How To Stream Live From an Apple iPhone in 6 Easy Steps

Apple iPhones continue to have some of the best cameras on the smartphone market, making them a solid portable live streaming device. From 2007 to early 2018, over 2.2 billion iPhones were sold, with millions more sold each year. The iPhone is a revolutionary tool for communication and creativity, so it is essential to know how to live stream using an iPhone. 

In this article, we’ll discuss how you can use the iPhone as a business tool for mobile live streaming. For those looking to start live streaming, owning an iPhone is a better investment than spending on multiple mobile live streaming accessories. Just as in the case of Android devices, the trick is mastering the basics of your iPhone.

We’ll teach you how to stream on an iPhone using an iOS application and with RTMP (real-time messaging protocol) ingestion from your Dacast account. 

Then, we’ll share a few of the best live streaming apps for iPhone that you can easily download and use in a few clicks.

This post has been updated to reflect the most recent and accurate information available in March 2023.

Table of Contents

• The Simultaneous Rise in iPhone Usage and Live Streaming
• How to Stream Live From iPhone
  1. Choose a Live Streaming App
  2. Locate Your Live Streaming URL on Dacast
  3. Link Dacast and Your Live Streaming App
  4. Connect to a Secure Network
  5. Start Recording from Your iPhone
  6. Start Your Broadcast
• Additional Tips for Streaming from Your iPhone
• Conclusion

The Simultaneous Rise in iPhone Usage and Live Streaming

The iPhone is more than just a personal phone. It is an essential business tool with a high-quality camera and a wide range of professional applications and tools that are easy to use.

The high-quality cameras found on all versions of the iPhone are strong enough to create a high-quality live stream. In addition, you can record in both HD and 4K with your iPhone.

Emails, calendars, to-do lists, marketing tasks, sales calls, internal communication, and other business processes are all carried out by iPhones, so why not use them for live video streaming, too?  

Today, many apps support iOS live streaming from iPhone, which comes in handy whenever you need to broadcast live and on the go. Learning how to live stream on the iPhone is easier than ever. 

You might be on location at a live event for a product launch, fundraiser, or sporting event, but lugging a camcorder around can be difficult if an entire broadcasting crew isn’t present. That is why using an iPhone to live stream is so functional. 

The iPhone camera is a suitable alternative for live streaming in situations like these. Many professional broadcasting platforms make it easy to stream live from the iPhone anywhere.

With the release of the iPhone 13 Pro and its redesigned lens and powerful autofocus system, the new Ultra-Wide camera in the latest generation of the iPhone is said to be the best camera ever put into a mobile device. That’s excellent for live streaming with a device you can store in your pocket!

How to Live Stream with Dacast from Your iPhone

With the right know-how, broadcasting from a mobile device is easy. We will explain the best way to live stream from an iPhone using Dacast.

Just follow these six simple steps to learn how to use Dacast to stream live video from your iPhone.

1. Download An App for Live Streaming from the App Store

The most important step in this process is choosing a live streaming app that works with your iPhone and live streaming platform of choice, which in this case would be Dacast.

You want the app you choose to be easy to use, and contain all the tools you need to support your broadcasting goals. 

To help you choose an app to stream live from your iPhone, we’ll give you a quick rundown of the top apps available:

• Larix Broadcaster
• Wirecast Go
• Air Solo
• NanoStream
• BroadcastMe

These are all easy-to-work-with apps that make iPhone live streaming easy.

Go Live with Dacast

If you use Dacast, the Larix Broadcaster is the best app to use to start live streaming from your iPhone. This app is free to download from the App Store. You can use this to stream for free from your iPhone.

It is a great option because it supports:

• RTMP ingest streaming
• AAC audio codec
• H.246 video codec

These are three non-negotiables for all-device streaming for Dacast and other online video platforms.

Here are some of the features that make Larix Broadcaster a great option for live streaming using an iPhone:

• You can pause your live stream and just long tap on the screen to start again
• Switch between landscape and portrait mode live
• Supports Dual/Triple cameras in newer iPhones
• You can design separate overlay images for live broadcast, pause, and standby
• It supports live streams from iPhone to Facebook Live, YouTube Live, Twitch, Restream.io, Dacast, and many more.

Check out our dedicated guide to mobile live streaming with Larix for additional information on streaming with this app. 

Wirecast Go

Wirecast Go is an app from Telestream. It is a video streaming software and encoder. This platform is highly reputable and is compatible with streaming with Dacast.

This app is also free in the App Store, but has in-app purchases.

A few additional things to know about this iPhone live stream app are:

• It has a user-friendly interface and is beginner friendly. However, you’ll need to read guidelines for certain features that you might not have used before
• It has plenty of editing features, such as text overlays and the laying of logos. It also supports multiple camera inputs, and you can connect USB while streaming without interrupting the stream
• One of the drawbacks of this live stream IOS app is that its connection with the server is spotty. As a result, your stream might glitch.

You can stream for free to YouTube with Wirecast Go, but you must upgrade to support RTMP ingest for streaming with platforms like Dacast. To get the most professional iPhone live stream experience, you will need to pay for access to professional tools.

Solo Airmix

Solo Airmix, previously known as LIVE:Air Solo is a mobile streaming app from Teradek, a company that is primarily known for its trusty hardware encoders.

This app boasts the ability to give inexperienced broadcasters a professional broadcasting experience. It has tools that allow you to edit your videos in real-time, add transitions, color filters, and more.

You should use this app to live stream from your iPhone because

• The interface is touchscreen-based, so you can zoom in and out on the screen while streaming
• It supports multiple camera inputs, and you can switch as often as you’d like. There are multiple transition options, such as cut, zoom dissolve, and slide. You can connect multiple cameras with USB input or wirelessly
• It switches the audio, too, when you switch cameras (if you turn on this feature)
• It has multiple overlay options, such as scoreboards, texts, customized graphics, and titles.

Dacast does not currently support Solo Airmix, but we are working on reinstating that compatibility.

nanoStream 

nanoStream is a live video encoding software that can be used for mobile streaming, and it is powered by nanocosmos.

The nanoStream app is free in the App Store, but you need to have a subscription to the software to use it. No prices are published on the nanocosmos website, so you’ll have to contact their sales team for additional information.

Dacast does support nanoStream but in a limited capacity. However, this is a great option if you are using a different online video platform.

Some of the attractive features of this app include:

• White-label services so you can add customized branding while streaming using iPhone
• Audience analytics to track your video’s performance
• Session recording feature so you can upload the content on various platforms and repurpose it for future use
• Multi-streaming on several platforms at the same time
• Audience engagement options such as chats and polls. So you can use the app to conduct auctions, webinars, and interactive learning sessions.

BroadcastMe

BraodcastMe is a free app that you can use for live streaming with an iPhone camera. If you want a white-label version of the app, you can purchase it from Streamaxia.com. It was created by Streamaxia SRL

You can go live to YouTube and Twitch straight from the settings menu. You can also use a professional broadcasting tool such as Dacast using the RTMP setting option.

For iOS, we recommend Wirecast Go iOS for maximum compatibility. It costs $5.99, and you use their iOS RTMP streaming app to live broadcast to any destination. You can also use the BroadcastMe app.

Some things to know about this app are:

• The design is attractive and easy to use
• It’s a budget-friendly app, so the features aren’t as great as the other options on the list. For instance, even though it offers the feature to flip your camera while streaming, users report that the app crashes when they use this functionality
• Unfortunately, the app currently has more flaws than uses, so this should be your last option.

2. Open Your Dacast Account and Find Your Stream URL

To connect Dacast and your mobile lives streaming app, you’ll need to locate your live streaming URL and other credentials.

To locate this information, go to your Dacast account and click “Encoder Setup.” Select the “Other RTMP Encoder” tab. Here is a link to our guide for setting up your RTMP encoder.

You will need the “Stream URL” and “Stream Name,” so keep these credentials handy. Take note of your login and password details, too. You may need this information later on.

3. Open Your Chosen iPhone Live Streaming App

Depending on the iPhone streaming app you’ve chosen, you’ll need to enter either the “Stream URL” and “Stream Name” or only the “Stream URL.” Some apps will also require the username and password that we mentioned in the previous step.

Let’s use Larix Broadcaster as an example.

Go straight to the Connections section so that you can manually configure your stream based on the Dacast live channel you will stream at:

Either clicking on New connections (to establish a one-time connection) or Manage connections (to save the given stream details moving forward) will work.

Upon clicking, you will be redirected to the stream settings part. These are called Outgoing connections:

In this example, we chose a new connection:

These are based on the Dacast live channel encoder setup.

Please note that the Stream URL for HTML5 streaming will be different for everyone, and you need to put it manually. To do this, follow these steps:

STEP 1: Copy your unique “Stream URL” from Dacast (Example: rtmp://0736d04f-2f1c-b384-d89e-05ec581d0c52.dacastmmd.pri.lldns.net/dacastmmd)

STEP 2: Open the “Connection” tab on the Larix Broadcaster App

STEP 3: Paste the “Stream URL” from Dacast as prompted

STEP 4: Copy your unique Stream Name from Dacast (Example: dclive_1_150@XXXXXX) 

STEP 5: Add it after the Stream URL

(The final result will look something like this: rtmp://0736d04f-2f1c-b384-d89e-05ec581d0c52.dacastmmd.pri.lldns.net/dacastmmd/dclive_1_150@XXXXXX)

STEP 6: Fill in the “Username” and “Password” fields with the credentials from the Encoder Setup” page on Dacast

STEP 7: Choose “Limelight Networks” as your target type.

STEP 8: Click “Save” to finalize the connection

To ensure optimal quality when streaming live from iPhone and similar devices, make sure that your audio and video settings are configured to use the H.264 video codec and AAC audio codec. For a complete list of encoder settings, please check out our guide to encoder configurations.

These instructions are what you need to know in order to know how to stream from iPhone with Dacast. 

4. Secure a Stable Internet Connection

When you stream live from an iPhone, you need a strong connection speed in order to create a quality viewing experience. As you can’t use a wired internet connection, you have to use either mobile data or WiFi. 

Ideally, you’ll want to use a wireless internet network instead of using your mobile data. Try to get as close to the router as possible for the strongest connection. If you don’t have access to a wireless internet network, use a WiFi hotspot instead.

In the live streaming industry, it is commonly accepted that you should maintain a connection speed of at least 750 KBPS at the absolute minimum. Professionals recommend a minimum of 2 MBPS for high-quality streaming. 

It is also generally recommended that your upload speed is twice as fast as the bitrate at which you want to stream. You can test your internet speed for secure video upload at testmy.net to gauge your connection at your present location.

A strong internet connection will help you create a quality iPhone live feed. 

Using mobile data, such as 5G or LTE, should be a last resort. 

5. Start Recording From Your Camera and Microphone

If you followed the above steps correctly, your live stream should be working at this point. Within 30 to 60 seconds, the live stream should appear from your iPhone camera. 

This means you’re now ready to stream live from your iPhone to your viewers. Now you fully know how to create an iPhone live stream. 

6. Broadcast Live!

Once the iPhone camera has started recording and your event or report is about to start, it is time to start your broadcast.

To ensure optimal quality to stream live from your iPhone, make sure that your audio and video settings are as follows:

• H.264 video codec
• AAC audio codec
• Audio channel to stereo 
• Audio sample rate of 44100hz

These settings will guarantee that your video is high quality in your Dacast channel; when live streaming from your iPhone.

We recommend testing this out before your event so that you know what to expect for this step since things will probably move pretty quickly. You don’t want any avoidable hiccups in front of your live audience.

Taking the time to test your livestream from your iPhone before going live with your entire audience will help ensure your success. 

Additional Tips for Creating a Quality Live Stream from Your iPhone

The quality of your video is really important since your users’ experience so greatly depends on it.

By leveraging the right mobile live streaming equipment, here are a few practices that you can implement on your iPhone stream to level up its quality:

• Use a tripod for stability. Or get a Gimbal if you’re live streaming while walking around or vlogging
• Determine if your audience prefers landscape (horizontal) videos or portrait (vertical) ones, and orient your phone accordingly. If you’re streaming to apps such as Facebook and Instagram, which have a vertical orientation, you need to stream in vertical mode. If your live stream lasts for hours and most of your audience uses a desktop or laptop to view it, then you should go with a horizontal video
• Use lapel mics if you’ll have a reporter on screen. Keep the mic close to you, especially if your room is set up in a way that your voice echoes too much. Lapel mics are great for yoga instructors who might have music in the background but still need their voice to be clear or DJs
• Set up an audio mixer if you’ll be relatively stationary
  
• Get good lights such as ring lights, LED, or natural sunlight. Viewers lose interest quickly if the video or the background isn’t interesting
• Don’t have the wifi and mobile data turned on at the same time while streaming using iPhone. Your phone might switch between the two for any reason. That will lower your video quality and interrupt the stream. Just connect to the stronger one and stay close to another network as well
• Prevent your phone from overheating. Live streaming consumes a lot of phone batteries and generates heat. Remove the phone cover if you have one, and place a fan behind the phone to cool it while streaming
• Do trial runs every time there’s a new iOS update. Users often complain about the live streaming quality or the audio not working after updating their iOS. There are usually quick fixes for such issues on Apple Community Pages, but it’s still wise to conduct a test live stream before the actual show
• Keep your apps updated. These include the ones you’re using for uploading streams (such as Larix and Wirecast Go) and the platforms you’re uploading the streams to (Facebook, Twitch, YouTube). Older versions are known to cause issues with recognizing wifi and maintaining video quality.

The commonality between these tips is that they are all about creating a professional-grade stream with a consumer-grade device. That way, you can create a professional live stream from your iPhone with these tips and tools.

Conclusion

Streaming live from your iPhone can be an exciting experience as you share everything you see in real-time. The next time you think you’re limited by a heavy video camera, think again. Your iPhone is a worthy replacement as you broadcast live to the world. 

For example, you can use your iPhone to stream live video to your website easily via your chosen iOS live streaming app and video hosting platform, like Dacast.

We hope this guide makes it easier for you to set up your live broadcast. As we’ve highlighted above, all you need is a reliable app, a good internet connection, your unique Stream URL (RTMP link above), and an iPhone. 

With this streaming setup, you can stream live from your iPhone and other iOS devices from wherever you are.

Looking to broadcast on the go to cover a live event? Check out our live video streaming platform with our 14-day free trial. Access all of our professional broadcasting features by signing up today. No credit card is required.

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