How to Set Up an RTMP Server for Twitch: A Step-by-Step Guide

If you’re looking to stream on Twitch, you’ll need an RTMP server to send your video to the platform. Here’s how to set up an RTMP server for Twitch streaming.

Step 1: Choose Your RTMP Server Software

There are several RTMP server software options available, including Wowza, Adobe Media Server, and Nginx with the RTMP module. For this tutorial, we’ll be using Nginx.

Step 2: Install Nginx with RTMP Module

To install Nginx with the RTMP module, follow these steps:

1. Install the required dependencies:

sudo apt-get install build-essential libpcre3 libpcre3-dev libssl-dev

2. Download Nginx and the RTMP module:

wget http://nginx.org/download/nginx-1.21.0.tar.gz
wget https://github.com/arut/nginx-rtmp-module/archive/master.zip

3. Extract the files:

tar -zxvf nginx-1.21.0.tar.gz
unzip master.zip

4. Navigate to the Nginx directory:

cd nginx-1.21.0/

5. Configure Nginx with the RTMP module:

./configure –with-http_ssl_module –add-module=../nginx-rtmp-module-master

6. Compile and install Nginx:

make
sudo make install

Step 3: Configure Nginx for Twitch Streaming

Next, you’ll need to configure Nginx to work with Twitch. Here’s how:

1. Navigate to the Nginx configuration directory:

cd /usr/local/nginx/conf/

2. Create a new configuration file:

sudo nano twitch.conf

3. Add the following configuration settings:

rtmp {
server {
listen 1935;
chunk_size 4096;

application live {
live on;
record off;

# This is your Twitch stream key
push rtmp://live.twitch.tv/app/<your-twitch-stream-key>;
}
}
}

4. Save and exit the file.

5. Open the Nginx configuration file:

sudo nano nginx.conf

6. Add the following line inside the http block:

include twitch.conf;

7. Save and exit the file.

8. Test your configuration

sudo /usr/local/nginx/sbin/nginx -t

If everything is configured correctly, you should see a message that says “configuration file syntax is ok.”

9. Start Nginx:

sudo /usr/local/nginx/sbin/nginx

Step 4: Stream to Twitch

Now that your RTMP server is set up and configured, you can start streaming to Twitch using your favorite streaming software. Simply enter the RTMP URL as rtmp://localhost/live and use the Twitch stream key you added to your Nginx configuration file.

That’s it! With your RTMP server set up and configured, you’re ready to start streaming to Twitch.