Welcome to Owncast documentation!

Owncast is a self-hosted live video and web chat server that allows you to stream your content to your audience without relying on third-party platforms. Whether you're a beginner looking to set up your first stream or an experienced user seeking advanced configuration options, this documentation aims to point you in the right direction.

Installation

If you're looking to install Owncast for the first time, go through our Quickstart Wizard to get up and running. It will guide you through the installation options available for your use cases. Quickstart Wizard

Your first stream

Once you have Owncast running, you'll want to prepare for your first stream. Check out the Configure Your Stream Key and First Stream guide to learn how to set up your broadcasting software and start streaming.

Configuration

Owncast offers a variety of configuration options to customize your streaming experience. Visit the Configuration page to explore the different settings available, including video quality, page customization, social features, and more. Configuration

Troubleshooting

Have questions or run into issues? The Troubleshooting Wizard provides solutions to common problems and answers to frequently asked questions. Troubleshooting Wizard

Building on top of Owncast

Looking to build bots, overlays, integrations, tools or other custom functionality? Read about the ways to extend Owncast to choose between plugins and the web APIs, or jump straight to the API Reference.

Want to contribute to this documentation?

Owncast is an open source project and contributions to the documentation are welcome! If you find any errors, have suggestions for improvements, or want to add new content, please do help us make the documentation better for everyone! You can contribute by submitting a pull request on the Owncast documentation repository. You'll get credited on the page you helped improve.