How to start broadcasting online from a video surveillance camera on YouTube? Today I will tell you about this convenient method. First, let's think in what areas this technology will be applicable and how does it differ from the ability to broadcast from a mobile phone or PC?


Of course, you can use your computer's web camera along with special software (most likely paid) for online broadcasting, but this is not convenient because you will have to keep your computer always on. What if you need to shoot outdoors in bad weather? Then broadcasting a webcam using a PC is generally not possible. CCTV cameras are designed to work in different weather conditions - frost, snow, heat, rain - there is nothing to do with it! The temperature range of CCTV cameras is mainly from -30 -50 degrees Celsius.
Broadcasting with a mobile phone is another way to broadcast to YouTube. But often this method is not suitable for the reasons described above, also because of the insufficient quality of the video image at night and the insufficient possibility of zooming in. And if you want to shoot, for example, a sporting event - a football or hockey match or any other concert event, you will need the ability to get close, which is exactly what Speedome cameras or PTZ cameras can provide. These cameras can quickly rotate 360 ​​degrees and zoom in up to 50x, they can be controlled from a mobile application from anywhere in the world, or using a professional controller.

In what areas will this technology be particularly useful? Now let's talk about solutions for different objects.


Live camera is a very good opportunity to attract customers for your business. For example, you have a cafe or restaurant - set up a camera and add an online broadcast to your site in order to show your customers the unforgettable atmosphere of your establishment! Bright shots of friendly communication, delicious food, beautiful interior will surely attract new customers!

Or, for example, you have your own hotel - install several cameras with online broadcast in order to show your clients, your reception, your gym, SPA area, swimming pools - this will certainly create liveliness for your site and it will be easier for clients to decide on the choice to stay with you. !

So how to choose the right CCTV camera for Youtube online streaming?


  1. You will need a camera that supports the RTMP (Real-Time Messaging Protocol) video and audio transmission protocol. You can find such cameras on our website by simply entering the search - RTMP.
  2. There must be audio in the camera. Audio - A prerequisite for broadcasting on YouTube is audio support from a CCTV camera. It can be either a built-in microphone or an external microphone. According to YouTube's terms, the camera must broadcast the Audio stream along with the Video. The codec for broadcasting an audio signal is best suited - AAC. Set the maximum Audio frequency.
  3. Video - YouTube currently supports the h.264 codec. Despite the fact that CCTV cameras already support h.265 + codecs, you will have to switch them to h.264. Frame rates vary, but 25fps is recommended for smoothness. The data rate type is best used - constant.
  4. Pay attention to the camera specifications - resolution (YouTube currently supports 2 MP or Full HD resolution, but 4K will soon be supported), night vision (how far you need to see at night), optical zoom, rotary function (PTZ cameras have a patrol setting, therefore, you can customize the interactive image from different angles to view different places of your object).


Now let's move on to more practical information. Let's consider step by step how to set up YouTube broadcast on Dahua cameras:


  1. Connect via the web interface to the Dahua camera with special software with RTMP support and audio support. We use a browser - Internet Explorer. The standard IP address of Dahua cameras is 192.168.1.108. Make sure your computer is on the same local network and has the same subnet as the camera. For example, the computer address might be 192.168.1.110. If you want to change the network address of the camera, use the special ConfigTool software from Dahua.
  2. First of all, go to the video settings section and set the h.264 codec for the main stream and h.264 for the second video stream. The frame rate doesn't really matter, but 25fps is recommended for smoothness. Choose constant video stream type:
  3. Now go to the Audio settings section. Switch the audio signal encoding mode to AAC for both the main and the second stream. We can set the maximum frequency for high-quality sound:
  4. Go to the network settings and turn on the access platform - p2p, the Online icon should turn green, if everything is in order and the camera goes online:
  5. Go to the RTMP settings. Turn on RTMP and select the custom address type. Next, we will need to go to the YouTube studio (you need a Google account) at studio.youtube.com and start a live broadcast. Enter the name of the broadcast and select the topic. Next, we get to the broadcast page. From it we will need to take 2 values ​​- the broadcast URL and the broadcast key and copy this address with the key into the RTMP settings line in the Dahua "Custom address" camera. The line should look like this: address/key (here's an example: rtmp: //a.rtmp.youtube.com/live2/zbm3-4g7r-uw9p-25vy-fqwн):
  6. If everything is set up correctly, the camera image should appear in YouTube studio. Enjoy using it :)