Short answer
Before you start
- A KICK account with email verification and 2FA ready
- OBS
- stream URL and key kept private
- a thumbnail and profile image
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Step by step
- 01
Create and verify the account
Nicole Rojas · YouTube · 0:31 ↗Sign up at KICK, confirm the email, and activate the security options available on the account. If the dashboard asks for another verification step, finish it before configuring OBS. You cannot test a connection reliably while the account still has a blocking warning.
What you should see: Creator Dashboard opens and the channel settings show no pending verification warning.
- 02
Complete the channel profile
Nicole Rojas · YouTube · 1:02 ↗Add an avatar that reads at a small size and write a description that says what you stream. Check the visible name, links, and panels you plan to show. Open a private window to see the channel as someone who is signed out.
What you should see: A signed-out visitor can identify the channel, its topic, and the next action to take.
- 03
Add the offline banner carefully
Nicole Rojas · YouTube · 1:33 ↗Upload the banner accepted by the dashboard and inspect its crop before saving. Keep important text away from the edges and check the offline page while the channel is not live so cuts are easy to spot.
What you should see: The offline page shows a legible image, clear text, and no cropped information.
The profile editor lets you upload and crop the banner before publishing it. YouTube · 1:41 ↗ - 04
Find the stream URL and key
Nicole Rojas · YouTube · 5:07 ↗Open Creator Dashboard, choose Channel, and then Stream URL and Key. Copy the server URL and key into separate temporary fields. Never send them in chat or leave them visible in a screenshot. If a key leaks, reset it from the same panel.
What you should see: You have the current connection values and the private key is absent from public notes and images.
- 05
Connect KICK to OBS
Nicole Rojas · YouTube · 5:37 ↗In OBS open Settings > Stream, choose Custom as the service, and paste the server URL and key. Save the change and check for spaces at either end. Keep the key out of scene names, filenames, and shared notes.
What you should see: OBS keeps the Custom service and is ready to send the test scene without exposing the key.
- 06
Set output for your connection
Nicole Rojas · YouTube · 8:40 ↗Create a test scene with Game Capture or Window Capture, your camera if needed, and the microphone. Watch the meters while speaking and playing sound. Make a short local recording before going live so a duplicate source or bad crop is easy to fix.
What you should see: The preview contains the game, camera, and voice, and the local file plays with understandable levels.
- 07
Add the game
KICK streaming settings, reviewed September 6, 2026 ↗Start with CBR. KICK's current help documents a maximum of 8,000 kbps, 1920x1080, and a 2-second keyframe interval. Choose a rate your upload can hold steadily, then lower resolution or bitrate if Stats shows loss or stutter.
What you should see: The output fits KICK's published limits and the connection holds the signal during the test.
The OBS scene should be tested before its output is connected to Kick. YouTube · 6:31 ↗ - 08
Start and review the live panel
Nicole Rojas · YouTube · 9:10 ↗Before starting, add the title and category in the KICK dashboard. Confirm the channel shows the correct information, then start from OBS. When you finish, stop the stream, open the VOD, and check picture, voice, game audio, and duration before sharing it.
What you should see: The live panel has the intended metadata, the stream ends cleanly, and the VOD plays the whole session.
Stream information explains the content before the broadcast starts. YouTube · 9:51 ↗ - 09
Keep a second platform as a deliberate choice
Nicole Rojas · YouTube · 10:11 ↗Decide what the second platform is for before multistreaming. A second dashboard adds metadata and moderation work. Choose the main chat and one result to compare, such as stability or conversation quality, during the test.
What you should see: You know which platform gets the main chat and which result will judge the experiment.
If something does not work
- KICK does not connect even though OBS accepts the settings
- Return to Channel > Stream URL and Key and compare the server and key character by character. Reset the key if it was shared, paste it into OBS again, and restart OBS before testing. KICK's connection guide also asks you to check the Custom service.
- The stream starts and then disconnects
- Open Stats and identify network, rendering, or encoding loss. For network loss, lower bitrate until the upload connection holds it. Keep CBR and check that resolution, encoder, and keyframe interval still match KICK's current help.
- The live page has wrong metadata or no usable VOD
- Edit the title and category in the dashboard before sharing the link. After stopping, wait for the VOD and play it from the start. If it is missing, confirm OBS stopped the broadcast and check the channel page again.
Test before you go live
- Account verified and 2FA ready
- Profile, description, and offline banner checked in a private window
- Current URL and key copied privately from the dashboard
- OBS uses Custom and CBR
- Resolution, bitrate, and keyframe interval fit current limits
- Title and category checked before starting
- VOD played after stopping the stream
Cómo empezar a streamear en Kick desde cero
Watch the full tutorial ↗Common questions
How do I find the KICK stream key?
Open Creator Dashboard, go to Channel, and select Stream URL and Key. Copy the key from that panel and reset it if it appeared in a screenshot, message, or shared document.
What bitrate does KICK allow?
KICK's current help documents up to 8,000 kbps, along with resolution and keyframe limits. Your upload connection must hold the rate with room to spare. Recheck the official page before changing output because limits can change.
Does KICK save a VOD?
KICK's streaming help says the VOD is saved to the channel page after you stop the stream. Play it before publishing so you know picture, voice, and game audio reached the recording.
What if the dashboard is in English?
Use the paths shown in the account, such as Creator Dashboard, Channel, and Stream URL and Key. Names can vary by language or account version, so match the current menu concept and confirm the result in the preview.
When can I enable subscriptions?
KICK's current Partner help describes a cumulative 5-hour requirement for subscription eligibility. Read the Partner page before promising a date or income [$], because program conditions can change.
