Creating Audio-Only Live Events

In this topic, you will learn how to create audio-only live streams.

Introduction

Audio-only live streams allow you to tap into the sizeable audio entertainment ecosystem, including podcasts and radio. With Brightcove, you can ingest and live stream audio-specific content without a video component. Brightcove's player technology has been optimized for audio to mobile, web, and connected home devices. You will even get relevant analytics for audio-only playback.

Audio-only player

Constraints

The following functions are not available with audio-only streams:

Streaming to social media
Low latency
Live ingest profile selection
Redundancy (backup streams)
Audio tracks
Server-Side Ad Insertion (SSAI)
Clip creation
Zoom integration

Requirements

This feature is a paid add-on for your account. Contact your Customer Success Manager to enable audio-only live streams.

Workflow

To create an audio-only live stream, follow these steps:

Create a live event
Configure your encoder
Publish the live event

Create a live event

Create an audio-only live event.

In Studio, open the Live module.
Click New Channel.
Select Event Channel and then click Next.
Enter an Event Channel Name for your live stream (max 250 characters). This name will also appear in the Media module if the stream is saved as a video asset.
In the General section, turn on Create an audio only event. Notice that the Renditions Profile is grayed out and locked to Audio Only, and the Video Renditions list is replaced by Audio Renditions.
Complete the rest of the options for your live stream and then click Next.
For details about these options, see the Creating and Managing Live Events document.
In the Configuration section, enter any Tags, Short Description, Long Description and Reference ID for the stream, and assign values to any required custom fields for the account.
Review the Security and Encryption and Stream Advanced Settings options and adjust them as needed.
Click Create Channel.

Configure your encoder

Use the encoder of your choice to stream your audio-only event.

To stream your Live event, follow these steps:

In Studio, return to the Control Room for your audio stream.
In the Input Source panel, click the Input URL to copy the URL and stream key for your encoder.
Note: Some encoders require a single URL, formatted as [RTMP URL]/[STREAM NAME].
Paste the values above into the settings for your encoder and start streaming.

Publish the live event

To publish a live stream, follow these steps:

In Studio, return to the Control Room for your audio stream.
Click Embed on Web. The Embed on website dialog opens.
In the Player list, select your player.
Select the iframe or JavaScript tab, click Copy code, and paste the code into your HTML page.
Click Done.
Confirm playback in your web page.

Create a live event using the API

Optionally, you can use the Live API to create an audio-only live event.

Review the following documents:

Sample request body

{
  "live_stream": true,
  "region":"us-west-2",
  "reconnect_time": 1800,
  "live_dvr_sliding_window_duration":600,
  "audio_only": true,
  "audio_only_storage_format": "mpeg-ts",    //or "aac"
  "outputs": [
    {
      "live_stream": true,
      "segment_seconds": 6,
      "audio_bitrate": 196
    },
    {
      "live_stream": true,
      "segment_seconds": 6,
      "audio_bitrate": 128
    },
    {
      "live_stream": true,
      "segment_seconds": 6,
      "audio_bitrate": 96
    },
    {
      "live_stream": true,
      "segment_seconds": 6,
      "audio_bitrate": 64
    },
    {
      "live_stream": true,
      "segment_seconds": 6,
      "audio_bitrate": 32
    }
  ]
}

Sample response body

{
      "job": {
        "created_at": "2022-02-21T13:49:30.512Z",
        "finished_at": null,
        "id": "d123456789a123456789b1",
        "privacy": false,
        "state": "standby",
        "ssai_state": "none",
        "sep_state": "waiting",
        "submitted_at": "2022-02-21T13:49:30.512Z",
        "test": false,
        "updated_at": "2022-02-21T13:59:37.826Z",
        "region": "us-west-2",
        "stream_key": "alive",
        "protocol": "rtmp",
        "reconnect_time": 600,
        "live_stream": true,
        "low_latency": false,
        "static": true,
        "ad_insertion": false,
        "metadata_passthrough": false,
        "out_worker_bytes": 21010938,
        "out_worker_bytes_rate": 0,
        "channel_type": "event",
        "state_history": [
            {
                "state": "standby",
                "transition_timestamp": 1645451977826
            },
            {
                "state": "disconnected",
                "transition_timestamp": 1645451748246
            },
            {
                "state": "processing",
                "transition_timestamp": 1645451498407
            },
            {
                "state": "waiting",
                "transition_timestamp": 1645451386677
            },
            {
                "state": "standby",
                "transition_timestamp": 1645451370512
            }
        ],
        "state_history_is_truncated": false,
        "account_id": "11a1234556789b1111ef",
        "user_id": "bfe56cc6084f4136b168980010eaca39",
        "pass_through": {
            "stream_to_social_media": true,
            "dvr": false
        },
        "job_videocloud_asset_id": "6298381216001",
        "live_dvr_sliding_window_duration_ms": 0,
        "live_sliding_window_duration_ms": 0,
        "outputs": [
            {
                "live_stream": true,
                "audio_bitrate": 196,
                "label": "hls1080p",
                "segment_seconds": 6
            },
            {
                "live_stream": true,
                "audio_bitrate": 128,
                "label": "hls720p",
                "segment_seconds": 6
            }
        ],
        "videocloud": {
            "video": {
                "name": "audio-only test",
                "link": {},
                "schedule": {},
                "state": "ACTIVE",
                "custom_fields": {}
            }
        },
        "randomize_chunk_url": true,
        "rtmp_outputs": [],
        "playback_url": "https://bcovlive-a.akamaihd.net/d123456789a123456789b1/us-west-2/6243585733001/playlist.m3u8",
        "playback_url_dvr": "https://bcovlive-a.akamaihd.net/d123456789a123456789b1/us-west-2/6243585733001/playlist_dvr.m3u8",
        "playback_added_cdns": [],
        "encryption": {},
        "audio_only": true,
        "audio_only_storage_format": "mpeg-ts",
        "input_media_file": {
            "audio_bitrate_in_kbps": null,
            "audio_codec": null,
            "audio_sample_rate": null,
            "audio_tracks": null,
            "channels": null,
            "created_at": "2022-02-21T13:49:30.512Z",
            "duration_in_ms": null,
            "error_class": null,
            "error_message": null,
            "file_size_bytes": null,
            "finished_at": null,
            "format": null,
            "frame_rate": null,
            "height": null,
            "id": "input-d123456789a123456789b1",
            "md5_checksum": null,
            "privacy": false,
            "state": "standby",
            "test": false,
            "updated_at": "2022-02-21T13:59:37.826Z",
            "video_bitrate_in_kbps": null,
            "video_codec": null,
            "width": null,
            "total_bitrate_in_kbps": null,
            "url": null
        },
        "stream": {
            "created_at": "2022-02-21T13:51:38.407Z",
            "finished_at": null,
            "height": null,
            "id": "stream-d123456789a123456789b1",
            "name": "alive",
            "protocol": null,
            "state": null,
            "test": false,
            "updated_at": "2022-02-21T13:59:37.826Z",
            "width": null,
            "total_bitrate_in_kbps": null,
            "duration": null,
            "region": "us-west-2",
            "url": "rtmp://d123456789a123456789b1.sep.bcovlive.io:1935/d123456789a123456789b1",
            "location": {
                "source": {
                    "latitude": null,
                    "longitude": null,
                    "location": null
                },
                "destination": {
                    "latitude": null,
                    "longitude": null,
                    "location": null
                },
                "distance": null
            },
            "in_worker_bytes": 12058775,
            "in_worker_bytes_rate": 0
        },
        "output_media_files": [
            {
                "audio_bitrate_in_kbps": 196,
                "audio_codec": "AAC",
                "audio_sample_rate": null,
                "channels": null,
                "created_at": "2022-02-21T13:49:30.512Z",
                "duration_in_ms": null,
                "error_class": null,
                "error_message": null,
                "file_size_bytes": null,
                "finished_at": null,
                "format": null,
                "fragment_duration_in_ms": null,
                "frame_rate": null,
                "height": null,
                "id": "0-d123456789a123456789b1",
                "md5_checksum": null,
                "privacy": false,
                "rfc_6381_audio_codec": null,
                "rfc_6381_video_codec": null,
                "state": "standby",
                "test": false,
                "updated_at": "2022-02-21T13:59:37.826Z",
                "video_bitrate_in_kbps": null,
                "video_codec": null,
                "video_codec_profile": null,
                "width": null,
                "label": "hls1080p",
                "total_bitrate_in_kbps": 196,
                "keyframe_interval": null,
                "keyframe_interval_follow_source": null,
                "segment_seconds": 6,
                "live_stream": true
            },
            {
                "audio_bitrate_in_kbps": 128,
                "audio_codec": "AAC",
                "audio_sample_rate": null,
                "channels": null,
                "created_at": "2022-02-21T13:49:30.512Z",
                "duration_in_ms": null,
                "error_class": null,
                "error_message": null,
                "file_size_bytes": null,
                "finished_at": null,
                "format": null,
                "fragment_duration_in_ms": null,
                "frame_rate": null,
                "height": null,
                "id": "1-d123456789a123456789b1",
                "md5_checksum": null,
                "privacy": false,
                "rfc_6381_audio_codec": null,
                "rfc_6381_video_codec": null,
                "state": "standby",
                "test": false,
                "updated_at": "2022-02-21T13:59:37.826Z",
                "video_bitrate_in_kbps": null,
                "video_codec": null,
                "video_codec_profile": null,
                "width": null,
                "label": "hls720p",
                "total_bitrate_in_kbps": 128,
                "keyframe_interval": null,
                "keyframe_interval_follow_source": null,
                "segment_seconds": 6,
                "live_stream": true
            },
            {
                "playlist_type": "defaultS3",
                "type": "playlist",
                "filename": "playlist.m3u8",
                "dvr_filename": "playlist_dvr.m3u8",
                "playback_url": "https://bcovlive-a.akamaihd.net/d123456789a123456789b1/us-west-2/6243585733001/playlist.m3u8",
                "playback_url_dvr": "https://bcovlive-a.akamaihd.net/d123456789a123456789b1/us-west-2/6243585733001/playlist_dvr.m3u8",
                "playback_added_cdns": []
            }
        ]
    }
  }