Stream Your Webcam

Your webcam is a powerful tool capable of broadcasting live video to millions of people across the world. Whether you want to use your webcam to stream your own TV show, vlog, or live feed of your cat, here are a few easy ways to turn your webcam into a high quality live stream.

Steps

Livestreaming With Online Platforms

  1. Find an online streaming platform that suits your needs. A streaming platform does all the heavy lifting for you. You don't have to worry about any coding or technical knowledge. There are plenty of free or paid streaming services that give you user-friendly tools to easily broadcast your webcam without the hassle of installing encoders or hosting it yourself. Go to a reputable search engine and search for "live stream platform." The results will give you more than enough options to choose from.
    • Decide what you need from a platform. Do you want a huge audience, HD streaming, mobile compatibility, and an ad-free platform? Look for a paid service. Do you just need a basic stream for a small audience, and you don't care about ads? Look for a free service.
    • If you decide you want a free platform, alter your search to "live stream platform for free." Just remember there are far fewer free platforms than paid platforms.
    • You can try out different free platforms before you commit. Many paid platforms also have free trials you can take advantage of.
    • Popular services include: Ustream (paid, free trial),[1] DaCast (paid),[2] Livestream (free option, free trial),[3] and Bambuser (free option).[4]
  2. Once you find the platform you want, create an account. Every service requires an account of some kind. There will probably be a button in the upper right corner of their site to create an account.
    • Sign up for a premium account for a broader audience, better quality, and fewer ads. Premium accounts can be quite pricey, often over a hundred dollars a month.
    • Sign up for a free account if you don't need those perks or you can't afford it.
  3. Sign in to your account and use your platform's streaming service. There's usually a "Go Live" or "Broadcast Now" button. This will let you stream your webcam directly without downloading any software.
  4. Allow the platform access to your webcam. You only have to do this once if you check "remember" when prompted. You may have to update your version of Adobe Flash to do this.
    • You should see your webcam's light turn on. If the platform can't access your webcam, your webcam may be broken (in which case you should buy a new one) or you may have to update your webcam drivers.
    • For better quality, you may want to upgrade your webcam's software or buy a new one.
  5. Start streaming! Now that everything is ready, broadcast your webcam to the world. Every site has different tools and instructions, but they should be straightforward. Click the broadcast button to toggle the stream on and off.
    • Once you start your stream, you will have your own channel or room that viewers can tune in to. You can share the link on your social media or blog. You can also name and customize your channel to suit your needs.
    • You can also embed the stream to your personal website. Your stream comes with embedding code that you can place in your site's code so your stream is always up. If you don't have access to your site's code, contact your web developer. Most sites and blogs have intuitive embedding features, but Embed Video in HTML will help you embed your stream.
  6. You can improve the quality of your stream by downloading your platform's broadcasting software. Some sites offer it for free, while others don't. You can also utilize a third-party software like the free Open Broadcaster Software. This makes you less dependent on your platform and your wifi. Method 3 has more information on encoding software.

Streaming on YouTube

  1. Go to the YouTube features page. Make sure you're logged into the Google+ account you want to stream with.
  2. Click "Enable" next to "Live Events." Your account has to be in good standing to do this.
    • Read the Terms and Conditions and click "I Agree" to continue.
  3. Click the "Create Event" button. From there you can title your stream, add a description, and put tags on it. Adjust the schedule for when you want to stream, or start streaming now!
    • Choose the privacy setting you want from the drop-down menu. If it's public, anyone can see your stream. If it's private, only specific accounts can view it.
  4. Select "Quick" instead of "Custom" to enable Google Hangouts on Air. This allows the Hangouts plugin to access your webcam.
    • Custom should be reserved for those with coding knowledge since you have to Create a Live Webcast Using Windows Media Encoder.
  5. Click "Go Live Now." This activates your webcam and launches Google+ Hangouts, so you'll be prompted to install the Google+ plugin if you don't already have it. You'll also have to grant Google+ access to your webcam.
    • The Hangouts window will launch, but you'll still have to wait for the video to buffer. Once the video is buffered a certain percentage, you'll be able to begin the broadcast. This should only take a minute or so.
  6. Click "Start Broadcast" to start your webcam's live stream! Click "OK" to confirm, and your stream will begin! You have up to eight hours to broadcast.
    • Use the "Control Room" option to manage your viewers. You can use this to mute or kick disruptive viewers.
  7. Share and embed your stream. Click "Links" at the bottom of the Hangouts window to get the shareable link and embedding code. The stream will automatically show up on your YouTube Channel.

Encoding Your Own Livestream

  1. Download and install an encoder program. Encoders convert your webcam's video feed into a customized live stream which usually has much better quality than the in-site encoders that online streaming platforms provide. Using your own encoder will give you more options and higher quality video and sound. If you want complete control over your broadcast, you should consider using an encoder. Here are some of the best encoder programs available:
    • Open Broadcaster Software (OBS) is a free, open-source encoder that is highly customizable and easy to use, though it is not as professional as some encoders. It easily streams to popular hosts like Twitch, YouTube, Hitbox etc... Open Broadcaster is one of the best options for a free encoder.[5]
    • Flash Media Live Encoder (FMLE) is also free and offers many of the same high-quality features as OBS. However, it tends to be a resource hog on your computer, so you will need a powerful machine to run it with a consistently high performance.[6]
    • Wirecast is a professional encoder that also functions as a video production switcher. That means it has far more features than both OBS and FMLE, which are both fairly bare-bones compared to Wirecast. Despite having more features, Wirecast is also highly efficient and streamlined. The downside is it costs $495 for the most basic version.[7]
    • Windows Media Encoder (WME) is specifically meant for PC which is its main positive and negative. The encoder is streamlined and optimized for PC but many people don't have access to a PC or want an encoder that works on both platforms. If you do own a PC, WME is solid choice, as it's free and can be used to encode more types of media, meaning you don't need a webcam to use it.
    • Whichever encoder you use will have detailed downloading and installation instructions.
  2. Decide which platform you want to link your encoder to. Encoders still require you to have a live streaming platform like those discussed in Method 1. Those platforms have their own encoders, but using your own can net you better results. Follow the same steps in Method 1 to set up your account and channel.
  3. Determine your computer's connection speed. Go to a reputable search engine and search for "connection speed test." This will give you a variety of options. Run the test and write down the upload speed for future reference.
    • The upload speed should be in Mbps (Megabits per second).
  4. Go to your encoder's settings and optimize the performance. The purpose of the encoder is to push your live stream to the limit.
    • Set the bitrate to 64 percent of your internet's upload speed. Tests have shown this rate to be the optimum balance between quality and compression.[8] The bitrate determines the amount of information in each frame of video, so higher bitrates make for better quality. If your upload speed is 5Mbps, set your bitrate to 3.2Mbps. You can go up to 80 percent, but beware of visible compression artifacts that may show up if you push your bitrate.
    • Set the buffer rate the same as the bitrate.
    • Set the base resolution the same as your desktop. You can check this on your computer's properties or settings.
    • Set the output resolution based on your bitrate: 480p for 1-2 Mbps, 720p for 2-3Mbps, 1080p for 3-5Mbps, and 1080p HQ for anything over 5Mbps.[8]
    • Set your FPS (Frames Per Second) to 60 if possible. Check your streaming service to see if they allow 60FPS, because some only allow 30FPS.
    • Test your stream on various settings to get the quality and speed you want.
  5. Connect the encoder to your streaming platform. Most encoders have most platforms listed as possible streaming services. If yours doesn't, select "custom." Your encoder should give you a stream key to copy and paste into your platform which will link the encoder to your live stream.
    • Every encoder and every platform does this differently. Generally speaking, you will usually be given a stream key or URL to copy and paste into your streaming service. If you have trouble finding this, go to the "Help" section of your encoder.
  6. Start broadcasting from your encoder first, and then broadcast from your streaming platform. Just streaming from the encoder won't make the stream live. You also have to start broadcasting on your streaming platform after you've linked your encoder to the platform.
    • Make sure the encoder stream is functioning properly before you start broadcasting on the platform.
    • You can change the source of the stream in your encoder's settings. If you want to broadcast your webcam, make sure "Video Capture Device" or some equivalent is selected.

Broadcasting Your Webcam with Apps

  1. Find an app to stream your webcam. This is the easiest way to set up a live stream, but it is also the most limited. These apps typically come with fewer features, simpler customization, and worse quality than online streaming platforms or encoders. Apps make it difficult to have an audience or channel, but they are ideal for home or business monitoring as they are simple, easy, and reliable.
    • My Webcam Broadcaster for Mac and Yawcam for PC are two of the leading apps for webcam streaming. Both are free and easy to use!
    • Many of the online streaming platforms mentioned in Method 1 also have computer apps and mobile apps that can be utilized to great effect.
  2. Download and install the app you want.
  3. Allow the app access to your webcam. Again, you may have to update your Flash for this to work.
  4. Start streaming! The app should have a "Go Live" button that streams you webcam to a video player at a designated URL. You can view this URL on your browser or through the app on your mobile device.
    • Play with the app's settings to get the video quality and resolution you want. Be warned, the app probably won't be as high quality as an encoder or streaming platform, but it should be reliable.
  5. Share the URL on social media to get an audience for your live stream. The benefit of using an app is its simplicity. Download, install, stream, and share. You can be live streaming in a matter of minutes.
    • Just like with other live streams, you can see who's watching and even kick users who you don't want viewing your stream.
    • You also have the option to keep you live stream private and only view it yourself.

Tips

  • Do plenty of trial runs before you broadcast live. Broadcast privately first to make sure everything's working how you want it.
  • If you want more viewers, keep sharing your link and keep talking to your family and friends about it. Let your stream spread by links and word of mouth.
  • Tinker with your stream's settings to get the performance and quality you want.
  • Practice what you want to stream before you go live so you keep mistakes to a minimum.

Warnings

  • Don't hesitate to kick users who are disrupting your stream. It's your stream and you can choose who watches it.
  • Be careful about what you choose to share in your live stream. Anybody can be watching, so don't divulge any personal information or act in a way that you don't want to be seen by the general public. Assume your employer or family are watching, and don't do anything you wouldn't want them to see.
  • Be careful whenever you download something from the internet. Make sure it's from a reliable source so you aren't downloading any malware.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ https://www.ustream.tv/platform/plans?itm_source=e2799070369_2&itm_medium=selfs_cta&itm_content=See_plans&itm_campaign=home
  2. ↑ http://www.dacast.com/streaming-pricing-plans/
  3. ↑ http://livestream.com/platform/pricing
  4. ↑ http://bambuser.com
  5. ↑ https://obsproject.com/
  6. ↑ http://churchm.ag/wirecast-vs-fmle/
  7. ↑ http://www.telestream.net/wirecast/overview.htm
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 http://www.lighterra.com/papers/videoencodingh264/
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