How to Set Up a Free RTMP Server with Open Source Red5

In this post, we’ll guide you through setting up an RTMP server for free using the open-source Red5 software. This tutorial covers downloading the code from GitHub, installing it, hosting it yourself, and exploring the possible applications of using a Red5 RTMP server. Finally, we’ll discuss the advantages of upgrading to Red5 Pro for advanced capabilities, as well as Red5 Cloud, our fully hosted solution for ultimate ease and scalability.

Part 1: Setting Up Your Free RTMP Server with Open-Source Red5

There are two options: either clone the repo and build it or download a pre-built archive from the GitHub release notes.

Step 1: Clone Red5 from GitHub

The open-source version of Red5 is freely available on GitHub. Follow these steps to download it:

1. First, make sure you have Java JDK 11 and Apache Maven installed. Red5 is built in Java and uses Maven for its build system.

   java -version
   mvn -version

1. Open a terminal or command prompt and clone the Red5 repository:

git clone https://github.com/Red5/red5-server.git

1. Navigate into the cloned directory:

cd red5-server

Step 2: Build the Red5 Server

1. Run the Maven build process to compile the Red5 server.

mvn clean install -P assemble

If the build completes successfully, you’ll find the necessary files in the target folder. The build will be packaged in both zip and tar.gz archives.

1. Extract one of the archives to where your Red5 server distribution will be deployed.

Step 3: Start the Server

This assumes that the archive has be extracted to your deployment directory.

1. Run the Red5 server by navigating into the deployed location and using the startup script.

./red5.sh # for Linux or Mac
red5.bat # for Windows

You should see console output indicating the server has started successfully, typically on localhost:5080.

1. To test if your RTMP server is live, open your web browser and go to http://localhost:5080/. You should see the Red5 landing page.

Step 4: Configure RTMP Applications

Red5 supports RTMP out of the box. You can now create and configure RTMP applications. In the webapps directory, add a new directory for your application (e.g., live), and use the default settings for simple RTMP streaming.

Step 5: Test Your Stream

As an easy way to test, you will want to create an RTMP stream. We recommend using OBS to publish a stream, and then use VLC to watch it.

How to Generate an RTMP Stream in OBS and Watch It in VLC

Once your Red5 RTMP server is up and running, you can create a live stream in OBS (Open Broadcaster Software) and view it using VLC Media Player. OBS is a free, open-source tool for streaming and recording, making it ideal for this purpose. Here’s how to set it up:

Step 1: Configure the OBS Stream Settings

1. Download and Install OBS: If you haven’t already, download and install OBS from obsproject.com.

2. Set Up the Stream:

– Open OBS and go to Settings > Stream.

– Set Service to “Custom…”

– In the Server field, enter your Red5 server’s RTMP URL. By default, it’s usually rtmp://localhost/live.

– In the Stream Key field, enter a stream key of your choice, such as testStream. This key will be used to identify the stream URL later in VLC.

Your final RTMP URL will look something like this:

rtmp://localhost/live/testStream

1. Adjust Output Settings:

– Go to Settings > Output.

– Under Output Mode, choose Simple and set the Video Bitrate and Audio Bitrate as needed.

1. Add a Source:

– In the main OBS window, under Sources, click the + button and add a source (such as Video Capture Device if you want to stream from a webcam, or Display Capture to stream your screen).

1. Start Streaming: Click Start Streaming in OBS. The stream is now being sent to your Red5 RTMP server.

Step 2: Watch the RTMP Stream in VLC Media Player

1. Open VLC Media Player: If you don’t have VLC installed, download it from videolan.org.

2. Connect to the RTMP Stream:

– Open VLC, go to Media > Open Network Stream….

– In the Network URL field, enter the RTMP URL of the stream. Using the example above, it would be:

rtmp://localhost/live/testStream

– Click Play.

1. View the Stream: VLC will connect to the RTMP server and begin displaying your live stream.

Troubleshooting Tips

– Firewall: Make sure any firewalls are configured to allow RTMP traffic on your server’s IP and port.

– Network Issues: If VLC cannot connect, double-check that OBS is streaming to the correct RTMP URL.

That’s it! You’re now broadcasting live from OBS to your Red5 RTMP server and watching the stream in VLC. This setup can be used for testing or streaming to other RTMP-compatible players and platforms.

Part 2: Possible Uses of a Red5 RTMP Server

An RTMP server provides a reliable way to deliver live video streams. Here are some typical use cases:

– Broadcasting live events: Stream events like concerts, sports, and conferences directly to viewers with low latency.

– Video conferencing: Set up live, interactive video calls.

– 游戏直播：允许用户实时直播他们的游戏过程。

– 视频监控：使用 RTMP 服务器直播来自安全摄像头的视频。

– 互动媒体：使用 Red5 对 WebSockets 的支持来提供聊天功能、实时投票和观众问答。

第 3 部分：Red5 Pro 在 RTMP 及其他领域的优势

虽然开源 Red5 RTMP 服务器提供了强大的基础功能，但 Red5 Pro 为更复杂和可扩展的解决方案提供了广泛的优势。

Red5 Pro 的主要优势：

• 超低延迟流媒体：Red5 Pro 支持 WebRTC、RTSP、SRT、HLS 和 Zixi，延迟低于 500 毫秒，非常适合实时流媒体。
• 可扩展性：Red5 Pro 的 XDN（体验交付网络）架构支持分布式源服务器和边缘服务器，从而实现高度可扩展的部署。
• 自适应码率串流：Red5 Pro 根据用户网络状况动态调整串流质量，确保更流畅的观看体验。
• 多协议支持：除了RTMP之外，Red5 Pro还支持WebRTC、RTSP、HLS和SRT，使其能够适应各种流媒体需求。
• 互动直播：使用 Red5 Pro 实现高度互动的体验，例如现场拍卖、健身课程和在线辅导，其中延迟和实时互动至关重要。

第四部分：Red5云的优势

如果您正在寻找一个完全托管的无服务器解决方案，无需设置和基础设施管理，Red5 Cloud 是一个完美的选择。

Red5 云的好处：

• 快速部署：借助 Red5 Cloud，您可以在几分钟内启动流媒体服务，而无需管理底层基础设施。
• 按需扩展：Red5 Cloud 会根据您的受众规模自动扩展，这意味着您只需为您使用的资源付费。
• 全球覆盖：Red5 Cloud 的分布式架构可在全球范围内实现低延迟流媒体传输，确保为您的观众提供卓越的质量，无论他们身在何处。
• 成本效率：作为一种按需付费服务，Red5 Cloud 通过根据需求扩展或缩减来帮助有效管理成本。

结论

使用开源 Red5 设置免费的 RTMP 服务器是开始流式传输的好方法。随着您的需求增长，Red5 Pro 提供低延迟、多协议支持和增强的可扩展性等先进的实时流媒体功能。为了最大程度地简化，Red5 Cloud 提供了完全托管、全球可扩展的解决方案。

无论您选择哪条路径，Red5 都拥有技术来帮助您提供可靠、引人入胜的实时视频体验。如果您有兴趣了解有关 Red5 Pro 或 Red5 Cloud 的更多信息，请在这里与我们的团队安排时间

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