Live Streaming on AIOZ Stream: The Complete Setup Guide

TL;DR:

• Live streaming on AIOZ Stream follows a three-layer model: a permanent stream key (the credential your encoder uses), a streaming session created per broadcast, and saved media if you chose to archive the broadcast.
• Ingest is RTMP. The documented desktop path is OBS Studio and the documented mobile path is PRISM Live Studio, both with a Custom RTMP service, a server URL and a stream key.
• Viewers get a public playback URL or an iframe embed code, and the session object exposes an hls_url, a player_url and an iframe value.
• Archiving is opt-in per session: past livestreams are only replayable if "Save Stream to Archive When Finished" was enabled during the broadcast.
• Restreaming to other platforms (RTMP destinations such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitch) and real-time statistics (fps and bitrate in and out) are both documented; limits on the number of destinations are not.

The mental model: stream key, session, media

Most confusion about live streaming on AIOZ Stream disappears once you separate three objects that the dashboard and API treat differently.

The stream key is the standing credential. You create it in the dashboard's Live Streaming tab by choosing "Create Stream Key", giving it a name such as "Main Channel", and picking a type: "Video" for OBS or PRISM workflows, or "Audio" for audio-only ones. The documentation's one repeated warning applies here: keep the key private and never show it in screenshots or recordings.

A streaming session is one broadcast under that key. You create it by selecting the key's row and choosing "Start new stream". A title is required. Optional settings are the desired output resolutions (the docs give 720p and 1080p as examples), a thumbnail (JPG or PNG), restream destinations, and the archive checkbox. Through the API, the same step is a POST to /api/live_streams/:key_id/streamings with a required title and optional save and qualities fields.

Saved media is what remains after a session whose archive option was on. The media endpoints list, fetch and delete these records, and each one carries the same asset URLs as a session (thumbnail_url, hls_url, iframe, player_url) plus a nested video object with qualities, captions and chapters, so a finished broadcast behaves like any other video in your library.

There is one shortcut worth knowing. The PRISM guide states that you do not need to create a livestream in the dashboard before going live: AIOZ Stream can create it automatically once you start streaming with valid credentials. So the key is the only thing you must set up in advance.

Going live: the ingest side

Both documented broadcasting paths use RTMP, and the OBS guide is explicit that RTMP is the only protocol. You copy two values from the dashboard into your software: the server URL (the RTMP URL) and the stream key. RTMP itself is an old, well-understood ingest protocol: it runs over TCP, typically on port 1935, and the server validates the stream key when the encoder sends its publish command, as LiveAPI's RTMP explainer describes. In the common modern pattern, RTMP carries the stream from the encoder to the platform and HLS carries it to viewers, which matches the hls_url the session object exposes. For the protocol trade-offs behind that choice, see HLS vs WebRTC.

OBS Studio (desktop). Set the service to "Custom", paste the server URL and the key. The documented 1080p30 recommendation is the same for NVIDIA NVENC H.264 and x264: CBR rate control, a bitrate of 4500 to 6000 Kbps, a 1 second keyframe interval and the High profile, with Zerolatency tuning optional. Audio is AAC at 128 to 160 Kbps, 48 kHz, stereo. For weaker connections the guide suggests 1280 by 720 with a reduced bitrate. The guide was tested on OBS Studio 30.2.3 on Windows and 31.1.0 on macOS.

PRISM Live Studio (mobile). Choose Custom RTMP, name the stream, and enter the same URL and key. The recommended settings are 1080p on Wi-Fi or 720p on 4G/5G, 30 fps, about 4000 Kbps for 1080p or 2500 Kbps for 720p, and a 1 second keyframe interval. It was tested on PRISM 5.1.5 on Android and 3.10.2 on iOS. If the key is ever exposed, the guide says to regenerate it before going live again.

The 1 second keyframe interval appears in both guides. The docs do not explain why, but a short, regular interval is the usual choice for HLS delivery, because segments start at keyframes (see how segmentation and M3U8 manifests work).

What viewers get

The viewing guide offers two ways to share a broadcast: the Public Playback URL, or the embed code behind the Share button, which is an <iframe> you can place on your own site. Placement and customization work as they do for on-demand video, covered in embedding the player and the player features guide.

The player also has a Low Latency Mode (Beta), aimed at interactive formats such as Q&A or gaming. The documentation does not state a latency figure or which technique the mode uses, so treat it as a beta option to test rather than a number to promise. For what low latency generally means in HLS, read What Is Low-Latency HLS.

Monitoring while live

The player's statistics panel shows "Current Viewers" along with bitrate and FPS for diagnosing the connection. The API exposes the same family of numbers: GET /api/live_streams/statistic/:stream_media_id returns fps_in, fps_out, bitrate_in, bitrate_out and data_transferred, and the docs say the values refresh every 5 to 30 seconds. The "in" values describe what your studio uploads to AIOZ Stream, the "out" values describe what is delivered to viewers. A persistent gap between bitrate_in and what you configured is the first thing to check when viewers report buffering; the broader metric set is explained in Stream Health Metrics Explained. Session objects also carry current_view and total_view fields.

Restreaming and archiving

Restreaming. The multicast API adds destination RTMP URLs to a stream key with POST, reads them with GET and removes them with DELETE, all on /api/live_streams/multicast/:stream_key, with a multicast_urls array in the request body. The documentation says AIOZ Stream supports multicast "to multiple platforms using RTMP" and names YouTube, Facebook and Twitch. It does not state a maximum number of destinations, so confirm that before building a workflow around many targets.

Archiving. The viewing guide is direct: past livestreams are only available for replay if Save Stream to Archive When Finished was enabled during the broadcast. Treat it as something to decide before going live: the viewing guide shows it as a stream setting, and while the update endpoint (PUT /api/live_streams/:key_id/streamings) accepts a save field, the docs do not say whether it can still be changed once a broadcast is running. Saved media can then be listed (note that the list endpoint is a POST, with limit defaulting to 25 and capped at 100), fetched or deleted through the API.

How this compares with the usual flow

Developer-focused platforms such as Mux describe a flow where you POST to create a live stream to get a stream key, point any RTMP encoder at the ingest URL, and receive an automatic recording when the broadcast ends. AIOZ Stream differs in two documented ways: the stream key is created in the dashboard (the live-streaming API reference covers sessions, media, multicast and statistics, and does not list a key-creation endpoint), and recording is a per-session opt-in rather than a default. Neither is better in the abstract; they suit different workflows. A creator who streams weekly from OBS with one reusable key is well served by the dashboard-first model, while a product that must mint a key per user in code should check how that fits.

What the documentation does not say

• The status values for sessions and saved media are not enumerated beyond the "created" value shown for new sessions.
• Limits on bitrate, resolution and broadcast duration are not stated; the numbers above are recommendations, not caps.
• Protocols other than RTMP for ingest are not documented.
• No latency figure is given for Low Latency Mode (Beta).
• The maximum number of multicast destinations is not given.

Where one of these matters for your project, test it on a throwaway session before depending on it.

FAQ

Do I need to create a livestream in the dashboard before streaming?
You need a stream key. A session can be created automatically once you start streaming with valid credentials, as the PRISM guide describes; the dashboard's "Start new stream" lets you preconfigure the title, resolutions, thumbnail, destinations and archive option.

Which protocol does AIOZ Stream accept for live ingest?
RTMP. The OBS guide states "RTMP only", and both documented setups use a Custom RTMP service with a server URL and stream key.

Are livestreams recorded automatically?
No. Replay is only available if "Save Stream to Archive When Finished" was enabled during the broadcast, so set it when you create the session.

Can I stream to YouTube or Twitch at the same time?
Yes, through multicast destinations (RTMP URLs) added to the session or via the multicast API. The documentation names YouTube, Facebook and Twitch and does not state a destination limit.

What bitrate should I use?
The documented starting points are 4500 to 6000 Kbps for 1080p30 in OBS and about 4000 Kbps (1080p) or 2500 Kbps (720p) in PRISM, with a 1 second keyframe interval. These are recommendations rather than stated limits.

What is the difference between the Video and Audio stream key types?
"Video" is for OBS or PRISM video broadcasts; "Audio" is for audio-only workflows. The key type is chosen when the key is created.

Related Reading

• Mobile Livestreaming with PRISM Live Studio on AIOZ Stream: the mobile counterpart to the desktop setup, using PRISM Live Studio and Custom RTMP
• Stream Key vs Streaming Session: Preconfiguring a Livestream: what a stream key stores, what a session stores, and what to preconfigure
• Best OBS Encoder Settings for 1080p and 720p Streaming (choosing the values)
• OBS Studio Setup Guide for AIOZ Stream (tab-by-tab desktop setup)
• How to Start a Livestream on AIOZ Stream (step-by-step OBS and mobile setup)
• HLS vs WebRTC: Which Streaming Protocol Should You Choose
• What Is Low-Latency HLS (LL-HLS) and When to Use It
• Glass-to-Glass Latency Explained
• Stream Health Metrics Explained
• AIOZ Stream Developer Guide: API, SDKs, and Webhooks
• Upload-Only vs Full-Access API Keys

References

• AIOZ Stream docs: Live streaming concepts: the overview of live streaming on the platform
• AIOZ Stream docs: Create livestream: stream keys, the "Start new stream" step and the archive option
• AIOZ Stream docs: Desktop OBS setup and Mobile PRISM Live Studio setup: the two documented encoders
• AIOZ Stream docs: Viewing and sharing: playback URLs, embed codes and saving to archive
• AIOZ Stream API: Streamings, Livestream Statistic, Livestream Multicast and Media: the session, statistics, restreaming and saved-media endpoints