How to Stream on Kick in 2026: OBS, Stream Key, Mobile & PS5 Setup

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Quick answer: Here’s how to stream on Kick: create a free Kick account, open your Creator Dashboard, go to Channel > Stream URL and Key, and paste both into OBS or Streamlabs (Settings > Stream > Custom). Set a stream title and category in your Kick dashboard, then click Start Streaming. On a phone, use the free KICK – Go Live app instead.

This guide covers every common setup as of October 2026: PC with OBS or Streamlabs, mobile, PlayStation 5 and Xbox. It also lists the exact output settings Kick supports and explains how to fix a stream that won’t start. Every setting and requirement below comes from Kick’s own Help Center, linked in the sources at the end.

What do you need to stream on Kick?

You need a Kick account, streaming software (or the Kick mobile app), and a stable upload connection. You don’t need any followers or special status to go live.

What you need Minimum Notes
Kick account Free account with a verified email Kick recommends turning on two-factor authentication (2FA) from day one.
Streaming software OBS Studio, Streamlabs Desktop, XSplit or Meld OBS and Streamlabs Desktop are both free.
Mobile option KICK – Go Live app Needs iOS 18.0+ or Android 8.0+.
Internet Upload speed above your chosen bitrate Kick accepts up to 8,000 kbps. A wired connection is more reliable than Wi-Fi.
Audio and video A USB microphone and an optional 1080p webcam Kick’s own checklist says audio matters more than video quality.

How to stream on Kick, step by step

Streaming on Kick takes six steps: set up your account, copy your stream key, connect your software, set your output settings, add a title and category, and go live. The first setup takes about 15 minutes. After that, going live takes one click.

Step 1: Create and secure your Kick account

  1. Sign up at kick.com and verify your email address.
  2. Pick a username you’re happy to keep. Kick’s verification process later checks for recent username changes.
  3. Turn on two-factor authentication in your account settings.
  4. Add a profile picture, a short About section and your social links. You’ll need these later for the Kick Partner Program anyway.

Step 2: Find your Kick stream key and server URL

Where is my Kick stream key? Log in, open your Creator Dashboard, click Channel, then Stream URL and Key. You’ll see two values: the Server (Stream URL) and the Stream Key. Kick may ask for a one-time security code before it shows them.

Treat your stream key like a password. Anyone who has it can broadcast to your channel. If it ever leaks, click Reset in your Streamer Dashboard and paste the new key into your software.

Step 3: Connect OBS to Kick

How do I stream on Kick with OBS? In OBS, open File > Settings > Stream, set Service to “Custom…”, paste Kick’s Server URL into Server and your Stream Key into Stream Key, then click Apply.

  1. Download and install OBS Studio.
  2. Click File > Settings > Stream.
  3. Set Service to Custom….
  4. Paste the Server URL from your Kick dashboard.
  5. Paste your Stream Key.
  6. Click Apply.

Step 4: Use Kick’s recommended output settings

Kick is stricter than some platforms about encoding. It only accepts H.264, it requires constant bitrate (CBR), and it caps streams at 1080p, 60 fps and 8,000 kbps. In OBS, these settings are under Settings > Output (set Output Mode to Advanced).

Setting Kick’s recommendation
Encoder x264, NVIDIA NVENC H.264 or AMD HW H.264 (H.265/HEVC is not supported)
Rate control CBR (variable bitrate is not supported)
Bitrate 1,000 to 8,000 kbps, kept below your real upload speed
Resolution Up to 1920×1080 (rescale only if your base canvas is larger)
Frame rate Up to 60 fps
Keyframe interval 2 seconds
x264 preset / tune veryfast / zerolatency
Audio Stereo, maximum 48 kHz

If you stream from a Mac, choose the x264 encoder so that CBR is available.

Step 5: Set your stream title and category

Go to your Streamer Dashboard, click Edit Stream Info, add a title and category, and save. Kick warns that a stream without a title and category may not start correctly, so don’t skip this step. Pick the category that matches what you’re streaming so the right viewers find you.

Step 6: Go live and end cleanly

Click Start Streaming in OBS. Open your channel in another browser tab with the sound muted to check that the stream is live. When you’re done, click Stop Streaming. Kick shows an offline banner and saves the broadcast as a VOD on your channel.

Using Streamlabs Desktop instead

Streamlabs Desktop can link to Kick directly, so you don’t have to copy a stream key. Open Settings > Stream, click Connect next to Kick, authorise in your browser, then click Go Live with Kick toggled on. Kick notes that you may need to set your title on Kick after you go live when using Streamlabs.

How do I go live on Kick from my phone?

Download the free KICK – Go Live app, which is separate from the regular Kick viewer app. Sign in, allow camera and microphone access, set a title and category, and tap the green circle. Any Kick account can use it. You don’t need Affiliate, Verified or Partner status.

  • Features: dual-camera streaming (front and back at once, not on every Android device), screen sharing for mobile games, and manual bitrate, resolution and frame-rate settings.
  • Limitation: chat is read-only in the app. To reply, keep kick.com open on a second device, or let your moderators handle chat.
  • VODs: streams from the app save as VODs, just like desktop streams.

Can you stream on Kick from a PS5 or Xbox?

Not natively from a PS5. Its built-in Broadcast feature only supports Twitch and YouTube. To stream PS5 gameplay on Kick, run it through a capture card into OBS on a PC. Xbox players can reach Kick through Streamlabs Console, but only while also streaming to Twitch.

PS5 to Kick with a capture card

  1. On the PS5, turn off HDCP (Settings > System > HDMI). Capture cards can’t record HDCP-protected video.
  2. Connect PS5 HDMI out to the capture card’s HDMI IN, the card’s HDMI OUT to your TV or monitor, and the card’s USB to your PC.
  3. In OBS, add a Video Capture Device source and choose the capture card.
  4. Set up the Kick stream key as in Step 3, then go live.

Elgato’s PS5 with OBS guide walks through the cabling in more detail.

Xbox to Kick with Streamlabs Console

Streamlabs Console lets you stream from an Xbox with no capture card. However, Streamlabs says Kick, YouTube and TikTok are only available as extra destinations alongside Twitch. You link Twitch and Kick in Streamlabs Console, then choose Streamlabs as the destination in the Xbox Capture & Share > Live streaming menu.

Can I stream on Kick and Twitch at the same time?

Yes. Kick supports multistreaming, but if you’re in the Kick Partner Program you must turn on the Multistreaming toggle in your Creator Dashboard before you go live. While multistreaming, you earn 50% of your usual Kick Partner revenue. If you’re not a Partner yet, you can multistream with tools like Streamlabs or a restream service without that revenue trade-off.

Why is my Kick stream not working?

Most Kick connection failures come from four things: a missing title or category, unsupported encoder settings (VBR or H.265), an old or reset stream key, or a bitrate higher than your upload speed. Work through this list in order:

  • No title or category set? Add both under Edit Stream Info and restart the stream.
  • Wrong encoder? Switch to H.264 with CBR. Kick doesn’t accept VBR or H.265.
  • Key reset recently? Copy the new key into OBS. The old one stops working.
  • Stuttering or dropped frames? Lower your bitrate 1,000 kbps at a time, or use a lighter preset (superfast for x264, P3: Fast for NVENC/AMD).
  • Above 1080p or 60 fps? Rescale output to 1920×1080 and cap the frame rate at 60.
  • Using LiveU Studio? Kick says to add :443/app to the end of the stream URL.

If it still won’t connect, Kick has a dedicated article, OBS or Streamlabs not connecting to Kick.

What should you do after your first Kick stream?

Once you know how to stream on Kick, the hard part isn’t technical any more. You need people to stay. Kick’s own beginner checklist gives simple advice: talk to your chat even when it’s empty, greet everyone by name, keep a regular schedule, watch your own VOD, and clip your best moments for social media.

Your next milestones are enabling subscriptions, getting verified, and then the Kick Partner Program, which pays per stream. We explain each step in Kick Creator Incentive Program & Partner requirements, and every income source in How to make money on Kick.

A silent chat is the hardest thing for most new streamers. At PureSMM, we built AI chatters for Kick for this reason. They use AI models to follow what you say on stream and reply in context, in your language, rather than posting a fixed list of lines. It’s one of the few Kick-specific services you’ll find on an SMM panel. You can see current options and prices on the PureSMM services page. Pair them with Kick live viewers and your channel looks active from your very first stream. We compare the options in our guide to Kick viewer bots, live viewers and AI chatters.

FAQ

Is it free to stream on Kick?

Yes. A Kick account is free, and so are OBS Studio, Streamlabs Desktop and the KICK – Go Live app. Your only costs are your equipment and internet connection.

Do you need followers to stream on Kick?

No. Any Kick account can go live from day one. Follower and viewer milestones only matter for monetization. On Kick’s English Help Center, enabling subscriptions currently requires 5 hours streamed in total, and the Kick Partner Program requires at least 250 followers along with other metrics.

Can you stream on Kick without a PC?

Yes. Use the KICK – Go Live app on iOS 18+ or Android 8+ for camera, IRL or mobile-game streams. Xbox players can also use Streamlabs Console, as long as Twitch is the main destination.

What bitrate should I use on Kick?

Kick accepts 1,000 to 8,000 kbps with constant bitrate (CBR). Many streamers use 6,000 to 8,000 kbps for 1080p60, but keep it comfortably below your measured upload speed.

Does Kick pay you to stream?

Kick pays streamers through subscriptions (you keep 95%), KICKs tips and Bounties. Kick Partners also earn per-stream revenue. Kick doesn’t publish a fixed hourly rate. See our guide to making money on Kick.

Sources