Thinking about moving your stream to Kick but worried about losing the audience you already built? You're not alone. Kick's creator payouts keep pulling streamers in, yet most guides on how to stream on Kick stop at pasting a stream key. They skip the rules that can cut your Partner income in half.
That gap costs real money. Use the wrong encoder settings and your stream stutters. Multistream with the wrong toggle and your payout drops. Schedule the wrong kind of video and your verification is at risk.
This guide fixes all three. You'll connect Kick to OneStream Live without touching a stream key, use the exact settings Kick supports, and multistream in a way that protects your earnings. Let's get you live.
- To stream on Kick with OneStream Live, open Social Platforms, click Add Platform, choose Kick, then log in and authorize access. No stream key copying needed.
- Kick pays streamers 95% of subscription and KICKs revenue, but Partner income drops 50% while the multistreaming toggle is on for long form platforms like Twitch or YouTube.
- Kick accepts up to 1080p at 60 fps and 8,000 kbps, with CBR rate control and H.264 encoding only.
- Kick logged 2.04 billion hours watched in Q3 2026, a 6.4% share of tracked live streaming and up 30.7% in a single quarter.
- Unverified Kick channels keep replays for 7 days and verified channels for 30 days, so clip or download your VODs fast.
What Is Kick Streaming and Why Are Creators Moving There in 2026?
Kick streaming means broadcasting live on Kick.com, a platform launched in late 2022 that pays creators 95% of their subscription revenue. That pitch is working. Kick's watch time grew for a third straight quarter in 2026, while the overall live streaming market grew less than 1%.
Kick by the numbers
- 2.04 billion hours watched in Q3 2026, up 30.7% from the previous quarter, according to the Streams Charts Q3 2026 livestreaming report
- About 1.1 million average live viewers in September 2026, across roughly 347,000 active channels
- Third consecutive quarter of growth, taking Kick to a record share of tracked live watch time
What Should You Stream on Kick?
Kick rewards personality first. Most of its top performing content is IRL, Just Chatting, and call in shows rather than pure gameplay.
- Just Chatting and IRL: Kick's biggest draws. The new KICK Go Live app can stream your front and back cameras at the same time, which is built for creators on the move.
- Gaming: Competitive, casual, or speedruns. Add live commentary and chat challenges so viewers have a reason to stay. If you play across communities, stream your gameplay to multiple platforms at once.
- Creative and music: Art, DJ sets, and music production all have dedicated categories and loyal regulars.
- Talk shows and podcasts: Bring guests on screen, take viewer questions, and run the show like a live call in program.
- Slots and casino: Allowed only from sites that verify players are 18+. Label these streams 18+ and know that Kick's Partner Program doesn't pay for them.
How Much Does Kick Pay Streamers?
Kick pays streamers 95% of subscription revenue and 95% of KICKs tips, keeping 5% as a processing fee. On a flat $5 subscription, you take home $4.75. Verified creators in the KICK Partner Program can also earn per stream pay, though Kick doesn't publish the rate and cuts it 50% while you multistream to long form platforms.
The Ways Kick Pays You
Kick pays creators through four channels, and each one works a little differently.
1. Channel Subscriptions
Every Kick sub costs a flat $5 a month, and you keep 95% of it, or $4.75 per subscriber. At 100 subs, that’s $475 a month. At 1,000 subs, it’s $4,750. Twitch usually splits 50/50, or up to 70/30 through its Plus Program, and YouTube pays 70% on memberships. That puts Kick’s cut well ahead.
2. Tips (KICKs)
Viewers tip you mid-stream with KICKs, and you keep 95% of their value. Stripe pays you monthly, or weekly once you’re verified. A handful of regular tippers can add up quickly.
3. Kick Creator Incentive Program (KCIP)
Kick Partners earn per stream, based on how many real viewers engage. You need solid engagement and at least 25 active subs to join. Multistreaming to Twitch or YouTube halves that session’s payout. Even so, it’s income that doesn’t depend only on your sub count.
4. Sponsorships & Affiliate Deals
As your audience grows, brands will reach out. Kick’s own deals, an Everton FC sleeve sponsorship in 2023 and a UFC partnership in 2024, show that advertisers take the platform seriously. Your own deals will still depend on the audience you build.
Kick Verification and Partner Requirements
Each milestone on Kick unlocks a new way to earn. Here's what it takes to reach each one.
| Milestone | What you need | What it unlocks |
|---|---|---|
| Subscriptions | 5 total hours streamed (all time) | Sub button and the 95/5 revenue split |
| Verified | In the last 30 days: 15 hours streamed, 50 average concurrent viewers, 100 unique chatters, and 10 active subs. You also need a confirmed phone number and 2FA turned on. | Green check, weekly payouts, VODs kept for 30 days instead of 7, and the right to apply for Partner |
| KICK Partner | A verified channel with a completed profile. In the last 30 days: 75 average concurrent viewers, 30 hours streamed, 25 active subs, 250 unique chatters, and 3 VODs. You also need 250 followers. | Per-stream Partner pay |
Meeting the numbers makes you eligible to apply, not guaranteed a spot. Kick can refuse or remove Verified and Partner status for mirror streams, blank streams, or pre-recorded content passed off as live. Kick co-founder Ed Craven has also said the Partner Program doesn’t currently reward viewership from slots or casino streams. Check the Achievements tab in your Kick dashboard for the latest thresholds before you apply.
Kick vs Twitch vs YouTube: Which Should You Stream On?
Pick Kick for the best payout per supporter, Twitch for mature community tools, and YouTube for the biggest audience and long term discovery. Most growing creators don't pick one. They multistream and let the numbers decide.
Choose Kick If...
You want more money per supporter and a less crowded directory. If you're frustrated by a 50/50 split or buried in a saturated Twitch category, Kick gives you a fresh start. Being the go to streamer for a niche on Kick is far easier than on Twitch.
Choose Twitch If...
You want mature tools like channel points, extensions, and a deep clipping culture, plus a bigger built in audience for gaming. If you're working toward monetization there, read our guide on how to become a Twitch Affiliate.
Choose YouTube If...
You want the largest live audience and streams that keep earning views as searchable videos long after you go offline.
Or Stream to All Three at Once
You don't have to choose. Twitch's simulcasting guidelines allow you to go live elsewhere at the same time, as long as your Twitch stream quality matches or beats your other streams. With OneStream Live, you can multistream one broadcast to 45+ destinations, Kick included.
How to Stream on Kick with OneStream Live
Live streaming on Kick with OneStream Live is pretty easy:
1
Create your Kick account. Sign up free at Kick.com and fill in your About section and social links. Kick checks both when you apply for verification later.
2
Connect Kick to OneStream Live. Log in to OneStream Live and click Social Platforms in the left sidebar, then Add Platform. Scroll down, select Kick, log in with your Kick credentials, enter the verification code, and authorize access.
3
Set your title and category on Kick. In your Kick Creator Dashboard, click Edit Stream Info, add a title and category, and save. Kick warns that streams without them may not start correctly. Mark mature content as 18+.
4
Choose how you'll go live. Use Live Studio, an encoder like OBS, the mobile app, or prerecorded videos.
5
Select Kick and your other destinations, then go live. Choose Kick plus any other platforms you've connected and hit Go Live. Your stream appears on kick.com/yourname within seconds. If you're a Kick Partner sending the same stream to Twitch or YouTube, turn on Kick's multistreaming toggle right after you start.
6
Answer every chat in one window. Unified Chat pulls Kick, Twitch, YouTube, Facebook Page, and LinkedIn Page comments into one feed so you can reply without switching tabs.
7
End the stream and save your best moments. Stop the stream in OneStream Live. Kick saves the replay automatically for 7 days, or 30 days if you're verified, so grab highlights early.
Kick Stream Settings That Actually Work
Kick accepts up to 1080p at 60 fps and 8,000 kbps, and it only takes CBR with H.264 encoding. Set these in OBS (or your encoder) before you send the feed.
| Setting | Kick's limit or recommendation |
|---|---|
| Resolution | Up to 1920x1080 |
| Frame rate | Up to 60 fps |
| Video bitrate | 1,000 to 8,000 kbps |
| Rate control | CBR only (VBR isn't supported) |
| Encoder | x264, NVIDIA NVENC H.264, or AMD H.264 (no H.265) |
| Keyframe interval | 2 seconds |
| Audio | Stereo, 48 kHz maximum |
How to Stream on Kick with OBS Only
If you only want Kick, OBS on its own works fine.
1
Copy your Kick credentials. In the Kick Creator Dashboard, click Channel, then Stream URL and Key. Copy both.
2
Add them to OBS. Open Settings, then Stream. Set Service to Custom, paste the Server URL and Stream Key, and click Apply.
3
Apply Kick's output settings. Use the table above under Settings, then Output.
4
Go live. Set your title and category on Kick, then click Start Streaming in OBS.
Want Kick, Twitch, and YouTube from the same OBS setup? Point OBS at OneStream Live instead. Your connection uploads one stream, and the cloud handles the rest.
Can You Stream on Kick from Your Phone?
Yes, and it got much easier in 2026. Kick launched its KICK Go Live app on April 27, 2026, letting you stream to Kick straight from your phone, even with your front and back cameras at once.
If you want Kick plus other platforms from one phone, use the OneStream Live mobile app. Tap Live Broadcast, add your title, select Kick and your other destinations, and go live. You can also schedule streams from your phone up to 60 days ahead.
Kick Multistreaming Rules: How to Multistream Without Losing Money
Yes, you can multistream on Kick. But if you're in the KICK Partner Program and stream to another long form platform like Twitch or YouTube, Kick requires you to switch on its multistreaming toggle, and your Partner payout drops 50% for that session.
That single rule decides your whole multistreaming strategy, so here's exactly how it works:
What the 50% Rule Covers (and What It Doesn't)
Three details decide whether the cut applies to you.
- It's a Partner Program rule. The cut applies to your Partner payout, and only for the duration of the multistreaming session.
- Long form platforms trigger it. Kick names Twitch and YouTube as examples. Kick's partnerships team has said vertical destinations like TikTok, Instagram, X, and YouTube Shorts keep the full Partner rate.
- Not a Partner yet? Multistream to grow. Just remember that Partner eligibility only counts your Kick viewers, chatters, and subs. Reach elsewhere helps, but you still need a real Kick community.
How to Turn On Kick's Multistreaming Toggle
It takes a few seconds once you're live.
1
Start your stream first. Kick asks you to enable the toggle after you go live.
2
Flip the toggle. In your Creator Dashboard, find Multistreaming right under the Partner Income toggle and switch it on.
3
Or use chat. Type /multi on to enable it and /multi off to go back to Kick exclusive.
Conclusion
Learning how to stream on Kick in 2026 comes down to three moves. Connect Kick to OneStream Live once, so you never paste a stream key again. Lock in Kick's settings: 1080p, 60 fps, CBR, H.264, and no more than 8,000 kbps. Then pick a multistreaming setup that fits your status, because the 50% Partner rule changes the math.
Kick's watch time is climbing fast, and creators who show up early in a niche have the best shot at owning it. Start with one Kick stream this week. Add your other platforms once your setup feels smooth, and keep every chat in one window while your audience grows.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I start streaming on Kick?
Here's how to stream on Kick for the first time. Create a free account at Kick.com, then connect it to OneStream Live under Social Platforms by choosing Kick and authorizing access. Set your stream title and category in Kick's Creator Dashboard, then go live from Live Studio, OBS, or the mobile app.
Who owns Kick streaming?
Kick is operated by Kick Streaming Pty Ltd, based in Melbourne, Australia. It's backed by Bijan Tehrani and Ed Craven, who cofounded the crypto casino Stake. That backing is widely credited with funding Kick's 95/5 subscription split, which pays creators far more per subscriber than Twitch's standard 50/50 split.
Can you multistream on Kick and Twitch at the same time?
Yes. Twitch has allowed simulcasting since October 2023, as long as your Twitch stream quality matches your other streams. On Kick, Partners streaming to Twitch or YouTube must switch on the multistreaming toggle, which cuts their Partner payout by 50% for that session. OneStream Live sends one stream to both.
What are the best Kick stream settings?
Kick supports up to 1920x1080 at 60 fps with a bitrate between 1,000 and 8,000 kbps. Use CBR rate control, H.264 encoding, a 2 second keyframe interval, and stereo audio at 48 kHz. A solid starting point is 1080p60 at about 6,000 kbps, lowered if your stream stutters.
Can you stream on Kick from your phone?
Yes. Kick's KICK Go Live app, launched in April 2026, lets you stream to Kick from your phone using your front and back cameras at once. To reach Kick and other platforms together from your phone, connect Kick to OneStream Live and go live from the OneStream Live mobile app.
OneStream Live is a cloud-based live streaming solution to create, schedule, and multistream professional-looking live streams across 45+ social media platforms and the web simultaneously. For content-related queries and feedback, write to us at [email protected]. You’re also welcome to Write for Us!
