How to Use Co-Host, Battles and Multi-guest in TikTok LIVE Studio (PC & Mac)

What are co-host and Multi-guest on TikTok LIVE?

TikTok LIVE Studio lets you bring other people into your stream in two different ways:

• Co-host

  • Streamer-to-streamer interaction

  • Up to 4 people on screen

  • Includes Live matches (also called battles)

• Multi-guest

  • Streamer-to-viewer interaction

  • You are the host with up to 8 guests from your chat

  • No Live matches, but it does include a “Live show” feature

Both features work inside TikTok LIVE Studio on PC and Mac, and you can still show almost anything from your computer while you use them: your camera, gameplay, browser, TikFinity alerts and more.

If you haven’t set up TikTok LIVE Studio yet, or you need to unlock access, start here:

TikTok LIVE Studio beginner guide ►► https://youtu.be/IinmBG4MtSg

Before you start: basic LIVE Studio setup

This guide assumes you already have TikTok LIVE Studio installed and can go live normally. If not, watch the beginner guide above first.

1. Add your camera

1. In TikTok LIVE Studio, make sure the Scene layout view is selected under Sources.

2. Click the plus (+) button under Sources.

3. Choose the Camera source type.

4. Select either:

   • Your regular camera (for example, Logitech StreamCam), or

   • A virtual camera from software like OBS Studio or Meld Studio.

5. Confirm and add the source.

6. Click and drag the camera in the preview to resize it.

7. Use the alignment options to center it, then drag it where you want.

8. In the Sources list, drag your camera to the bottom so it sits behind any overlays, then lock the source so you don’t move it by mistake.

You can build more advanced layouts later, but a clean full-screen camera is perfect for starting with co-host and Multi-guest.

Testing your audio in TikTok LIVE Studio

Good audio matters even more when you’re talking with other people on stream.

1. In LIVE Studio, look at the Audio section.

2. Click the settings cog next to your microphone.

3. Choose the correct mic (ideally a headset to reduce echo and feedback).

4. Open Advanced settings (scroll down if needed).

5. Adjust noise suppression and other options to taste.

6. Run a test and speak to hear how it sounds.

Once your mic is sounding good and your camera is in place, you’re ready to co-host and Multi-guest.

How to use co-host (and Live matches / battles)

Co-host is where Live matches (battles) live, and it’s designed for collaboration between streamers.

1. Open the co-host panel

1. Go live in TikTok LIVE Studio.

2. In the bottom-left corner, click Tools.

3. Either:

   • Click Tools to fully open it, or

   • Hover and drag it up so it only covers part of the screen (useful if you still want to see your scene layout).

4. Click Co-host in the Tools list.

When you’re not live you won’t see much here, so make sure you’re actually live on TikTok before you expect all the options to work.

2. Check co-host settings

Inside the Co-host panel you’ll see two main tabs:

• Invite

• Settings

The default settings work fine for most people, but you can:

• Choose the layout style (Standard is often the only available option).

• Adjust who can request to co-host.

Make changes if you want, or leave everything on default and come back later once you’ve tried it.

3. Invite another creator to co-host

1. In the Co-host panel, go to the Invite tab.

2. You’ll see:

   • Friends

   • Suggested creators

3. Find the creator you want to co-host with.

4. Click Invite next to their name.

They’ll get a notification on their phone or device. Once they accept, they appear in your co-host layout.

If the panel starts to feel cramped, drag the Tools bar up or down until you’re comfortable.

How to start a Live match (battle) in co-host

Once another creator has joined your co-host:

1. Look in the bottom-left corner for the option that says something like “Challenge creators to a Live match.”

2. Choose the type of gifts the battle should count (for example, All gifts).

3. Click Get started.

4. Your co-host accepts the match on their side.

5. The countdown appears and the battle begins.

During a Live match:

• You’ll see the battle progress and gift leaderboard on the right.

• You can still open the Co-host panel to adjust settings.

• Viewers can send gifts as normal, which contribute to the battle result.

To end the match early, use the Live match options in the bottom-left corner and choose to leave the match. The opponent will automatically win, and the battle ends.

“Take the Stage” during co-host

Co-host also includes a feature often referred to as “Take the Stage” or “Show”:

• Each co-host gets up to 90 seconds to perform.

• The focus automatically switches between hosts as their turn begins.

To start it:

1. In co-host mode, look in the bottom-left corner for Take the stage or a similar show option.

2. Click it and choose Get started.

You’ll see:

• A timer for your current “stage time”.

• The view switching between devices if you’re logged in on multiple devices.

Ending the show:

• Press the button to end the show.

• TikTok will start a 60-second “final call” you can’t skip, unless you end your entire stream.

• After that final call, click Quit to fully end Take the stage. Co-host continues like normal.

If something behaves strangely (for example, options only appearing after a battle), it may just be a TikTok quirk or bug. The core workflow is still the same.

To fully end co-host:

1. Open Tools → Co-host.

2. Review any settings you want to adjust.

3. Click End co-host to go back to a solo stream.

How to use Multi-guest in TikTok LIVE Studio

Multi-guest is all about bringing your viewers on screen with you. Up to 8 guests can join, and you can manage everything from LIVE Studio.

1. Open the Multi-guest panel

1. Go live in TikTok LIVE Studio.

2. In the Tools section on the left, click Multi-guest.

It might look “greyed out”, but everything in this panel is still clickable. TikTok’s UI can be a bit misleading here.

2. Choose your Multi-guest layout and rules

Inside Multi-guest you’ll see options such as:

• Layout (under Settings)

  • Panel

  • Grid (the most commonly used)

• Who can request to join

  • Everyone

  • Followers only

• Whether moderators can manage guests

  • Turn this on to let mods help you accept/decline and manage guests

To let mods manage guests:

1. Enable the mod management setting in Multi-guest.

2. Open the Mod panel.

3. Click each moderator and allow them to manage/start Multi-guest.(You currently need to do this one by one.)

You can switch layouts live, so feel free to try panel and grid during a stream to see what you prefer.

3. Invite guests from your chat

There are two main ways to bring viewers in:

1. Click Invite in the Multi-guest panel, or

2. Click the red Invite button that appears when you open Multi-guest.

This opens a list of eligible viewers. Select someone and send an invite; they’ll get a pop-up on their phone.

Once they accept:

• They appear in your layout.

• They can join with or without their camera.

• They can mute or unmute their own microphone.

You’ll also see pop-up requests from viewers who want to join. You can accept or ignore those requests directly from the interface.

Managing guests during a Multi-guest stream

You have a lot of control over your guests.

Hover over a guest’s video tile to see more options:

• Three dots (…) in the top-right corner:

  • Expand this guest (make their box larger)

  • Shrink them back down again

• Camera icon:

  • Force their camera off if needed

• Mic icon:

  • Force mute their microphone

You can also:

• Click on each tile to quickly access invite options.

• Open Tools → Multi-guest → Manage guests to:

  • View all current guests

  • Mute/unmute

  • Disconnect (kick) a specific guest

  • Disconnect all to end Multi-guest but stay live yourself

Disconnect all ends the Multi-guest session but does not end your TikTok LIVE.

Using the Live show feature in Multi-guest

Multi-guest has its own “Live show” feature, similar in spirit to Take the Stage:

• You host the show, but you do not perform in the rotation.

• Each guest gets a set amount of time to perform or share something.

• The show cycles through each guest automatically.

To start a Live show:

1. While Multi-guest is active, look for the Live show option in the bottom-left corner.

2. Click Start show.

3. Choose how long each guest gets.

4. Start the show.

You’ll see:

• A showtime counter.

• Visual cues for whose turn it is.

To end it early:

1. Use the options in the bottom-left corner.

2. Click End show and confirm.

You’ll return to a regular Multi-guest layout, where you can keep chatting, invite new guests, or disconnect everyone when you’re done.

Adding TikFinity alerts and other sources (gameplay, screens, etc.)

One of the big advantages of TikTok LIVE Studio is that you can add almost any source on your PC to co-host and Multi-guest sessions:

• Camera

• Display or window capture (for gameplay, tutorials, browsing)

• TikFinity alerts and overlays

• Text, images, and more

To add something like a TikFinity alert:

1. Create your alert in TikFinity.

2. Add it as a browser source in TikTok LIVE Studio.

3. Position and size it where you want on your scene.

TikFinity link ►► https://geni.us/tikfinity

You can do the same with a monitor or game window: add a display capture or specific window capture, then resize it so your camera and your content share the screen nicely. This works while co-hosting and Multi-guesting, so you can:

• Play games with another creator during a co-host battle.

• Host viewer showcase nights with Multi-guest while sharing your screen.

• Run interactive events, quizzes and challenges supported by TikFinity alerts.

Remember: during co-host and Multi-guest you typically can’t switch to completely different scenes, but you can add and adjust sources inside your current scene to achieve the same effect.

Next steps

If you want to:

• Set up TikTok LIVE Studio from scratch

• Optimise your audio and video

• Learn more about TikFinity overlays

Watch these tutorials next:

• LIVE Studio beginner guide ►► https://youtu.be/IinmBG4MtSg

• TikFinity setup ►► https://geni.us/tikfinity

With co-host, battles and Multi-guest mastered inside TikTok LIVE Studio, you can turn your TikTok LIVE into a highly interactive show that keeps viewers engaged and coming back.