RTMP pull streaming means connecting a player or media tool to an RTMP server and reading a stream that is already available there. You need the server’s read URL, the stream must be live at that address, and your client must support its format. Pulling is not the same as publishing: publishing sends a source to a server; pulling receives a stream from it.
What RTMP pull means
RTMP is a streaming protocol that carries media over TCP/IP. In a pull workflow, the client initiates a connection to a server and requests a stream at a particular path. The server must already be serving that stream; a client cannot pull video from a computer or URL that has no RTMP server or upstream service providing it.
RTMP can also carry a published stream in the opposite direction. An encoder such as FFmpeg or OBS sends a source to an ingest endpoint; a reader such as FFmpeg connects to a server’s playback endpoint and receives it. A provider may use different URLs, credentials, or paths for ingest and playback, so do not assume a publish URL will work for reading.
What you need before connecting
- The RTMP server hostname and read URL, including the correct application and stream path.
- The port and any username, password, token, or other authentication required by that server.
- A stream that is currently available at that path.
- A client that supports the stream’s codecs and a destination format compatible with those codecs if you intend to save it without re-encoding.
Ask the service administrator or provider for the playback/read URL and access details. RTMP URL components can include credentials, a host, optional port, application, instance, and playpath; their exact arrangement depends on the server. FFmpeg documents these URL components in its protocol documentation.
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Read an existing RTMP stream with FFmpeg
Use FFmpeg’s input option to connect to the read URL. The following MediaMTX example reads a local stream and writes it to an MP4 file:
ffmpeg -i rtmp://localhost/mystream -c copy output.mp4Replace localhost with the server hostname and mystream with the stream path supplied by the server or provider. If authentication, a non-default port, or a different application/path is required, use the complete URL they specify.
-i identifies the input. -c copy requests stream copy, so FFmpeg does not re-encode the audio or video. This is efficient, but it is not guaranteed to work with every source and output container: the source codecs must be compatible with the chosen container. If they are not, choose a compatible output or configure encoding rather than assuming stream copy can convert formats. The command form is documented in MediaMTX’s FFmpeg reading guide.
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Set up a local pull test
A local test needs three parts in order: an RTMP server, a publisher that sends a source to it, and a reader that connects to the resulting path. Starting only the reader will not create a stream.
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Run an RTMP-capable server such as MediaMTX on a machine you can reach. This article does not prescribe installation commands or firewall settings because those depend on the operating system and deployment. For a local-only test, the documented examples use localhost; for another device or a remote client, the server address and network access must be reachable from that client.
2. Publish a source to the server
With a file named file.mp4 in the current directory, MediaMTX documents this FFmpeg publishing pattern:
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ffmpeg -re -stream_loop -1 -i file.mp4 -c copy -f flv rtmp://localhost:1935/mystream-re reads the file at its native rate, and -stream_loop -1 repeats it indefinitely. -f flv selects the RTMP publishing format used in this example. The destination path is mystream. Server port, path, authentication, and stream-key conventions vary, so adapt the destination to the server configuration. See MediaMTX’s FFmpeg publishing guide.
OBS can publish as an RTMP client too. In OBS, open Settings → Stream, choose Custom, enter the server URL, and start streaming. MediaMTX’s example uses rtmp://localhost/mystream and leaves the stream key empty because the path is included in the URL. Other servers may require the path in a separate stream-key field or use a different convention; follow that server’s instructions. MediaMTX’s OBS publishing guide describes its example configuration.
3. Read the published stream
In a second terminal, run the FFmpeg read command with the server address and path that the publisher used:
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ffmpeg -i rtmp://localhost:1935/mystream -c copy output.mp4The example uses port 1935 to match the publishing command. If your server’s read URL differs from its publish URL, use the read URL instead. When the publisher is active and the path is correct, FFmpeg should begin receiving media and write it to output.mp4.
RTMP and RTMPS security
rtmp:// does not by itself mean the connection is encrypted. RTMPS is the TLS-encrypted variant of RTMP. Use an RTMPS endpoint only when both the server and client support it, and check that the certificate is trusted and configured correctly. MediaMTX documents encrypted RTMP publishing and certificate configuration in its OBS guide; FFmpeg documents protocol variants in its protocol reference.
When RTMP pull is useful—and when it is not
RTMP pull is useful when a stream is already being served over RTMP and your application needs to read or record it. It is not a way to discover a stream, start a source camera, or receive video from a publisher that has not connected to a server.
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For a self-hosted test, MediaMTX provides documented FFmpeg publishing and reading examples, and OBS can act as a publishing client. For a managed ingest workflow, AWS Elemental MediaLive’s user guide describes an RTMP pull input that can use one or two source URLs. That establishes the feature, not current pricing or partner terms; check the provider for current availability and requirements. Compare options by whether you want to operate a server, the required URL and authentication format, supported protocols and codecs, security setup, and operational cost.
MediaMTX’s FFmpeg reading documentation says FFmpeg can read streams from its server over RTSP, RTMP, HLS, and SRT, and recommends RTSP for that MediaMTX read workflow. This is a MediaMTX-specific recommendation, not a universal ranking of protocols. The available documentation does not establish a universal RTMP latency or reliability figure.
Troubleshoot a failed RTMP pull
- No stream or connection refused: Confirm that a publisher is active and the stream is available at the expected path. A pull client cannot receive a source that has not been published.
- Connection times out: Check that the hostname resolves, the port is correct and reachable from the client, and the server is listening on that endpoint. For a remote test, confirm the server’s network and firewall configuration.
- Not found or wrong stream: Verify the application and playpath, and confirm you are using the read URL rather than an ingest URL. URL conventions vary by service.
- Authentication error: Check the exact credentials or token and where the server expects them in the URL or client settings. Do not assume an empty stream-key field is valid outside the MediaMTX example.
- FFmpeg cannot write the output: The source codecs may not fit the selected container when using
-c copy. Use a compatible container or configure re-encoding. - Unencrypted or certificate warning: Confirm whether the endpoint is
rtmp://orrtmps://. For RTMPS, verify that the client and server support the secure endpoint and that its certificate is trusted.
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