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How to Add a Custom RTMP Destination

How to Add a Custom RTMP Destination

Most creators run into this when they outgrow the obvious platforms. Maybe your podcast network runs its own video portal. Maybe your company streams town halls to an internal page. Maybe you're experimenting with a smaller platform that isn't on anyone's integration list yet. Whatever it is, they hand you two things — a server URL and a stream key — and say "just plug these into your streaming software."

That's exactly what a custom RTMP destination is for. If a platform or server speaks RTMP (and most of them do), Castream can stream to it right alongside YouTube, Twitch, Facebook, and everything else.

What you need

Two values, provided by wherever you're trying to stream to:

  1. Server URL (also called RTMP URL or ingest URL) — looks like rtmp://something.example.com/live
  2. Stream key — a long string of letters and numbers that identifies your stream

No URL and key, no custom destination — Castream can't guess them. They're usually found in the streaming or "go live" settings of the platform you're adding. If you can't find them, ask that platform's support; it's their credential to give you.

🔑 Treat your stream key like a password. Anyone with it can stream to your channel or page. Never post it publicly, and never share screenshots that show it.

Adding it in the Castream mobile app

  1. Open the Castream app.
  2. Go to Settings → Destinations.
  3. Add a new destination and choose the custom RTMP option.
  4. Paste in the server URL.
  5. Paste in the stream key.
  6. Give it a recognizable name — "Company Town Hall" beats "Custom 1" when you're picking destinations in a hurry.
  7. Save the destination.

It stays saved, so you only do this once. When you go live, just toggle it on along with your other destinations.

Going live with a custom destination

There's nothing special about broadcast day. Pick your destinations — including the custom one — tap Go Live (or start from the web dashboard), and Castream sends your stream to all of them simultaneously. Your custom RTMP destination gets the exact same feed as YouTube and Twitch.

One thing to plan for: some platforms need you to confirm or start the broadcast on their end after they detect your incoming stream. TikTok works this way, and smaller platforms often do too. If your stream connects but nothing appears, check the destination platform — there's probably a "go live" button waiting for you over there.

If it doesn't connect

Custom RTMP issues are almost always credential issues. Run through this list:

  • Re-copy both values. Stream keys are long and easy to mistype or truncate. Copy directly from the source — don't retype by hand.
  • Check for extra spaces. A stray space at the start or end of the URL or key will silently break the connection. This causes more failures than anything else.
  • Make sure the key is current. Some platforms rotate stream keys regularly or expire them after a period of inactivity. If it worked last month and doesn't today, generate a fresh key.
  • Confirm the server URL is complete. It should start with rtmp:// (or rtmps://). If the platform gave you a URL and a separate "stream path," they may need to be combined — check their docs.
  • Test with one destination first. If you're troubleshooting, go live to only the custom destination for a minute. Isolating it tells you whether the problem is the destination or something else.

Still stuck after all that? The issue is almost certainly on the receiving end — their server, their key, their settings. Their support team is the right next call, since Castream is just delivering the stream they're asking for.

Where people actually use this

  • Company and internal streams — town halls, all-hands, training sessions on a private portal
  • Niche platforms — smaller or regional streaming sites that hand out RTMP credentials
  • Your own media server — if you run your own ingest server, point Castream at it
  • Event platforms — virtual event tools that accept an RTMP feed for a stage or session

Anywhere that says "enter your RTMP URL and stream key" is somewhere Castream can stream to.

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