Streams: live setup #
This guide walks you through running a live broadcast end to end, from creating the stream in your dashboard to ending it when the match is over. The dashboard is your control panel: you set everything up here, then point your broadcasting software or hardware at the stream so your fans can watch.
Your encoder, the software or device that captures and sends your video, does the actual broadcasting. The dashboard tells it where to send the feed and lets you monitor and control the stream once it is running.
Before you start #
Before you start
- An admin account for your club's channel
- A camera or capture source connected to your computer or encoder
- Broadcasting software (such as OBS) or a hardware encoder
- A reliable wired internet connection with enough upload speed for video
Step 1: Create the stream #
Live broadcasts start life as a stream you create and configure in advance.
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Open Streams and start a new one
From the dashboard, go to Streams and select New Stream.
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Add the details
Give the stream a title and description, upload a thumbnail, and set the date and time. You can also link the teams or league the match belongs to so it appears in the right places for fans.
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Set who can watch
Decide whether the stream is public or hidden, and whether fans watch it for free, pay once to unlock it, or need an active subscription plan. You can also restrict it to certain regions if your rights require it.
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Choose what happens afterwards
Set how the recording behaves once the broadcast ends, since every live stream is saved as an on-demand replay automatically. Then save. Your stream is created and ready to connect.
Step 2: Connect your encoder #
To send video, your encoder needs two pieces of information from the dashboard: a server URL (sometimes called the ingest or server address) and a stream key. Open the stream you created and copy both.
The exact fields differ slightly between tools, but the idea is the same everywhere: paste the server URL into the "server" or "URL" field and the stream key into the "stream key" field.
- Open Settings, then Stream.
- Set Service to Custom.
- Paste the server URL into the Server field.
- Paste the stream key into the Stream Key field.
- Select OK, then Start Streaming when you are ready.
- Open your encoder's streaming or output settings.
- Choose the custom or manual destination option.
- Enter the server URL as the destination address.
- Enter the stream key in the key or passphrase field.
- Save the settings and start the output when you are ready.
Settings worth checking #
Title and thumbnail text required What fans see in the listing. A clear title and a sharp thumbnail help fans find the stream.
Access choice required Free, pay-per-view, or subscription. This controls who can watch.
Start time date and time required When the stream is scheduled to begin. Fans see this as the countdown to kickoff.
Server URL and stream key connection required The two values your encoder needs. The stream key is private.
Step 3: Go live #
Once the dashboard is showing your preview feed and you are happy with it, you are ready to make the broadcast visible to fans.
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Open the live control panel
From Streams, open your stream and select the live control panel for it.
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Confirm the preview
Check that the video and audio in the preview look and sound right. This is exactly what fans will see.
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Go live
Select Go Live. Your stream becomes visible to fans, and they can start watching on the web and in the apps.
Step 4: Monitor the broadcast #
While you are live, the control panel keeps you in the loop in real time. Keep it open for the duration of the match. From here you can:
- Watch the live preview of your own feed.
- See how many fans are watching as the numbers update.
- Keep an eye on audio levels and stream health.
- Send a message to everyone watching, for example a kickoff reminder.
If the picture freezes or the numbers drop unexpectedly, the most common cause is the connection between your encoder and the internet, so check that first.
Step 5: End the stream #
When the broadcast is finished, end it cleanly so the recording is saved correctly.
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Stop your encoder
Stop streaming in OBS or your hardware encoder so it stops sending video.
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End the stream in the dashboard
In the live control panel, select Stop Stream. The broadcast ends for fans straight away.
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Let the replay prepare
The recording is saved and prepared as an on-demand replay using the settings you chose earlier. It then appears in your on-demand library, ready for fans who missed the live broadcast.
Next steps