. The 2nd method is mainly for Facebook Profiles & Groups, but also Facebook Pages.
Method 1: Facebook Pages Only
The easiest way to go live on your Facebook Page via your computer is to use the button at the top of this page.
However, the traditional way to go live from your page is to use the "Publishing Tools" on your page.
Log on to your Facebook page and click on Publishing Tools in the top menu: 
Then click on Videos on the left menu:
Then click on the +Live button on the top right:
Then copy the stream key in the modal window that appears:
Then click preview and fill in your update text and video information: 
You can't go live yet, since you'll need to enter the stream key into OBS and start your stream so that Facebook can receive it.
Once Facebook receives your stream it will no longer display "OFFLINE" and will start to display your stream preview. Now skip to
Now skip to #3
Method 2: Facebook Profiles & Groups (and pages)
If you want to go live via your Facebook profile and share to your own timeline, a friend's timeline or a group you'll need to do things a little differently.
Facebook doesn't give you Publishing Options for profiles. They do, however, provide developers the Live Video API.
That's fine for developers, but not very helpful for everyone else! So, I've made it easier for you all by creating a button that connects to Facebook Live using the official Live Video API. All you need to do is click the button above!
So what are you waiting for?
Firstly, Click on the "Broadcast on Facebook Live" button above (at the top of this article). You should see a pop up window.
Then, choose whether you want to go live on your profile or group and click next: 
Then first pop-up window should close and a second pop-up window should appear.
If this second pop-up does not appear, you'll need to check your pop-up settings to allow pop-ups. See the troubleshooting section at the bottom of this article.
In the pop-up, enter your update text and video information:
You can't go live yet since you'll need to enter the stream key into OBS and start your stream so that Facebook can receive it.
Once Facebook receives your stream it will no longer display "OFFLINE" and display your stream preview.
#3 Start Streaming
Click settings in OBS Studio and then click stream in the left menu.
Select "Streaming Services" as the Stream Type and "Facebook Live" as the service.
Paste the stream key you obtained from the previous step into the "Stream Key" box:
You shouldn't need to enter the server URL because OBS uses the standard URL.
Click Apply and OK.
Make sure you have selected a video source (such as your webcam) and that you can see this in the preview section.
Then click the "Start Streaming" button:
Go back to the Facebook Live pop-up window in your browser.
After a few seconds, it should display "Fetching video stream". If it does not, check the troubleshooting section at the bottom of this article for possible causes.
And then after a few more seconds, display your stream in all its glory:
Please note, there will be a 5-7 second delay in the stream. This is normal.
IMPORTANT! If you are testing, it is a good idea to select "Only Me" for the "Who should see this?" option. That way no one else will see the live video while you are testing. You could then view your live video on a secondary device such as your smartphone: 
If you are happy to go live click the "Go Live" button in the browser window: 
The pop-up window will then close. Don't worry, you have gone live!
Check your feed and you should see your live video has appeared. That's it. Enjoy!
To end your live stream, simply click the stop streaming button in OBS Studio.
Facebook Live Demonstration
Here is a Facebook Live video I created earlier which goes through the set up above
Using OBS Studio
This article is work in progress. I'll be expanding this section to explain how to choose sources, change scenes, about scene transitions and keyboard shortcuts. If there is anything you would like to know specifically let me know in the comments below.
Facebook Live with OBS Video Course
Want to know how to use OBS Studio with Facebook Live, set up webcams, scenes and screencasting?
My Facebook Live video course covers how to use the tool and how you can use Skype for multi-person broadcasts and even your phone to make an amazing broadcast using Facebook Live to your Facebook profile, group or page.
With the Pro version, you'll also get access to a members-only community for extra support, tips and techniques, extra modules and I also go through how to add the button to your website including creating the Facebook app and the embed code.
I've gone to great lengths to make this as painless as possible!
There are 12 videos and all are quick and easy to follow and will help you get started with Facebook Live and the free OBS software.
The alternative is buying Wirecast at $495! The cost for this course is from $97.
Yes, show me how to broadcast to Facebook Live >>
You can watch the first two videos for free:
Module 1
Introduction (Free)
Introduction to OBS Studio.
How to add Scenes & Sources. (2'46")
Module 2:
Adding Webcams & Text to Scenes (Free)
Covering adding webcams & Text to Scenes as well as arranging layers. (5'28")
Other Modules in the course...
- Module 3: Adding image layers in OBS Studio
- Module 4: Sharing multiple screens & monitors
- Module 5: Managing multiple scenes with slick transitions.
- Module 6: Adding lower third graphics.
- Module 7: Adding video intros & segments.
- Module 8: Sharing app & program windows.
- Module 9: Streaming Interviews using Skype.
- Module 10: Streaming Interviews with other platforms
- Module 11: Streaming Periscope to FB Live & Sharing your smartphone's screen.
- Module 12: Saving your Streams.
Buy the Facebook Live with OBS Video Course
Troubleshooting Guide
Having trouble with the button above?
Do check the comments below, many other people may have asked similar questions to you and will save you some worry!
Here are some common questions and answers...
#1 The first pop-up closes after I select where I want to go live to
When you click the go live button, your browser will normally display a pop-up. You'll be able to choose where you want the live video to be posted to. Once you've done this, this window should close and another pop-up should appear. Here you'll be able to craft your post, get the stream key and see your preview. However some browser's block this second pop up. If this happens to you, check your browser settings to allow pop-ups from this site (iag.me). Check this article out to find out how to allow pop ups for your browser.
#2 I get a "Cannot connect to server" or a blank preview
Something is blocking your connection between OBS Studio and Facebook Live. It's likely that your ISP is blocking your connection. If this is happening to you, could you let me know in the comments below along with the name of your ISP? I'm interested to know. This is happening rarely, but it is happening to some people. If this is the case, I highly recommend that you try connecting on a different internet connection (such as at a friend's house or at your local coffee shop). If it works there then you know it's your internet connection. If it is your internet connection then check you don't have any firewalls that could be blocking the connection. Also restart your router to see if that solves it. If it doesn't then try and call your ISP and ask them to unblock Facebook Live. They'll probably fob you off, but keep trying. Please let me know how you get on in the comments below!
#3 There is a big delay in my stream
This is a more difficult issue to solve. There is always going to be a delay (perhaps up to around 5-10 seconds) but some people have complained of a much longer delay. Firstly make sure you check your upload speed using a service like Speedtest.net. It's not your download speed that makes a difference, it's the upload speed - since you are uploading the video to Facebook in effect. You should have an upload speed of at least 3Mbps, although 4Mbps and higher is preferable. You can use Facebook Live if you have a slower speed, but you may have issues. Also, the speed of your computer is important. Older and less powerful computers will take their time encoding the video. Keep an eye on the CPU usage in the bottom
Also, the speed of your computer is important. Older and less powerful computers will take their time encoding the video. Keep an eye on the CPU usage in the bottom right-hand corner of the OBS Studio window. If it's really high (above 90%) then your computer may be struggling.
In OBS Settings you can change the encoding preset to “ultra fast” or “super fast”. You can find this in Settings->Output.
This will mean your computer’s processor will be used a little less.
#4 I use a Mac, and I'm not able to stream the audio from other apps such as Skype in OBS to Facebook Live
Macs handle desktop sound a little differently to Windows. On the Windows version of OBS Studio, the sound from Skype will automatically be captured as desktop audio in OBS Studio. On a Mac you need to route the sound from another app to OBS Studio.
This requires a 3rd party app. Wirecast has this functionality built in (a driver that records desktop audio), but with OBS Studio you’ll need a bit of extra help.
There are a number of options...
- Soundflower - An extension that allows other apps (like Skype) to route audio to other apps. There were some issues with Soundflower not being compatible with later versions of OSX but the developer has made some updates.
- JackAudio - Not tried this, but looks like a good alternative too.
- Loopback - Is a premium Mac app, which is highly recommended by a friend of mine. It costs $99, but apparently, it’s worth it!
- Sound Siphon - Similar to Loopback but cheaper.This was recommended by Leslie Samuel. I've not tried it myself, but it looks good!
When you install one of these, you can then route the audio output from Skype into OBS Studio and it should just work. It’s a pain that you have to jump through a few hoops here, but it’s just the way Macs work.
#5 My webcam appears black!
If your webcam preview just appears black in OBS Studio, you may need to adjust the resolution by changing it to custom. Right click the webcam source and click properties to change the resolution.
#6 Audio and Video are out of sync
There are a number of factors that can affect a delay between audio and video. The first thing to ensure is that you close as many background apps as possible. Close down as many apps as you can, check for any bandwidth draining apps such as Google Drive, Dropbox etc. You could also see what else is running in the background and shut down any other apps.
The 2nd thing is to check your upload speed. Use something like speedtest.net. If you have at least 3Mbps or 4Mbps upload speed you should be fine. Ideally use a wired connection as opposed to a wireless one.
The 3rd thing is to turn up the encoding preset. Go to settings and then output, and put the encoding preset up to max.
If none of that solves your issue, your computer may just be struggling with streaming the video. Live streaming takes a lot of processing power. Although OBS Studio as amazing - particularly for a free app, it's not quite as efficient as the likes of Wirecast. So, you may need to give it some help and manually fix the "sync offset".
To do this, click on the cog by the mixer on the main screen, and then adjust the sync offset of your audio. There is no ideal setting here, unfortunately, so you'll have to play around until you get a setting that works for you:
About Ian Anderson Gray
Ian is a Confident Live Marketing Coach and founder of Seriously Social. He’s an international speaker, trainer, teacher, web developer and consultant. He has a passion for making the techno-babble of live video and social media marketing easy to understand. Ian is co-founder of Select Performers – a family run web agency. As well as being a geek, husband, and dad to two kids, Ian is also a professional singer and lives near Manchester in the UK. Find out more
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1475 Comments on "How to Broadcast from your Computer to Facebook Live"
Clicking the go live button does nothing, Tried shutting off ABP and made sure pop ups were not be stopped still clicking link does nothing. Any idea?
nvm, strike that I am apparently an idiot 🙂 Got it to work. Thanks so much!!
Lol, no worries. That kind of things happen to me a lot. Glad you got it working in the end.
i need help live streaming fb
i need help live streaming
Ian you are the best bro!!! Thanks!!!
Thanks for your patience, everyone. I’m pleased to announce that the button is now working. I’m a little confused as to why it stopped working in the first place, but I think it was something to do with some changes Facebook made last week. After some correspondence with Facebook, I made some changes and it’s now working!
This is RIP, live don’t work anymore went “Can’t load URL: The domain of this URL isn’t included in the app’s domains. To be able to load this URL, add all domains and sub-domains of your app to the App Domains field in your app settings.”
Last month 1st March was worked fine strange.
I tried use https://www.facebook.com/live/create?step=landing worked well but disappointed no sounds come out when watching live video on FaceBook
I tried on Mirillis Action app with Live is worked well within sound on FaceBook video but trial if pay full version just £22.90 + VAT £4.58 not bad
Hi Neil, don’t worry – it’s now working again! Ian
Hi, I been checked again, finally come back work again 🙂
Do you think it will be solved and will it work again?
I hope so! It’s up to Facebook. It’s only been a couple of days, so please try and be patient. We’re in their hands at the moment. I know this is
How can it be possible that you have not been solved yet?
Facebook hasn’t responded to my report yet. It’s the weekend and I know they’re working on a lot at the moment, but this is frustrating,
Facebook groups now has fb live button so you can use that instead Ians until he fixes it
How does that work and can I get a streaming key from there?
It’s now working! Ian
An update. I can confirm there is an issue. This was due to a recent change Facebook have made. However, it shouldn’t have broken the button. So, I’ve submitted a bug report to Facebook and am waiting to hear back from them. Here is the bug report – https://developers.facebook.com/bugs/1821844061187871/
the facebook live button is not working for me it says that i need to add a domain! please help!!
Thanks to everyone who has let me know there is an issue with the button at the moment. I’m looking into this and will try and fix as soon as possible.
super , you are the best brother . cheers . you can do it much more !
GoodDay Sir!Please help me about this problem,thanks!
Can’t Load URL: The domain of this URL isn’t included in the app’s domains. To be able to load this URL, add all domains and subdomains of your app to the App Domains field in your app settings.
Yes, sorry, I am aware of this. Facebook made some changes recently and I think this has resulted in a bug. I’ve submitted a bug report and I’m hoping to hear back from them soon. Ian
PLESE HELP MY FRIEND THE FACEBOOKLIVE BUTTON IS NOT WORKING
Yes, sorry, I am aware of this. Facebook made some changes recently and I think this has resulted in a bug. I’ve submitted a bug report and I’m hoping to hear back from them soon. Ian
mr Ian , doman is needing , please corect the problem bro , i love to go live now 😀 so you must try to be best ! Everybody is need this beautiful page . hohoho bro , i love you , if you help this for you , it will be crazy night for all in the planet . THANKS .
Yes, sorry, I am aware of this. Facebook made some changes recently and I think this has resulted in a bug. I’ve submitted a bug report and I’m hoping to hear back from them soon. Ian
the facebook live button is not working for me it says that i need to add a domain! please help!!
Yes, sorry, I am aware of this. Facebook made some changes recently and I think this has resulted in a bug. I’ve submitted a bug report and I’m hoping to hear back from them soon. Ian
Hi Ian. Some strange error with the facebook button. Im getting a message in spanish (im spanish) and will try to translate it to english: URL cant be loaded. Url domain is not includen in app domains. To load dis url, add all domains and subdomains of yoru app on the field “app domains” from the app settings. Hope you can help me with this, I have to live broadcast this sunday 🙁
Yes, sorry, I am aware of this. Facebook made some changes recently and I think this has resulted in a bug. I’ve submitted a bug report and I’m hoping to hear back from them soon. Ian
Hi, Ian! Thank you for creating these tools! It seems though that I need your help! After I click on The BUTTON the window with the choice of where to broadcast opens. So far so good. But that is where it stops, unfortunately! After I choose “personal profile” and click “next” it comes back to the screen with your magical BUTTON. I tried to access it from two different computers. Still! Magic is dead! Please, HELP!
Hi Valentin. It looks like your browser is blocking the second popup. This does affect a minority of users. You need to get your browser to accept popups dim my site. Scroll down to the troubleshooting section of the article for more information. Hope that helps! Ian
Error when pop-up window comes out : “” This page isn’t working
http://www.facebook.com is currently unable to handle this request.
HTTP ERROR 500 “
Hi Vin, Sorry to hear that. The pop-up window is hosted on Facebook, so perhaps they were having issues at the time. I’ve just checked and it is working for me. Could you try again? Ian
Ah, there is an error when selecting a group. Looks like I will need to submit a bug report to Facebook. Thanks for letting me know.
Hi Vin. A quick update – this has been fixed. Here was the bug report – https://developers.facebook.com/bugs/1567721876657500
yeah; no problem. This was probably the error that people were complaining about; so i just gave more details.
facebook live has error when live on group
Thanks for letting me know. I’m submitting a bug report to Facebook.
Just to let you know – this has been fixed. Here was the bug report. Ian
Broadcast on Facebook Live> The parameter app_id is required
There is an error: The parameter app_id is required
Ah, I see the problem. Sorry about this. It was caused by a conflict with another plugin. I’ve fixed it.
Ty
HELP HELP
Error: The parameter app_id is required
Ah, I see the problem. Sorry about this. It was caused by a conflict with another plugin. I’ve fixed it.
Error: The parameter app_id is required
Help me
Hi Juan, where are you seeing that? I’ve never seen that before! Ian
I’m getting this same error when I click the Broadcast On Facebook Live button at the top of this post. Didn’t have that issue last week when I did it.
Ah, I see the problem. Sorry about this. It was caused by a conflict with another plugin. I’ve fixed it.
Thanks, Ian!
When i hit go live and then pull up the video camera in the FB app, it says cannot detect my camera. I added it as my default camera in settings via Chrome, still, no luck. I have no idea what else to do….
So, I assume you’re not using OBS Studio for this? Are you just using your webcam via Chrome?
Detailed write up for Facebook Live usage i have ever seen. Was searching for an article that explains how to screen share, but this article answers all of my questions at one place. Thanks Anderson (Y).
Robin
Thanks, Robin, so glad you’ve found this article useful! All the best! Ian
pues va bien pero luego de poner transmitir en un grupo no abre la nueva pestaña que hago
Can you tell me what you are trying to do? Are you getting the pop up after you select the group? You need to type the name of the group, then click next. That pop up will then close, and another pop up will open. This window will give you your stream key.
Hi Ian! Thanks for such an indepth post. I haven’t tried it yet but wondered how you got the music in at the end. I’m on a Mac. It would be great if I can just turn on my iTunes fade up or out but I bet it’s not that easy! I found this because I did FB live using my computer and got no sound no matter what settings I tried.
Hi Gail, On a Mac, you can’t capture desktop audio in OBS Studio. So, any music you play on iTunes or in your browser won’t be captured by OBS Studio. The only way to do this is by adding an extra source and selecting media file – then select your audio track on your computer. Basically, you get OBS to do the job of iTunes. It’s quite easy when you get the hang of it. The other way is to capture desktop audio, but it’s a bit more complicated. You’d need to use an app like Loopback, which routes the audio from iTunes to OBS Studio.
so is there any way to post continuous livestreams onto groups or my public page? i noticed that option was removed from the selection and now idk how to keep streams going for longer than 4 hours
Hi Jarvis, unfortunately, I don’t think this is possible via the Facebook web interface. The only way is via the API using a tool such as Wirecast.
Hopefully they’ll change this.
hi this is not working to post to a group it lets me fill my group in but does nothing after
hi this is not working for me im trying to post to a group it gives me the first box to put the group name when i fill it in press next it don’t do anything
Hi Janette, so when you select group and you start typing, you should start to see the list of groups that you can go live to. Then you’ll need to select the group and click next. Is this not happening? I’ve just tested it and it is working for me.
Hice hasta el primer paso de compartirlo en una pagina que administro, pero le di en “siguiente” y se quedó ahí. No me aparece nada más. Intento este metodo porque al intentar transmitir desde mi pagina no me aparece el url, pero desde otras pc o laptops sí aparece el url 🙁
Hi Alfredo, When you select the page you want to go live to, you should be able to click the “next” button. Are you not able to do this? Or can you click on the button, but then nothing happens? It could be that your browser is blocking pop-up windows. Check the troubleshooting section to find out how to accept pop-ups from my website – https://iag.me/socialmedia/broadcast-computer-facebook-live/#troubleshooting
When I click on the facebook live button, it doesn´t work… Check it, plis…
Hi Alejandro, Can you give me more information? It works for me, and I’ve not heard any reports from anyone else recently that isn’t working. Check the troubleshooting section at the bottom of the article. In particular, make sure that your browser isn’t blocking pop-ups from iag.me.
Now it´s working!, I don´t know what happend yesterday.
Hi mate when i try to set up facebook live with obs there is no stream key showing on facebook to copy and paste to obs any ideas why this aint showing obs works fine with youtube but no streamkey showing up on facebook any ideas ? Cheers.
Hi Chris, Have you followed the steps in this article? In order to get the stream key, you’ll either need to create a live post for your page (in publishing tools) or use the button on the top of this page. Then, Facebook will give you the stream url and key which you can then put in OBS.
Hi mate yes followed everything for some reason the stream key aint showing up.
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S8 – powered by Three
Hi Chris, When you next get in front of your computer, can you let me know what steps you take and what happens? After you click the button and choose where you want to stream, you should get another window open. If that window doesn’t open, then your browser is blocking pop-ups. See the troubleshooting section in the article. But if it does open, you should see the preview window. Facebook will try and detect the stream, and if there isn’t one will give you your stream key and address after 5-10 seconds. Ian
Hi:
i am Play Live Videos Facebook With Obs But Voice its Break .. Please Give me Solution ..
Hi Sair, Sorry, I don’t understand. Could you try and explain?
We are trying to broadcast live on face book from a PC. Its a brand new i7 with 16GB ram. We are using a Canon 200D EoS DSLR camera and OBS software for streaming. Our upload speeds vary from anything between 4Mbps and 11Mbps using a mobile device to create a hotspot as we have found this is the best to get the high upload speed. Our challenge is that we need our camera to be +/- 20m from the PC and hot spot and we are using a USB data cable extended by a Cat5 network cable 20m long. The picture appears in slow motion i suppose due to a delay between the camera and the PC. How can we go around this problem? We dont mind a delay of even 10 seconds but the slow motion must go. Please help.
Hi Andrew, I’ve not tried to use a camera with your set up. USB does degrade with distance, and I think you’re going to struggle unless you opt for a powered USB extension cable. Are you plugging the camera into your computer using USB?
There are other options for you. I’ll be honest, these aren’t things I’ve explored, so I can’t offer you specific advice. But you could try and turn your camera into an NDI device. That way, with a plugin, you could receive the video from your camera remotely (using your local network). Worth exploring.
Thanks We will investigate further. This is really useful and I appreciate.
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Quoting Andrew Tungwarara :
I’m getting the following error when I click on the “Broadcast on Facebook Live” button at the top of this page:
This page isn’t working
http://www.facebook.com is currently unable to handle this request.
HTTP ERROR 500
Any ideas?
Hi.
I can not go to live at the live access address. This was broken 10 hours ago
Hi. Could you check again? I tried this a couple of hours ago and it worked fine for me. It could have been a temporary glitch?
I wanted to do a live and the page no longer works 🙁 STATUS: Facebook have fixed the issue that was affecting the Go Live Button
Hi Joel.
A number of people had issues yesterday. But could you check again? I tried this a couple of hours ago and it worked fine for me. It could have been a temporary glitch?
Now if it works well friend but because it got bad yesterday?
Hello.
This is not working tonight. I used it on Sunday but tonight it is sticking after selecting the location to post to on Facebook
Hi Henry. I’ve just tried it now and it works for me and I haven’t heard any other reports that it isn’t working. Could you try again? It could have been a temporary glitch. Ian
For some reason it does not work with my Windows 10 computers. I loaded Windows 7 on a laptop and it appears to be working. I tried on 2 Windows 10 computers and it just hangs up after selecting where I want to post the video.
I replied to soon. It does not work with my Windows 7 installation either.
Hi Henry. Sorry for the issues you are having. Are you using the same browser across all your computers? This kind of thing is usually a browser issue. The only other thing that I can think of is that it is an issue with your Facebook account. Could you try a different browser or another
Hi Ian, how do I connect my Dj set up (audio) direct from my mixer?
Hi Grant, It will really depend on your computer and the output of your mixer? If your computer has a line-in input that you can plug your mixer into, then you’ll be able to capture within OBS Studio. If that isn’t an option, you could look at an external sound card. Some mixers have USB, so you can plug it directly into your computer. In that case, you’d need to add a new source in OBS Studio and select your mixer from the devices. Ian
Hey Ian! I stream games on Facebook and I was having the time of my life doing it with OBS, so first off I thank you.
But for some reason, the control window started crashing upon opening. The window that opens up with the “You’re live!” button keeps crashing immediately so I have to go to my stream in a different window, open the stream, mute the volume, and use that to see the chat. Or just use my phone to read the chat.
Is there any way to stop this from happening? Internet explorer won’t even open it, and Chrome won’t keep the dang window open.
Hi David, Thanks for your comment. I’m not sure I totally understand your situation, but I’ll try. Facebook does keep on changing things, and things can be surprisingly buggy. When you click on the live button in the Facebook preview window, it always used to close down automatically and you’d get a pop up saying “You’re Live”. Then, I noticed, that Facebook kept open the live window – to show you the preview, together with information about live viewers etc. And it also allowed you to end the broadcast. Very useful.
However, a few weeks back, this stopped happening again. It reverted back to the way it used to be – i.e. the “control window” (as I think you called it) closed down. It could be a bug on Facebook, but this is what it always used to be. Now, in order to end the broadcast, you can stop the stream, or just edit the live video and then click on end broadcast. I might try and file a bug report on Facebook and see if that helps. Thanks for letting me
That’s pretty much the long and short of it. I just really liked having that window there. It’s really not a big deal, but it was very, very convenient. I can still end the stream from OBS of course it’s just a matter of convenience is all. Thanks for your response!
Hi David, yes I totally agree. I’ll see if I can get a response from Facebook, or at least I’ll try and submit it as a bug. I am not going to hold my breath, but it is worth trying. Ian
good afternoon a question is that I try again to connect live but I do not want to leave the password of the transmission that remains loading what can I do?
Hi Jose, Sorry, I don’t quite understand. Each time you create a live video, you need to use a different stream key (transmission key). It changes each time. You say that it “remains loading”. What do you mean? Does Facebook not receive the stream? I assume you’ve clicked on “start stream”? Have you received any error messages?
Hola ! supongo que a lo que se refiere Jose es cuando al hacer click en el Boton, la ventana queda en blanco y cargando. No permite entrar el usuario, ni contraseña de Facebook. Me ha pasado, por ejemplo: Entro por primera vez, hacciendo click al boton, transmito una hora excelentemente. Paro la transmision. Y cuando vuelvo a pulsar el boton, se abre la ventana, pero queda en blanco y cargando. Y no puedo tranmitir mas. Entonces opto por no parar la transmision., Supongo que eso es lo que dice Jose.
Saludos desde el Sur de Argentina !!!!!
Thanks for your comment, Andres. Greetings from the UK! It’s best to be already logged in to Facebook. Then, when the pop-up window opens, you’re already logged in, and you can choose where you want to broadcast your live video. There is a bug with Facebook at the moment when you click the “go live” button. The window should give you a preview of the live video and a button to stop the broadcast but isn’t loading at the moment. I am going to submit a bug report to Facebook and see if they can fix it. I’ve not had an issue of the window remaining blank and loading. If that is happening, I’d recommend logging out of Facebook, clearing the browser cache, closing down the browser, then opening the browser, log back into Facebook and trying again. Hope that helps! Ian
Hello! My name is Sarah and I am a singer/songwriter looking to go live on Facebook a lot more into 2108! I have a MacBook Air, and will be plugging my keyboard and Bluebird mic into my Scarlett 2i2, then into my computer via USB. It sounds AMAZING in my headphones, but then when I listen back to the video, the audio sounds horrible. When I am speaking it’s great, but playing piano and singing at the same time is very in and out, and I can’t figure out why? Tips?
Depending on which streaming software you’re using, a big part of it could be that your bit rate is just set too low. It’s likely just getting too much sound information than it can properly send per second. You could maybe try increasing it by like 20 percent and see if that helps?
Thanks for your help, David. Much appreciated! What bitrates have you
Hey there, I have a quick question for you. My wife and I are going live on Facebook weekly via a Logitech c930e webcam and my Dell laptop and we’ve worked out most of the kinks in quality and stream stability. (I wish I would’ve found your article about 2 weeks ago! Would’ve made that process of creating a quality stream a lot easier and a lot less time consuming) …anyways! We have noticed that, while we are streaming via the webcam and laptop setup, with the FB Live preview window up on my screen, we are NOT seeing the comments that should be showing up to the side of the stream…We want to be able to see the comments as they come up so we can interact with our audience. Is there something else that we should be doing so we can keep our stream going AND be able to see the comments as they come in? Thank you for your time.
Just use your phone tablet or another pc, connect to your broadcast just like if you were public seeing your stream ( log in with the same fb account you are usung to stream) and see and interact wirh coments with no problem.
Hi Preston. Glad you found my article and have found it useful. How are you finding the Logitech c930e? As for Facebook comments, the easiest way is to use your phone or tablet (as Jorge mentioned). That way you can also see how many people are watching, which of your friends are watching and live comments. Another way, especially if you have another monitor connected, is to have the Facebook Live post on a browser window. Just make sure that you have the tab muted, otherwise, you’ll get an echo. I am working on a comments tool. I’ll announce here when it’s ready. Ian
Thats Great post, I am using OBS for fb live streaming.
Thanks, it was my pleasure. OBS Studio is an amazing tool for live
hello, I am streaming ok, and I am doing so via Zoom. However when I share my screen its not proportionate to whats being shown LIVE on FB. You can only see a portion via the LIVE and not my screen in its entirety. Any ideas?
Hi Stephanie, That’s odd. Are you using the built in Facebook live streaming option in Zoom Pro (with the webinar addon)? Or are you using some other software
Hi, im having an interetsing problem right now with this, when I have everything in set and pressed stream in obs, this came out ” Could not access the specified channel or stream key. please double check your stream key. If it is correct, there maybe a problem conencting to server.”
I tried all the solution I found on internet, changed the IP, checked the internet connection, not sure if it was my facebook account messing with the connection.
Any suggestion with this problem?
Uhhh nvm, I found the solution, its due to my stupidity, I never changed the server to facebook live, because I changed the setting and update obs a while ago and forgot i reset the things, Im so stupid
No worries. It’s so easy to mess up the settings. I’ve done similar things! Glad you managed to get it sorted!
BTW, I have updated every driver in my Device Manager
Sorry to hear you’ve been having issues. I think the issue could be to do with your computer specs- maybe not enough RAM. Could you make sure you close all other apps running in the background. It could be that another app in the background is hogging some of the memory and so OBS doesn’t have
En Perú aun no funciona el Boto de Transmitir,pues no devuelve la señal de la transmision a que se debe?
Once in awhile my fb live window and my obs wont link up. i do the same method every single time.. then on obs i get the red and yellow little square and then it wont give me the option to go live.
Hi Kirstin, Sorry that you sometimes get issues. In OBS, what is the yellow and green square? Can you explain?
On the bottom right corner of my main obs screen there is a thing that says “kb/s:” and there is a little square. when its green its streaming just fine. lately it bounces between red and yellow and wont allow me to go live on the facebook window
Hi Kristin, Sounds like you are having connection issues. Are you connecting via WiFi?
If so, can you use a wired connection? It can make a big difference. Also, make sure you close down as many apps running in the background and switch off devices around your house or office that may be connecting to the internet. Finally, do an internet speed test using a tool such as speedtest.net – you’ll need at least 4Mbps UPLOAD (you can technically suffice with lower but it won’t be good quality).
Awesome, I will try those things. Thanks for responding.