Relay destinations are a simple and effective way of relaying a live stream to another recipient on a different platform. This allows you to effectively share the video feed that you receive to another platform, such as distributing content for partners.
The concept is quite simple. Relay destinations are created using a name, a server address, and a stream key. This is essentially where you would like the stream to be duplicated or forwarded. The server and stream key are ultimately set up by the recipient, which in turn helps to transmit the signal to the correct live stream.
To set up a relay destination, you need to input the following information:
Additionally, you can choose to include a username and password if required by the recipient. This adds an extra layer of security to the stream, but it is not required to create a Relay Destination.
With relay destinations, you can set different timings for when you want the transmitting to start and stop. This feature is especially useful for instances when you want to transmit the stream to other recipients before the game or event starts, giving them time to verify the feed and its quality.
To adjust the relay timings, you have a few options:
It's important to note that in order for a relay destination to start broadcasting, it first needs to receive a signal from the stream itself. If there is no signal present, then nothing will be transmitted.
In order to actually connect the relay destination to a live stream, it's necessary to create a relay session. A relay session is the relationship between a relay destination and a live stream.
To create a relay session, follow these steps:
Now, you should see some information on the Relay Sessions tab that indicates the live stream will be sent to the designated relay destination (server and stream key). The start and stop times for the relay session will also be displayed.
If you need to send your live stream to multiple recipients, you can easily create additional relay destinations for each one. Simply create a new relay destination with the appropriate information (name, server, and stream key) for each recipient, then add the relay destination to your live stream using the process outlined above.
Please be aware that relay destinations and relay sessions are not enabled by default on all platforms. To request these features, send an email to the development team for assistance. Additionally, at the moment, relay destinations can only transmit streams in the RTMP format—other formats like RTMP S, SRT, and UDP/IP are not currently supported.
One real-world use case of relay destinations is for platforms that distribute content to multiple partners, like betting companies or content resellers. By sending a single live stream to multiple locations simultaneously, you can streamline your broadcast workflow.
Another potential use case is for content partners who want to manipulate the incoming feed for their own branding purposes. Relay destinations allow third parties to receive raw video and audio, which they can then modify using their own production tools and graphics overlays.
Relay destinations make it easy to distribute live streams to multiple recipients on different platforms, effectively streamlining content delivery and partnership arrangements. With customizable relay timings and easy relay session management, this feature offers an efficient, flexible solution for extending the reach of your live streams.
If you have any more questions, feel free to get in touch with us for more information. Happy streaming!