Live streaming on Minds: Livepeer makes it happen

We've heard your requests for live streaming and wanted to build it, but making it a reality that won't sink Minds financially is a big, difficult task. Thankfully, our friends at Livepeer stepped up big. Through the power of open source collaboration, the Livepeer team added a new button to the composer that enables anyone to live stream right here on Minds, starting today. Just… consider this a beta.

Here's how it works:

In the composer on the Minds web app, look for a new live stream button (circled in green below). Tap this button and you'll be given two bits of text you need: (1) An RTMP link, also known as a server address, and (2) a unique stream key.

With these two bits of text in hand, go to your streaming software of choice, like Stream Yard or OBS, and input these values. In OBS, you'll find the inputs under Settings > Stream, and select Service: Custom. Once you've got the server and stream key configured, start streaming and you'll see your live video appear in the composer, which you can preview before clicking to post.

Note: If you don't have access to OBS or Streamyard, Livepeer has their own broadcasting tool you can use. To access it and begin broadcasting immediately, open a new browser tab to the following URL, replacing the word "STREAMKEY" with your unique stream key assigned in the Minds composer:

https://lvpr.tv/broadcast/STREAMKEY

As mentioned up front, consider this a beta. There are some known issues you may encounter when…

• Adding an image to a post with a live stream
• Editing a post with a live stream
• Re-using a stream key
• Sharing the withlivepeer.com link in your post

Avoid those things and you'll avoid those issues while we see how the Minds community puts live streaming to work. We'll be evaluating service performance, ease of use, and trying to understand how the Minds community is likely to use live streaming. How many people are interested in going live? How many people want to watch? And how do we make the economics work in a way that supports Minds growth? Thanks to Livepeer, we're able to run this beta free of charge for everyone while we figure things out.

What are the benefits of live streaming on Minds?

• Monetization.
  Your channel is already eligible to earn a share of our ad revenue based on the impressions served on your channel. Our affiliate program gives you 45% of all ad and membership sales you drive. That’s a lot.
   
• Reach.
  We will feature you. Earn tokens which can be used to boost your posts for more views.
   
• Support freedom tech.
  Minds, including our livestream tech, is open source and decentralized
   
• Whether you do an exclusive stream on Minds or a simulcast, everything helps. The key is to drive people to watch from your other large social platforms.

Let us know about your experiences! Share your streams with us, and let us know if you run into issues or otherwise have use cases we haven't yet thought of. We'll be watching 👀

To learn more about Livepeer and their unique, open source, blockchain-based live stream solution, check out their 10-minute primer.