Creating and Managing NextGen Live Events

Introduction

NextGen Live is Brightcove's next-generation live streaming solution that provides improved reliability, consistency, and scalability. The NextGen Live module can be used to broadcast live events to both desktop and mobile devices with enhanced features and better performance than Legacy Live.

After entering your event information into NextGen Live, you will be provided with streaming endpoint URL that you configure in your encoder.

NextGen Live supports two types of streaming configurations:

Event Channels - Created for shorter-length, one-time, or recurring events
Linear Channels - Used for delivering 24/7 live content

Prerequisites

Before you can broadcast a NextGen Live event, the following items are required:

A Brightcove account with access to NextGen Live
A video source to broadcast the event
Encoding software (e.g., Telestream Wirecast, Open Broadcaster Software, or hardware encoders)
Stable internet connection with sufficient upload bandwidth

Limitations

Live broadcasts will experience a 15-30 second delay (can be reduced to 5-10 seconds with low latency mode)
Streaming must begin within 30 minutes of starting the channel (default account setting)
Some output settings cannot be modified after the channel has been created (use the Edit function to modify configurable options or modify JSON directly)
Brightcove scales live streaming capacity dynamically, but creating several channels in a region simultaneously may cause short delays

Billable States

Billing for NextGen Live channels applies to active states:

Active States (billing applies)

waiting - Channel is active and waiting for encoder connection
connected - Encoder is connected and channel is actively streaming
disconnected - Encoder disconnected but channel remains active within reconnect time

Inactive States (billing does not apply)

configuring - Channel is being configured and is not active
off - Processing state is off and channel is not active
error - Channel encountered an error and is not active
finishing - Channel is in the process of finishing streaming and is not active
finished - Channel has finished streaming and has been archived

Managing NextGen Live Events

The NextGen Live interface displays channels organized by their current state:

Channels - Channels that are created and active
Archived Channels - Channels that have finished streaming and are archived

Each channel displays the following information:

Name - Channel name and Job ID for identification
Status - Current operational state of the channel (e.g., Off, On, Error)
Input Source - Whether or not encoder is connected
Type - Channel type (Event or Linear)
Created At - Date and time when the channel was created
Input Protocol - Protocol used for the input stream (e.g., RTMP, SRT, etc.)
Outputs - Output formats and resolutions generated by the channel (e.g., hls270p, hls360p, hls540p)
Region - The geographical region where the channel is hosted (e.g., us-west-2)

Creating a New NextGen Live Event

For complete step-by-step guides to creating and streaming NextGen Live events, see:

To create a new NextGen Live event:

From the NextGen Live dashboard, click Create Channel. The Create Channel page will open.
Choose your channel type:
- Event Channel - For one-time or recurring events
- Linear Channel - For 24/7 streaming
Configure the Media Asset Configurations:
- Event Name - Name for the event (required, max 250 characters)
- Short Description - Brief description of the event (max 250 characters)
- Long Description - Detailed description of the event (max 5000 characters)
- Tags - Tags to associate with the event
- Reference ID - Unique reference ID (must be unique)
Configure the Channel Configurations:
- Create an audio only event - Checkbox option to live stream audio only over MPEG/TS (overrides some other features)
- Renditions Profile - Controls quality and number of renditions (e.g., Live HD 1080)
- Frame Rate - Select frame rate (e.g., 30 fps)
- Video Renditions - Displays available video renditions with codec, resolution, and bitrate
- Audio Renditions - Displays available audio renditions with codec, sample rate, bitrate, and language
Configure streaming options:
- Region - Select the region closest to your encoder location (required). The following regions are supported:
  - US East (N. Virginia)
  - US West (Oregon)
  - Asia Pacific (Tokyo)
  - Asia Pacific (Seoul)
  - Asia Pacific (Singapore)
  - Asia Pacific (Sydney)
  - Asia Pacific (Mumbai)
  - Europe (Frankfurt)
  - Europe (Ireland)
- Input Transport Protocol - Select protocol for input stream (required, e.g., SRT, RTMP)
- SRT Input Passphrase - Enter passphrase for secure input if required (only displayed if SRT is selected)
- Convert media asset from Live to VOD when complete - Option to convert live event to VOD after completion

Configure advanced options (expandable sections):
- DRM - Digital Rights Management settings
- RTMP Output - RTMP output configurations
- Redundancy - Redundancy and failover settings
- Advanced - Additional advanced configurations
- SSAI - Server-Side Ad Insertion settings
- Audio Tracks - Multiple audio track configurations
- Notifications - Event notification settings
- Maintenance Settings - Channel maintenance configurations
Click Save to create the channel
Click Start Streaming to activate the channel

Configuring Advanced Options

NextGen Live provides several advanced configuration options:

Digital Rights Management (DRM)

Configure DRM encryption for your live stream:

Enable All Encryptions - Enable all available DRM encryptions
Widevine - Google Widevine DRM encryption
FairPlay - Apple FairPlay DRM encryption
PlayReady - Microsoft PlayReady DRM encryption
License Key Protection - Additional license key protection (may require account enablement)

RTMP Output

Configure RTMP outputs to stream simultaneously to external platforms:

RTMP Output URL - Destination URL for RTMP output (required)
Video Rendition - Select video quality for RTMP output (required)
Audio Rendition - Select audio quality for RTMP output (required)

Redundancy

Configure redundancy settings for improved reliability:

Enable In-Region Redundancy - Enable redundancy within the same region for failover protection. In case one of the streams fails or encoder goes down, the other stream will automatically take over.

Advanced Options

Configure advanced streaming features:

SCTE 35 Passthrough - Pass through SCTE 35 signals for ad insertion
Low Latency (LL-HLS) - Use Low-Latency HLS protocol for 5-10 second end-to-end latency
Ingest IP Whitelist - Restrict input to specific IP addresses for security
Caption Languages - Configure supported caption languages

DVR Window

Configure DVR functionality for live stream playback:

DVR Window - Enable DVR functionality
Time - Set the time in seconds to keep in the live DVR manifest (maximum 28,800 seconds/8 hours)

Captions

NextGen Live supports closed captions with enhanced compatibility across platforms:

Supported Caption Formats

EIA-608 - Standard closed caption format
EIA-708 - Digital television closed caption format

Caption Configuration

Configure caption languages for maximum compatibility:

Caption Languages - Specify up to 4 caption languages using 3-letter ISO 639-2 codes
Embedded Captions - Captions embedded in the input stream will be passed through by default
Android Compatibility - Language codes are essential for Android devices to properly display captions

Caption Language Examples

Common language codes for captions:

eng - English
spa - Spanish
fra - French

API Configuration

When creating a NextGen Live channel via API, configure captions in the job payload:

{
  "outputs": {
    "caption": [
      {
        "type": "embedded_closed_caption",
        "passthrough": true,
        "language_code": "eng"
      },
      {
        "type": "embedded_closed_caption", 
        "passthrough": true,
        "language_code": "spa"
      }
    ]
  }
}

This example configures two caption languages (English and Spanish) that will be passed through from the input stream with proper language identification.

Server-Side Ad Insertion (SSAI)

Configure SSAI for ad insertion into live streams:

Enable SSAI - Enable server-side ad insertion
Select Slate Asset - Choose slate asset for ad breaks

Audio Tracks

Configure multiple audio tracks for your live stream:

Language Code - ISO language code for the audio track (required)
PID - Program identifier for the audio track (required)
Label - Display label for the audio track (required)

Notifications

Configure event notifications:

Subscription Type - Select notification type (State Change, Error)
URL - Webhook URL to receive notifications (required)

Maintenance Settings

Configure maintenance windows for your channel:

Day of the Week - Select the day for the 2-hour maintenance window
Start Time - Set the start time in UTC for the maintenance window
End Time - Automatically calculated as 2 hours after start time

Editing NextGen Live Channels

After creating a NextGen Live channel, you can edit certain configuration options through the Channel Edit page. However, not all fields can be modified after creation.

Fields That Cannot Be Edited

The following fields are immutable and cannot be changed after channel creation:

Core Infrastructure

Region - Geographic region where the channel is hosted
Channel Type - Event or Linear channel type
Account ID - Associated Brightcove account
Channel ID - Unique channel identifier
Created At - Channel creation timestamp
Ingest Endpoints - Input streaming endpoints

Manifest Configuration

Segment Duration - Duration of video segments
Segment Container Format - Container format (CMAF, etc.)
Playlist Window - DVR window duration
Low Latency Settings - LL-HLS configuration
HLS/DASH Settings - Output format configurations

Input Configuration Restrictions

Fixed Ingest IP - Cannot be changed if enabled
Input Protocol - Cannot be changed if fixed IP is enabled

Output Restrictions (Existing Outputs)

Video Codec - Cannot change codec for existing outputs
Keyframe Rate - Cannot modify keyframe settings
Frame Rate - Can only change to multiples of original
Audio Codec - Cannot change codec for existing outputs
Sample Rate - Cannot modify audio sample rate

Advanced Features

DRM Settings - Cannot disable DRM once enabled on a channel (must create a new channel without DRM)
Redundancy Configuration - Cannot add/remove redundancy
SSAI Settings - Server-side ad insertion configuration

Fields That Can Be Edited

The following fields can be modified after channel creation:

Input Configuration

Protocol Settings - Input protocol configuration (unless fixed IP enabled)
IP Whitelist - CIDR blocks for input restriction
Reconnect Time - Encoder reconnection timeout
Audio PIDs - Audio program identifiers
SRT Options - SRT-specific configuration

Output Configuration

New Video Outputs - Can add new video renditions
Video Bitrate - Can modify bitrate for existing outputs
Resolution - Can change width/height
Codec Options - Can modify encoder settings
New Audio Outputs - Can add new audio tracks
Audio Bitrate - Can modify audio bitrate
Language Codes - Can change audio language settings

External Outputs

RTMP Outputs - Can add/modify/remove RTMP destinations
Caption Outputs - Can modify caption configuration

Advanced Settings

Encryption - Can enable DRM if not already enabled and modify DRM settings, but cannot disable DRM once enabled
Notifications - Can modify webhook settings
Maintenance Windows - Can change maintenance schedule
Audio Only Mode - Can toggle audio-only streaming
Live to VOD - Can modify VOD conversion settings

Editing Process

To edit a NextGen Live channel, you have three options:

Option 1: Edit from Live Module Channels Page

Ensure the channel is in the "Off" state
From the Live Module channels page, click the ellipsis (...) menu for the channel
Select Edit JSON from the dropdown menu

Modify the JSON configuration directly
Click Save to apply changes

Option 2: Edit from Control Room

Ensure the channel is in the "Off" state
Click on the channel name to open the Control Room
Click the Edit button
Modify the available configuration options
Click Save to apply changes

Option 3: Edit via API

You can also update NextGen Live channels programmatically using the NextGen Live API:

PUT /v2/accounts/{account_id}/jobs/{id}

For detailed API documentation and examples, see the NextGen Live API Reference.

Viewing Channel Information in the Control Room

The Control Room provides detailed information about your NextGen Live channel. Click on a channel name to open the Control Room, which displays comprehensive channel management and monitoring capabilities.

Navigation Tabs

The Control Room includes three main navigation tabs:

Overview - Main channel information and configuration
Health Monitoring - Real-time streaming metrics and diagnostics
Reporting - Analytics and performance reports

Input Source Configuration

Configure your encoder settings for the live stream:

Input URL - Endpoint URL for encoder connection (e.g., rtmp://[channel-id].ingest.live.brightcove.com:1935/[channel-id])
Input Stream Name - Stream name/key for encoder

Scheduling

Configure automated scheduling for your channel:

Add Schedule - Create automated start/stop schedules
No automated scheduling applied - Default state when no schedules are configured

RTMP Output

Configure RTMP outputs for external streaming:

RTMP Output URL - Destination URL for RTMP output (required)
Video Rendition - Select video quality for RTMP output (required)
Audio Rendition - Select audio quality for RTMP output (required)

Generating Embed Code for NextGen Live

To generate embed code for a NextGen Live channel:

Click on a channel to open the Control Room
Click Publish and Embed from the top right corner
Select a Player from the dropdown (displays player ID)
Configure custom settings (optional):
- Sizing - Choose between Fixed or Responsive sizing
- Aspect Ratio - Select aspect ratio or use custom
- Player Dimensions - Set width, height, and units (px)
Choose embed code type:
- iframe - Standard iframe embed code
- JavaScript - Advanced JavaScript embed code with video-js tag
Use action buttons:
- Get URL - Get the direct player URL
- Preview - Preview the player in a new window
Copy the generated embed code

Important Tips

Understanding Playback Tokens

NextGen Live uses livePlaybackToken parameters to provide enhanced playback functionality and ensure consistent streaming behavior.

What is livePlaybackToken?

The livePlaybackToken is a JWT (JSON Web Token) that contains configuration information for how the Brightcove platform should handle your live stream. This includes settings for DVR, SSAI, CDN routing, and other advanced features.

When is livePlaybackToken used?

NextGen Live automatically generates and includes livePlaybackToken in playback URLs for:

All NextGen Live channels (regardless of features enabled)
DVR-enabled streams
SSAI-enabled streams
BYO CDN configurations
DRM-protected content

Example Playback URLs

Simple NextGen Live channel:

https://players.brightcove.net/2048251699001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6378332368112&livePlaybackToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJtbiI6InBsYXlsaXN0IiwiaXNzIjoiYmxpdmUtcGxheWJhY2stbWFuYWdlbWVudC1hcGkiLCJzdWIiOiJwbGF5YmFja3Rva2VuIiwiYXVkIjpbIjIwNDgyNTE2OTkwMDEiXSwianRpIjoiNjM3ODMzMjM2ODExMiJ9.PhV0KkKfE6ryO5hieDnHyTieVKJkDszGvckIzYYal-c

Using RTMP Outputs

NextGen Live supports RTMP outputs to stream simultaneously to external platforms like Facebook, YouTube, or custom RTMP endpoints.

To configure RTMP outputs:

In the Control Room, scroll to the RTMP Outputs section
Click Add RTMP Output
Enter the RTMP Output URL (destination)
Select the Rendition to send:
- Choose a specific quality rendition
Click Add to start the RTMP output

Monitoring Your Stream

NextGen Live provides comprehensive monitoring capabilities:

Health Monitoring Dashboard

NextGen Live provides comprehensive health monitoring organized into three main sections:

Ingest Metrics (SRT streams only)

Source Bit Rate - Bit rate of the incoming source
Source Connected - Connection status (1 = connected, 0 = disconnected)
Source Disconnections - Count of source disconnections
Source Dropped Packets - Network packets lost during transit
Source Packet Loss Percent - Percentage of packets lost

Encoder Metrics

Network Traffic In/Out - Rate of network traffic to/from encoder
Source Frame Rate - Frame rate in FPS
Source Loss Fill Duration - Duration of fill frames used to cover source loss
Dropped Frames - Input frames dropped by encoder
Output Audio Level - Audio levels in dBFS and LKFS

Packager Metrics

Egress Bytes - Bytes successfully sent per request
Egress Response Time - Time to process each output request

For more information, see Health Monitoring Dashboards.

Creating Clips

NextGen Live supports creating video clips from your live stream:

Clips can be created while streaming or after the event ends
Streams are available for clipping for 14 days after the event ends
Clips are saved as VOD assets in your Video Cloud library

To create a clip:

In the Control Room, click Create Clip
Set the start and end times for your clip
Enter clip metadata (name, description, tags)
Click Create Clip