Testing your stream

What you need

• An RTMP streaming app — on desktop, OBS Studio (free, available on Mac, Windows, and Linux) is the most popular option
• If you want to test from your phone, download an RTMP streaming app like Larix Broadcaster (iOS & Android) or Streamlabs
• Your stream credentials from the SHWDWN dashboard (RTMP server URL and stream key)

Step by step

1. Open your event on the SHWDWN dashboard and go to the Streaming tab.
2. Copy the RTMP Server URL and Stream Key.
3. Open your streaming app:
   • OBS Studio: Go to Settings → Stream, set Service to "Custom", paste the RTMP server URL into "Server" and the stream key into "Stream Key". Click OK.
   • Mobile RTMP app: Open the app settings, find the RTMP/stream configuration, and paste the full RTMP URL (server + stream key) into the server field. Some apps have separate fields for server and key.
4. Start streaming from your app. The SHWDWN Streaming tab will update in real-time — you should see the status change from Ready to Connected to Live.
5. Check the preview on the Streaming tab to confirm video and audio are working.
6. Stop the stream when you're done testing. You can start and stop as many times as you need.

Troubleshooting

• Status stays on "Ready" — double-check you've entered the correct RTMP URL and stream key. Make sure your streaming app is actually sending video.
• Stream keeps disconnecting — check your internet connection. Streaming requires a stable upload speed (at least 5 Mbps recommended).
• No audio — check your audio source is selected in your streaming app. OBS defaults to desktop audio but you may need to add a microphone source.