How To Stream Live Video to Twitch: A Beginner's Guide

The Rise of Twitch: From Justin.TV to Streaming Giant

Introduced in June of the previous year, the online gaming community was in need of a dedicated platform for livestreaming competitions. Twitch.TV, initially a secondary website associated with Justin.TV, has evolved to fulfill this role effectively.

Currently, a significant number of prominent online gaming tournaments and events are hosted on Twitch.TV, resulting in billions of views on a monthly basis.

Streaming Beyond the Professionals

But what about individual gamers who wish to broadcast their gameplay, perhaps using emulators or massively multiplayer online games (MMOs)? Discovering how to do this isn't immediately obvious on the Twitch platform.

Information regarding individual streaming capabilities wasn't readily available; it required searching through the Twitch forums to locate the necessary details.

Utilizing Adobe Flash Media Encoder for Twitch Streaming

This article will detail the process of using Adobe Flash Media Encoder, a freely available tool, to transmit video content directly to your Twitch.TV channel.

The following steps will guide you through setting up a live stream using this method.

This provides a simple and accessible solution for anyone looking to share their gaming experiences with the Twitch community.

Obtaining Flash Media Encoder

As defined by Adobe themselves, Flash Media Encoder is a powerful tool for live media encoding. It functions as software designed for capturing both audio and video streams in real-time.

Specifically, Adobe Flash Media Live Encoder 3.2 is a media encoder that transmits audio and video to either Adobe Flash Media Server software or the Flash Video Streaming Service (FVSS).

Core Functionality

This software facilitates the broadcasting of live events. Examples include sporting competitions, web-based seminars, and musical performances, with the capability for continuous, 24/7 operation.

The encoder allows for the streaming of content to a wide audience, making it a valuable asset for those seeking to deliver live video experiences.

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Flash Media Encoder provides a robust solution for live streaming needs, offering reliable performance and broad compatibility.

Obtaining Your Stream Key and Configuration

A Show Key button is present on this page; however, its relevance is diminished when utilizing FME.

The functionality of this button has largely been superseded by more streamlined configuration methods.

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Selecting the Config button, as illustrated in the image above, initiates an automatic download of a configuration profile.

This profile is designed for Flash Media Encoder and pre-populates essential fields, including the Flash Media Server URL, your unique stream key, and recommended quality settings.

The downloaded XML file should be saved to a convenient location, such as your desktop.

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Next, navigate to the File menu within Flash Media Encoder and select Open Profile.

This action will allow you to load the XML file that was previously saved.

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Once the profile is loaded, clicking the Start button will initiate your live stream.

You should then be broadcasting to your Twitch channel.

Custom Configuration of Flash Media Encoder

For users preferring to manually configure Flash Media Encoder, a degree of technical proficiency is required. Should you choose not to utilize Justin.TV's standard load-balancing address, the following Flash Media Server URLs are available for use:

Justin.TV Network Proxies

San Francisco, California - rtmp://live.justin.tv/app
Ashburn, Virginia - rtmp://live-iad.justin.tv/app
Miami, Florida - rtmp://live-mia.justin.tv/app
New York, New York - rtmp://live-jfk.justin.tv/app
Los Angeles, California - rtmp://live-lax.justin.tv/app
London, United Kingdom - rtmp://live-lhr.justin.tv/app
Amsterdam - rtmp://live-ams.justin.tv/app
Frankfurt - rtmp://live-fra.justin.tv/app

Justin.TV External Proxies (Third-Party Infrastructure)

Dallas, Texas - rtmp://live-dfw.justin.tv/app
San Antonio, Texas - rtmp://live-dfw-backup.justin.tv/app
Los Angeles, California - rtmp://live-lax-backup.justin.tv/app
Herndon, Virginia - rtmp://live-iad-backup.justin.tv/app
London, United Kingdom - rtmp://live-lhr-backup.justin.tv/app
Asia - rtmp://live-sin-backup.justin.tv/app

Within the Stream setting, input the unique key obtained from the Show Key function on the official Twitch.TV platform.

Further settings can be adjusted to meet your specific requirements. Local stream saving is an option, however, be aware that higher stream qualities will result in significantly larger file sizes.

Ensure the correct input device is selected for your broadcast. For desktop streaming, a virtual camera tool such as ManyCam is highly recommended. A detailed guide on ManyCam is available for review.

Should you require further assistance, please leave a comment below with your questions, or indicate if this guide has been helpful.