Instagram Live Producer is currently being beta tested and is only available to a small number of users. Keep checking back regularly for updates!
Live stream on Instagram with streaming software? You read that right! Instagram finally announced their long awaited Instagram Live Producer. No more going live with just your phone, now you can use your computer and Streamlabs Desktop to create high quality streams using overlays, avatars, custom alerts, and more. Today we’ll show you how to go live on Instagram right from your desktop.
What Is Instagram Live Producer?
If you’re familiar with Twitch, YouTube Live, or Facebook Live, you know that streamers can choose to go live and play games, host talk shows, play music, craft, or simply just sit and chat. Instagram is joining the ranks of these streaming platform giants, enabling users to live stream and interact with viewers in real time. While Instagram has no plans to support a true API, they will allow streaming via a custom RTMP.
Though the Instagram app already has a “Live” function, users are limited to their cell phones when using this feature. Live streaming from a computer enables the use of high quality cameras and microphones, and of course, the ability to stream yourself playing video games.
How to Set up Instagram Live Producer
If you’re an experienced streamer, this process will be pretty familiar. If this is your first time streaming, welcome! We’ll walk you through everything and have you streaming to Instagram in no time. To stream with Instagram Live Producer, you’ll need a few things.
- A computer and an internet connection
- The Streamlabs Desktop app
- A stream key from Instagram.com to input into Streamlabs Desktop.
- A webcam with a built-in microphone (or an external microphone)
Once you have your stream customized to how you’d like it to appear, go ahead and log in to Instagram.com. If you’re not sure how to use Streamlabs Desktop, we recommend this article on getting started as well as our other articles for new streamers.
- Once you’ve logged in to Instagram, click the plus (+) icon to “add a new post.”
- A drop down menu will appear. Select “Live.”
- Enter a title for your stream, then choose “Practice” to test your stream (no one will be able to view your stream yet). Once you’re ready, hit “Public” to start a live broadcast.
From there you will be able to copy your stream URL and stream key and add them to Streamlabs Desktop. Note: Your stream key will reset with every stream, so you’ll need to insert a new stream key each time you go live.
To add your stream key to Streamlabs Desktop, first click on the gear icon in the bottom left corner of your screen to access your settings, then click “Stream” from the menu on the left.
Click on the plus sign at the bottom to add a new destination.
Here is where you’ll be able to copy and paste both the url and stream key you received from Instagram. If you have Streamlabs Ultra, you can multistream to Instagram as well as the usual suspects like Twitch, Facebook, and YouTube. Check out this article to learn more about multistreaming.
How to Publish Your Instagram Live Producer VODs
Instagram will automatically save the VODs from your live streams for 30 days, but you can pick and choose which ones you want to publish. To publish one of your VODs from the Instagram app, first click on your profile, then the hamburger menu from the top right corner of the screen.
Then click on “Archive.”
Then click on the dropdown menu at the top of the screen to switch from the default “Stories” archive to “Live.”
Remember to publish your VODs within 30 days or they’ll disappear!
How to Broadcast to Instagram via Streamlabs Mobile
If you’re more comfortable going live from your phone but still want to add fun features like overlays and alerts, you can live stream to Instagram with the Streamlabs Mobile app. Check out our article on Streamlabs Desktop for Mobile to learn how. Just like with your PC, you’ll need to input the stream key and url that you receive from Instagram Live Producer as you would with any custom RTMP.
Are you excited to stream from your Mac or PC with Instagram Live Producer? If you used Streamlabs Desktop in your stream, be sure to tag our Instagram account in any VODs that you publish! Stay safe and happy streaming.
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