Deliver WebRTC streams to viewers for HLS playback in Wowza Video

Learn how to use the Wowza Video™ service to deliver WebRTC streams to viewers for playback over HLS.

About WebRTC streams

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With Wowza Video, you can ingest a single-bitrate WebRTC source stream, transcode the stream into multiple output renditions, and then deliver the stream to viewers through a CDN for playback over HLS. WebRTC lets you capture video from your browser without installing plug-ins or downloading third-party software.

To deliver a WebRTC stream to viewers for playback over HLS, create a live stream, publish the stream using the WebRTC hosted page, and then give the hosted player page URL to your viewers.

1. Create a live stream

Complete the following steps to create a live stream that takes in WebRTC and delivers playback over HLS.

1. In Wowza Video, click Live streams in the nav, then Add new.
2. From the Type list, select any of these live stream types which support WebRTC input:
   • Go live now 
   • Go live later 
   • Custom stream
3. Enter a title for your stream. By default, this title is used for the hosted page we generate for you.
4. Select the region closest to your broadcast location to get the best stream performance. Selecting the closest location minimizes network distance and reduces latency.
5. From Stream input type, select WebRTC.
6. Complete the next steps to finish creating the live stream.

Wowza Video creates the live stream and displays the Overview tab of the live stream details page. 

2. Publish the WebRTC stream 

Next, start the live stream in Wowza Video, then use the WebRTC hosted publish page to begin broadcasting to your viewers. 

1. Click Start live stream at the top of the live stream page to start the live stream. Wait until Wowza Video shows the stream as Running. 
2. Click the publish page link on the Overview tab under WebRTC Publish Page. The publish page opens in a new tab. 
3. Grant access to your camera and microphone when prompted.

   Note: The WebRTC hosted publish page is supported on the latest versions of Chrome, Safari, and Microsoft Edge version 79 and later.

   • Settings – Wowza Video automatically configures the settings for the live stream. To view or edit the settings, click the Settings button in the upper right corner of the publish page.
   • Microphone – Mute/unmute your microphone. To change which microphone to use, click the arrow next to the microphone icon.
   • Video camera – Enable/disable the video source. To change the video source, click the arrow next to the video camera icon. To share your screen, select Screen Share.
      

     Notes:

     • The video source can’t be changed after the broadcast is started.
     • Screen share functionality isn't supported on mobile devices or Safari.

4. Click Publish on the hosted publish page. This starts the source video for your live stream. 

3. Test your stream playback 

1. Go to live streams page in Wowza Video and click the Share stream button at the top of the page. The share stream modal displays. 
2. Click the Hosted page tab in the modal and find the Hosted page link field. 
3. Click to copy the URL for HLS playback and share it to your viewers so they can watch the live stream. 
4. Click the Open link button under Preview in the Share stream modal. This opens a player in a new tab. 
5. Click the play button and test your stream playback. 

Tip: You can use the HLS playback URL on the Overview tab of the Live Stream Details page to configure your own player if you are not using Wowza Video’s player. 

4. Stop your stream 

When you're done streaming, in Wowza Video, click Stop live stream at the top of the live stream page. Then stop the stream on your WebRTC publish page. 

Important: Charges accrue for live streams started in Wowza Video even if they aren't actively streaming content. Wowza Video automatically stops idle live streams after 20 minutes, but you should stop your stream as soon as your event ends to avoid accruing unnecessary charges.