Streaming to a Facebook Event with Switcher Studio

Switcher Studio's Facebook integration allows you to easily stream to your Timeline, a Page, or a Group. Although the direct integration doesn't include Events, you can still stream to a Facebook Event with Switcher Studio using Custom RTMP.

Note: For more detailed information about what Custom RTMP is and why it's used, check out the Help Center article Streaming to Platforms without a Direct Integration.

There are four core steps to streaming to a Facebook Event using Custom RTMP:

Creating the Event on Facebook
Gathering the Custom RTMP values from Facebook
Setting up the stream in Switcher Studio
Going live to the Event from the Switcher Studio app

Creating the Event on Facebook

Before doing anything in Switcher Studio, you must create the Event on Facebook. If you have already created the Event, make sure the settings align with the instructions below.

Start on the Page or Group you are using to create the Event. Reminder, you must be an Admin.
Tap the plus icon in the top right. A dropdown menu will appear.

Click/tap the Event option from the dropdown menu.

Set the Event to Online. This is required to stream to a Facebook Event.

Give the Event a Name, Start Date, Description, and choose a Category.
Once you have completed these fields, click Next.

The next screen will prompt you to select a Location.

Select Facebook Live.
Click Next.

The next screen will allow you to add Additional Details, but none of them are required.

Click Create Event to complete the setup.

Gathering the Custom RTMP values from Facebook

Once you have created the Event on Facebook, you'll need to gather two numbers from the Event:

Stream Key
Stream URL

To find these numbers:

Go to the Event, and click on Set Up Live Video.

On the next screen, click/tap Use Stream Key.

After you have selected Use Stream Key, there will be a section called Live Stream Setup that shows the Server URL and Stream Key.

Keep this page open as you continue to the next section, where you'll set up the stream using Custom RTMP in the Dashboard.

Note: Facebook offers different options to its users regarding auto-start. Some users will see an option to have the stream automatically start. Other users are not presented with that option in Facebook. If your stream does not start automatically, you'll need to come back to this page to initiate the stream.

Setting up the stream in Switcher Studio

Once you have set up the Event on Facebook you will use the Server URL and Stream Key to set up a Custom RTMP channel in the Switcher Studio Dashboard.

Log into the Switcher Studio Dashboard using the same email and password you use to log into the app.
Click Platforms from the left menu.
Click the Set up RTMP button.

Enter a Channel Nickname. This nickname will appear in the Switcher Studio app and make it easier for you to identify the correct custom rtmp stream. Your audience will not see the nickname.

Go back to the Facebook Event page with the Stream Settings and click Copy next to the Server URL.
Toggle back to the Switcher Studio Dashboard. Paste the value into the Server URL box.
Go through the the same process for the Stream Key.

Adjust any of the other settings as needed.
Click Save.

You will receive a confirmation message that the channel has been saved. The channel will now appear under Custom RTMP in the Dashboard > Platforms page.

You can adjust the settings at any time before going live, by clicking Details from this page (Dashboard > Platforms).

Going Live to the Event from the Switcher Studio App

Step 1: Select the Custom RTMP Channel

When you're ready to stream to the Event, open the Switcher Studio app on your main switcher device.
Go to the Outputs tab.
Tap the blue arrow beside Custom RTMP.

All the Custom RTMP channels you've created will appear based on their nickname. If you do not see the channel, swipe down on the list to refresh and sync the app with the Switcher Studio Dashboard.

Tap the the correct channel nickname.
A blue check mark will appear to the left of the name, confirming your selection.

If you would like to edit the stream details, tap the blue arrow on the right.

Tap any of the fields to edit them.
At a minimum, we recommend running a new speed test.
- Tap Speed Test.
- Tap Save to use the speed test results to update the streaming resolution.

Once you have finalized the settings, tap RTMP Channels in the top left to return to the main RTMP Channels menu.

Tap Done in the top left corner.
The correct channel will appear next to Custom RTMP in the Outputs Tab.

Make sure there is a blue checkmark next to Custom RTMP as shown above. If there is no checkmark, tap Custom RTMP.

Step 2: Start the Broadcast

When you are ready to go live, tap the big red button in the top-right corner of the app to start the stream.

VERY IMPORTANT: If you did not have the auto-start option or did not enable it when setting up the Event stream on Facebook, you'll need to go back to the Facebook Live Producer page and click Go Live. If you enabled auto-start, the video will stream will start on its own. Either way, we recommend double-checking that the video is live on Facebook.