Live streaming to Instagram with Ecamm is now possible thanks to Instagram Live Producer, a new feature that Instagram is slowly rolling out to all users (as of December 2022).
Instagram Live Producer allows users to go live on their Instagram accounts using a streaming app like Ecamm Live. With Ecamm, you'll be able to do this with a stream key.
Being able to go live on Instagram with Ecamm means that you can produce high quality video content with multiple cameras, external microphones, graphics... the works.
Check if You Have Access
In order to use Instagram Live Producer, you'll need to check if your account has access to this feature.
On a desktop browser, go to instagram.com, head to your profile, and then go to "create." If you see "live video", congratulations! You now have the ability to stream to Instagram using Ecamm.
Set Up Your Instagram Live Stream
When you click on "live video" in Instagram, you'll be prompted to choose an audience. You can stream to "public" (everyone) or "practice" (just you and whoever you share it with). When you've made your audience choice, click next.
This brings you to a preview window that has your stream URL and your stream key, which are the literal keys to making this whole thing work.
Once you have your stream URL and stream key from Instagram, open up Ecamm Live, go to preferences, destinations, add destinations, then select Instagram Live:
Give your stream a nickname (anything you want) and then copy and paste the stream key from Instagram Live Producer into Ecamm.
It's important to know that every time you use Instagram Live Producer, it's going to give you a new stream key, so you'll have to update that in Ecamm each time you go live.
But that's super easy to do. Press the pencil to edit, and then you can add in that new stream key. And when you're ready, press go live.
Streaming & Multi Streaming
If you want to multi stream (available in Ecamm Beta for Pro members), you can now add Instagram Live as one of your destinations in Ecamm. And once you press go live in Ecamm, it will send a preview over to Instagram Live Producer.
If you're multi streaming, the stream will just go straight out to everyone you chose EXCEPT for Instagram Live. Once you've hit go live in Ecamm, you'll need to do the added step of going back to Instagram Live Producer to hit go live there as well.
But wait. Before you go live, there's one thing you need to do. Go to your Instagram app in your phone and make sure your archive is active for livestream on your profile page.
Head to the three lines in the corner, go to archive. And here, use the dropdown menu to go to live archive, just to make sure it is active. All of your live streams will stay in here for 30 days.
Remember that Ecamm is also recording all of your live streams.
Important Information
Because you're streaming with a stream key, you won't see your viewer count or comments from Instagram in Ecamm Live. However, you can see this information in Instagram Live Producer. And you can even pin comments and share your stream with someone else.
You also won't have access to badges, filters, or adding guests the way you would if you were live streaming through the Instagram app. You can absolutely bring guests in through Ecamm, but you won't have Instagram's co-streaming feature.
Scheduling is not possible on Instagram Live at this time.
Tech Specs
As of December 2022, Instagram is recommending a 9x16 aspect ratio and you'll want to be streaming at 720p at 30 frames per second with a resolution of 720x1280. Landscape mode does work, but you'll only see the 9x16 with black frames on either side.
We recommend that you stream in vertical 9x16, which is very easy to set up in Ecamm by changing your stream aspect. You can even rotate your camera to shoot in vertical.