Gradual supports any streaming service or encoder that can output an RTMP stream. One of the services that meets that requirement is Restream. It is a reliable and elevated service, complete with its own studio and the ability to upload and stream pre-loaded or pre-recorded video files directly into Gradual.
Restream also allows for simulcasting or sending something to Gradual and to another destination like LinkedIn, YouTube, etc.
Currently, Gradual does not have a native streaming service, so if you are live streaming into an event you will need to connect the event stage(s) to a streaming service to feed the video to the event attendees.
Learn more about streaming to Gradual here.
Event Stage URL and Stream Key
The Stream RTMP URL and Stream Key are the two pieces of information you'll need from your event dashboard.
RTMP URL: This will never change for your Gradual account and is considered the address you're streaming to.
Stream Key: This changes for each stage and is considered the password for the event's specific stage.
Navigate to the Stage Settings tab within the event dashboard, and select View beside the stage you're linking to the streaming service. Have this tab open when setting up the streaming destination.
Streaming Destination Setup
You will first want to sign in to Restream and open up your event dashboard in Gradual. In Gradual, navigate to the Stage Settings page (Dashboard > Events > > Event Setup > Stage Settings), find the stage you would like to stream to, and select View.
In the stage configuration window, you’ll see Stream Info, including the Stream Key, Stream RTMP URL, and Stream RTMP Status. Use the Stream Key and Stream RTMP URL to set up your primary streaming destination in Restream. Please reference Restream’s help center here for detailed instructions on setting up the destination and using the Restream studio and services.
You’ll also see Backup Stream Info for the stage. This provides a second Stream Key and Stream RTMP URL that you can configure as a backup streaming destination. Preparing this destination ahead of your event gives you another stream to switch attendees to if there is an issue with your primary stream.
If you need to use the backup stream, first confirm that Restream is successfully sending video to the backup destination and that its Stream RTMP Status shows that it is active. Then turn on Activate Backup Stream in Gradual and confirm the change. Once activated, Gradual automatically switches livestream attendees to the backup stream.
Note: Activating the backup stream controls which stream attendees see in Gradual. Simply sending video from Restream to the backup destination does not switch attendees to it.
💡 Pro Tip: We suggest using a motion background so you can test that your streaming in Gradual isn't static, and when attendees sign in, they are comforted knowing that they can see the video stream playing and they are seeing the stream correctly. We also suggest adding background music to test the audio and again, comfort attendees to know their audio is working.
There is a 20-30 second delay from Restream into Gradual.
If you're watching live in Gradual, we highly recommend that you mute your Gradual feed.
Gradual will not record your session, but Restream will do so automatically.