Lightstream RTMP Ingest: Finding the Inbound Endpoint

Where to find Lightstream's inbound RTMP endpoint

Lightstream shows the inbound RTMP ingest address inside your own account, next to a stream key that belongs to your account or project. Copy both values from there and paste them into your encoder. Don't guess the address or copy it from an old forum post or video tutorial. The address and the place it appears can change between versions of the service. If you can't find these details, Lightstream's official help documentation or support team is the source to trust.

The endpoint has two parts, and you need both: a server address that your encoder connects to, and a stream key that tells Lightstream which account or project the incoming video belongs to. With only one of them, the connection will fail or the stream will go to the wrong place.

How RTMP ingest into Lightstream works

RTMP is a protocol that encoders use to push live audio and video to a server. For Lightstream the stream travels inbound. Your local software, camera device or console sends a stream to Lightstream, which can use it as a source in your cloud production. Lightstream then handles the outgoing broadcast to your chosen platform. Your encoder is the sender, and Lightstream is the receiver.

• Server address (ingest URL): the location your encoder connects to. It usually starts with rtmp:// or, for an encrypted connection, rtmps://.
• Stream key: a private value that identifies your account or project. Treat it like a password.
• Encoder settings: codec, resolution, frame rate, bitrate and keyframe interval. These must fall within what the ingest server accepts.

Some details depend on Lightstream's current product and possibly your account type. These include where the ingest details are shown, whether secure RTMPS is offered, which codecs and bitrates are accepted, and whether you can regenerate the key. Check them in your account instead of relying on older guides.

Setting up an encoder to send to Lightstream

• Sign in to Lightstream and open the part of your project or account that shows RTMP ingest or external source details.
• Copy the server address exactly, without adding or removing characters, spaces or trailing slashes.
• Copy the stream key separately.
• In your encoder, choose a custom RTMP destination. In OBS Studio, this is the Custom service in the Stream settings, which has separate Server and Stream Key fields.
• Paste the server address and the key into their matching fields. Combine them into one string only if your encoder has a single URL field and Lightstream's instructions say how to join them.
• Start streaming from the encoder and check that the source appears in Lightstream before you go live to your audience.

Hardware encoders, capture devices and consoles need the same two values. Some devices accept only one full destination URL. In that case, check the device's documentation and Lightstream's instructions for how to combine the server address and key.

First decide whether you need RTMP ingest at all. If you build your whole show in Lightstream's browser-based studio, you may not. Ingest helps in three cases: you want to keep scenes already built in a desktop encoder, bring in a camera feed from another computer, or use a device that can only output RTMP.

Limits and related questions

If the encoder can't connect, check three things. First, make sure the full server address was copied correctly. Second, make sure the stream key is current, because a regenerated key may replace the old one. Third, make sure your network allows outbound streaming traffic. Standard RTMP uses TCP port 1935 by default, and RTMPS often runs over port 443, so a strict firewall or corporate network can block one and not the other.

Anyone who has your server address and stream key may be able to send video into your production. Keep the key off screen, out of screenshots, and out of public support threads. If it has been exposed, regenerate it if your account offers that option.

Quality and delay depend on your upload bandwidth, your encoder settings and Lightstream's processing. Routing a stream through an extra service adds a step between your camera and your viewers. Test your setup before an important broadcast rather than assuming the delay will be negligible.

Is the inbound address the same for everyone? In many RTMP services the server part is shared or regional, and the stream key is unique to each user. Confirm in your account whether this holds for Lightstream and whether it offers a choice of ingest server.

Read Lightstream's privacy policy and account settings to see how incoming streams are handled, including whether anything is recorded or stored and for how long. Don't assume that ingested video is discarded after the broadcast.