OBS Studio Setup for AIOZ Stream: RTMP URL and Stream Key

TL;DR:

• Setting up OBS Studio for AIOZ Stream takes four stages: build a scene, point OBS at the AIOZ RTMP server with your stream key, enter the documented output settings in Advanced mode, then start streaming and confirm in the dashboard.
• The connection uses Settings > Stream with the service set to Custom. RTMP is the only protocol the desktop guide mentions.
• The documented output values are CBR, 4500 to 6000 Kbps, a 1 second keyframe interval and the High profile, with AAC audio at 128 to 160 Kbps, 48 kHz, stereo.
• The 1 second keyframe interval differs from the 2 second value many OBS guides recommend. The AIOZ docs do not explain the choice, so use their value first and change it only after a test stream.
• The guide tested OBS Studio 30.2.3 on Windows and 31.1.0 on macOS. Menu labels can differ in other versions.

What you need before you open OBS

This guide assumes you already have the two values OBS asks for: the Server URL (the RTMP URL) and the stream key. If you have not created a key yet, the seven-step go-live walkthrough covers the dashboard side. Everything below happens inside OBS.

The AIOZ desktop guide lists five prerequisites: an AIOZ Stream account with dashboard access, the credentials, a stable connection with enough upload bandwidth, camera and microphone permissions enabled, and OBS Studio installed. One line from the guide is worth knowing early: you do not need to create a livestream entry manually first. The system creates one automatically once you stream with valid credentials. Pre-creating the session in the dashboard is still the better route if you want to set a title, thumbnail or archiving up front.

Treat the stream key like a password. The guide's warning is blunt: do not share it in screenshots, recordings or public channels, and regenerate it before streaming again if it is ever exposed. OBS shows the key in a masked field, but a screen recording of the settings window can still reveal it when you click the show button.

Stage 1: build the scene

OBS does not stream "your screen". It streams a scene, which is a layout of sources. The AIOZ guide's scene steps are short:

1. Click the plus button in the Scenes panel and name the scene.
2. Click the plus button in the Sources panel and add a Video Capture Device for a webcam, a Display Capture or Window Capture for screen sharing, or both.
3. Resize and position the sources in the preview.

Then verify before you connect anything. The guide's checklist is a good habit because every item is a failure you would otherwise discover on air: the camera or screen source is visible and not black, the microphone meter moves when you speak, the correct devices are selected, the scene is framed the way you want, and the canvas aspect ratio matches your target format, which is 16:9 for 1080p and 720p output.

A black source is the most common surprise. Display Capture on some systems needs a permission granted at the operating-system level before OBS can see the screen, so check the preview rather than trusting that the source was added.

Stage 2: connect OBS to AIOZ Stream

Open Settings, then the Stream tab. Set Service to Custom, enter the Server (the RTMP URL) and paste the stream key. The OBS overview guide describes the same fields: choose a service from the list or set a custom streaming server, enter the server URL for custom servers, and enter your stream key. Custom is the service the AIOZ guide has you use.

Two details matter. First, the desktop guide mentions only RTMP, so this setup is an RTMP ingest path, not WebRTC. If you are weighing the two protocols for a different use case, HLS vs WebRTC explains how they differ. Second, paste the values with no leading or trailing spaces. A stray space in the key is a quiet cause of a connection that never authenticates.

Stage 3: enter the output settings

The guide places these under Settings, then Output, with Output Mode switched to Advanced and the Streaming tab selected. The reason to use Advanced is practical: the OBS output guide says Advanced mode gives you customizable settings including bitrate, quality presets and keyframe interval. The AIOZ values are written for Advanced mode, so switch to it before looking for the keyframe field.

The documented video values are the same for both encoder choices. Only the encoder name changes:

The audio values live under Settings, then Output and Settings, then Audio: AAC codec, 128 to 160 Kbps bitrate, 48 kHz sample rate and stereo channels. The guide marks Zerolatency as optional and describes it as the choice for lower latency. It also warns that interface labels and available fields vary by OBS version, operating system and encoder, so if a field has a slightly different name in your build, match it by purpose rather than by exact wording.

Choosing within the 4500 to 6000 range is a bandwidth decision. The upload-speed arithmetic is in the go-live article; the short version is to size your bitrate to your measured upload, not to the top of the range by default.

The keyframe interval question

The AIOZ guide specifies a 1 second keyframe interval. Many general OBS tutorials say 2 seconds. Ant Media's OBS guide, for example, says to "configure keyframe interval to 2 seconds for optimal adaptive bitrate switching on the server side."

These are not necessarily in conflict, because the advice is written for different servers and the AIOZ docs do not state why they chose 1 second. A shorter keyframe interval generally lets a player join or switch quality sooner at the cost of some compression efficiency, but that is a general property of video encoding, not something the AIOZ documentation claims. The sensible rule is to start with the documented 1 second value, since that is what the platform's guide was written and tested against, and to treat any change as an experiment you run on a short private stream and then check the result in the player. Do not change it because a different tutorial said so.

Stage 4: start streaming and confirm

Close the Settings window with Apply, then OK. Check the scene one more time in the preview and click Start Streaming in the Controls panel. Then open the AIOZ Stream dashboard to confirm the stream is active, and check the stream health and preview before you share the link with anyone. The guide notes the livestream entry may appear automatically after streaming starts with valid credentials, so a new entry showing up is expected, not a sign of a duplicate.

For what to read once the broadcast is live, the stream health metrics article explains the viewer-side signals, and the embed guide covers putting the player on your own page.

If the stream struggles: the documented fallback

The guide gives one quality-reduction path. Go to Settings, then Video, and set the Output (Scaled) Resolution to 1280 by 720. Then lower the bitrate under Settings, Output, Streaming. That is the whole recommendation: drop the resolution first, then the bitrate. It is a sensible order because a smaller picture needs fewer bits to look clean.

What the desktop guide does not cover

The page is a setup guide, not a reference, and it leaves several things out. It has no troubleshooting section for connection failures, no hardware requirements for the CPU or GPU, no advice on picking a bitrate for a given internet speed, no multi-bitrate or adaptive setup, no local recording settings, and no WebRTC path. If your first attempt does not connect, there is no documented error table to consult, so the practical approach is a short test stream with a throwaway title before any real event. Check the key and server for stray characters, confirm the key belongs to the stream you expect, and read the OBS log if the connection is refused.

FAQ

What service should I select in OBS for AIOZ Stream?
Custom. Enter the RTMP Server URL and the stream key in Settings, then Stream.

Which OBS versions did AIOZ test?
OBS Studio 30.2.3 on Windows and 31.1.0 on macOS. Other versions may label fields differently.

What encoder settings does AIOZ recommend?
NVIDIA NVENC H.264 or x264 with CBR, 4500 to 6000 Kbps, a 1 second keyframe interval and the High profile, plus AAC audio at 128 to 160 Kbps, 48 kHz, stereo.

Do I need to create a livestream in the dashboard before I go live?
No. The guide says the system can create the entry automatically once you stream with valid credentials. Create it first if you want to set the title, thumbnail or archiving in advance.

Why does the AIOZ guide use a 1 second keyframe interval when other guides say 2?
The docs do not say. Start with the documented value and test any change on a private stream.

Can I stream to AIOZ Stream with WebRTC from OBS?
The desktop guide only describes RTMP, so RTMP is the documented path.

Related Reading

• Mobile Livestreaming with PRISM Live Studio on AIOZ Stream: the same connection from a phone, with the documented mobile values
• Best OBS Encoder Settings for 1080p and 720p Streaming (what to do about 720p and 60 fps)
• Live Streaming on AIOZ Stream: The Complete Guide
• How to Start a Livestream on AIOZ Stream
• Stream Health Metrics Explained
• What Is Low-Latency HLS (LL-HLS) and When to Use It
• Upload-Only vs Full-Access API Keys

References

• AIOZ Stream docs: Desktop OBS setup: the Custom RTMP service, credentials and the output values used above
• AIOZ Stream docs: Viewing and sharing: checking preview playback and sharing the stream link
• AIOZ Stream docs: Mobile PRISM Live Studio setup: the phone alternative to OBS
• AIOZ Stream API: Streamings: starting and managing streams through the API instead of the dashboard
• OBS Studio: the official download page