What Is LinkedIn Live?
LinkedIn Live is LinkedIn’s live video feature, which lets eligible members and Pages broadcast to their profile, their Page or a LinkedIn Event using an outside streaming tool, after which the recording stays on the feed.
LinkedIn’s overview page says “You can’t stream directly from LinkedIn; you’ll need a streaming tool to broadcast LinkedIn Lives (Video).” When the broadcast ends, “it will remain on the feed of your LinkedIn profile or Page,” labelled as “Previously recorded live” (LinkedIn Help). For executives, that makes a live session two things at once: a real-time Q&A and a lasting video post.
The biggest recent change is scheduling. “As of June 22, 2026, the ability to go live spontaneously is no longer available,” LinkedIn says, so every broadcast starts as an event; you can still go live at short notice by scheduling an event a few minutes ahead (LinkedIn Help).
How to Go Live on LinkedIn at a Glance
| Step | Action | Expected result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Check the access criteria | Over 150 followers or connections, account at least 30 days old, good standing |
| 2 | Choose a streaming tool or encoder | A partner tool (Restream, Socialive, StreamYard, Switcher) or RTMP software |
| 3 | Create a test event (Pages) | A LinkedIn Live event visible only to Page admins |
| 4 | Schedule the real LinkedIn Live event | An event with LinkedIn Live as its format, organizer fixed |
| 5 | Connect the stream | Stream URL and key in your tool, or the event linked in the partner tool |
| 6 | Go live in the window | Broadcast started between 15 minutes early and two hours late |
| 7 | End the stream and reuse the recording | A “Previously recorded live” video on the feed |
Time: about an hour for a first setup and test, plus the broadcast. Tools: a LinkedIn profile or Page, a camera and microphone, a partner streaming tool or encoder software such as OBS. Cost: the LinkedIn help pages we read mention no LinkedIn fee; partner tools set their own prices, which we did not check. Skill level: beginner with a partner tool, intermediate with RTMP.
What You Need Before Starting
You need an account or Page that meets LinkedIn’s access criteria, a streaming tool, and a decision on who the organizer is, because it cannot be changed later.
- Audience size. “Members and Pages with more than 150 followers and/or connections are eligible to be evaluated for LinkedIn Live access” (LinkedIn Help). Being eligible to be evaluated is not the same as being approved.
- Good standing. “Only members, Pages, and their admins that have a good standing record will be considered for Live Video access,” judged against LinkedIn’s Professional Community Policies (LinkedIn Help).
- Account age and location. “The account or page must have been created at least 30 days ago,” and “LinkedIn Live is not available at this time for members and Pages based in mainland China” (LinkedIn Help).
- A Page, if the company is hosting. Our guide to setting up a LinkedIn company Page covers admins and first followers; verifying the Page also matters here, because verified Pages get a longer preparation window, as Step 5 explains.
- A prepared speaker. A live Q&A has no edit. Our guides to running a media training session and preparing an executive for an interview apply directly.
Step 1: Check Whether You Have LinkedIn Live Access
There is no application form: you find out whether you have access by starting to create an event, or by connecting a partner streaming tool. LinkedIn says that if you are eligible, LinkedIn Live appears as an option in the event’s format dropdown, and if the criteria are not met the option is missing. To check a Page you admin, change the organizer in the Organizer dropdown, which triggers a review for that Page. Creating an event through a third-party broadcast tool also tells you immediately whether the profile or Page has access (LinkedIn Help).
Check the person and the Page separately. An executive who qualifies personally may still need the company Page to qualify if the event is meant to sit under the brand.
Step 2: Choose a Streaming Tool or an RTMP Encoder
Pick a partner tool if you are new to live video, or a custom RTMP stream from encoder software if you already produce video. LinkedIn’s overview recommends a preferred partner for new broadcasters and names Restream, Socialive, StreamYard and Switcher Studio. Advanced users can connect encoders such as OBS or Elemental through the custom stream page in a desktop browser: “You can use the tool of your choice” (LinkedIn Help).
The two routes schedule differently. With a partner tool, LinkedIn says the scheduling option “is only available in these tools”: you log in to the tool and enter your broadcast details there (LinkedIn Help). With RTMP, you create the event on LinkedIn and then copy a stream URL and key into your encoder (LinkedIn Help).
The table below is our comparison of the two routes from the help pages we read.
| Question | Partner tool (Restream, Socialive, StreamYard, Switcher) | Custom stream (RTMP) |
|---|---|---|
| Where you schedule | In the partner tool | On LinkedIn, then Live Studio |
| What you paste | Nothing; the tool links the event | Stream URL and Stream Key |
| Who LinkedIn suggests it for | New broadcasters | Advanced users and producers |
| Go-live window | 15 minutes before to two hours after the start | 15 minutes before to two hours after the start |
Step 3: Run a Test Event First
If you broadcast from a Page, create a LinkedIn Live test event that only the Page’s admins can see, and run the whole stream end to end. LinkedIn says “Test live events are visible only to Page admins,” and only admins get notifications. You create one from the Page’s super or content admin view on desktop: Create, then Create an event, then tick the test event checkbox (LinkedIn Help).
Test events are only available for the LinkedIn Live format and carry a Test label. For RTMP, LinkedIn says to “set the start time of the test event no more than one hour before the time you want to set up the test stream.” You can delete a test event straight away, and no cancellation notice is sent (LinkedIn Help). Members broadcasting from a personal profile do not get this option in the help pages we read, so a short private rehearsal in your streaming tool is the nearest substitute.
Step 4: Schedule the LinkedIn Live Event
Create an online event, choose LinkedIn Live as the format, and fill in the organizer, name, time and description before posting. On desktop, LinkedIn’s steps are: select the Home icon, then Events, then “Create an Event”; complete the fields; select Next; write a short promotional post; choose who sees it; select Post. “The event isn’t created until you complete this step” (LinkedIn Help).
- Organizer: your profile or a Page.
- Event type and format: Online, then LinkedIn Live, which you select “to stream your video event on LinkedIn using a third-party tool.”
- Cover image: 480 by 270 or 1280 by 720 pixels, 16:9, uploaded from your device.
- Registration form: available for Pages only, and it requires a privacy policy link.
- Speakers: invited automatically, but their names show only if they are your connections.
After posting, “you can’t change the Organizer, Event type, or Event format” (LinkedIn Help). Get the organizer right first: a session scheduled on an executive’s profile cannot later move to the company Page.
Step 5: Connect Your Stream
For RTMP, open Live Studio’s Manage streams page, select “Prepare to go live,” pick a region, and paste the Stream URL and Stream Key into your encoder. LinkedIn says “Prepare to go live” becomes available one hour before the event, or two hours for verified Pages. In the Stream settings tab, choose the region closest to you, then click “Get URL” and copy the two values into your streaming software. If bandwidth runs short, try another nearby region (LinkedIn Help).
Set the encoder to LinkedIn’s published settings: “720p Recommended; 1080p Maximum,” “30 fps,” “3.5 Mbps Recommended; 6 Mbps Maximum,” a keyframe “Every 2 seconds (60 frames @ 30 fps),” H.264 video with “AAC audio” at “128 Kbps” and “48 KHz,” 16:9, over “RTMP/RTMPS” (LinkedIn Help).
Megabits per second (Mbps)
Source: LinkedIn Help, “LinkedIn Live Video encoder settings.” Read October 30, 2026.
LinkedIn gives audio as 128 Kbps; we converted it to Mbps for one unit. The upload figure is the speed LinkedIn says to confirm with a speed test, not a stream setting.
The chart shows how much headroom LinkedIn builds in: it asks you to confirm at least 10 Mbps of upload speed for a stream it recommends running at 3.5 Mbps.
With a partner tool, you skip the URL and key: the tool links the event and sends the stream itself (LinkedIn Help).
Step 6: Go Live Inside the Window
Start streaming no earlier than 15 minutes before and no later than two hours after the scheduled start, then select “Go live.” LinkedIn says “You can go live any time from 15 minutes before to two hours after your scheduled start time,” and if you do not, the post shows the stream as cancelled (LinkedIn Help). For RTMP, once your encoder is sending, a preview appears in Live Studio. If you are only testing, end the session in your broadcast tool and do not click Go live. When ready, click “Go live” in the upper-right corner, and “End Stream” when finished (LinkedIn Help).
For a moderated Q&A, assign someone other than the speaker to read and relay comments. Our recommendation, not a LinkedIn rule.
Step 7: Reuse the Recording
After the stream ends, the recording stays on the profile or Page feed as “Previously recorded live,” so treat it as content you can link to. LinkedIn’s overview says the stream “will remain on the feed of your LinkedIn profile or Page” (LinkedIn Help). Link it from the company newsroom and from a follow-up post. If the session was strong, the same material can feed a newsletter edition; our guide to creating a LinkedIn newsletter covers that route. If you also stream to YouTube, our guide to livestreaming a podcast on YouTube covers that side.
How to Verify It Worked
Check that the event shows as live while you broadcast, and that the recording appears on the feed afterwards.
- Before the event: the event page shows the LinkedIn Live format and the right organizer.
- During: open the event from a second account or device and confirm picture and sound, with the delay you expect.
- After: the video appears on the organizer’s feed labelled “Previously recorded live” (LinkedIn Help).
- If you used a test event, delete it so admins are not confused by two listings (LinkedIn Help).
Common Problems and Fixes
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| No LinkedIn Live option in the event format | Profile or Page does not meet the access criteria | Check followers, account age and standing; try the other organizer |
| “Go live now” option missing | Spontaneous live ended June 22, 2026 | Schedule an event a few minutes ahead |
| Stream marked cancelled | Not live within 15 minutes before to two hours after the start | Schedule a new event |
| “Prepare to go live” greyed out | More than one hour before start (two for verified Pages) | Wait for the window |
| Stream fails to process | Encoder video profile | Switch the profile to Baseline instead of High or Main |
| Wrong organizer on a posted event | Organizer cannot be changed after posting | Delete it and create a new event |
The Baseline fix and the 10 Mbps speed test are both on LinkedIn’s encoder settings page (LinkedIn Help).
What Not to Do
Do not promote the event before confirming access. Consequence: you announce a broadcast you cannot run. Correction: check the format dropdown or your partner tool first.
Do not schedule under the wrong organizer. Consequence: you cannot move it later. Correction: decide profile or Page before posting.
Do not skip the test. Consequence: audio or bitrate problems surface in front of the audience. Correction: run a Page test event, or a private rehearsal in your tool.
Do not run the stream above LinkedIn’s maximums. Consequence: dropped frames and a failed broadcast. Correction: 720p, 30 fps, 3.5 Mbps.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can go live on LinkedIn?
Members and Pages with more than 150 followers or connections, a good-standing record and an account at least 30 days old are eligible to be evaluated, according to LinkedIn Help. LinkedIn Live is not available in mainland China.
Can you still go live on LinkedIn without scheduling?
No. LinkedIn says that as of June 22, 2026, the ability to go live spontaneously is no longer available. You can schedule an event a few minutes ahead instead.
Can you stream to LinkedIn Live from a phone or browser alone?
No. LinkedIn says you can’t stream directly from LinkedIn and need a streaming tool, such as Restream, Socialive, StreamYard or Switcher, or RTMP encoder software.
What are LinkedIn Live’s recommended stream settings?
LinkedIn recommends 720p (1080p maximum), 30 fps, 3.5 Mbps video (6 Mbps maximum), a 2-second keyframe interval, and AAC audio at 128 Kbps and 48 kHz, over RTMP or RTMPS.
How early can you start a LinkedIn Live?
LinkedIn says you can go live from 15 minutes before to two hours after the scheduled start. If you do not go live in that window, the stream shows as cancelled.
Does a LinkedIn Live stay on your profile?
Yes. LinkedIn says a completed stream remains on the feed of the profile or Page, labelled as previously recorded live.
Sources and Methodology
This guide is built from seven LinkedIn Help pages: the LinkedIn Live overview, access criteria, creating an event, test events, going live with a custom RTMP stream, scheduling from a third-party tool, and encoder settings, all read on October 30, 2026. LinkedIn’s pages do not state a maximum broadcast length, so we do not give one. Partner tool pricing and features were not checked. The moderation, rehearsal and reuse advice is our recommendation, not LinkedIn policy.
- platform documentation LinkedIn Help, LinkedIn Live Overview. Streaming tool required; June 22, 2026 change; recording stays on feed; partner tools and RTMP. Read October 30, 2026.
- platform documentation LinkedIn Help, Create and host LinkedIn Live: Access criteria. 150 followers or connections, good standing, 30 days, mainland China; how review is triggered. Read October 30, 2026.
- platform documentation LinkedIn Help, Create a LinkedIn Event. Event creation steps, fields, cover image, organizer cannot be changed. Read October 30, 2026.
- platform documentation LinkedIn Help, Create a LinkedIn Live Test event from your LinkedIn Page. Admin-only test events and timing. Read October 30, 2026.
- platform documentation LinkedIn Help, Go live to your scheduled LinkedIn Live Event using a custom stream (RTMP). Prepare to go live window, region, Stream URL and Key, Go live, End Stream. Read October 30, 2026.
- platform documentation LinkedIn Help, Schedule your LinkedIn Live event from a third-party broadcast tool. Partner list; 15-minute to two-hour window. Read October 30, 2026.
- platform documentation LinkedIn Help, LinkedIn Live Video encoder settings. Resolution, frame rate, bitrates, keyframe, audio, protocol, 10 Mbps upload, Baseline fix. Read October 30, 2026.