Westie DJ Quick Tip: Episode 2: Live Streaming
So, you want to live stream a set? You’re wondering how can you do that easily? Well, you’ve come to the right place! I’ll explain what I do now, then talk about other things I’ve tried along with the pros and the cons. 🥳
My Current Process
Tools
- VirtualDJ: https://www.virtualdj.com/
- Twitch: https://twitch.tv/
Steps
- Have VirtualDJ and your Twitch account ready!
- Follow these instructions!
- Go to Twitch Stream Manager to see stats and to chat!
- Optionally, go to your live stream (@ http://twitch.tv/[your user name]) to verify your live stream is working!
Gotchas
- Make sure your stream URL is something like rtmp://live-dfw.twitch.tv/app/!
- Make sure your stream key is properly copied and pasted!
- Hopefully your upload bandwidth is big enough to handle the best quality which has the audio quality at 128kbps. If your bandwidth cannot handle it, I’d consider using Shoutcast (audio-only) live streaming. Instructions here! 😈
What if I don’t use VirtualDJ?
Well…you’re SOL. J/k. You have a few choices:
- Learn how to use VirtualDJ! 😂 Or, …
- Wait for my next article that’ll talk about how to use whatever app you want to livestream your set! I’ll probably do it in another day/week/year or so! 🤣
Other Options
Periscope: https://www.pscp.tv/
Periscope seems to work well too! The main reason why I use Twitch over Periscope is because I’m able to use tools like MultiTwitch to “co-DJ” together. Victor and I did a set together and it worked out well!
Shoutcast: https://www.shoutcast.com/
Shoutcast is a way to stream audio (sans video), and it works well. I’ve done it once to stream directly from Century Ballroom for fun! I don’t do this right now though because I either have to pay to use a managed Shoutcast service or manage an Icecast (a Shoutcast implementation I think?) server myself.
That said, since Shoutcast is only streaming audio, it requires much less bandwidth. So if your upload bandwidth can’t handle what I suggest above, consider using Shoutcast!
Failed Options
Their copyright tool got triggered and the stream got blocked/disabled maybe about 30 min into testing it out.
YouTube
Their copyright tool got triggered about an hour into the second time I streamed via YouTube. The stream didn’t get blocked/disabled during the second set, but clearly it knows what you’re up to.
But…but…I want to see other people
I’ll write about how to use a conference app (like Zoom) to live stream *and* see other people you’re streaming to. 😮 But for now, the above is the easiest way to get started with live streaming your set!
Feel free to ping me on Facebook if you have any issues!
