Beginners Guide to Live Streaming on Instagram Live with StreamYard - Step by Step Tutorial

Summary

In this video, Anita Wong explains how to live stream on Instagram using Streamyard, a multi-streaming platform. She walks viewers through the setup process, including creating a Streamyard account, linking it to Instagram, and ensuring your Instagram account is switched to a professional profile. Anita also highlights the steps for setting up your live stream, obtaining the Instagram stream key, and managing settings within Streamyard. Additionally, she covers how to archive live videos on Instagram, download them, and repurpose the content. This tutorial simplifies the process for users looking to expand their live streaming across multiple platforms.

Takeaways

• 😀 StreamYard now supports live streaming to Instagram via its API, a feature introduced in December 2023.
• 📱 Instagram's native app usually restricts live streaming to mobile devices, but StreamYard allows desktop live streaming.
• 💻 Users need a professional Instagram account (business or creator) to live stream via StreamYard.
• 🔑 Instagram requires a stream key for connection to StreamYard, which is retrieved from the Instagram desktop version.
• 📧 StreamYard sends a six-digit login code to the user's email for authentication during sign-up.
• 🎥 When setting up StreamYard, users should configure their camera, audio, and any virtual backgrounds before going live.
• 🔊 To avoid feedback, it's essential to mute the Instagram tab when live streaming from StreamYard.
• 💬 Instagram comments won’t appear in StreamYard, so users need to monitor and respond to comments directly in Instagram.
• 📂 Users should enable Instagram’s 'save live to archive' feature to keep a copy of their live streams for future use.
• 📲 After the live stream, videos are saved as Reels in the Instagram archive, which can be shared or downloaded.

Q & A

What does the video tutorial by Anita Wong cover?

The tutorial explains how to use StreamYard to live stream to Instagram, which was made possible after Instagram opened up its API in December 2023.

What change did Instagram make in December 2023 that allows live streaming from desktop apps?

Instagram opened its API for live streaming, enabling multi-streaming apps like StreamYard, Restream, and Ecamm to broadcast live streams directly to Instagram.

What do users need to do first before live streaming to Instagram using StreamYard?

Users must sign up or log in to StreamYard, add Instagram as a streaming destination, and ensure their Instagram account is set to a professional (Creator or Business) account.

How can users connect their Instagram account to StreamYard?

Users should go to the 'Destination' tab in StreamYard, click 'Add a destination,' select Instagram Live, and then log into their Instagram account.

What steps must users take on their Instagram app before live streaming from StreamYard?

Users must switch their Instagram account to a Creator or Business account and enable the 'Save Live to Archive' feature in Instagram's settings to ensure live streams are archived.

How do users retrieve the Instagram stream key, and why is it needed?

Users must open Instagram in a new tab, create a live video, and copy the stream key provided. This key is then pasted into StreamYard to connect the two platforms.

Why is it important to mute the Instagram tab during the live stream?

Muting the Instagram tab prevents audio feedback or echo during the live stream, as both StreamYard and Instagram are active simultaneously.

What features can users control from StreamYard during the live stream?

Users can add banners, screen shares, and guests from within the StreamYard studio, and these changes will reflect in the live Instagram stream.

What should users do to monitor comments during the live stream on Instagram?

Since comments from Instagram don't appear in StreamYard, users should keep the Instagram tab open and monitor or reply to comments directly from there.

What options do users have after finishing a live stream on Instagram?

Once the live stream ends, users can archive the video, download it to their phone, or share it as a Reel on Instagram. They can also save and repurpose the video using StreamYard.

Outlines

00:00

🎥 Setting Up Streamyard for Instagram Live Streaming

Anita introduces herself and the tutorial, explaining how to live stream using Streamyard on Instagram. She mentions that Instagram opened up its API for multi-streaming apps in December 2023, allowing users to stream from a desktop via tools like Streamyard. She walks through signing up for Streamyard, logging in with an email, and connecting the Instagram account to the Streamyard platform. This setup includes logging into Instagram via Streamyard and verifying the account connection.

05:08

🔗 Configuring Instagram for Professional Streaming

Anita explains the need for an Instagram professional account (either business or creator) to stream using Streamyard. She guides viewers on how to switch account types if needed and turn on the ‘Save Live to Archive’ feature. This ensures that live streams are saved for later access on Instagram. Anita covers how to adjust settings on both the mobile app and desktop for a successful live streaming experience.

10:09

🚀 Starting a Live Stream on Instagram via Streamyard

Anita walks through the process of creating a live stream on Instagram using Streamyard. This involves copying the stream title from Streamyard, muting the Instagram tab, and setting up the live stream on Instagram. Viewers learn how to obtain and input the Instagram stream key into Streamyard. She also highlights setting up the camera and audio in Streamyard before officially starting the live stream.

🖥️ Managing the Live Stream Between Streamyard and Instagram

Anita discusses how to manage the live stream from the Streamyard studio. She explains how to interact with the Instagram audience using the Instagram tab (as comments can't be managed directly in Streamyard). The focus is on maintaining the live stream flow using Streamyard’s interface, including adding guests, screen sharing, and banners.

💬 Handling Comments and Ending the Live Stream

Anita advises keeping the Instagram tab open during the live stream to respond to comments since Streamyard doesn’t support comment integration with Instagram. She covers how to properly end the live stream on both Instagram and Streamyard. After ending the stream, she shows how to download or archive the live video on Instagram.

📱 Saving and Sharing Your Live Stream on Instagram

Anita explains the process of archiving live videos on Instagram. Once the stream is over, she demonstrates how to access the video from Instagram’s archive, download it to the phone, and share it as a reel. She discusses customizing the cover and caption for the reel, tagging Streamyard, and how the reel is added to the Instagram profile grid.

📊 Accessing Streamyard Recordings and Final Thoughts

Anita wraps up by showing how to access recorded live streams in the Streamyard dashboard. She mentions options to download, edit, or repurpose the recordings. Finally, Anita encourages viewers to try streaming to multiple platforms simultaneously and invites them to comment with questions or share their experiences.

Keywords

💡Streamyard

Streamyard is a multi-streaming platform that allows users to broadcast live video to multiple destinations simultaneously. In the video, Streamyard is presented as the main tool used to stream to Instagram, enabling desktop live streaming, which is typically not available on Instagram's mobile app.

💡Instagram API

The Instagram API (Application Programming Interface) allows third-party apps to interact with Instagram's platform. In the video, it is mentioned that Instagram opened its API for live streaming in December 2023, enabling platforms like Streamyard to access Instagram's live-streaming features.

💡Multi-streaming

Multi-streaming refers to broadcasting a live stream to multiple platforms simultaneously, such as Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram. The video explains how users can use Streamyard to live stream to Instagram and other platforms concurrently, enhancing their online presence.

💡Destination Tab

The Destination Tab in Streamyard is where users can connect their streaming platforms, such as Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram. The video highlights how users must add Instagram as a destination to stream live videos directly to their Instagram accounts.

💡Professional Account

A professional account on Instagram is necessary for features like live streaming through third-party apps. The video explains that users must switch from a personal account to a professional account (business or creator) to use Streamyard for Instagram live streaming.

💡Stream Key

A stream key is a unique identifier required to broadcast live streams from third-party apps like Streamyard to Instagram. The video instructs users on how to obtain and input their Instagram stream key into Streamyard to connect the two platforms for live streaming.

💡Live Archive

The live archive feature on Instagram allows users to save live streams for up to 30 days. The video emphasizes the importance of enabling this feature to save and manage live videos after a broadcast, which can later be downloaded or shared as reels.

💡Studio

The studio in Streamyard is where users can manage their live stream, configure audio and video settings, and control what appears on the broadcast. The video shows how to enter the studio and set up the live stream, highlighting how users can add themselves to the stage and manage overlays like banners.

💡Mute Instagram Tab

Muting the Instagram tab during live streaming is necessary to prevent audio feedback or echo when streaming from Streamyard to Instagram. The video demonstrates how to mute the tab, ensuring that viewers can hear the live stream without interference from duplicate audio.

💡Comments

In the context of the video, comments refer to viewer interactions on Instagram during a live stream. The video notes that Streamyard currently doesn't support posting comments directly to Instagram, so users should monitor their Instagram tab to engage with their audience's comments manually.

Highlights

Introduction to live streaming on Instagram using StreamYard, made possible by the API change in December 2023.

StreamYard allows live streaming to multiple platforms like Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn from a desktop, not just a mobile device.

To get started, sign up for a StreamYard account, log in, and verify your email with a 6-digit code.

Before connecting Instagram, make sure your account is either a Creator or Business account, as personal accounts can't live stream.

Make sure to enable the 'Save Live to Archive' option in Instagram settings so that your live streams are automatically saved.

Connect your Instagram account to StreamYard through the 'Add Destination' tab and log in with your Instagram credentials.

When setting up a live stream, create a title in StreamYard and copy it to the Instagram live stream setup for consistency.

Obtain the Instagram stream key from Instagram's live video setup and paste it into StreamYard to link both platforms.

After creating the live stream, go to StreamYard's studio and set up your camera, audio, and optional virtual background.

When ready, click 'Go Live' in StreamYard, and ensure that both the Instagram and StreamYard tabs are open.

Mute the Instagram tab to avoid audio feedback, but rest assured that your audience on Instagram will still hear you.

You can add elements like screen shares, banners, and guest speakers in StreamYard, which will display on the Instagram live stream.

While live streaming, comments from Instagram won't appear in StreamYard, so keep the Instagram tab open to monitor and reply.

Once finished, you can end the live stream from both StreamYard and Instagram, and save the recording in Instagram's archive or on your device.

Instagram live streams can be repurposed by downloading the saved video from Instagram or StreamYard, and then shared as reels.

Transcripts

hey there and welcome to my latest video my name  is Anita and I'm going to show you today how to  

live stream using streamyard to your Instagram  account yep you heard me right so normally on  

Instagram you can only live stream via your  mobile phone but in December 2023 Instagram  

opened up the what's known as the API in  other words the gateway to the Instagram  

live streaming options and they opened it up to  any multi streaming app that we have out on the  

marketplace now I use streamyard but there are  other apps out there that you can use such as  

restream ecam wave. video I'm going to show you  in this video how to actually use streamyard to  

live stream into Instagram so as you can see  from the screen here is streamyard so if you  

haven't already got an account grab the link from  below this video and you can sign up now when you  

do sign up you do need to log in so when you click  login it's going to ask you for your email address  

go ahead and add your email address and click  the login code now streamyard has a file save  

so you do have to check your email so I just  wanted to show you that because if you are new  

to streamyard and you're not sure where to find  this six-digit code you do need to go into your  

email to look for it just copy it from your  email and then come here and click paste and  

it will fill that in for you now when you first  log in you'll land on the homepage which is where  

your streams and recordings will be found what  we want to do first is go to the destination Tab  

and add on your Instagram account as you can  see from mine I have my Facebook my LinkedIn  

and my YouTube connected but I don't have my  Instagram now just so that you know when we  

add the Instagram account to streamyard you  will need to log into your Instagram account  

through streamyard using your username and your  password so let's go and see how this happens  

okay so let's click on add a destination now as  as you can see here we've got this option to go  

to Instagram live now so go ahead and click the  Instagram live button now it's going to ask you  

for your Instagram username so go ahead and put  the exact username in and click add Instagram

live oh my Instagram account was connected so  I didn't actually need my password but that may  

be because I'm already logged in to my Instagram  account on my browser so if you do see the need  

to put a password in then make sure you add it  otherwise do what I did log into your Instagram  

account on your browser before you do this  and then you don't need to actually put your  

password in so just to check that it's in there  click the destination option and as you can see  

Instagram has now been connected okay so that's  the first part of how to go live on Instagram  

using streamyard okay so now that we've connected  the destinations we need to make sure that we  

we've done two things on our Instagram app the  first one is that your account is not a personal  

account that it is a professional account so  if you see the professional dashboard on the  

front like you can see on my screen now then you  already are using a professional account if you  

don't see that then if you go up to the top right  hand corner where there three little lines are  

and go to settings and privacy and scroll down  where it says for professionals click that and  

down the bottom you can see Switch Account type so  if you're on a personal account you will get the  

option to switch to either a business account or  a Creator account you do need to be on a Creator  

account or a business account in order for you  to live stream using streamyard into Instagram  

so once you've done that the only other thing  you need to do is come back to the hamburger  

area again and go to settings and privacy again  and scroll down until you get to the archiving  

and downloading option click on that and make  sure that you have the save live to Arch archive  

switched on what that will do is that at the end  of your live stream on Instagram you will have  

the option to close the window down and when you  close the window down your live stream will be  

saved into Instagram for you in the archive and  then it's up to you whether you want to pull that  

live stream onto your profile Grid or not inside  the real tab okay so once you've done that that's  

the instagramy things done on your phone you do  have something else to do on Instagram from your  

desktop so we're going to create the live stream  now so in order to do that we CLI click create  

and we go to live stream now we need to choose  where we want to live stream so we already know  

we want to go to Instagram we've already done the  changes on our app so we click on the Instagram  

icon and we give our live stream a title so now  what I recommend you do is you copy this title  

because we have to put this title into Instagram  as well and we also have to go to our Instagram  

account and get the Instagram stream key so  we're going to open up Instagram in a new tab  

so once you're in your Instagram you do need to  mute this tab because when we are live streaming  

from our streamyard we don't want to hear the  audio coming out of our Instagram account and  

we have to keep this page open whilst we're live  streaming I know that sounds a bit complicated but  

it really is easy all you need to do is go to the  tab in question rightclick it and it will give you  

an option to mute the site just go ahead and do  that and then you won't get any audio from your  

Instagram account whilst you're doing the live  stream now we need to go to the create option  

and you can see we have this live video option go  ahead and click that and it's going to ask us if  

we want to create the live stream so we copied  the title earlier and we're going to click on  

there and just paste the title into that area  it's then going to ask us for the audience so  

we're going to go public and we're going to click  next now what that's done is it's connected our  

streamyard to our Instagram by giving us two sets  of codes now we only need to have the stream key  

code so we're going to copy that and we're going  to go back over to our streamyard and we're going  

to place that code where it says Instagram stream  key paste it in there and click create live stream  

now when you click create live stream you are  not going to go live so don't panic yet just  

click create live stream and what it's going to  do is it's going to take you into the streamyard  

studio when you're in here you just need to make  sure that your camera is set up and your audio  

is set up so to do that go to the settings and  select the camera that you want to use and then  

go to audio and select the audio that you want to  use now I've just left it on default I normally  

use my road pod mic but I'm using that to record  this video for you so I'm going to leave it as it  

is if you want a virtual background you can click  virtual background as well once you're happy just  

close it down add your display name that's the  name that's going to show on the video and if  

you want to add a headline you can do that as well  when you enter the studio you're still not going  

to be live so don't panic just enter the studio  and this is where it's going to take you into  

the studio in order for you to set yourself up  now in streamyard you do have to add yourself to  

the studio so down the bottom here you can see  add to Stage go ahead and click that and that  

brings you onto the stage okay we're nearly there  now what we have to do is in order for us to make  

sure that that connection has been made between  streamyard and Instagram we need to click the go  

live key in your streamyard studio by clicking  go live and then we're going to go over to our  

Instagram account and we're going to wait here to  see the preview so once that connection has been  

made between streamyard and Instagram we'll  see a preview here there it is there's the

connection so remember I asked you to mute the  tab which your Instagram is going to be on now  

that's so that we don't get you speaking to  yourself so it's like a like because you're  

live streaming from streamyard into Instagram  and we have to have both these tabs open in  

order for this to work we need to make sure that  we mute our Instagram tab it doesn't mean that the  

people who are on Instagram can't hear us that's  not going to happen at all now that we know that  

our streamyard and our Instagram are connected  we can go ahead and click go live and then you  

can just do the live stream how you would normally  do it so go ahead and click go live and you will  

be live on your Instagram account okay so once  you're live on Instagram you can go back to your  

streamyard studio and you can talk using your  streamyard studio if you want and of course you  

can add on a screen share if you want to you can  add a guest on if they if you've bought a guest  

into your studio you can do all of those things  inside of your streamyard studio and it will show  

up inside of your live stream so for example if  I put my banner on and I show that that's going  

to show up inside of my my live stream now there  is a little bit of a delay not long but a little  

bit of a delay once you've activated those things  but they will show up as you can see there there's  

the ticker so whatever you do in your streamyard  studio it will show up inside of your Instagram  

account now one thing I've noticed at the moment  is that I didn't see any comments coming through  

from Instagram as you can see it says can't post  comments on Instagram so the best thing to do  

is once you've set up your streamyard studio and  you're happy with how things are looking in here  

is to keep the Instagram tab open where you're  live because you can actually comment on here  

and it will go through so that's all you need  to do in in Instagram so remember your cockpit  

is inside of your streamyard studio and you  control what's happening in your live here on  

the Instagram app okay and then when you click  click end live video and you'll end your live  

stream and that's going to stop the stream and if  I come up to my streamyard studio it will connect  

here as well and tell streamyard that I've lost  the connection if it doesn't then all you need to  

do is come up here and click end stream and you  will end your stream on Instagram so you can do  

your feedback in streamyard as well by clicking  that end one here now I finished my stream in  

streamyard so let's just jump back to Instagram  it says here to download your video view this in  

your archive on your Instagram app now remember  when I was on Instagram earlier I told you to go  

into your settings and turn on the live archive  so if I go here to download your video view this  

in your archive on the Instagram app so I'm going  to close this off by clicking the cross and I'm  

going to click discard but it says here if you  continue this live video won't be saved unless  

you've previously chosen to archive all your live  videos 30 days so I'm going to go discard and then  

I'm going to come over to my mobile phone okay  so what I'm going to do now is I'm going to go  

to my hamburger menu the top right and you can see  that we have this archive tab I'm going to click  

the archive Tab and there's the video that I've  just done I've done a couple more but I'm going  

to click that one and as you can see I have the  video there so what I do is I can either share  

that to my Instagram account or I can download it  so when I'm downloading it that's going to save  

directly to my camera roll on my phone and I can  also click the share option now when I share it  

it's going to show me you've saved live videos are  now reals so we know that so we're going to click  

okay so now what's happened is it's saved my live  video to my Instagram account and I can change my  

cover if I want to once you're happy with your  cover you can write in the caption okay then  

I'm going to tag streamyard like so and then I'm  going to click done and then I'm going to share  

that and that's going to show on my grid where  my reals would go okay so there you can see that  

the live video is now on my profile if I click my  profile you can see that it's in my reals area and  

it's also on the Square grid now if we go back to  streamyard we can also go to our dashboard return  

to dashboard and we can see that our streams and  recordings will be saved in the past area and you  

can see that I have my Instagram Live recorded  inside of streamyard I've got a couple of other  

ones as well where I did a test but you can view  this and then it's there ready for you to download  

and put on to your computer or you can click the  edit and repurpose option inside of streamyard  

which we'll cover in another video so I hope  you found this video useful it's a game Cher  

for those of you who like to live stream from your  desktop rather than your mobile phone to be able  

to live stream from streamyard into Instagram at  the same time as perhaps you're live streaming to  

your YouTube channel to your LinkedIn account  and to your Facebook account so why don't you  

give it a go and let me know in the comments  below this video how you got on and if you've  

had any problems live streaming from streamyard  to your Instagram account then feel free to ask a  

question below this video as well my name is Anita  Wong and I'm here to help you gain visibility from  

using video on Facebook and Instagram thanks for  watching and I will see you in the next video