Live streaming is evolving at breakneck speed! New technologies and protocols are appearing all the time, transforming the way we broadcast and consume content. Yet in the midst of all this excitement, RTMP remains an essential pillar for broadcasters and tech enthusiasts alike.
So what exactly is RTMP? And why is it still relevant in 2025? In this article, we delve into the world of RTMP: how it works, its benefits, its uses and how it compares to other streaming protocols.
The Real-Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP) was originally developed by Macromedia (later acquired by Adobe) to ensure smooth, low-latency transmission of audio, video and data over the Internet.
Its main role? To enable streaming between a media server and a Flash player. But even if Flash has disappeared, RTMP is still very much present in streaming workflows, thanks to its efficiency and reliability.
In practice, RTMP divides streams into smaller chunks to ensure smooth transmission and limit buffering problems. The result is more stable video quality, making it an ideal ally for live streaming.
Before diving into how RTMP works, it's important to understand one key element: theRTMP encoder. Its role? To transform raw video and audio into a format optimized for Internet broadcasting.
Encoders come in two forms:
In concrete terms, an RTMP encoder compresses the video stream and sends it to platforms such as YouTube Live, Facebook Live or Twitch.
If RTMP is still around in 2025, it's not by chance. It offers several advantages for live video broadcasting:
The RTMP broadcast process follows several key stages:
Thanks to this efficient operation, content reaches viewers with minimum delay and optimized quality.
Many platforms support RTMP streaming, making it a widely adopted standard by 2025. Among the most popular:
Other platforms, such as Yuzzit, also allow you to ingest an RTMP stream for clipping and live publishing.
The history of RTMP streaming is linked to Adobe Flash, a dominant technology for multimedia content on the web that is now outdated. This raises the question of RTMP's relevance in 2025, all the more so with the rise of HTML5.
Well, no, RTMP is not obsolete! It has evolved and is still very much a part of the streaming landscape.
Although Flash is no longer supported, RTMP has evolved. Many media servers and platforms still integrate it, ensuring its place in the streaming ecosystem. Today, RTMP is often used to ingest live streams before re-encoding them into HTTP protocols such as HLS or DASH.
RTMP vs. Streaming HTTP :
RTMP vs. RTSP :
In 2025, RTMP streaming remains the tool of choice for live broadcasting. Its low latency, high quality and broad compatibility make it a trusted protocol for streaming professionals.
Of course, alternatives such as HLS and DASH are taking up more and more space, but RTMP continues to be indispensable, especially for ingesting live streams.
If you want to get started with live streaming or improve your current setup, understanding and using RTMP is always a plus!
RTMP stands for Real-Time Messaging Protocol. It's a protocol used to broadcast live video over the Internet. It offers low latency and high streaming quality, ideal for real-time interaction.
Popular platforms supporting RTMP include YouTube Live, Facebook Live, Twitch, Vimeo, Dacast and Restream. Tools such as Yuzzit also offer advanced features for multistreaminglive live clipping and publishing.
Yes, despite the evolution of technology, RTMP remains a reliable standard thanks to its low latency and high quality. Many platforms and media servers still support it, guaranteeing its place in the streaming ecosystem.
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