ownCast
2 min read
Owncast is an open-source, self-hosted live video and web chat server. It allows anyone to run their own streaming platform similar to Twitch or YouTube Live — without relying on centralized services. Whether you're streaming games, music, art, or hosting online events, Owncast provides you with full control over your content and audience experience.
🚀 Key Features
• Live Video Streaming Stream using standard broadcasting software like OBS Studio, directly to your Owncast server using RTMP.
• Integrated Web Chat Built-in, real-time chat with emoji, moderation tools, and custom branding options.
• Web Interface A responsive, customizable frontend for viewers, including live status, video, chat, and stream details.
• Federation Supports ActivityPub to interact with Fediverse platforms like Mastodon — followers can get stream notifications and interact directly from their accounts.
• Analytics Dashboard Provides stream statistics, viewer counts, and chat activity for monitoring performance and engagement.
• Custom Branding Modify logos, color themes, titles, descriptions, and more for a personalized experience.
• Plugins and Integrations Extend functionality using community-developed or custom plugins via owncast/extensions.
🎙 Broadcasting to Owncast
To broadcast:
2. Set Stream URL to your Owncast server’s RTMP endpoint (e.g., rtmp://yourdomain.com/live)
3. Set Stream Key to the value configured in Owncast's admin panel
4. Start streaming!
⚙ Configuration
After setup, visit the Admin Panel at http://yourdomain.com/admin:
• Change stream key, server name, description
• Manage chat settings and moderation tools
• Configure federation and stream notifications
• Customize branding and stream appearance
Compose
yml
version: "3"
services:
owncast:
image: owncast/owncast:latest
ports:
- "8080:8080"
- "1935:1935"
volumes:
- ./data:/app/data