How to Use the Generic RTMP Destination Type with Any YouTube Event

While the Solo portal includes One-Touch integration with YouTube, this integration has a few limitations:

1. YouTube requires you to have 1,000 subscribers to your channel in order to use his method.
2. It can be slower to rapidly switch between pre-existing events, particularly if those events already use the same YouTube stream key
3. If you log into multiple YouTube accounts for any reason, it can also be slower to have to log out and log back in to see the list of events you want
4. YouTube has removed Stream Now

Basically, the YouTube One-Touch integration is well suited for creating scheduled events and then streaming to those events, one at a time.  

If you need another workflow for any of the reasons above, here is an alternative way to stream to any YouTube event with none of the restrictions above.

Start In the YouTube User Interface

In this method, you will create the event in the YouTube User Interface, now called Live Control Center.    One way to access that interface is via the add video button in the normal YouTube view, and selecting  Go Live:

Another way is from Studio, to select the Manage section and press Schedule Stream:

Both will take you to the screens involved in setting up a new live stream.  

Once you fill in the basic data, and then find the stream you just scheduled, you will get to the Live Control Panel for that stream:

Here is where you can select to use a reusable stream key, an important step that can make this setup simpler.  A reusable stream key means the same stream key for more then one YouTube event.  This would let you not change the destination set on your solo - in the solo portal or on the unit.  And would let you start the stream from just the unit, instead of needing to use the portal first.  Other options include a one-time stream key, which will mean you have to make a new Solo Portal destination (per step 2 below) each time.

Once you are here and have decided on the type of Stream Key to use, you are ready for step 2.

In Solo Portal, Create a Generic RTMP Destination

With the YouTube control panel still open, go back to Solo Portal and select a new destination, choosing Generic RTMP:

In this destination type, you copy and paste the ingress url, and stream key. These are provided back in the YouTube Control Panel:

Use the copy buttons to copy the Stream URL to Primary Ingress URL field, the Stream Key to the Stream Name or Stream Key field, and the Backup server URL to the Secondary Ingress URL field in Solo Portal.  

You can name the destination on Solo anything you want, then click Submit.  

This will set your solo to use this destination immediately. You can also switch between Generic destinations in a single click, by selecting New Destination from the dashboard then scrolling all the way down to the saved destination section, and selecting the previously saved destination. This one-click change is one reason this method can be faster for setups where you need to stream to different YouTube accounts frequently.

Start Streaming

That is all for the setup - once you are ready, start streaming and monitor the stream from the YouTube Live Control Panel controls.  Note, you will need to use the YouTube Live Control Panel controls to move your stream from the preview state to the Live state using this technique, as the LiveU portal will have no connection to the YouTube event. Using this method will also mean that view statistics for that YouTube stream won't show in the Analytics section of Solo portal.