How to go live on Kick from your PC with your phone's game
Kick takes streams from OBS with a stream URL and a key, and its help centre lists the exact settings it wants. Here's how to take your phone's game live on Kick from your PC, plus one thing new channels should know about 1080p.
1. Get your game into OBS
Download OBS Studio (30.1 or newer). With Casttit, plug in your phone, press Open OBS preview, and add a Window Capture of Casttit Preview with Capture Audio on. Then add your mic and facecam. Step by step: Set up OBS.
Kick's own guide for mobile games streams straight from the phone with a separate app. Going through your PC instead gives you OBS: facecam, mic, overlays, and your PC's internet for the upload.
2. Get your stream URL and key
- Sign in to Kick and open your Creator Dashboard.
- Go to Channel → Stream URL and Key.
Treat the key like a password: anyone with it can stream to your channel. Never show it on stream; if it leaks, reset it there.
3. Add them to OBS
- In OBS, open Settings → Stream.
- For Service, choose Custom….
- Paste Kick's stream URL into Server and your key into Stream Key, then press Apply.
4. Kick's recommended settings
From Kick's help article How to stream on KICK, in Settings → Output:
- Rate control: CBR. Keyframe interval: 2 seconds.
- Bitrate: anywhere from 1000 to 8000 kbps. Kick supports up to 8000; stay well under your internet's upload speed.
- Encoder: a graphics-chip encoder (NVIDIA NVENC or AMD) if you have one; on x264, the veryfast preset.
5. Why new channels show 720p
Kick says growing channels may offer viewers up to 720p60 until they reach an engagement threshold; 1080p then unlocks by itself. You can keep streaming in 1080p, but viewers see 720p until then. On a modest upload, streaming 720p60 from the start gives viewers the same picture and leaves more room for a stable stream.
6. Title and category first, then go live
- In your Streamer Dashboard, choose Edit Stream Info, set your title and category, and save. Kick warns that a stream without them may not start correctly.
- Press Start Streaming in OBS. To end, press Stop Streaming; Kick saves the video to your channel.
Before your first real stream, do a short test and watch it back from another device. Sound and picture out of step? Here's how to line them up.
Questions
Where are my Kick stream URL and key?
In your Kick Creator Dashboard: Channel, then Stream URL and Key. In OBS, choose Custom as the service and paste both.
Why do viewers only see 720p on my Kick stream?
Kick says new and growing channels may offer viewers up to 720p60 until they reach an engagement threshold; 1080p unlocks automatically after that. You don't need to change your settings.
What bitrate does Kick support?
Up to 8000 kbps, according to Kick's help centre, with constant bitrate (CBR) and a keyframe every 2 seconds. Stay under your internet's upload speed.