What is live streaming?

Live streaming is the real-time delivery of video content over the Internet as it is being captured.

What is live streaming?

Live streaming is the transmission of video and audio content in real time over the Internet. Unlike on-demand streaming where content is pre-recorded, live streaming broadcasts events as they happen.

The live streaming pipeline

  1. Capture: Video and audio are captured by cameras and microphones
  2. Encode: Raw video is compressed into a streamable format
  3. Ingest: The encoded stream is sent to a streaming platform
  4. Transcode: The stream is converted into multiple quality levels
  5. Distribute: A CDN delivers the stream to viewers worldwide
  6. Decode/Play: The viewer's device decodes and displays the stream

Live streaming protocols

Common protocols include RTMP (Real-Time Messaging Protocol) for ingestion, and HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) or DASH for delivery to viewers.