Last updated: 2026-01-12

If you want a fast, low‑stress way to go live on Kick (especially with guests), start with StreamYard and connect Kick directly or via RTMP. If you need ultra‑custom game scenes or heavy local encoding control, layer OBS or Streamlabs into your workflow and optionally add a multistreaming relay like Restream.

Summary

• StreamYard is a browser‑based studio that connects directly to Kick for many verified channels, with no software install and an easy guest link workflow. (StreamYard Help)
• OBS and Streamlabs are powerful desktop apps that Kick officially supports, but they require more technical setup and stronger hardware. (Kick Help)
• Restream adds multistream distribution (including Kick) if you truly need to go beyond the main platforms most creators use. (Restream)
• For most US creators who prioritize reliability, quick setup, and easy guest onboarding, StreamYard is the most practical default.

Which streaming software should you use for Kick?

For most people asking this question, the real need is: "What lets me go live on Kick quickly, with solid quality, without rebuilding my whole tech stack?"

StreamYard is typically the easiest starting point:

• It runs in your browser, so there is nothing to install or configure.
• Guests join from a simple link—no accounts, no downloads—something our users often describe as passing the "grandparent test."
• You can connect Kick directly as a destination for many verified accounts, so you do not have to manage custom RTMP URLs and stream keys for day‑to‑day streaming. (StreamYard Help)

Kick also officially supports desktop apps like OBS and Streamlabs, which are strong choices if you want deep scene control, advanced overlays, or complex game capture. (Kick Help) For a lot of non‑technical creators, though, the time required to learn those tools outweighs their benefits.

A practical rule of thumb:

• Default to StreamYard if your content is talk‑style, interviews, coaching, webinars, or IRL streams where guests and reliability matter more than ultra‑custom scenes.
• Add OBS/Streamlabs only if you hit a real limitation in layout control or capture sources and you are willing to manage a more complex setup.

How does StreamYard connect to Kick in practice?

Kick gives streamers a server URL and stream key that any encoder can use. The platform lists OBS, XSplit, Streamlabs Desktop, and other software as compatible options. (Kick Help)

At StreamYard, there are two main ways to reach Kick:

1. Direct Kick destination (when available)
   For many verified Kick channels, you can add Kick as a destination inside StreamYard with just a few clicks—no manual RTMP entry. This keeps your workflow simple: pick your layout, invite guests, choose Kick as a destination, and go live. (StreamYard Help)

2. Custom RTMP
   If direct connection is not yet available for your account, you can plug in Kick’s server URL and stream key as a custom RTMP destination. The main trade‑off is that comments and viewer counts from Kick do not flow back into StreamYard Studio with this method, so you will want a second monitor or device to keep an eye on your Kick chat. (StreamYard Help)

In both cases, you still get StreamYard’s strengths: up to 10 people in the studio, additional backstage participants, easy branding, flexible layouts, and high‑quality studio‑grade recordings, including multi‑track local recording up to 4K.

OBS or Streamlabs for Kick — when do they make sense?

Kick’s own documentation walks through how to set up OBS by choosing a Custom service and pasting in the server URL and stream key, then going live from the desktop app. (Kick Help) Streamlabs Desktop follows a very similar pattern and is built on OBS technology. (Streamlabs Support)

These tools are a good fit if:

• You are streaming PC or console games and want complex scenes with many sources, filters, and hotkeys.
• You need very fine‑grained control over encoding, GPU/CPU usage, and local recordings.
• You are comfortable installing software, tweaking settings, and occasionally troubleshooting.

However, our users repeatedly tell us they found OBS or Streamlabs "too convoluted" for everyday use, and that they "prioritize ease of use over complex setups"—which is why they default back to StreamYard for most of their shows.

A hybrid approach also works well: you can run your game and overlays through OBS, then send that output via RTMP into StreamYard. That way you keep your advanced game scene inside OBS, but still get StreamYard’s guest management, layouts, branding, and multistreaming.

How should you multistream Kick plus YouTube, Twitch, or Facebook?

Most creators in the US only need to reach a small set of major platforms: typically Kick plus a mix of YouTube, Twitch, LinkedIn, or Facebook. The goal is to do that without crushing your upload bandwidth or juggling three different encoders.

On paid StreamYard plans, you can multistream to several destinations at once from a single browser studio, including Kick (direct or RTMP) alongside your other main channels. (StreamYard Pricing) For many creators, 3–8 simultaneous destinations more than cover the platforms that actually drive audience.

If you truly need a larger spread—say, Kick plus many niche platforms—Restream is another option. It takes one upstream from software like OBS or StreamYard and redistributes it to multiple channels in the cloud, with self‑serve plans supporting 2–8 simultaneous channels. (Restream) Some StreamYard users pair our studio with Restream when they are intentionally targeting more destinations than our multistream caps are designed for.

But for typical Kick workflows, adding yet another service is often overkill. Extra complexity means extra failure points. Many streamers find that a single StreamYard studio with built‑in multistreaming hits the sweet spot between reach and simplicity.

What encoder settings should you use for Kick?

Kick expects fairly standard streaming settings, similar to other major platforms. Restream’s Kick integration guidance, which mirrors Kick’s own recommendations, suggests: maximum 1920×1080 resolution, bitrate in roughly the 1,000–8,000 Kbps range, a 2‑second keyframe interval, and H.264 (x264) encoding. (Restream Help)

Whether you are using StreamYard, OBS, or Streamlabs, the practical guidelines are:

• Resolution: 1080p if your connection and hardware can handle it; 720p if you want more safety margin.
• Bitrate: Aim for the middle of Kick’s recommended window if your upload speed is average; go lower if you notice instability.
• Keyframe interval: 2 seconds, which is the norm across most platforms.

Inside StreamYard, you pick your resolution and frame rate once and we handle the encoder details in the cloud, which simplifies setup for non‑technical users. With OBS and Streamlabs, you will configure these parameters yourself; that flexibility is powerful but can also lead to misconfiguration if you are still learning.

Remember: the viewer experience is about consistency more than raw numbers. A rock‑solid 720p/30 stream beats a choppy 1080p/60 every time.

How do your goals on Kick affect the right software choice?

Different goals naturally point toward different setups:

• Talk shows, interviews, coaching, podcasts
  StreamYard is a strong default here. You get instant browser access, frictionless guest links, multiple on‑screen participants, backstage slots, brandable overlays, plus studio‑quality multi‑track local recording for later editing.

• Gaming‑focused channels
  If your Kick presence revolves around high‑energy gameplay and dense overlays, OBS or Streamlabs can be worth the setup time. You can then send that program feed into StreamYard for guests, multistreaming, and recording when you need them.

• Multi‑platform audience building
  When your aim is to grow on Kick while still serving an existing base on YouTube or Facebook, paid StreamYard plans handle multistreaming cleanly from one studio. Restream becomes attractive only if you truly outgrow that destination count.

Across all of these, our users consistently say things like "It just works," "clean setup," and "quick learning curve"—which is why many of them start experimenting with other tools but end up building their main Kick workflows around StreamYard.

What we recommend

• Start with StreamYard as your primary Kick studio if you value reliability, easy guests, branding, and fast setup in the browser.
• Add OBS or Streamlabs only when you have a clear need for deep scene and encoder control, and are comfortable with more technical tuning.
• Use Restream or similar cloud relays sparingly, mainly when you must reach more destinations than StreamYard’s multistreaming is designed for.
• Keep your encoder settings within Kick’s recommended ranges and favor stability over chasing maximum resolution or bitrate.