RTMP delivers a high-performance transmission of audio and video data with low latency. But you can’t play RTMP streams directly on the web today as the Adobe Flash Player is dead. However, you can still stream RTMP with VLC. Keep reading, and I’ll show you how to make RTMP VLC workable.
Michelle Michelle | Updated on Apr 28, 2023

What is RTMP? Does VLC Support RTMP?

RTMP (Real-Time Messaging Protocol) is a streaming protocol developed by Macromedia (now owned by Adobe) for streaming video, audio, and other data from a server to the Adobe Flash Player. It was the primary means for live streaming before the advent of HLS streaming. Later, the end of Adobe Flash Player took a heavy blow on RTMP streaming.

Now RTMP streaming is gradually phasing out from the live streaming industry. You can’t directly play an RTMP stream on the web anymore. Actually, you won’t see many rtmp:// URLs as before. But that doesn’t mean RTMP is getting obsolete. In fact, RTMP is still widely used by broadcasters for its low latency and its support for low-end devices. It now plays a new important role as RTMP ingest, meaning using the RTMP encoder to encode and deliver the live video from the encoder to online video platforms. In this way, one can stream video with RTMP and the online video platform using HLS streaming.

One thing worth mentioning is that the RTMP encoder can also ingest directly into the video player. But here’s the problem, besides the Flash player, what can serve as another RTMP stream player. The best answer is VLC. According to the official VLC team, VLC supports RTMP and rtmp:// URLs from version 1.1 and onwards. If you have received an RTMP link, you can still use VLC to open the RTMP stream. I will show you the simple RTMP VLC solution in the next part.

A Free Video Converter & Downloader

WonderFox Free HD Video Converter Factory is a two-in-one program that combines the features of a versatile converter and a powerful downloader for free use. With it, you can download any video and song you like from numerous websites and enjoy them smoothly on all your devices like PC, mobile, tablet, etc. It’s safe, free, and easy to use. Try it now!

How to Play RTMP Stream in VLC?

1. Open VLC (requires version 1.1 and upwards).

2. On the top menu bar, click “Media” > “Open Network Stream…” or press “Ctrl + N.”

RTMP VLC

3. At the window that appears, enter an RTMP URL in the format “rtmp://Server URL/live/Stream Name” at the URL box, and hit “Play.” The stream will start in a few seconds.

VLC RTMP Streaming

At Last…

That’s all for how to play RTMP stream in VLC. Hope you’ll find this article helpful. Thanks for reading!

Powerful DVD Ripper for Windows
WonderFox DVD Ripper Pro

WonderFox DVD Ripper Pro

WonderFox DVD Ripper Pro is a professional DVD ripping program that can easily rip any DVD, be it homemade or commercial, to all popular formats including MP4, MKV, MP3, WAV, H264, H265, Android, iPhone, etc. without a hitch. It also lets you edit and compress DVD videos at high efficiency. Download it to enjoy a fast and trouble-free DVD-ripping experience.

Specialized in multimedia software solutions.
Since 2009

Privacy Policy | Copyright © 2009-2023 WonderFox Soft, Inc.All Rights Reserved

Back to Top