Your First Stream

This guide takes you from zero to live in under five minutes. You will create a stream channel in the WAVE dashboard, configure your encoder, and start broadcasting.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:

• A verified WAVE account with an active organization (see Create an Account)
• A streaming encoder such as OBS Studio, vMix, Wirecast, or a hardware encoder that supports RTMP, SRT, or WebRTC
• A stable internet connection with at least 5 Mbps upload speed for 1080p streaming

Create a stream channel

{% stepper %} {% step title=“Open the dashboard” %} Log in to your WAVE dashboard at app.wave.online  and navigate to Streams in the left sidebar. {% /step %}

{% step title=“Click Create Stream” %} Click the Create Stream button in the top-right corner. Enter a name for your stream (e.g. “Weekly Town Hall”) and an optional description. {% /step %}

{% step title=“Choose your ingest protocol” %} Select the protocol your encoder will use to send video to WAVE:

• RTMP — Widest encoder compatibility. Good for standard broadcasts.
• SRT — Lower latency and better error correction over unreliable networks.
• WebRTC — Ultra-low latency, browser-based ingest. No encoder software needed.

You can change the protocol later or enable multiple protocols on the same stream. {% /step %}

{% step title=“Copy your stream credentials” %} After creating the stream, WAVE generates an Ingest URL and a Stream Key. Copy both values — you will paste them into your encoder in the next step. {% /step %} {% /stepper %}

{% callout type=“tip” title=“Quick start with WebRTC” %} If you just want to test your setup, select WebRTC and click Go Live from Browser. This lets you stream directly from your webcam without any encoder software. {% /callout %}

Connect your encoder

The exact steps vary by encoder, but the general process is the same across all software and hardware encoders.

{% tabs %} {% tab label=“OBS Studio” %}

1. Open OBS Studio and go to Settings > Stream.
2. Set Service to “Custom” and Server to your WAVE Ingest URL.
3. Paste your Stream Key into the Stream Key field.
4. Set your output resolution to 1920x1080 and bitrate between 4000-6000 kbps for 1080p.
5. Click OK and then Start Streaming in the main OBS window. {% /tab %}

{% tab label=“vMix” %}

1. Click the Stream button in the bottom toolbar.
2. Select Custom RTMP Server as the destination.
3. Enter your WAVE Ingest URL and Stream Key.
4. Set the quality profile to match your desired resolution and bitrate.
5. Click Start to begin streaming. {% /tab %}

{% tab label=“Hardware Encoder” %}

1. Access your encoder’s web interface or configuration panel.
2. Navigate to the output or streaming settings section.
3. Enter the WAVE Ingest URL as the destination server.
4. Enter the Stream Key in the authentication or key field.
5. If using SRT, set the latency to 200ms and enter the passphrase if configured.
6. Start the encoder output. {% /tab %} {% /tabs %}

Monitor your stream

Once your encoder is sending data, return to the WAVE dashboard. Your stream will show a Live indicator within a few seconds. The dashboard displays real-time metrics including:

• Ingest bitrate — The actual data rate arriving at the WAVE edge server.
• Frame rate — Frames per second from your encoder.
• Viewer count — The number of active playback sessions.
• Stream health — An aggregate score based on packet loss, jitter, and keyframe interval.

{% callout type=“warning” title=“Check your stream health” %} If the stream health indicator turns yellow or red, check your encoder settings and network connection. Common causes include insufficient upload bandwidth, incorrect keyframe interval (should be 2 seconds), and high CPU usage on the encoding machine. {% /callout %}

Share the playback link

Every stream has a unique playback URL that you can share with your audience. Find it on the stream detail page under Playback > Share Link. WAVE automatically selects the best playback protocol (HLS or WebRTC low-latency) based on the viewer’s browser and network.

Next steps

Your first stream is live. From here you can explore advanced topics:

• WebRTC Setup for ultra-low-latency interactive streaming
• SRT Configuration for professional remote contribution
• Plans and Pricing to understand your usage limits

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