Setting up an RTMP server on Windows for OBS streaming

RTMP (Real-Time Messaging Protocol) is a widely used protocol for streaming video content over the internet. OBS (Open Broadcaster Software) is a popular open-source software used for live streaming and recording videos. In order to live stream using OBS, you will need an RTMP server to transmit the video feed. In this blog post, we will explore how to set up an RTMP server on Windows using OBS.

Firstly, you will need to download and install an RTMP server. There are several options available, but for this tutorial, we will be using Nginx. Nginx is a high-performance web server and reverse proxy that can also act as an RTMP server. You can download Nginx from the official website and follow the installation instructions.

Once Nginx is installed, you will need to configure it to act as an RTMP server. To do this, you will need to modify the Nginx configuration file. The configuration file is located in the installation directory, typically in the conf folder. Open the configuration file in a text editor and add the following lines:

rtmp { server { listen 1935; # Listen on standard RTMP port application live { live on; record off; } } }

These lines configure Nginx to listen on the standard RTMP port (1935) and define an application called “live” that allows live streaming. The “live on” command enables live streaming, while the “record off” command disables recording of the stream.

Once the configuration file is updated, save it and start Nginx. You can start Nginx from the command line by running the following command:

nginx

Now that Nginx is running, you can configure OBS to stream to the RTMP server. Open OBS and go to the Settings menu. Select the Stream tab and set the following settings:

• Stream Type: Custom Streaming Server
• URL: rtmp://localhost/live
• Stream key: Any key name you want to use

The URL should match the Nginx configuration you set earlier. The stream key can be any name you choose and is used to identify your stream.

Click OK to save the settings and return to the main OBS screen. Click the Start Streaming button to start streaming to the RTMP server.

That’s it! You have now set up an RTMP server on Windows using OBS. You can view the stream by opening a media player that supports RTMP and entering the following URL:

rtmp://localhost/live/your-stream-key

Replace “your-stream-key” with the stream key you set in OBS.