Substack’s built-in live video is a great starting point, but pairing it with StreamYard opens up a lot more: streaming to multiple platforms at once, bringing on co-hosts without any extra setup on their end, and generating a polished thumbnail with AI before you ever go on air. Here’s exactly how to set it up.
Here’s a breakdown of exactly how it works.
Step 1: Start in Substack, But Skip the Built-In Stream
Substack lets you go live directly from your dashboard under Create > Live. You can broadcast right from your browser with no other tools involved. But if you want more control (multiple destinations, custom production, AI thumbnails), you’ll want to choose “Go Live with Stream Key” instead. This unlocks the RTMP credentials that let outside software, like StreamYard, push video into your Substack feed.
Step 2: Set the Details and Add a Co-Host
From there, it’s a simple setup: give your broadcast a title, choose who can see it (everyone, free subscribers, paid subscribers, or founding members), and pick a time, or go live immediately.
The standout feature here is co-hosting. Add a guest by name, generate the stream key, and invite them. Once they accept, something seamless happens: when the broadcast goes live, it pushes out simultaneously to both your Substack channel and your co-host’s, without them lifting a finger beyond accepting the invite.
Step 3: Connect Substack to StreamYard
Now hop over to StreamYard:
Go to Destinations and add a new one.
Select RTMP for Other Platforms.
Copy the Server URL from Substack (this stays the same every time) and paste it in.
Copy the unique Stream Key from Substack and paste it in as well.
Give the destination a clear nickname, something like “Substack Test for Live.”
Pro tip: naming your destinations clearly means you can simply swap in a new stream key for future broadcasts instead of rebuilding the connection from scratch every time.
Step 4: Build Out Your Broadcast in StreamYard
With the destination saved, head to Livestream in StreamYard, where your new Substack connection is ready to use. From here you can:
Add a broadcast title
Stack on additional destinations (YouTube, for example) so you’re streaming everywhere at once
Schedule the broadcast for a specific time
Generate a custom AI thumbnail in seconds, with options to toggle your logo and add text like the date and time
Set visibility to public, private, or unlisted
Step 5: Invite Guests and Go Live
Once your stream is created, invite any guests to join you backstage in StreamYard. When you finally hit go live, that single action triggers Substack to broadcast on every connected channel: yours, your co-host’s, and any additional destination, all at once.
Why This Combo Works
The real advantage isn’t just multistreaming. It’s that your guests don’t need to learn a new platform or manage their own setup. They accept one invite, and the rest happens automatically. For creators looking to expand their reach without adding complexity, Substack + StreamYard is a low-effort way to turn a single live video into a multi-channel event.
Another bonus, since you went live on Substack, the video is saved on your publication and you can quickly repurpose the content across your social media platforms.
Let me know if there are other questions you have on this process.
