Livestream's simulcasting feature allows customers to send their stream to Livestream, which then distributes it to different streaming providers. Below you will find instructions on how to find RTMP information for popular providers as well as links to each provider's bitrate requirements.
In order to use this feature, you will need the RTMP URL and Stream Key from the provider you wish to stream to. Below is a guide on where you can find this information for some of the popular providers that accept RTMP.
Please note that Livestream only supports simulcast streaming up to 1080p at this time.
Vimeo
To stream live to Vimeo, you must have a live-enabled membership.
If you do, go to your homepage and select Create Live Event.
This will take you to the live preview page, which will default to the Webcam view. Select the Connect (RTMP) tab to get your RTMP URL and Stream Key.
YouTube
To find your RTMP information for YouTube, log into your YouTube account then navigate to CREATE > Go live. You will then see the following screen:
Enter your event's Title and select your desired Privacy setting for YouTube:
- Public: Anyone can see and discover your stream
- Private: Only you can see your stream (this is ideal for testing)
- Unlisted: Anyone with the link can see your stream but it does not appear in search
Note that this does not impact the privacy of your stream on Vimeo.
Scheduling
From here you can also choose to schedule your stream for later. If you miss your scheduled start time, nothing will happen; you can always go into your Live Control room and change the date, time, and whatever other details you'd like. Your event link and RTMP credentials will remain the same until you go live to that event.
Once you configured those details as desired, click Create Stream.
You will be brought to the Live Control Room, where your RTMP URL and Stream Key can be found. Copy and paste these into the Simulcast settings on Livestream.
From your encoder, go live to Livestream. You will see a preview in YouTube; be sure to click GO LIVE in YouTube in order for the stream to appear for viewers there.
YouTube's recommended stream settings are available here.
By default, YouTube will save your stream as a VOD on your YouTube channel. You do have the option within YouTube's Stream Options settings to Make archive unlisted when complete. This will still post the VOD to your channel but no one will find it via search.
You can stream to your profile via RTMP from Facebook's Create Live page (and clicking Create Live Stream) or by clicking the Live button in the Create area of the page or profile to which you wish to stream. You will be brought to Facebook's Live Producer.
Scroll down below the preview player. Make sure under "Get Started" that the dropdown menu is set to Use Stream Keys. You will find the RTMP URL and Stream Key for this destination. (Note: Your video preview is still visible in the bottom right corner.)
Copy and paste the URL and Stream Key into your Simulcast settings.
Facebook only supports streaming via RTMPS, but rest assured, Livestream's simulcast feature does support this protocol. Enter the RTMPS URL in the to RTMP URL field.
Go live from your encoder to Livestream. You will see a preview of your stream on Facebook, at which point you can then click Go Live on the Facebook Producer page to post the live video to Facebook.
Recommended live video specifications such as supported bitrates and resolutions are detailed on Facebook.
Twitch
The RTMP URL for Twitch can vary depending on your location, as they have multiple ingest servers around the world.
Twitch provides a list of RTMP URLs based on location here. Choose the RTMP URL that reflects the closest geographical location to where you are streaming from. Paste it into Livestream's RTMP URL field under Simulcast. Make sure you do not include the {stream key} they show in the sample URL.
Next, you will need to find your stream key. Log in to your Twitch account and navigate to the Creator Dashboard.
Under the hamburger menu, navigate to Preferences > Channel. Your stream key will be at the top of the page. Copy it to your clipboard and paste it into the Stream Key field in Livestream's Simulcast menu.
Twitch provides more information about recommended encoder settings here.
Periscope
To get your RTMP credentials for Periscope, you will need to install the Periscope App on your iOS or Android device.
In the Periscope app, navigate to your profile then scroll down and select Settings.
Under Advanced Sources, select Periscope Producer.
A Server URL and Stream Key will generate. Enter these into the RTMP URL and Stream Key fields in Livestream.
Please be advised of Periscope's streaming specifications.