Everything you need to know before you go live on Facebook.
Do I need to keep my computer on while streaming to Facebook? ▲
No. StreamKite streams entirely from cloud servers. Once you configure your slot and click Go Live in the dashboard, you can close your browser, shut down your PC, or go to sleep — your Facebook Live stream continues uninterrupted. This is the fundamental advantage over desktop encoders like OBS.
Does Facebook use RTMP or RTMPS? What's the difference? ▼
Facebook requires RTMPS — which is RTMP over a secure TLS/SSL connection. Unlike plain RTMP, RTMPS encrypts the stream in transit to protect your key and content. The ingest URL is rtmps://live-api-s.facebook.com/rtmp/. StreamKite handles the secure handshake automatically — you just enter the URL and key normally.
Where do I find my Facebook stream key? ▼
Go to facebook.com/live/producer → click "Create Live Video" → select "Streaming Software". You'll see both the Server URL and your Stream Key on the Connection Setup tab. For Pages, go to your Page → Live → Use streaming software instead. You can also find persistent keys in Creator Studio under Live.
Facebook's stream key expired — what do I do? ▼
Standard Facebook stream keys expire when your live session ends. To stream 24/7 without re-entering a key after every session, enable a Persistent Stream Key — find this option in the Live Producer settings or Creator Studio. Once you have a persistent key, update it once in your StreamKite slot and it will work continuously without expiring.
Can I stream to a Facebook Page, Group, and Profile at the same time? ▼
Yes! Each Facebook destination has its own unique stream key. In StreamKite, create one slot per destination: Slot 1 for your Page, Slot 2 for your Group, Slot 3 for your Profile. Each slot can run a different video file or the same one. All slots run in parallel from the cloud simultaneously.
What's the maximum stream duration on Facebook Live? ▼
Facebook allows a maximum of 8 hours per individual live stream session. StreamKite is aware of this limit and automatically reconnects your stream just before the 8-hour mark, creating a seamless new session. This lets you effectively run a true 24/7 continuous Facebook Live broadcast without manual intervention.
What video formats does StreamKite support for Facebook? ▼
StreamKite accepts MP4, MOV, MKV, AVI, FLV, and more. For best results with Facebook, we recommend H.264 MP4 at 1080p with AAC stereo audio. StreamKite transcodes your upload to meet Facebook's exact RTMPS ingest specifications automatically.
Why isn't my Facebook stream going live even though my slot is running? ▼
The most common causes are: (1) your stream key has expired — grab a fresh persistent key from Live Producer; (2) you're using plain rtmp:// instead of the required rtmps:// URL — Facebook requires the secure version; (3) your Facebook account may have restrictions on live streaming. Check your Live Producer page for any error messages or warnings from Facebook's side.