Understanding RTMP for Live Streaming: A Comprehensive Guide

About RTMP protocol

Real-Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP) is a communication protocol used for streaming audio, video, and data over the internet. Originally developed by Macromedia in 1996 for seamless streaming between Flash Player and Flash Communication Server, RTMP has since been made publicly available by Adobe, which acquired Macromedia.

Today, it remains widely used for delivering encoded video content to social media platforms, live streaming services, and media servers.

However, RTMP is just one part of the live-streaming process. While Flash Player is no longer supported and many browsers and mobile devices don’t accept RTMP, the protocol is still commonly used for "first-mile" delivery — the initial stage of streaming video content. The "last-mile" delivery often requires other protocols like HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) or WebSocket for full compatibility across modern devices and networks. You can read more about low-latency streaming here.

How RTMP Streaming Works

RTMP is a TCP-based protocol that ensures persistent connections for low-latency communication. To optimize the smooth delivery of streams, RTMP splits streams into smaller fragments, with the fragment size dynamically negotiated between the client and server. By default, audio data is fragmented into 64-byte packets, while video data is fragmented into 128-byte packets.

RTMP defines multiple virtual channels, each responsible for handling different types of data. For example, there’s a dedicated channel for video and audio stream data, another for handling remote procedure calls (RPC), and a separate one for out-of-band control messages. These channels operate independently, helping streamline the streaming process.

Viewers appreciate low latency, making RTMP an ideal choice for real-time content, such as live events, webinars, and gaming streams.

Types of RTMP

Various RTMP variants cater to specific technological needs:

RTMPS (RTMP Secure): Adds SSL encryption for secure data transmission, ensuring privacy and data integrity. It’s crucial for sectors like finance or private communication
RTMPT (RTMP Tunnelling): Encapsulates RTMP data within HTTP, allowing it to traverse firewalls and other network barriers for better compatibility
RTMPE (RTMP Encrypted): Encrypts RTMP data without SSL, providing security while minimizing performance impact
RTMPTE (RTMP Tunnelling and Encrypted): Combines the tunnelling feature of RTMPT with the encryption of RTMPE, offering both security and flexibility
RTMFP (RTMP Flow Protocol): Uses UDP instead of TCP, providing faster, more efficient data transfer at the expense of error-checking mechanisms

Is RTMP Outdated?

While RTMP was initially designed for Flash Player (no longer supported), the protocol still thrives due to its low latency streaming capabilities.

Some key benefits of RTMP include:

Low Latency: RTMP provides low-latency transmission, making it ideal for live streaming and interactive applications
Adaptive Streaming: RTMP supports adaptive bitrate streaming, allowing streams to adjust quality based on network conditions
Stable & Reliable: RTMP is designed for continuous, stable data transmission with minimal buffering
Support for Multiple Codecs: It supports popular audio and video codecs like H.264 (video) and AAC (audio)
Supported by Major Platforms: Many streaming services, including YouTube Live and Facebook Live, support RTMP ingestion

Despite its advantages, RTMP does have limitations:

Not Supported by Most Web Browsers: Since Flash is deprecated, RTMP is no longer natively supported in web browsers
Requires RTMP Server: To stream using RTMP, you need an RTMP server, adding infrastructure complexity
Lack of modern video compression support: RTMP does not support modern codecs like H.265 (HEVC), AV1, or VP9 directly
Limited Playback Support: RTMP is mainly used for ingestion (uploading streams), not playback. For playback, streams are typically converted to HLS or DASH.
Firewall and Network Restrictions: Some firewalls block RTMP traffic, leading to potential connectivity issues

Platforms that Accept RTMP Streams

Many major streaming platforms still support RTMP, making it an essential protocol for live broadcasters. These include social media networks like Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, and Twitch, as well as video platforms like YouTube, Vimeo, etc.

Multistreaming with IPCamLive

IPCamLive allows users to multistream across platforms simultaneously. This feature enables broadcasters to reach a wider audience by streaming on social media, online video players, and virtual event platforms all at once.

A Simple Overview of RTMP Streaming using IPCamLive:

Video Capture: Your camera and microphone capture both video and audio and encode it
Video Streaming: IP cameras stream video using RTSP (Real-Time Streaming Protocol) to IPCamLive media servers
Video Convert: IPCamLive's Servers convert the data and re-stream in RTMP format to the given media servers (like Facebook)
Server Processing. Streaming servers receive the data from IPCamLive and prepare it for delivery
Broadcast: The data is presented in a viewable format, allowing the audience to watch the live stream on their devices

Benefits of Using IPCamLive for RTMP Streaming or Multicasting:

Multistream to several platforms simultaneously
No extra bandwidth or computing resources are required for streaming
Wide compatibility with a broad range of video mixing software through RTMP output, enabling smooth live streaming and content management

How to Set Up an RTMP Streaming with IPCamLive

Setting up your live event RTMP streaming involves two critical components:

Stream URL: This unique web address links your broadcast to the streaming platform
Stream ID: This is a unique code you need to copy and paste into your stream-sharing settings, allowing IPCamLive to connect to your platform

Each streaming platform typically provides these details (URL and ID) in its settings. Simply enable the "Stream Sharing" option in the camera’s settings menu and enter the media credentials in the corresponding fields. Once you’ve completed these steps, IPCamLive's streaming server will establish a seamless connection for broadcasting.

Ready to Stream?

To get started, simply register your broadcast on social media platforms like: