In a world where real-time engagement is key, live streaming has emerged as a powerful medium for connecting with audiences instantly and authentically. For developers and content creators, choosing the right tools to deliver a flawless live stream is crucial. FastPix offers an all-in-one solution that simplifies the process, from setup to broadcast, making it the ideal choice for your event's live stream. This guide will walk you through how to effortlessly create and manage a live stream using the FastPix Dashboard and Livestream API, ensuring your event reaches your audience with the quality and reliability that FastPix can provide.
Live streaming has become an essential tool for connecting with audiences in real-time, whether for worship services, corporate events, or educational purposes. Here’s a snapshot of the latest trends and statistics from 2023-2024:
These insights highlight the expanding role of live streaming in connecting people and delivering content across different contexts. As technology continues to advance, live streaming will likely remain a key tool for engagement and outreach in the coming years.
FastPix is a user-friendly platform for live event streaming, combining an intuitive dashboard with robust API capabilities. It handles the complexities of video encoding, distribution, and multi-platform streaming, offering scalability, reliability, and flexibility.
Before diving into the FastPix platform, ensure you have the right equipment and environment:
4. To create a new live stream, click on the "Create live stream" button.
Note: Initially, you'll only be able to create test streams, which are limited to 5 minutes of streaming time, and each organization can create up to 30 test streams.
To upgrade:
Now that you've upgraded to the Pro plan, let’s dive into how FastPix livestreaming works.
We’ve already discussed the process of creating a livestream. Now, let’s create a livestream by understanding the functionality of each parameter in the image below:
playbackSettings
InputMediaSettings
NOTE: With the Pro plan, you can stream for up to 12 hours and have no limit on the number of livestreams you create. In case you have much higher requirements, such as extended streaming durations or additional features, you may consider upgrading to the Enterprise plan, which offers advanced options and dedicated support to meet extensive needs. For more details on the Enterprise plan and its benefits, please visit our pricing page or contact our team for personalized assistance.
Next, click on "Run Request" to create your livestream. To view your stream, click on "View Stream," which will take you to the Live Stream Details page.
Now that, this creates a livestream entity, you can instantly go-live by following the steps below:
Step 1: Open OBS and go to Settings > Stream.
Step 2: Choose "Custom" as the service option and enter FastPix’s server URL: rtmps://live.ibee.ai:443/live.
Step 3: Copy the Stream Key from the Live Stream Details page and paste it into the Stream Key field in OBS.
Step 4: Connect your DSLR to OBS as a webcam. You'll need a video capture card—connect the capture card to your system and DSLR. It is not mandatory to use only DSLR, you can use any other source or camera as web cam based on your requirements.
Step 5: In OBS, create a scene "Your Live Event Name."
Step 6: Add sources to your scene, such as your video capture device and microphone.
Step 7: Optimize your OBS settings by adjusting the output and video settings based on your requirements.
Now that your OBS setup is complete, you can start streaming.
You can share the stream with anyone
To share your stream, use the stream URL available on the Live Stream Details page. Simply insert the playback ID into the stream URL, and it will play in any HLS player.
When it comes to streaming encrypted video content, two common approaches are using the SRT (Secure Reliable Transport) protocol or setting an access policy as private. Both methods aim to secure the stream, but they do so in different ways.
1. Using SRT for encrypted streaming
SRT is a transport protocol specifically designed for streaming high-quality, real-time video over unreliable networks. One of its key features is built-in encryption, which ensures that the video stream is secure from the moment it leaves the source until it reaches the destination.
2. Using access policy as private
Another way to secure a livestream is by setting the access policy to private. This approach focuses on controlling who can access the stream rather than encrypting the stream itself.
Which is better?
Using SRT is particularly advantageous for live streams where security, low latency, and reliability are crucial. The encryption provided by SRT ensures that unauthorized users cannot access the content, protecting it from piracy or tampering.
On the other hand, setting an access policy as private controls who can access the stream rather than encrypting the stream itself. While the stream may not be encrypted during transmission, access to it is tightly controlled, relying on secure authentication mechanisms to prevent unauthorized users from viewing the content.
Each method has its strengths: SRT offers robust encryption during transmission, while a private access policy provides strong access control, ensuring that only authorized users can view the stream.
To create a livestream using the FastPix API, follow these steps:
Before making API calls, you'll need to generate Basic Authentication credentials from the FastPix dashboard. Here’s how you can do that:
Log in to the FastPix dashboard:
Access organizational settings:
Generate an access token:
Retrieve your credentials:
Before diving into livestream creation, let’s explore how to use Postman, a popular API testing tool. If you're not using Postman, you can also utilize alternatives like Hoppscotch, among others.
Create a workspace:
Create a collection:
Set up an HTTP request:
After setting up your Basic Authentication credentials and familiarizing yourself with Postman, you can now proceed to create a livestream via the FastPix API.
1. Access the Live Streaming API:
This section provides you with all the necessary details and parameters needed to create a livestream.
2. Understand the curl Command:
The documentation provides an example curl command to create a new stream. Let’s break it down:
3. Translate to Postman:
Now, let’s configure this in Postman:
Review the response:
Once you send the request, the FastPix API will respond with details about your newly created livestream.
Now, you can follow the same steps to start streaming a livestream event as we did when creating one through the dashboard.
With FastPix APIs, you can efficiently manage your live streams with the following actions:
To explore all the functionalities and detailed documentation of these APIs, click here.
Plan Ahead
Prepare a comprehensive plan for your event, covering all aspects from the streaming setup to the content flow. Ensuring that everything is well-organized in advance will help your livestream run smoothly.
Consider Your Audience
If you need to stream sensitive or important information to a select group of people, it’s advisable to use a private or SRT (Secure Reliable Transport) stream instead of a public one. This approach ensures that only the intended audience has access to the content.
Live streaming an event using the FastPix Dashboard and Video API is both straightforward and efficient. By following this guide, you can easily create a seamless streaming experience that engages audiences and delivers high-quality content. Whether you're streaming to a small, private group or a large public audience, having the right tools and thorough preparation makes all the difference in achieving a successful livestream.
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