Ravnur Media Services (RMS) handles the technical infrastructure for live streaming so you can focus on your content. Choose RMS if you want reliable live streaming without building and maintaining your own infrastructure.
You provide:
A streaming encoder (like Open Broadcast Software (OBS), or Wirecast).
Your video source.
RMS provides:
Stream ingest processing.
Multi-quality encoding (optional).
HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) and MPEG-DASH output for broad compatibility.
Live recording and DVR (rewind) playback.
Streaming delivery using RMS’s built-in CDN or your own CDN.
In this article:
How RMS live streaming works
RMS delivers scalable cloud-based live streaming with built-in DVR, multi-bitrate encoding, and automatic packaging to HLS and MPEG-DASH formats.
Before diving into the workflow, understand these core distinctions:
Ingest vs Playback URLs: Your encoder pushes to the ingest URL; viewers consume from playback URLs (HLS/DASH manifests).
Live event vs live output: The live event processes your stream; the live output connects it to storage and enables playback.
DVR vs Video on Demand (VOD): DVR enables time-shifting during the live event; the same recording used for DVR becomes VOD after the event ends.
For detailed definitions and API references, see Live streaming glossary.
The diagram below shows the complete live streaming pipeline from encoder to viewer:
How it works:
- Your encoder sends the live feed to RMS using Real-Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP), Secure Reliable Transport (SRT), or Real-Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP).
- The live event ingests and validates the stream.
- RMS applies Adaptive Bitrate (ABR) encoding (or no encoding for passthrough) based on your configuration.
During the live event, the live output writes the live archive to an asset. At the same time, the streaming endpoint packages and delivers HLS/DASH to viewers.
After the event ends, the live archive becomes available as VOD.
With RMS, you can preview and broadcast your live streams in HLS and MPEG-DASH formats. Your viewers can play back the live stream with any HLS- or DASH-compatible players. We recommend using Ravnur Media Player.
Live event types
RMS offers two live event types: passthrough and Adaptive Bitrate (ABR). Choose the type based on your latency, quality, and cost requirements.
Passthrough - delivers your stream as-is without re-encoding,
ABR - transcodes it into multiple quality levels for adaptive playback.
Choose based on your latency, quality, and cost requirements. See Live streaming: event types and compatibility for a full breakdown and protocol compatibility matrix.
Next steps
Live streaming quickstart - create your first live event.
Live streaming glossary - learn about other aspects of streaming.