Multi-destination streaming or simulcasting
You wanna reach the maximum Number of People with a stream?
Best Strategy is to stream to as many platforms simultaneously as possible. Youtube, Twitch, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter your own website and more - all at the same time!
Let's dive into Multi-destination streaming.
This Article shows possibilities and gives you the right hints to do Multi-destination Streaming on your own.
3 possible Solutions
- Directly simulcast from your PC
- Downside: You need additional Internet Capacity for every additional Channel.
- Very heavy on your Streaming PC
- Pay a Service like restream.io to do the simulcast
- Technically almost the same as point 3
- Host your own Multi-destination streaming server
- That's what I will explain in the most Detail.
Spoiler: I recommend Obtion B or C.
Step 1 - Choose your Source
What and how do you want to stream? Choose Content and a Source!
I recommend using OBS as a streaming source. Give it a try.
Step 2 - Prepare Simulcast
- Install simulcast Plugin - follow their instructions - I will not explain this Variant any further.
- Make a free account at restream.io - this will be more than enough to test your own setup.
- Connect your Destinations like Youtube, Twitch etc.
- Host your own Simulcast Server
- Install Restreamer from datarhei
- Create a Channel and connect your Destinations
I'll Explain Variant C a bit.
Log into your new Restreamer Server. Create a Channel and connect your Destinations like Twitter, Instagram, Youtube etc...
The collection of services Restreamer can connect to is quite impressive. (Some of these are not included in restrem.io free - rtsp/rtmp for example)
Step 3 - Chain it all together
Source - Simulcast Server - Multiple Streaming Destinations
In OBS and most other Software the standard ist just streaming to one Platform.
Just got to "Preferences" -> "Stream" and choose your Destination.
Variant B and C work exactly the same on the Source Side.
Just enter your own Server or the Restream.io one as the Destination - the simulcast will then be done by your server
Now test it all out!
- Start your Stream in OBS
- Is it green? Is data reching your choosen simulcast server?
- Open your Simulcast Server and choose your destinations
- Are they reachable?
- Status ok on all of them?
- Now check your Destinations
- is Everything up on Youtube/Twitch et all simultaniously?
Kudos. You are now a Simulcaster!
Links
- OBS - https://obsproject.com/
- Restream.io - https://restream.io/
- Restreamer from datarhei - https://datarhei.com/