An RTMP server receives a live video stream published by an encoder such as OBS, then can make it available to viewers, forward it elsewhere, record it, or convert it to another streaming protocol. To try one locally, run a server that listens for RTMP and point OBS at its address and stream path. A local test is not, by itself, a secure public deployment: remote publishing and viewing require reachable networking and deliberate access controls.
What an RTMP server does
RTMP (Real-Time Messaging Protocol) is commonly used to send a live stream from an encoder to a server. The encoder publishes; the server receives the incoming stream and may route it to readers, proxy or forward it, record it, or convert it to another protocol. MediaMTX documents those capabilities, while SRS documents RTMP publishing and playback examples.
Think of the server as the middle of a pipeline: an encoder sends a contribution stream to the server, and the server determines how it is made available next. The publishing connection and the viewer-delivery method are separate choices. RTMP is not automatically the best protocol for every viewer or device.
Run a minimal RTMP server locally
A local proof of concept needs a running server listening for RTMP and an encoder configured to publish to its address and path. SRS documents this Docker command as a simple way to start its RTMP configuration:
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docker run --rm -it -p 1935:1935 ossrs/srs:5
./objs/srs -c conf/rtmp.confThe command publishes port 1935 from the container to the host. It is a starting point for testing, not a complete public-server security, capacity, or availability plan.
SRS also documents an FFmpeg publishing URL of rtmp://localhost/live/livestream. For OBS with MediaMTX, the documented local custom server is rtmp://localhost with mystream as the path; the resulting stream is available at /mystream, and that example leaves OBS’s separate stream-key field empty. Follow the configuration and URL convention of the server you choose: the MediaMTX path arrangement is not universal.
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Connect OBS to the server
- Start the server first. Confirm the RTMP service is running and listening on the intended port. For the SRS Docker example above, that is port 1935 on the host.
- Open OBS’s stream settings. In OBS, open Settings, choose Stream, and select the custom service option if your server is not a preset.
- Enter the server and path. Use the server’s expected address and stream path. In the MediaMTX local example, enter
rtmp://localhostas the server andmystreamas the path; no separate key is used in that example. Other server configurations may use an application path and a separate key. - Apply the settings and start streaming. Start the stream in OBS, then check the server or its playback endpoint using the method supported by that server. If it does not appear, verify the server is running, the URL and path match its configuration, and the publisher can reach the host and port.
localhost means the same machine. It works only when OBS and the RTMP server run on that machine. If OBS is on another computer, replace it with the server’s reachable address and configure the network and firewall so the required connection can reach the server.
Understand the stream URL and stream key
A publishing URL usually identifies the protocol, server and destination path. For example, rtmp://host:1935/live/name contains the RTMP scheme, a host, an explicit port, and a path. Depending on the server’s configuration, the path may include an application name and stream name, or OBS may supply part of the publishing destination separately as a stream key.
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- Scheme:
rtmp://is the unencrypted RTMP form;rtmps://indicates encrypted RTMP. - Host and port: Use a hostname or IP address reachable from the encoder. The port may be explicit or supplied by the service’s configuration.
- Path and key: Match the server’s configured application and stream path. Treat a stream key as a credential if it grants publishing access; do not expose it publicly.
When RTMPS matters
RTMPS encrypts the connection. YouTube describes it as the secure extension of RTMP and advises supplying the server URL when an encoder does not offer a preset. This matters when stream data or publishing credentials travel across a network you do not control.
MediaMTX documents an OBS example using rtmps://localhost:1936/mystream and says encryption must be enabled in the server configuration. In that documented OBS arrangement, the certificate must be signed by a publicly trusted certificate authority. OBS silently rejects a self-signed certificate unless a local certificate authority is trusted and validated on the OBS machine. Certificate and configuration behavior depends on the software versions and setup, so check the current MediaMTX and OBS documentation before deploying it.
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Plan access before exposing a server publicly
A server that works on one computer is not automatically ready to accept streams or serve viewers over the internet. Before exposing it, decide who is allowed to publish, who can read a stream, whether the server should forward it, and which services and ports must be reachable. MediaMTX documents internal, HTTP, and JWT authentication options, along with stream forwarding; consult its current documentation for the configuration appropriate to your deployment.
- Use publishing credentials or another access-control method appropriate to the server; avoid an endpoint where anyone can publish.
- Decide whether viewers should connect directly, use a CDN, or receive a converted output.
- Expose only the services needed for the intended publishing and viewing paths, and account for server capacity and network bandwidth.
- For remote publishers, use an address they can reach and verify that routing, firewall rules, and any required TLS configuration work end to end.
The documented Docker command is not a firewall policy, authentication configuration, or production hardening recipe. The available documentation does not establish a universal firewall rule set or a safe capacity target for every deployment.
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Choose how viewers receive the stream
RTMP ingest and viewer delivery solve different problems. SRS describes RTMP as still used for contribution and HLS as broadly supported for delivery, with several seconds of latency. It also identifies WebRTC, HTTP-FLV, and HTTP-TS as possible lower-latency delivery options. Those are the SRS project’s qualitative descriptions, not universal or independently measured latency guarantees.
| Decision | What to consider |
|---|---|
| Encoder-to-server ingest | Whether the encoder supports the server’s publishing protocol and URL/key arrangement. |
| Viewer and CDN compatibility | Whether the chosen delivery protocol works with the target devices, players, and any CDN in the path. |
| Latency | Whether several seconds of delay is acceptable or the use case needs a lower-latency delivery path. |
| Conversion and routing | Whether the server needs to proxy, forward, record, or convert the incoming stream. MediaMTX documents support for these kinds of operations across supported protocols. |
| Public operation | How authentication, monitoring, deployment portability, network exposure, and expected concurrency will be handled. |
No fair performance benchmark between MediaMTX and SRS is established by the documentation cited here. Choose by protocol support and operational requirements rather than assuming one is faster.
Troubleshoot common setup problems
- OBS cannot connect: Check that the server is running and listening on the configured port, that OBS has the right address and path, and that a remote publisher can reach that host and port. Remember that
localhostpoints to the publisher’s own machine. - The server connects but no stream appears: Compare the OBS path and key with the server’s expected application and stream name. The MediaMTX example uses a path and no separate key; another server may require a different arrangement.
- RTMPS fails in OBS: Confirm encryption is enabled on the server and that the certificate is trusted by the publishing machine. In the documented MediaMTX setup, OBS rejects an untrusted self-signed certificate unless its issuing local authority has been trusted and validated.
- Local playback works but remote viewers cannot watch: Ingest being available on the server does not guarantee that a viewer-delivery path is exposed or compatible. Check the server’s read configuration, network reachability, and the protocol expected by the player.
- Playback delay is too high: Review the delivery protocol rather than changing ingest alone. SRS describes HLS as broadly supported but with several seconds of latency, and lists WebRTC and other options for lower-latency delivery; actual results depend on the end-to-end configuration.
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