Overview

OctoStream turns camera feeds and encoder output into live video that works in normal browsers. You can publish a stream from an RTSP camera, OBS, or a hardware encoder, then use OctoStream to create a watch page, embed the stream on a website, record footage, schedule availability, and restream to external platforms.

What OctoStream is for

OctoStream is built for live streams that need to be easy to publish and easy to watch.

Common workflows include:

  • Put an IP camera or NVR feed on a public website.
  • Share a clean live watch page without asking viewers to install an RTSP player.
  • Stream from OBS to OctoStream, then make that feed available on the web.
  • Restream one source to platforms such as YouTube, Twitch, Facebook, X, or a custom RTMP endpoint.
  • Save recordings for later playback from the dashboard.
  • Control when a stream is available with weekly schedules and date overrides.

How streaming works

Each OctoStream livestream has one source and one or more outputs.

The source is how video enters OctoStream:

  • Pull from camera: OctoStream connects to a public RTSP URL from a camera, DVR, NVR, or encoder.
  • Push from OBS or encoder: OBS or a hardware encoder publishes RTMP to a private OctoStream publish URL.

The outputs are where the stream goes:

  • Browser playback through a public watch page.
  • Website embeds using the embed code from the stream dashboard.
  • External RTMP destinations for restreaming to social or live platforms.
  • Recordings when recording is enabled for the stream.

This means one source can power multiple delivery paths. For example, OBS can publish once to OctoStream while OctoStream sends the same feed to your website, YouTube, and X Livestream.

RTSP pull vs RTMP push

Choose Pull from camera when the source is an IP camera, DVR, NVR, or encoder that already exposes an RTSP URL.

Choose Push from OBS or encoder when you are producing the stream from software or hardware that can publish RTMP. This is the usual path for OBS Studio, event production systems, and live shows with scenes, overlays, screen share, or multiple cameras.

Browser playback and embeds

RTSP is common for cameras, but browsers do not play RTSP directly. OctoStream handles the streaming pipeline so viewers can watch from a browser on desktop, iPhone, Android, and tablets.

After a stream is created, the dashboard provides:

  • A watch page URL.
  • An embed code for your website.
  • Stream management controls.
  • A playback preview when video is available.

You can also upload a player logo, which appears as a subtle watermark on the watch page and embedded player.

Destinations and restreaming

Destinations let OctoStream send the same live feed to external RTMP platforms.

Supported destination options include:

  • YouTube
  • Twitch
  • Facebook Live
  • Twitter / X
  • Custom RTMP

Destinations are managed from the stream's Destinations tab. You can enable multiple destinations for one stream, so the source only has to publish once.

Scheduling

Schedules control when a stream is available on live and embed pages.

Use schedules when a camera or event should only be public during specific windows, such as business hours, service times, class sessions, or event days. A stream can have:

  • A recurring weekly schedule.
  • A timezone.
  • Date overrides for exceptions or special event days.

When scheduling is disabled, the stream is always available whenever the source is live.

Recordings

On plans that include recording, a stream can save future footage for playback from the dashboard.

Recordings are organized by day. You can enable or disable recording per stream from the Recordings tab.

Where to start

If you are setting up OctoStream for the first time, start with Quick Start.

If you already know your source type: