RapidRTMP

A high-performance RTMP-to-HLS streaming server written in Go, designed for low-latency live streaming with OBS Studio and other RTMP sources.

🚀 Features

• RTMP Ingest: Accepts RTMP streams from OBS Studio, FFmpeg, and other sources
• HLS Output: Converts streams to HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) for web playback
• MPEG-TS Segments: Uses MPEG-TS format for maximum compatibility
• Low Latency: Optimized for live streaming with minimal delay
• Token Authentication: Secure stream publishing with token-based auth
• Auto-Segmentation: Automatic HLS segment creation and playlist management
• H.264 Support: Full H.264 video codec support with SPS/PPS handling
• Web Player: Built-in test player for immediate stream testing

📋 Requirements

• Go 1.21+
• FFmpeg (for segment muxing)
• OBS Studio (for testing)

🛠️ Installation

1. Clone and Build

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/RapidRTMP.git
cd RapidRTMP
go mod tidy
go build -o rapidrtmp .

2. Install FFmpeg

macOS (Homebrew):

brew install ffmpeg

Ubuntu/Debian:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install ffmpeg

Windows: Download from FFmpeg.org

3. Run the Server

./rapidrtmp

The server will start on localhost:8080 by default.

🎬 Quick Start

1. Start the Server

./rapidrtmp

2. Get a Stream Token

curl -X POST http://localhost:8080/api/v1/publish \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"streamKey":"mystream"}'

Response:

{
  "token": "abc123...",
  "streamKey": "mystream"
}

3. Configure OBS Studio

1. Open OBS Studio
2. Go to Settings → Stream
3. Set Service to "Custom"
4. Set Server to: rtmp://localhost:1935/live
5. Set Stream Key to: mystream?token=abc123...
6. Click "Start Streaming"

4. Watch the Stream

Open test-player.html in your browser or visit:

http://localhost:8080/live/mystream/index.m3u8

🔧 Configuration

Environment Variables

• RTMP_PORT: RTMP server port (default: 1935)
• HTTP_PORT: HTTP server port (default: 8080)
• SEGMENT_DURATION: HLS segment duration in seconds (default: 1)
• MAX_SEGMENTS: Maximum segments to keep (default: 10)

Stream Settings

The server automatically handles:

• H.264 video codec with SPS/PPS extraction
• MPEG-TS segment generation
• HLS playlist management
• Token-based authentication

📡 API Endpoints

Authentication

POST /api/v1/publish

{
  "streamKey": "mystream"
}

Response:

{
  "token": "abc123...",
  "streamKey": "mystream"
}

HLS Playback

GET /live/{streamKey}/index.m3u8

• Returns HLS playlist

GET /live/{streamKey}/segment_{n}.ts

• Returns MPEG-TS segment

Health Check

GET /api/ping

• Returns server status

🎥 Supported Sources

OBS Studio

• Encoder: x264 (recommended)
• Rate Control: CBR or VBR
• Keyframe Interval: 1-2 seconds
• Profile: High
• Tune: zerolatency (optional)

FFmpeg

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -c:v libx264 -preset fast -f flv rtmp://localhost:1935/live/mystream?token=abc123...

Other RTMP Sources

Any RTMP-compatible streaming software that supports:

• H.264 video codec
• AAC audio codec (optional)
• RTMP protocol

🏗️ Architecture

RTMP Source (OBS) → RTMP Server → H.264 Parser → FFmpeg Muxer → HLS Segments → Web Player

Components

• RTMP Server: Handles incoming RTMP connections
• H.264 Parser: Extracts SPS/PPS and converts AVCC to Annex-B
• FFmpeg Muxer: Creates MPEG-TS segments from video frames
• HLS Segmenter: Manages segment lifecycle and playlist generation
• HTTP Server: Serves HLS playlists and segments

🔍 Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. "Stream not found" error

• Verify the stream key and token are correct
• Check that OBS is actually streaming (not just connected)
• Ensure the server is running

2. Video plays but no audio

• Audio support is currently video-only
• Audio frames are received but not muxed into segments
• This is a known limitation

3. Time bar doesn't work

• This is normal for live streams
• Live content doesn't support seeking/scrubbing
• The time bar shows current position only

4. Buffering issues

• Check network connection
• Verify FFmpeg is installed and working
• Try reducing video quality in OBS

Debug Mode

Enable debug logging:

RUST_LOG=debug ./rapidrtmp

Check server logs:

tail -f /tmp/rapidrtmp.log

🚀 Performance

• Latency: ~2-3 seconds end-to-end
• CPU Usage: Low (thanks to FFmpeg's copy codec)
• Memory: ~50MB base + ~10MB per active stream
• Concurrent Streams: Tested up to 10 simultaneous streams

🤝 Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Add tests if applicable
5. Submit a pull request

📄 License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details.

🙏 Acknowledgments

• go-rtmp - RTMP protocol implementation
• FFmpeg - Media processing
• livego - Inspiration for MPEG-TS approach
• HLS.js - Client-side HLS playback

📞 Support

• Issues: GitHub Issues
• Discussions: GitHub Discussions

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Happy Streaming! 🎬