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RTMP pull means connecting a player or media tool to a server to read a stream that is already available there. You need the server’s read URL and an active stream at that URL; a pull client cannot fetch a stream from a machine that has no RTMP server or upstream service serving it. To test a local setup, start an RTMP server, publish a source to it, then read the stream with a client such as FFmpeg.
What RTMP pull means
RTMP is a multimedia streaming protocol carried over TCP/IP. In a pull workflow, the client initiates a connection to a server and reads the stream the server makes available. In a publish workflow, a source sends media to a server. RTMP can be used in both directions, but the URLs and credentials may differ: an ingest URL for publishing is not necessarily the URL a reader should use.
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For example, MediaMTX documents rtmp://localhost/mystream as a read URL. Here, localhost refers to the machine running the client, and mystream is the path. Substitute the hostname and path supplied by the server or service you are using.
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Read an existing RTMP stream with FFmpeg
Once a server is serving a stream and you have its read URL, FFmpeg can use that URL as its input:
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ffmpeg -i rtmp://localhost/mystream -c copy output.mp4- Replace
rtmp://localhost/mystreamwith the actual read URL. -iidentifies the input stream.-c copyrequests stream copy, avoiding a re-encode.output.mp4is the output file name. Confirm that the source codecs are compatible with the chosen container; stream copy does not make incompatible codecs compatible.
The command is a read-and-record example, not a guarantee that every RTMP source can be copied into an MP4 file. MediaMTX also documents FFmpeg reading over RTMP, though its documentation recommends RTSP for its own FFmpeg read workflow; that recommendation is specific to MediaMTX.
Set up a local pull test
A reader needs something to read. For a local demonstration, run an RTMP server, publish a source to it, and then run the FFmpeg read command against the server’s read path. MediaMTX documents the following FFmpeg publishing pattern:
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ffmpeg -re -stream_loop -1 -i file.mp4 -c copy -f flv rtmp://localhost:1935/mystream-rereads the file in real time.-stream_loop -1repeats the input indefinitely.-i file.mp4selects the source file.-f flvspecifies the RTMP publishing format used in this example.rtmp://localhost:1935/mystreamis the example server destination and stream path.
Start this publisher only after the RTMP server is running. Then, from a client that can reach the server, run the read command with the correct read URL. The examples are for MediaMTX; actual port, path, authentication, and key conventions depend on the server or provider.
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Publish with OBS instead
OBS can also act as an RTMP publishing client. In OBS, open Settings → Stream, select Custom, enter the RTMP server URL, and start streaming. In MediaMTX’s example, the path is included in the URL and the stream-key field is left empty. Other servers may require a separate key or use a different URL format, so follow the service’s instructions.
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Find and verify the right URL
RTMP URLs can include a server hostname, optional port, application, instance, playpath, and credentials. The exact arrangement is implementation-specific. Ask the server administrator or provider for the read/playback URL and any required authentication. Do not assume that a publish or ingest address is also a read address.
FFmpeg documents RTMP URL syntax and its optional components in its protocol documentation. MediaMTX provides a read example at Read with FFmpeg and a separate guide to reading streams with RTMP.
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Use encrypted RTMP when available
RTMPS is the TLS-encrypted variant of RTMP. A plain rtmp:// connection is not encrypted. Use an RTMPS endpoint only when the server and client support it, and confirm that the client trusts the server’s certificate. MediaMTX’s OBS publishing guide describes encrypted RTMP publishing and certificate configuration.
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If you do not want to operate your own server, a managed video service may offer an RTMP pull input. AWS Elemental MediaLive’s user guide describes a pull input with one or two source URLs. That establishes the feature, not its current price, availability for every account, or partner terms; verify those details with the provider.
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Choose a workflow by checking whether you want to run the server yourself, what read URL and authentication format the service requires, which codecs and protocols it accepts, how encryption is configured, and the ongoing operating cost. No universal RTMP latency or reliability figure follows from these setup examples.
Troubleshoot a failed pull
- No connection: Check that the server is running and that the hostname and port are reachable from the client.
- Connection succeeds but no media arrives: Confirm that a publisher or upstream source is active and that it is publishing to the expected path.
- Not found or stream unavailable: Compare the read URL’s application and path with the server’s configured stream path. Do not substitute the ingest URL without confirming it is also a read endpoint.
- Authentication error: Check the credentials and whether the provider expects them in the URL or through another mechanism.
- Playback or output fails: Verify that the client supports the source codecs and that the requested output container can hold them, especially when using
-c copy. - TLS or certificate error: Confirm that you are using the correct RTMPS endpoint and that the certificate is trusted by the client.
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