YouTube Live Setup Guide

A complete walkthrough for connecting ScoreCam to YouTube, from enabling live streaming on your account to sharing your broadcast link with viewers.

Overview

YouTube requires live streaming to be enabled on your Google account before you can broadcast. This is a one-time step that can take up to 24 hours. Once enabled, ScoreCam offers two connection methods:

  • Stream Key (labeled YouTube Live - Stream Now in the account editor): Manual copy/paste of your stream key from YouTube Studio. Works immediately after enabling live streaming. You set the broadcast title, visibility, and description directly in YouTube Studio before going live.
  • YouTube Live - Authentication (shown as YouTube API in the setup wizard): OAuth sign-in with Google. ScoreCam automatically creates the live broadcast when you tap Go Live. No copy/paste required. Broadcast visibility, description, and stream latency are configurable directly in ScoreCam.

Both modes produce the same result for your viewers: a live stream on your YouTube channel with the ScoreCam scoreboard visible in real time.

Step 0: Enable Live Streaming on YouTube

Before you can broadcast on YouTube for the first time, you must enable live streaming on your Google account. This only needs to be done once.

1

Go to YouTube Features

In a browser, go to youtube.com/features while signed in to your Google account.

2

Enable Live Streaming

Under the "Live streaming" section, click Enable. If you do not see this option, your account may already have it enabled.

3

Verify Your Phone Number

YouTube requires your phone number to be verified before enabling live streaming. If prompted, complete the phone verification step.

4

Wait for Activation

Activation usually takes less than an hour for established accounts, but YouTube states it can take up to 24 hours. You will receive a confirmation in YouTube Studio when it is ready.

This only needs to be done once. Once live streaming is enabled on your account, it stays enabled, so you do not need to repeat this step before each game.

Stream Key Setup

This covers the Stream Key method (labeled "YouTube Live - Stream Now" in the account editor): copy/paste a key from YouTube Studio. For automatic broadcast creation with no copy/paste, see the YouTube Live - Authentication option below.
1

Open YouTube Studio

Go to studio.youtube.com in a web browser and sign in. This works in Safari on your iPhone or iPad as well as on a computer. Use the browser, not the YouTube or YouTube Studio app, because the apps do not show your stream key.

2

Go Live

In the top right corner, click Create, then Go Live. If this is your first broadcast, YouTube may first ask whether you want to stream Now or Later, and then how you want to stream. Choose Streaming software, not "webcam".

3

Select Stream

On the left side panel, click Stream (not "Webcam" or "Manage"). This is the page that holds your stream key.

4

Get Your Stream Key

Above "Connect your encoder to go live," click Key to select an existing stream key or create a new one.

5

Copy the Stream Key

Click Copy next to the Key and Reset icons. Paste it into ScoreCam. If you copied it on a different device, first save it somewhere private that you can get to on the device running ScoreCam. The server URL (rtmp://a.rtmp.youtube.com/live2/) is already pre-filled in ScoreCam.

Things to Know

  • Live streaming must be enabled on your YouTube account before your first broadcast. Activation can take up to 24 hours after requesting it (see Step 0 above).
  • To view or change your Stream settings, scroll down on the same YouTube Studio page. Set your stream title, description, and privacy there before going live (click Edit to update them). These are not set automatically in the Stream Key method.
  • A stream key is reusable: the same key works for every broadcast until you reset it. Keep it private, because anyone who has it can stream to your channel.
  • You can also attach your stream key to a scheduled YouTube event, so the watch link and details you set up in advance are the ones your viewers get.
  • To share your live stream's video link, click Share in the top right corner of the page, next to your profile picture.
  • The YouTube Live - Authentication option handles the title, description, and visibility automatically and is generally the easier option if you stream regularly.

YouTube Live - Authentication (OAuth)

When you choose the YouTube Live - Authentication option in the account editor (shown as YouTube API in the ScoreCam setup wizard), ScoreCam signs in with your Google account and creates the live broadcast automatically when you tap Go Live. No YouTube Studio access is required.

The wizard's Broadcast Options screen includes additional YouTube-specific settings. These are applied automatically when ScoreCam creates the live event at go-live time.

Visibility
Controls who can see the live broadcast on YouTube.
PrivateOnly you (and users you explicitly invite) can see the stream
UnlistedAnyone with the direct link can watch, but it does not appear in search or your channel feed (good for team-only streams)
PublicVisible to everyone, appears in search and your channel
Default: Unlisted
Description
An optional text description attached to the YouTube Live event. Shown on the video's watch page below the player. Use it for team name, league, date, or any info viewers should see.
Default: Empty
Stream Latency
Controls the delay between what is happening at the venue and what viewers see on YouTube.
NormalHighest quality, full DVR rewind support. Viewer delay is typically 20-30 seconds.
LowGood balance for sports: reduced viewer delay (~10-15 s) with DVR support still available. Recommended for most games.
Ultra-LowShortest possible delay (~2-5 s). DVR rewind is disabled. Best when viewer interaction (play-by-play chat, goals) needs to feel immediate.
Default: Low
Category
ScoreCam automatically tags every YouTube Live - Authentication broadcast with the Sports category. This helps YouTube recommend the stream to sports viewers and does not require any configuration.
Broadcast title: The default title is set per account inside the account editor, in the YouTube Broadcast Settings section, as Default Event Title. An Append Date to Title toggle sits next to it if you want the current date added automatically. You can also override the title each time in the Event Title field on the pre-stream sheet.
Adding an account: Go to App Settings → Live Streaming → Accounts and tap Setup New Account... to open the setup wizard.
Editing after setup: Visibility, Description, Stream Latency, and the default title can be changed at any time, not just during the wizard. Go to App Settings → Live Streaming → Accounts, then tap the edit (pencil) icon on your account row (tapping the row just selects it). In the editor, scroll to the YouTube Broadcast Settings section.

Connecting to a Scheduled YouTube Event

If you pre-schedule a broadcast in YouTube Studio, ScoreCam can connect directly to that existing event instead of creating a new one. This keeps your viewer link, title, description, and scheduled time exactly as you set them up in Studio.

How to use it

  1. Tap Go Live in ScoreCam to open the YouTube pre-stream sheet.
  2. At the top, switch to the Scheduled tab. ScoreCam fetches your channel's upcoming events.
  3. Tap the event you want to stream to. A checkmark appears on the selected row.
  4. Tap Connect to Event. ScoreCam links to that broadcast and retrieves the RTMP stream credentials.
  5. Tap Start Streaming to go live.
Stream binding: If the scheduled event already has a stream bound (created when you set it up in YouTube Studio), ScoreCam reuses that stream's RTMP URL and key. If no stream is bound yet, ScoreCam creates one automatically and links it to the broadcast.
Your scheduled event is never deleted. Tapping Cancel after selecting a scheduled event leaves the broadcast intact on YouTube. ScoreCam only deletes a broadcast on cancel if it created a brand-new one in the Create New tab.

Finding and Sharing Your Stream Link

With YouTube Live - Authentication

ScoreCam creates the broadcast automatically when you tap Go Live. The broadcast link is available in a couple of places:

  • In the YouTube app: tap your profile picture → Your channel → Live tab. The active broadcast is listed there with a share button.
  • In YouTube Studio (studio.youtube.com): go to Live Control Room → find the active stream → tap the share icon to copy the watch URL.

With the Stream Key Method

Set up the stream in YouTube Studio first, then click Share in the top right corner of the Stream page (next to your profile picture) to copy the watch link. You can set the title, description, and privacy on that same page before ScoreCam starts sending video.

Using Your Channel URL

Your YouTube channel URL (e.g., youtube.com/@yourchannel) always works as a viewer link. When you are live, viewers who visit your channel will see the live stream at the top automatically.

Share the link in advance. YouTube notifies subscribers when you go live. For Public broadcasts, viewers can also set a reminder if you schedule the stream in advance in YouTube Studio.