Can I send my OBS stream to LiveInterpret.AI for live translation?

Yes. In the operator dashboard open Senders, RTMP stream, copy the server URL and create a stream key, then set OBS Settings, Stream to Custom with that server and key. The audio of the stream is translated; the video is ignored.

Which encoders work with LiveInterpret.AI RTMP ingest?

Any encoder that streams RTMP with AAC audio: OBS Studio, vMix, Blackmagic ATEM Mini Pro and Extreme, Larix Broadcaster on a phone, and hardware encoders. Use AAC at 96 kbps or more and a 1 second keyframe interval.

Does RTMP ingest cost extra?

No. Translation is billed per language per minute while listeners are connected, the same as with the Sender app. RTMP is available on every plan including the free trial.

Send your OBS, vMix, ATEM or Larix stream to live translation

A setup guide for church and event AV teams. Written against the product as it ships, checked 2026-10-15.

Short answer: in your operator dashboard, open Senders → RTMP stream, copy the server URL and create a stream key. Paste both into your encoder exactly like a YouTube or Facebook destination and start streaming. The audio of that stream is what gets translated; the picture is ignored. Nothing to install on the venue computer, and it costs the same as any other way of sending audio.

1. Get the server URL and a stream key

Operator dashboard → Senders → RTMP stream (OBS, vMix, ATEM…).
Copy the server URL. It looks like this: rtmp://ingest.liveinterpret.ai/live Your organization may see its own address instead; use the one your dashboard shows.
Click Create stream key, give it a name you will recognise (for example "Sanctuary OBS"), and copy the key.

The key is shown once. We keep only a fingerprint of it, so we cannot show it again. Your encoder remembers it; if you lose it, create a new key and remove the old one from the list. Anyone with the key can send audio into your event, so treat it like a password: revoking it in the Senders list disconnects that encoder within a couple of seconds.

2. Encoder settings that work

Setting	Use	Why
Audio codec	AAC	the RTMP standard; every encoder below does it
Audio bitrate	96 kbps or more, mono or stereo	speech clarity is what the translation hears
Audio source	the clean speech mix (pulpit / stage mics)	music and room noise make worse translation
Video	anything; small is fine (e.g. 320×180, 5 fps, 100 kbps)	the picture is discarded; most encoders insist on sending one
Keyframe interval	1 second	the stream comes up faster after you press Start

3. OBS Studio

Settings → Stream: Service Custom…, Server = the server URL, Stream Key = your key.
Settings → Output (Advanced mode): audio bitrate 96 or higher; on the Streaming tab set Keyframe Interval to 1 s.
If this OBS exists only to feed translation, shrink the video under Settings → Video (output 320×180, 5 FPS) to save upload.
Click Start Streaming. Within a few seconds the dashboard meter reads "RTMP stream connected — audio is flowing".

Already streaming this OBS to YouTube? OBS sends to one service at a time; a multiple-outputs plugin adds a second destination, or run the translation feed from a second encoder.

4. vMix

Stream settings → Destination Custom RTMP Server.
URL = the server URL, Stream Name or Key = your key.
Pick a quality preset with AAC audio at 96 kbps or more, then Start. vMix can stream to several destinations at once, so this can sit next to your YouTube destination.

5. ATEM Mini Pro / Extreme

ATEM Software Control lists streaming platforms; a custom server is added the way Blackmagic documents it — export the streaming settings file, add a server entry with the server URL above, import it back.
Choose that server, paste the stream key, and press On Air.
Use the ATEM's audio mixer to send the speech mics to the program output; that is the audio we translate.

6. Larix Broadcaster (phone)

Settings → Connections → New connection.
URL = the server URL, a slash, then your key: rtmp://ingest.liveinterpret.ai/live/your-stream-key
Audio only is fine. Plug the phone into the desk with an audio interface rather than using its built-in microphone.

7. Troubleshooting

The encoder says the connection failed or was refused. The key was mistyped, revoked, or belongs to another organization. Create a new key in the Senders panel and paste it again.
It cannot reach the server at all. Some guest or corporate networks block outgoing TCP port 1935, which RTMP uses. Try the same encoder on a phone hotspot; if that works, ask the network admin to allow outgoing 1935.
The encoder keeps disconnecting every few seconds. Another sender (the Sender app, the phone sender page or a second encoder) is connected to the same room. The newest connection always takes over and the other one is disconnected, so two sources fight. Run one at a time.
Connected, but the meter is flat. The stream carries no audio or the wrong audio track. In OBS check Settings → Output → Audio Track and that your mic or desk input is in that track.

What it costs

The same as any other way of sending audio. Translation is billed per language per minute while listeners are connected; how the audio reaches us does not change that. RTMP is available on every plan, including the free trial.

FAQ

Is the stream key secret?

Yes. It travels inside the RTMP connection, like a YouTube key does. If you think it leaked, revoke it in the Senders list and create a new one.

Can I keep the Sender app as a backup?

Keep it installed, but connected only when the encoder is off: whichever connects last takes the room, and the other is disconnected.

Do you record or store the video?

No. The picture is dropped as it arrives. The audio is translated live exactly as from the Sender app.

Author: Ondřej Plevka, builder of LiveInterpret.AI. Questions about your setup: reply to any of our e-mails.