Integrating a Live Streaming Encoder with the Dacast Platform

If you’re a vendor for a live streaming encoder, we invite you to integrate your encoding tool with the Dacast platform to make it easier for users to configure your encoder.

Whether you offer a hardware or software encoder, the Dacast Encoder API lets you greatly reduce the complexity of live streaming by pre-configuring your encoder with the required settings.

If you are interested in integrating your encoder with Dacast, please contact us and we will be happy to help you from start to finish. However, we have put together this guide to give you a start.

Table of Contents

Using the Dacast Encoder API

Dacast provides an API for getting channel details for a specific user in the platform:

Fill in “ENCODER” with the Dacast-given name of your encoder
Fill in “KEY” with the API key that your users will find in “Dacast” > “Preferences” > “Encoder Keys”

The response will be a JSON array of objects, one per channel.

Here is an example with the most important details highlighted in red:

Using these details, your live streaming encoder can configure itself using the following at a minimum:

id: The unique identifier for the channel (the title may change but this will always remain the same)
publishing_point_primary: The URL to which the stream should be sent
stream_name: The name of the stream at that URL
login: The login for stream authentication
password: The password for stream authentication
title: The name of the channel, which should be presented to users

Finally, your live streaming encoder must configure itself to match one of our supported Live Encoder Configurations.

Example Encoder Integration

From the perspective of your users, the process is very simple. All they must do is get an Encoder Key from the Dacast platform and enter it in your encoder.

They can follow these steps:

Login to the Dacast platform
Navigate to “Settings” > “Integrations” > “Encoder Keys”
If there isn’t already a key listed for the desired encoder, click “New Encoding Key” > “Other”
Put the appropriate name and click the “Regenerate” button

Enter the key into the encoder

Allow the user to select which of the channels in their account they wish to use.

Assuming your encoder configures itself to match one of our supported live encoder configurations, the user is ready to stream using the Dacast platform.

Any questions or need help/access to this feature? Please contact us.

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Additional Resources

Rich Jenkins

Director of Product at Dacast with experience in enterprise, start-ups and everything in-between. Believes coffee and kale do compete and enjoys consuming both.