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Stream problems

The stream stopped, stalled or never started.

The stream stopped by itself​

Common reasons, all shown in the channel's Logs tab: your plan's maximum stream duration was reached; no encoder connected within the wait time; the app was put in the background while going live from a phone (the camera is suspended by the OS, so we end the stream instead of freezing); a platform rejected the stream key; or the network dropped for more than 10 seconds. Channels with Auto-restart enabled restart after a temporary failure.

"Waiting for encoder" or "Waiting for camera"​

The channel is armed and the server is waiting for video to arrive. For custom RTMP it is waiting for your encoder to connect with the stream key; for camera channels it is waiting for the Go Live window or the mobile app to connect. Nothing is sent to your platforms until video arrives. Press Cancel on the card to disarm it.

"Connecting to platforms…" does not finish​

Your camera reaches our server first, then the server starts the encoder that pushes to YouTube, Twitch or Facebook. That takes a few seconds. The LIVE badge and the timer only start once at least one platform confirms the connection, so when you see LIVE your viewers can really see you.

Choppy or out of sync from a phone​

Live camera streams depend on your phone's upload speed. Use Wi-Fi where possible, keep the app in the foreground, and choose 720p rather than 1080p on the channel if you are on mobile data (Free plan channels are always 480p). The app automatically limits its upload bitrate to the channel's quality preset. If the connection drops, the app shows "Reconnecting" and gives up after 10 seconds.

The picture is not sharp​

Sharpness depends on three things: the channel's quality preset (Free plan channels are 480p; choose 720p or 1080p on paid plans), your upload connection, and what the platform does on its side (YouTube re-encodes and needs a minute or two to offer the HD version to viewers). For screen shares with small text, prefer 1080p where your plan allows it. In the panel, make sure you have refreshed the page after an update so the latest sender settings are used.