By Dacast Editorial Team | Reviewed by Jon Whitehead, COO at Dacast | Updated April 2026 What equipment do you need for live streaming? A complete live streaming setup requires four components: a video/audio source (camera + microphone), a video encoder (hardware or software), a streaming destination platform, and a stable internet connection. This guide […]
Author Archives: Max Wilbert
HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) is the backbone of modern video delivery, accounting for over 70% of global streaming traffic and reaching audiences across every device category. Originally developed by Apple, HLS streaming has become the universal standard for live streaming platforms, OTT services, enterprise broadcasts, and video-on-demand delivery because of its native compatibility with browsers, […]
AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) is the best audio codec for live streaming in 2026. It delivers superior compression efficiency and sound quality compared to MP3, and is natively supported on iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and virtually all streaming platforms. For professional streams at 1080p, use AAC at 192–256 kbps stereo with a 44.1 kHz sample […]
HLS streaming (HTTP Live Streaming) is a video delivery protocol developed by Apple that breaks a stream into small segments and delivers them over standard HTTP using an M3U8 playlist file. It is the dominant standard for reaching the widest range of devices—from smartphones to smart TVs—with adaptive bitrate playback and CDN-friendly scale. When Flash […]
The way we consume entertainment content, particularly video, has changed drastically over the last decade. The number of people turning to the internet for news, live streaming, entertainment, education, and more has skyrocketed. The OTT platforms market is powered by over-the-top (OTT) video technology. Dacast, as both the author of this guide and one of […]