YouTube HLS PUSH Live streaming from Wowza Streaming Engine

So, the writer developed the module.

The problem is that for Wowza Streaming Engine, the only built-in PUSH method is RTMP. HLS PUSH is available exclusively for Wowza service targets. The YouTube option under Stream Targets also uses RTMP.

If you need a something, make it yourself.
-EQMaker

For this reason, the writer developed the HLStoYTB module, which enables YouTube HLS PUSH on Wowza Streaming Engine. With this module, it is possible to set up a live stream to YouTube using HLS without worrying about the Wowza server crashing or internet connection issues.

Step 1 – Prerequisites

1. Check that the Wowza Streaming Engine version is 4.5.0 or later.
2. Get the HLS ingest URL from YouTube.

Step 2 – Download and Installation

1. Download the HLStoYTB module.
2. Copy the downloaded HLStoYTB.jar file to the [Wowza install dir]/lib directory.
3. Restart the Wowza Streaming Engine service.

HLStoYTB module does not require a separate registration process. Wowza Streaming Engine will automatically load the module from the library upon restarting.

Step 3 – Configure the Environment

1. Enable Apple HLS

   Check that Apple HLS is enabled under Playback Types for the desired live application. If not, enable it.

   

2. Adjust Chunk size

   Select the Properties tab in the live application. Under the Cupertino Streaming Packetizer section, click Edit. Set cupertinoChunkDurationTarget to 4000 and click Save. This sets the duration of chunk to 4 seconds. (YouTube recommends a duration of 1 to 4 seconds, and the developer (the writer) also recommends using 4 seconds.)

   

3. Enable the Stream Target

   Select Stream Target from the application menu, then click Enable Stream Targets to activate the feature. (If it is already enabled, you can skip this step.)

   

4. Verify Custom PUSH Profile Path

   Navigate to Server > Server Setup > Properties. Then, check for the following entry in the Custom section at the bottom. If it does not exist, add it.

   Path

   /Root/Server

   Name

   pushPublishProfilesCustomFile

   Type

   String (may be blank if a default setting exists)

   Value

   ${com.wowza.wms.ConfigHome}/conf/PushPublishProfilesCustom.xml

   

5. Add a Custom Profile

   Referencing the example below, add the <PushPublishProfile> block to the <PushPublishProfiles> section of the [Wowza install dir]/conf/PushPublishProfilesCustom.xml file. If the file does not exist, create it.

   <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
   <Root>
    <PushPublishProfiles>
     <PushPublishProfile>
      <Name>HLS-Youtube</Name>
      <Protocol>HTTP</Protocol>
      <BaseClass>kr.eqmaker.wms.hls.push.youtube.HLStoYTB</BaseClass>
      <UtilClass></UtilClass>
      <HTTPConfiguration>
      </HTTPConfiguration>
      <Properties>
      </Properties>
     </PushPublishProfile>
    </PushPublishProfiles>
   </Root>

Step 4 – Configure Stream Target

Enter the HLS ingest URL obtained from YouTube into the module. This guide assumes the ingest URL is https://a.upload.youtube.com/http_upload_hls?cid=eqma-kere-qmak-ereq-make&copy=0&file=.

1. Open PushPublishMap.txt

   Open the PushPublishMap.txt file located at [Wowza install dir]/conf/[application name]/. For example, if using an application named live, the default paths are as follows:.
   

   • Windows : C:\Program Files\Wowza Media Systems\conf\live\PushPublishMap.txt
   • Linux : /usr/local/WowzaStreamingEngine/conf/live/PushPublishMap.txt

2. Enter the Ingest URL

   Following the explanation below, add the following content to the PushPublishMap.txt file.

   InputStream={"entryName":"HLStoYTB1", "profile":"HLS-Youtube", "streamName":"HLStoYTB1", "host":"a.upload.youtube.com/http_upload_hls?cid=eqma-kere-qmak-ereq-make&copy=0&file=", "sendSSL":"true"}

   InputStream

   The name of the input stream that will be sent to YouTube.

   entryName

   The name of the entry in the PushPublishMap.txt file. It must be unique within this file. It is recommended to use the same name as the streamName below.

   streamName

   The name of the output stream. This name must also be unique. It is recommended to use the same name as the entryName above.

   host

   Enter the HLS ingest URL obtained from YouTube. Exclude https://.

   sendSSL

   Since YouTube uses HTTPS, set this to true.

   profile

   HLS-Youtube (Required)

If readers need to send a single stream to multiple targets, or send multiple streams from one application, they can simply add the required number of target entries to the PushPublishMap.txt file.

Step 5 – Restart and Send Stream

Restart Wowza Engine to apply all changes. When an input stream is detected, the live application will automatically begin HLS transmission.

HLS targets configured this way will not appear in the Stream Target section of the Wowza UI. The service status must be verified using the Wowza log files and the YouTube Live Control Room.