How to stream on Kick

To stream on Kick, you need a free Kick account, a way to send video to Kick, and a title and category for your stream. Most streamers use OBS Studio or Streamlabs Desktop on a computer, with the stream key from the Kick Creator Dashboard. You can also go live from your browser or from Kick’s phone app, without any extra software.

This guide takes you from a new account to the end of your first stream. Each step links to a longer guide if you want more detail.

What you need

• A Kick account with a verified email address.
• A computer that can run streaming software, or a phone.
• A stable internet connection. Kick says your upload speed should be at least twice your stream bitrate (Kick help center).
• A microphone. Kick’s own beginner checklist says audio matters more than video quality, and a basic USB microphone is a big step up from a laptop microphone.
• A webcam, if you want to be on camera.

For the full list, including age rules, see Kick streaming requirements.

Step 1: Create your Kick account

1. Go to kick.com and click Sign up.
2. Enter your email, a username and a password, and confirm your date of birth.
3. Open the email from Kick and verify your address.
4. Turn on two-factor authentication (2FA) in your security settings.

Kick says 2FA is required if you later want to earn money as a streamer, so it is easier to turn it on now (How to create a Kick account). Add a profile picture, a short About section and your social links while you are there. Viewers look at these when they decide to follow.

Step 2: Choose how you will go live

At the time of writing (October 2026), Kick supports three ways to stream:

Method	Best for	What you need
Streaming software (OBS Studio, Streamlabs Desktop, Meld, XSplit)	Games, full layouts with overlays and alerts	A computer and your stream key
Web Go Live in the Creator Dashboard	A quick webcam or screen share stream	A computer and a browser
KICK - Go Live phone app	IRL and mobile streams	An iPhone on iOS 18 or later, or an Android phone on Android 8 or later

Kick lists the supported software in How to stream on Kick.com. Web Go Live has built-in scenes, a chat box and alerts (Kick help center). For phones, see How to stream on Kick from your phone.

The rest of this guide uses OBS Studio, because it is free and works on Windows, Mac and Linux.

Step 3: Connect OBS to Kick

1. Download OBS Studio from obsproject.com and install it.
2. Open your Kick Creator Dashboard.
3. Click Channel, then Stream URL and Key.
4. In OBS, click File > Settings > Stream.
5. Set Service to Custom….
6. Paste the Server URL and the Stream Key from Kick.
7. Click Apply.

Never show your stream key on screen. Anyone who has it can stream to your channel. The Kick stream key guide explains how to reset it if it leaks.

If you use Streamlabs Desktop, you can skip the key. Click Connect next to Kick in its stream settings instead. See Streamlabs and Kick.

Step 4: Set your output settings

In OBS, open Settings > Output, set Output Mode to Advanced, and open the Streaming tab. Kick lists these limits (Kick help center):

• H.264 (x264) encoding only. H.265 is not supported.
• CBR (constant bitrate) only.
• Up to 8,000 kbps bitrate.
• Up to 1920x1080 and 60 fps.
• Stereo audio at 48 kHz or less.

If any setting goes past these limits, the stream can fail to connect or Kick can reject it. Kick recommends a keyframe interval of 2 seconds. For the full settings for each encoder (x264, NVIDIA NVENC, AMD), see Best OBS settings for Kick.

Step 5: Build a simple scene

A scene is the layout your viewers see. Start small. You can add more later.

1. In OBS, under Sources, click +.
2. Add what you need: Video Capture Device for your webcam, Game Capture or Display Capture for your game or screen, and Audio Input Capture for your microphone.
3. Talk into the microphone and check that its bar moves in the Audio Mixer. If it does not move, viewers will not hear you (Kick help center).

Overlays such as chat on screen, alerts and a follower count are web pages that you add as a Browser source. The guides Add Kick chat to OBS and Kick alerts in OBS show how.

Step 6: Set your title and category

1. Go to your Creator Dashboard.
2. Click Edit Stream Info.
3. Set your stream title and category. Click Save.

Kick warns that your stream may not start correctly if you skip this step. Pick the category that matches what you do. Kick treats a wrong category used to get more viewers as “category abuse”. If your stream has mature content, such as gambling or strong language all the time, you must turn on the 18+ label (Content classification labels).

Step 7: Test, go live and end the stream

1. Do a short test. Check that your voice is clear, the game is not too loud, and nothing private is on screen.
2. Click Start Streaming in OBS. Open your channel on another device to see what viewers see.
3. When you are done, click Stop Streaming. Kick shows an offline banner and saves the stream as a VOD on your channel.

If OBS will not connect, check the stream key first. Then check that your settings are inside Kick’s limits and that OBS is up to date.

Add a chat bot and overlays

Your first stream works fine with only a camera and a microphone. When you want chat to feel more active and less work for you, a bot and a few overlays help.

KickBot is a free bot and overlay tool made for Kick. Here is what streamers usually set up first:

• Make KickBot a moderator so it can post and delete messages. Type /mod KickBot in your chat. See Add KickBot as a moderator.
• Commands such as !discord or !socials, so viewers get your links without asking you. See Custom commands.
• Timed messages that post a reminder every so often while you are live. See Timed messages.
• Chat on screen with the chat widget. See Chat overlay.
• Alerts for new follows, subs and KICKs. See Kick alerts in OBS.
• !clip so viewers can save good moments while you play. See Clip command.

The step-by-step setup is in Set up a chat bot on Kick. To start, create a KickBot account and connect your Kick channel.

After your first stream

Kick’s beginner checklist suggests you watch your VOD, note what worked, and plan your next stream soon. Clip funny or useful moments and share them on social media. For ideas on how to get your first regular viewers, see How to grow on Kick.

FAQ

Is it free to stream on Kick?

Yes. A Kick account is free, and OBS Studio and Streamlabs Desktop are free. You do not need Affiliate or Partner status to go live. Those programs are only for earning money.

Why does my Kick stream not start?

The most common causes are a wrong stream key, settings past Kick’s limits (for example VBR instead of CBR, H.265, or more than 8,000 kbps), or a missing title and category. Kick also suggests that you update OBS and check your firewall or antivirus (Kick help center).

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

Kick allows multistreaming. If you are in the Kick Partner Program, you must turn on the Multistreaming toggle (or type /multi on), and Kick reduces your Partner payout by 50% while you multistream (Kick help center). Twitch has its own simulcast rules. See Kick vs Twitch.

Can I stream on Kick without OBS?

Yes. Use Web Go Live from your Creator Dashboard in a browser, or the KICK - Go Live app on your phone.