Simulive, or simulated live, means playing a pre-recorded video as if it were live, at a scheduled time, often for webinars. A scheduled pre-recorded stream on Upstream works the same way and can air on several platforms at once.

The free plan includes 24 hours of streaming every month with up to 10 destinations, and you don’t need a credit card. That covers a weekly one-hour show with room to spare.

Scheduled streams

Stream a Pre-Recorded Video Live on Any Platform

Upload a video you recorded, pick a date and the platforms, and it goes live at that time from Upstream’s servers. Use it for launches, webinars, premieres and shows that air while you’re busy.

Start Streaming Free 24 hours each month on the free plan. No credit card.

Starts on time by itself

Set the date once, or repeat it every day or week. Your computer can be off.

Every platform at once

YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, Kick, TikTok or any RTMP server, up to 10 from one stream.

A real live stream

Viewers watch it live and chat in real time on each platform, and you can join the chat while it plays.

How it works

Set the time once, then close the tab

Pick a start time and the platforms, and save. At that moment Upstream starts the stream on its servers, whether your computer is on or not.

studio.upstream.so

Product launch

Stopped 0 / 4 More actions18.2 / 100GB Preview ⌘ P Save ⌘ S

Background Audio Stream designer Live Studio BETA Activity graphs Stream settings Save preset Load preset

Manage background Loop duration: 00:42:40

1 Countdown intro 0:30

2 Product launch 42:10

General settings

Playback mode

Loop continuouslyPlay once and end

Stream loops your playlists 24/7 until you stop it manually or a schedule ends.

Schedule livestream

Schedule type No schedule - manual controlYou start and stop the stream manually from the dashboard.

Multistreams in schedule

Controls the behaviour of additional destinations which will start with this schedule.

Upstream pageFacebook upstreamTwitch upstreamKick

One-time scheduledStarts: Fri, Oct 2, 20:00

Tab closed, computer off Fri, Oct 2 · 19:59

VIDEO Countdown intro Unknown Artist

Now playing

AUDIO Stream audio Unknown Artist

1 Play it once, then end 2 Set a one-time start 3 Pick the platforms 4 Save. It goes live on time

1 Play it once, then end
2 Set a one-time start
3 Pick the platforms
4 Save. It goes live on time

Trusted by teams in broadcast and entertainment

Pick the time, once or on repeat

Schedule a one-off premiere or a weekly slot. On YouTube it shows as Upcoming on your channel, so viewers can set a reminder.

Schedule livestream StoppedScheduledStarting in 3sStarting in 2sStarting in 1sStreaming

Schedule type One-time schedule Recurring schedule Stream starts and stops automatically at the times you set. Choose the next start and end occurrence; future occurrences repeat from that window.

Start date and time Thu, Sep 24, 08:00 PM End date and time Thu, Sep 24, 11:00 PM

Frequency DailyNext start date and time Select date and time Thu, Sep 24, 08:00 PM September 2026 Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Set time of day

Title, thumbnail and privacy set ahead

For YouTube, Upstream creates the live event with your title, description and thumbnail, then starts it when the stream goes live.

4 ways to stream

One cloud workflow for every way you stream.

Multistreaming is strongest when distribution is connected to the rest of production. Upstream also supports 24/7 live streaming, pre-recorded live streams, and Live Studio broadcasts from the same account.

Pre-recorded live streams appears first here because this page is about sending one live feed to every destination that matters.

Start Streaming Free

Pre-recorded live streaming

Schedule finished videos as live events.

Turn recordings into scheduled live streams, premieres, loops, and recurring broadcasts from the same cloud workflow.

Explore pre-recorded streaming

24/7 live streaming

Run a 24/7 live stream from your videos.

Upload once, build a playlist, and let Upstream run continuous live playout without OBS, a VPS, or an always-on computer.

Explore 24/7 streaming

Multistreaming

Send one feed to every platform that matters.

Go live to YouTube, Twitch, Kick, Facebook, Rumble, and custom RTMP without making your upload connection carry every copy.

Explore multistreaming

Live Studio

Produce browser-based live shows with guests.

Invite speakers, share screens, manage scenes, and add branded overlays for podcasts, webinars, interviews, and launches.

Explore Live Studio

Vertical for TikTok and Instagram

Set the output to 1080p vertical and the video fills the phone screen, so a pre-recorded TikTok live looks made for it.

Webinar and event platforms too

Paste the RTMP URL and stream key from any platform that takes a stream, like a webinar tool or the player on your own site.

Which platform are you streaming to?Select the platform where your stream will be broadcastConfigure your streamSet up the basics for your Custom RTMP stream

YouTube Twitch Facebook Instagram Mixcloud Rumble Kick Other Custom RTMP SRT Custom SRT

Stream name (required) Your stream name Lofi Beats Radio RTMP url rtmp://live.example.com/app/ Pasted Stream key Pasted Save this destination for reuse It will appear in Destinations and can be selected in future regular or multistream setups.

Scheduled streams

Schedule a pre-recorded video to go live

Upload the video, pick a date and the platforms, and Upstream streams it live at that time from its own servers. Your computer can be off.

Compare

A YouTube Premiere, going live from OBS, or a scheduled stream on Upstream

Each one gets a recorded video in front of viewers at a set time. They differ in where it can air and what has to stay switched on.

Pre-recorded

Where the three differ

Capability	YouTube Premiere Uploaded video	OBS on your computer Played as live	Best fit Upstream Scheduled live stream
Airs as a live stream	Shown as a Premiere	Yes	Yes
Platforms	YouTube only	One per output, more with plugins	Up to 10 at once
Starts at the set time on its own	Yes	You press start	Yes
Computer has to stay on	No	Yes, for the whole stream	No
Repeat daily or weekly	No	By hand	Yes
Add overlays or a playlist after it	No	Yes, in your scenes	Yes, in the browser

Airs as a live stream

YouTube Premiere Uploaded video: Shown as a Premiere
OBS on your computer Played as live: Yes
Upstream Scheduled live stream: Yes

Platforms

YouTube Premiere Uploaded video: YouTube only
OBS on your computer Played as live: One per output, more with plugins
Upstream Scheduled live stream: Up to 10 at once

Starts at the set time on its own

YouTube Premiere Uploaded video: Yes
OBS on your computer Played as live: You press start
Upstream Scheduled live stream: Yes

Computer has to stay on

YouTube Premiere Uploaded video: No
OBS on your computer Played as live: Yes, for the whole stream
Upstream Scheduled live stream: No

Repeat daily or weekly

YouTube Premiere Uploaded video: No
OBS on your computer Played as live: By hand
Upstream Scheduled live stream: Yes

Add overlays or a playlist after it

YouTube Premiere Uploaded video: No
OBS on your computer Played as live: Yes, in your scenes
Upstream Scheduled live stream: Yes, in the browser

Schedule your first pre-recorded stream free The free plan includes 24 hours of streaming every month. No credit card. No credit card

Use cases

What people stream pre-recorded

Product launches

Record the launch video when it suits the team, then air it at the same moment on every channel.

Webinars and courses

Run a recorded session as a live event and answer questions in the chat while it plays.

Services and events

Air a recorded service or show at its usual time each week, even when nobody is at the desk.

Other time zones

Schedule a replay for the hours your audience in another region is awake.

Podcast premieres

Air the edited episode as a live premiere and talk to listeners in the chat while it plays.

Concerts and sessions

A recorded set goes out as a live concert, on every platform at the same moment.

Reviews

What Upstream customers say on Trustpilot

Excerpts from Trustpilot reviews by people who stream with Upstream.

4.6 · 206 reviews on Trustpilot

Trustpilot 4.6 out of 5 Based on 206 public reviews on Trustpilot. Source linked for verification.

Davone

Super helpful staff if you have any questions. No issues with the platform so far. All minor issues were resolved within the same hour. Their customer service is top notch

Atif

Great Experience. Far better than other streaming services like Go Stream, Live Karo etc. because Upstream provide better bitrate for high quality live streaming for YouTube with pretty budget friendl...

Anthony

I'm a new customer to upstream, but have been using vps for the past year. I've had numerous problems with my previous provider and decided to change. My first day contacting support I met Sebastian...

Pricing · per concurrent stream

One free stream. Paid gets cheaper as you scale.

Start with 1 paid stream at $30/mo, scale to 1000+, and pay less as you add streams: 2 streams are $50/mo, 3 streams are $70/mo, then 4+ streams are $20/stream/mo or $16/stream/mo when billed yearly.

Free plan No credit card

1 stream only

$0 / forever

1 concurrent stream · 24 hr/month

1080p at 30 FPS

Your price Unlimited streaming

1 stream

$30 / month

$30/stream/mo · 4+ volume rate is $20

$30 start $20 volume rate

Simple pricing while you scale

Every stream includes No add-ons, no upsells. Same on the free plan.

Cloud playout

No bandwidth limits

Scheduled streams Pre-recorded live

Stream recordings

Multistream x10 Stream Designer + overlays Live Studio Playback controls Separate playlists Stings, jingles + ad inserts Team access Live Streaming API MCP for AI assistants YouTube verified encoder

No watermark

Instant cloud availability*

^* Free-plan capacity may be limited during unusual demand.

FAQ

Pre-recorded live streaming questions

01 Can you live stream a pre-recorded video?

02 How do I schedule a pre-recorded live stream?

03 Can I stream a pre-recorded video to several platforms at once?

04 What is the difference between a YouTube Premiere and a pre-recorded live stream?

05 Is it allowed to stream pre-recorded video on Twitch?

06 Can I stream a pre-recorded video to TikTok?

07 What is simulive?

08 Can I keep the stream going after the video ends?

09 Is it free?

Other ways to stream with Upstream

Run a 24/7 live stream, send a live show to every platform, or host it yourself with guests.

24/7 streaming Run a channel that stays live Loop a playlist of videos as one stream with no set end, on any platform. See 24/7 streaming Multistreaming Stream to up to 10 platforms at once One stream goes out to every platform together, with the copies made in the cloud. See multistreaming Live Studio Host it live with guests Go live from your browser with cameras, screen share and overlays. See Live Studio

Guides and comparisons

Schedule a pre-recorded stream

Upload the video, pick the time and the platforms, and close your laptop. The free plan includes 24 hours of streaming every month.

No credit card 1 stream included 24 hours/month Full functionality

Start Streaming Free See pricing

Guides