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How the live stream works

How to add a live stream to your Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV and Android TV apps: where to paste your HLS (.m3u8) URL, what the Live tile shows, and what it cannot do.

Written by Robert Blessing

Go to Live Video Stream in your dashboard.

The switch. While it is on, a Live tile shows in your apps. A viewer who opens it sees your stream if you're on air, or your off-air message if you're not. Turn it off to hide the tile entirely.

Stream URL. The HLS address of your live stream, usually ending in .m3u8. Almost every live streaming provider gives you one.

Title. Shown on the Live tile, next to the thumbnail.

Description. Optional. Many screens show only the thumbnail and title.

Thumbnail. Used as the thumbnail on Roku and Fire TV, and as the background on Apple TV.

Off-air message. Shown when a viewer opens the tile and you're not broadcasting. A good place for your schedule. If you leave it empty, the description is shown instead.

What the live stream cannot do

  • It is always open to every viewer. The Members-only switch works on playlists, and the live stream is not a playlist, so it can't be locked or sold as pay-per-view. See Can I sell pay-per-view for a live event?

  • Each app has one live stream.

  • Roku channels imported from Direct Publisher don't have the live stream option.

Questions about your stream? Ask us in the chat.

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