Is my YouTube channel ready to live stream? (check this first)

Live Studio sends your celebration to YOUR OWN YouTube channel, so that channel has to be switched on for live streaming before the day. The first time you turn it on, YouTube takes about 24 hours to activate it. Nobody can speed that up — not us, not YouTube support — so do this now, even if your celebration is a year away. It costs nothing and it never expires.

HOW TO CHECK, in under a minute:

1. Sign in to YouTube on the account whose channel you want to stream on. If you have more than one channel, make sure you are on the right one — check the profile picture in the top corner.

2. Go to https://www.youtube.com/features

3. Find "Live streaming" in the list. If it says ENABLED, you are ready and there is nothing more to do.

IF IT IS NOT ENABLED YET:

1. On that same page, click to enable it. YouTube will ask you to verify your channel with a phone number — you get a code by text or voice call and type it in. This is free.

2. After verifying, live streaming usually switches on within about 24 hours. Check the same page again the next day.

3. You also need to have had no live-streaming restrictions on the channel in the last 90 days, and to be at least 16 years old.

ABOUT THE "50 SUBSCRIBERS" RULE YOU MAY HAVE READ ABOUT: it is real, but it only applies to going live from the YouTube phone app. Live Studio streams from a computer, which has no subscriber requirement at all. A brand-new channel with zero subscribers can stream your celebration.