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For inbound SRT contribution, configure Wowza Streaming Engine as an SRT listener and have your encoder or publisher connect as the caller. Listener mode uses a configured UDP port and a publishing stream ID, avoiding a separate .stream file and port for every feed. For outbound SRT delivery, the roles reverse: Wowza acts as the caller to a remote listener.
The right latency depends on the actual network path. SRT latency is a transport buffer, not a guarantee of camera-to-screen delay; tune it against measured round-trip time, jitter, and packet loss, then test the entire playback chain.
Check version and choose an SRT workflow
Wowza’s current SRT ingest guide says Streaming Engine 4.7.3 and later supports ingesting MPEG-TS-packaged SRT streams and SRT version 1.5.0 or later. Confirm the installed Engine and SRT versions, the operating system, and the source encoder’s SRT and MPEG-TS support before configuring the connection.
| Workflow | Connection roles | Per-source setup | When it fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listener mode | Wowza listens; each source calls Wowza. | Configure the listener once. Sources use its configured port and identify their destination with a stream ID; no separate .stream file or UDP port is needed for each feed. |
The simpler inbound setup for typical SRT contribution. Wowza recommends it for simpler configuration and more efficient network setup. |
| Legacy MediaCaster | The source connects through the MediaCaster workflow. | Requires a .stream file and a separate UDP port for each SRT stream. |
May suit more complex cases, such as workflows with multiple alternative tracks. |
| SRT Stream Target | Wowza calls a remote SRT listener. | Configure a target for the source stream and destination host and port. | Outbound SRT delivery from a Wowza live application. |
New Windows installations of Wowza Streaming Engine 4.8.0 or later may need the current Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable for some SRT workflows. Check Wowza’s platform-specific instructions if the installation cannot establish or run an SRT workflow.
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How do I set up SRT in Wowza Streaming Engine?
1. Create a live application
Create a live application in Wowza Streaming Engine for the incoming contribution stream. Note its application name and the instance you plan to use; the stream ID must target the matching application, instance, and stream path.
2. Configure listener mode
Follow Wowza’s SRT ingest guide to configure the listener in Server.xml, VHost.xml, and Application.xml. Use the listener port configured in VHost.xml. These are server configuration files: back them up and make changes according to the instructions for your installed Engine version and deployment, rather than copying settings intended for a different installation.
Allow inbound UDP traffic on that listener port through the host firewall and any cloud firewall, router, or security group between the source and Wowza. Listener mode reduces the number of ports to manage, but the configured port still has to be reachable from the source.
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3. Point the source at Wowza
Set the encoder or software publisher to SRT caller mode and enter Wowza’s public IP address or hostname and configured listener port. The source must send MPEG-TS and specify a stream ID that publishes to the intended application, instance, and stream. For the default application instance, use the instance value expected by the Wowza configuration.
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srt://<listener-public-address>:<listener-port>?passphrase=<secret>&pbkeylen=32&mode=caller&streamid=#!::m=publish,r=<application>/<instance>/<stream>The host, configured listener port, stream name, application, and stream ID are part of Wowza’s example connection details. The passphrase and pbkeylen parameters are relevant when encryption is configured; omit them if encryption is not being used and the source supports that configuration.
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4. Match encryption settings
If you use a global passphrase, configure the source with the same value as Wowza’s global setting. For per-user encryption, use the identity and credentials configured on the server. The Wowza example uses pbkeylen=32; its documentation lists 0/default, 16, 24, and 32-byte values. Select a supported value consistently on both sides. Treat passphrases as secrets: do not expose them in published setup guides, shared screenshots, or logs.
5. Verify ingest and playback
In Wowza Streaming Engine Manager, check Incoming Streams for the stream and confirm that it is active. Then test playback through an output protocol configured for the application. A successful SRT connection alone does not prove the publishing path or playback output is correct.
How do I send an SRT stream to Wowza?
For inbound contribution using listener mode, Wowza is the listener and the source is the caller. Configure the listener and UDP access as described above, then set the source’s destination to Wowza’s reachable address and configured port, with publish mode and the correct stream ID. Verify that the sender’s packaging, application path, and encryption settings match Wowza’s configuration.
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This direction is easy to confuse with outbound delivery. Do not set Wowza up as a caller to ingest a source that is expected to call Wowza’s listener.
How do I configure outbound SRT with a Wowza Stream Target?
- Open a Live application. Select the source stream that Wowza should send.
- Add an SRT Stream Target. In the application, add an SRT Stream Target under Generic Target Destinations.
- Enter the destination. Set the remote listener’s host and port, choose the source stream, and configure transport options to match the remote endpoint.
- Set latency where supported. Wowza documents the latency field in Streaming Engine 4.8.5 and later. Its documented minimum is 120 ms; the default is 400 ms when no value is specified. Wowza recommends a latency of 2.5 times the network round-trip time (RTT). If peers specify different values, the higher value applies to both.
- Keep the MPEG-TS payload setting at its documented default. For MPEG-TS, Wowza says to use the default payload size of 1500.
- Check the remote end. The target workflow makes Wowza the SRT caller, so the destination must be reachable and configured to accept that connection as a listener.
These target settings and role details are from Wowza’s SRT Stream Target documentation. Confirm labels and availability against the installed Engine version.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What SRT latency should I use?
Begin with the default or Wowza’s RTT-based recommendation for the workflow. Measure RTT, packet loss, and jitter on the actual source-to-server route, then adjust latency in controlled increments while watching for late-packet drops, visible artifacts, and reconnects. Increase the buffer if network variation or loss recovery interrupts delivery; lower it only when tests show the route can sustain the tighter deadline.
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SRT uses UDP, AES encryption for media payloads, and ARQ retransmission requests for missing packets, as described by the SRT project. Retransmission can help across variable networks, but it needs both time before the packet delivery deadline and network capacity. The receiving buffer must also be large enough for the stream bitrate and configured delay. SRT’s receiver buffering is governed by the greater of its local receive-latency setting and the peer’s latency request; a low value cannot make a congested or lossy path reliable by itself.
Transport latency is not glass-to-glass latency
The SRT latency value describes transport buffering between SRT endpoints, not the complete time from camera capture to display. Capture, encoder lookahead and frame buffering, multiplexing, other network or application processing, transcoding, playback protocol buffering, player behavior, decoding, and display all add delay. A low SRT setting can coexist with high end-to-end delay if another stage buffers heavily.
Test the real route under realistic load
- Measure the network path actually used by the source and Wowza, rather than relying on a value from another route or a quiet test window.
- Change one latency setting at a time and check for late packets, artifacts, and reconnects.
- Repeat under realistic network load; jitter and loss can change when the connection is busy.
- When reporting a latency result, identify what was measured—SRT transport buffering or end-to-end glass-to-glass time—and the test conditions. Do not present the configured SRT value as a measured end-to-end result.
Why does my SRT stream connect but not appear in Wowza?
- No connection at all: Check that the source is caller and Wowza is listener, and verify the destination address, configured SRT UDP port, and every host firewall, cloud security group, or network rule on the route.
- Connected, but no published stream: Check the stream ID’s publish syntax and application, instance, and stream path. Confirm that the source sends the expected MPEG-TS packaging.
- Encryption handshake fails: Confirm the passphrase and key length match on both endpoints. Check whether Wowza is configured for global or per-user credentials, and avoid exposing secrets while diagnosing the problem.
- Stutter, artifacts, or late drops: Measure RTT, jitter, and loss, then increase the available SRT latency buffer in controlled steps. Check sender and receiver buffer behavior; there is no single setting established as correct for every internet path.
- Overall delay stays high despite a low SRT value: Inspect encoder lookahead and frame buffering, transcoding, playback protocol and player buffers, decoding, and display delay. These stages are outside the SRT transport-latency figure.
- An outbound target will not connect: Confirm Wowza is the caller, the destination host and port are correct, and the remote endpoint expects a caller connection. Check that latency settings and other transport options are compatible at both ends.
Keep the stream rights-cleared
Technical ingest does not grant permission to broadcast the content. Before publishing, confirm that you have the rights needed for the video, music, and other material in the stream, and review the applicable YouTube rules for copyright and reused content. Do not assume that looping or repackaging a recording makes it original or authorized.
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