Steam store page broadcast setup checklist

A live broadcast on your Steam store page needs four things to line up: an eligible account, a whitelist entry, a public RTMP token on the right App ID, and a video encoded to Valve's spec. Miss one and the stream either refuses to start or runs perfectly for an audience of nobody. Here is every step, in order.

The checklist (26 items)

Items marked Loopcast can do this are handled for you if you use Loopcast: upload any video and it is encoded to this spec, looped and restarted on its own.

0 of 26 done

once

The streaming account

0/4

Non-limited: the account has spent at least $5 on Steam, at any time. A fresh account made for streaming does not qualify until it has.RequiredOwns the game it will broadcast.RequiredHas the Broadcast Live permission in Steamworks, or is in the Store Broadcast Beta group.RequiredThe game is not marked Adult Only. Mature content is fine if the game is rated for it; Adult Only cannot broadcast.Required

once per game

Whitelist it for the game

0/3

For an always-on store page: Edit Store Page, Special Settings, add the account to the Steam Broadcast (Beta) whitelist.Or, for a single event: create a Live-Stream/Broadcast event and add the account on its Broadcasting tab. The account that creates the event and the streaming account must be Steam friends.Know what the event route does: the stream only shows between the event's start and end times, and can run up to 24 hours past the end.

once

The RTMP token

0/4

Sign in as the streaming account at steamcommunity.com/broadcast/upload and copy the upload server and token. Step by step.RequiredSet the base game's App ID there. Never the demo's and never a DLC's, or the stream will not show on the main page.RequiredSwitch visibility from Friends Only to Public. Friends Only is the default and only public streams appear on the store page.RequiredTreat the token like a password. Anyone holding it can put video on your store page. Regenerate it if it leaks.

per video

The encode

0/4

H.264, High profile, level 4.1, 16:9, 30 or 60 fps.RequiredLoopcast can do thisA keyframe every 2 seconds. Without it, Valve says the stream will fail to start.RequiredLoopcast can do thisConstant bitrate, at most 7,000 kbps. We use 6,000 to leave headroom.RequiredLoopcast can do thisAAC-LC audio, at most 128 kbps. Full spec.RequiredLoopcast can do this

per video

Content

0/4

Prerecorded is fine. Asked whether a prerecorded feed is allowed, Valve's FAQ answers "Absolutely." The details.Replaying something that was streamed live before? Mark it as not live, with a "Re-Broadcast" banner or in the title.RequiredSkip the ads. They are allowed in the stream but Valve strongly discourages them.Make it read with the sound off. Most visitors never unmute. Choosing a source video.

every time

Go-live checks

0/4

Give it up to 5 minutes to appear on the store page after the stream starts.Check from a logged-out or incognito browser, not your own account. You see Friends Only streams that nobody else can.Do not play the demo on the broadcasting account. Steam then uses the demo's App ID and the stream leaves the base game's page.Still nothing? It is almost always the whitelist or the App ID. Troubleshooting.

ongoing

Keeping it on air

0/3

Remember Steam stores nothing. The page shows a broadcast only while something keeps sending video to it.Decide the hours: around the clock, or only at set times. Scheduling a broadcast.Loopcast can do thisHave a restart plan for drops. The usual one is "notice in the morning", which is why hosted broadcasts restart on their own.Loopcast can do this

Quick reference

Setting	Valve requires	Safe value
Video	H.264 High, level 4.1	H.264 High@4.1
Frame rate	30 or 60 fps	30 fps
Aspect	16:9	1920x1080
Keyframes	every 2 s	2 s
Bitrate	CBR, 7,000 kbps max	6,000 kbps CBR
Audio	AAC-LC, 128 kbps max	AAC-LC 128 kbps
Visibility	Public	Public
App ID	base game	base game

Steam store page broadcast: the setup checklist