What is RTMP?
You have probably used RTMP already without knowing its name. It is the old faithful of live streaming: if you have ever gone live on Twitch or YouTube from a computer, you have almost certainly sent it. Here is what it actually is, with no jargon, and how Super Simple IRL still puts it to work when your camera speaks RTMP.
The short version
RTMP is the standard way to send a live stream from your device to a platform. When someone goes live on Twitch or YouTube from a computer, RTMP is usually the method carrying the video across. It has been around for years, so almost everything supports it.
What it is good at
RTMP has stuck around for a reason. It is simple, it is everywhere, and on a stable connection it just works.
- Widely supported. Nearly every platform and encoder speaks RTMP, so you rarely have to think about compatibility.
- Great on a wired or steady connection. Streaming from home over your broadband? RTMP is perfectly happy.
- Simple to point somewhere. You paste in a stream URL and a stream key, and you are live.
Where it struggles
RTMP was built for stable, wired connections. It has no real way to recover when little pieces of your video go missing along the way.
On home broadband, pieces almost never go missing, so this is not a problem. But out in the real world on mobile data, signal comes and goes. The moment your connection wobbles and a few pieces are lost, RTMP has no backup plan, so the stream stutters or drops.
That is the whole catch with RTMP: rock solid at home, shaky the moment you walk out the door.
Where RTMP fits with IRL streaming
RTMP has not gone anywhere, and you may still use it every day. Plenty of cameras, like a GoPro or a DJI, send their video out as RTMP.
Super Simple IRL can take that RTMP feed in from your camera, then send a tougher, more resilient stream out to SSIRL’s managed cloud. So you keep using the RTMP gear you already own, and the part that travels across mobile networks uses something built to survive them.
What to read next
- To see what solves RTMP’s mobile problem, read what is SRT.
- For a side-by-side look at all three, read the difference between RTMP, SRT and SRTLA.
Frequently asked questions
What is RTMP in simple terms?
RTMP is a way of sending live video from your device to a streaming platform. It is the standard method used to go live on Twitch and YouTube from a computer or console. Think of it as the pipe that carries your stream to the platform.
What does RTMP stand for?
Real-Time Messaging Protocol. You do not need to remember that. What matters is that it is the long-standing, widely supported way to send a live stream to a platform.
Is RTMP still used today?
Yes, everywhere. Twitch, YouTube, Facebook and most platforms still accept RTMP, and lots of cameras and encoders send it. It only struggles when the connection is unstable, such as streaming over mobile data while moving.
Can I use my RTMP camera with Super Simple IRL?
Yes. A GoPro or DJI camera can send RTMP into the app, and the app then sends a more resilient stream out to SSIRL's managed cloud. Your camera stays RTMP, your outbound stream gets extra reliability.