Syndication

1. Create a publishing target for each desired social media or content distribution platform.
2. Publish to the desired platform(s) by associating the desired publishing target(s) with your live channel or live event.

Publish a Target #

• RTMP
• RTMPS
• HLS
• Zixi
• SRT
• RIST

Create a Publishing Target #

YouTube #

1. Integrated Authentication Only
   If you plan to use YouTube credentials defined within a Clipping profile (i.e., integrated authentication), follow these steps:
   • Create a Clipping profile for YouTube.
   • Verify that a Clipping profile with a YouTube integration exists.
2. Load the Publishing page by navigating to Settings > Publishing.
3. Click + New Target to load the Add Publishing Target dialog box.
4. From the Target Name option, assign a unique name to the new publishing target. The sole purpose of this name is to help you identify this target when publishing content.
5. From the Platform option, select YouTube.
6. Determine whether our service will connect to YouTube using a stream key or integrated authentication. Perform either of the following steps:
   • Stream Key: In the Stream Key option, paste your stream key. Refer to YouTube’s documentation to find out where your stream key can be found.
   • Integrated Authentication:
     • Enable the YouTube Integrated Authentication option.
     • From the Clipping Profile option, select a Clipping profile whose credentials will be used to authenticate to YouTube. If the desired Clipping profile is not listed, verify that you have defined a YouTube integration within that Clipping profile.
7. Click Save.

Facebook #

1. Integrated Authentication Only.
   Perform either of the following steps if you plan on using Facebook credentials defined within a Clipping profile (i.e., integrated authentication):
   • Create a Clipping profile for Facebook.
   • Verify that a Clipping profile with a Facebook integration exists.
2. Load the Publishing page by navigating to Settings > Publishing.
3. Click + New Target to load the Add Publishing Target dialog box.
4. From the Target Name option, assign a unique name to the new publishing target. The sole purpose of this name is to help you identify this target when publishing content.
5. From the Platform option, select Facebook.
6. Determine whether our service will connect to Facebook using a stream key or integrated authentication. Perform either of the following steps:
   • **Stream Key:**In the Stream Key option, paste your stream key. Refer to Facebook’s documentation to find out where your stream key can be found.
   • Integrated Authentication:
     • Enable the Facebook Integrated Authentication option.
     • Enable the Facebook Auto Re-Schedule option to allow our service to create and then publish a new Facebook live event upon reaching Facebook’s live event time limit.
       • Upon reaching Facebook’s live event time limit, a new post will be created. Viewers may continue playback by starting that post’s live stream.
       • If this option is disabled, your live stream will end upon reaching Facebook’s live event time limit.
     • From the Clipping Profile option, select a Clipping profile whose credentials will be used to authenticate to Facebook. If the desired Clipping profile is not listed, verify that you have defined a Facebook integration within that Clipping profile.
     • From the Publish to Facebook Page option, select the page on which we will create a post for your live stream.
7. Click Save.

Twitch or TikTok #

1. Load the Publishing page by navigating to Settings > Publishing.
2. Click + New Target to load the Add Publishing Target dialog box.
3. From the Target Name option, assign a unique name to the new publishing target. The sole purpose of this name is to help you identify this target when publishing content.
4. From the Platform option, select Twitch or TikTok.
5. In the Stream Key option, paste your stream key. Please refer to Twitch or TikTok’s documentation to find out where your stream key can be found.
6. Click Save.

AWS Elemental MediaConnect or Pluto TV #

1. Load the Publishing Page by navigating to Settings > Publishing.
2. Add a New Publishing Target: Click + New Target to open the Add Publishing Target dialog box.
3. Assign a Unique Name: From the Target Name option, assign a unique name to the new publishing target. The purpose of this name is to help you identify the target when publishing content.
4. Select the Platform: From the Platform option, select either AWS Elemental MediaConnect or Pluto TV.
5. Enter the Host Information: In the Host option, type the hostname or IP address that points to an AWS Elemental MediaConnect server or Pluto TV server.
6. Specify the Port: In the Port option, type the port on which the server identified in the previous step listens.
7. Enter the Stream ID: In the Stream ID option, type your stream ID.
8. Optional: Set a Password: In the Password option, type a password for password-protected streams (if applicable).
9. Click Save.

Custom (RTMP, RTMPS, HLS, Zixi, SRT, or RIST) #

1. Load the Publishing Page by navigating to Settings > Publishing.
2. Add a New Publishing Target: Click + New Target to open the Add Publishing Target dialog box.
3. Assign a Unique Name: From the Target Name option, assign a unique name to the new publishing target. Note: The purpose of this name is to help you identify the target when publishing content.
4. Select the Platform: From the Platform option, select Custom.
5. Select the Protocol: From the Protocol option, select the protocol through which your video feed will be transmitted to a social media or content distribution platform.
6. Define how our service will connect to a social media or content distribution platform.
   • RTMP or RTMPS - Push
     In the Stream URI option, paste the platform’s base stream URL. If the platform requires a stream key, then you should append it to this URL.
     If the base stream URL does not include a trailing slash, please append it before pasting the stream key.
     Please refer to the documentation provided by the desired social media site to find out where your stream URL(s) and stream key(s) can be found.
     Sample RTMP stream URL: rtmp://platform.example.com/live/3u40-9rqs-502b-7zeq
   • HLS - Push
     In the Stream URI option, paste the platform’s base stream URL.
     Syntax: https://platform.example.com/live/
   • HLS - Pull
     Proceed to the next step.
     More Information: Our service generates a stream URL once you start publishing to this target. You will need to configure the desired social media or content distribution platform to pull the stream using this URL.
   • Zixi - Push
     1. Set up a live stream on your Zixi-enabled device or service.
     2. In the Host option, type the hostname or IP address for your Zixi-enabled device or service.
     3. In the Port option, type the port on which your Zixi-enabled device or service is listening.
     4. In the Stream ID option, type the ID assigned to the stream by your Zixi-enabled device or service.
     5. Optional. In the Password option, type the stream’s password.
   • SRT - Push
     Use the following syntax when defining the Stream URI option: srt://{Host}:{Port}
   • RIST - Push
     Use the following syntax when defining the Stream URI option: rist://{Host}:{Port}
     You may only push an audio/video feed to an even port number. RIST reserves odd port numbers (Port+1) for error correction use.
7. Click Save.

Modify a Publishing Target #

1. Load the Publishing Page by navigating to Settings > Publishing.
2. Select the Publishing Target: Click on the desired publishing target.
3. Modify the Settings: Adjust the desired settings as needed.
4. Click Save.

Delete a Publishing Target #

1. Ensure No Active Channels or Events: Make sure that no live channel or live event is publishing to the target(s) you want to delete.
2. Load the Publishing Page: Navigate to Settings > Publishing.
3. Select the Targets to Delete: Mark each publishing target that will be deleted.
4. Delete the Targets: Click Delete # Target(s).
5. Confirm Deletion: When prompted, confirm the deletion by clicking Yes, Delete.

Publish #

1. Add the Target: Add the target to your live channel or live event.
2. Set Stream Quality: Set the quality of the stream that will be published.
3. Publish the Stream: Initiate the publishing process.

Key Information#

• Stream Quality Restrictions
  • Social media or content distribution platforms may impose restrictions on stream quality.
  • The performance of your stream can be influenced by factors such as the platform’s capacity.
• Performance Tip: To improve performance, consider publishing a lower quality stream.
• SCTE-35 Markers
  • Publishing via HLS (push/pull) or Zixi (push) supports SCTE-35 marker insertion through the SCTE-35 Marker Transmission option.
  • SCTE-35 Marker Insertion:
    • Live Channel: Whenever an ad break occurs.
    • Live Event: For key events defined within your live event’s marker template.
  • Each SCTE-35 event’s UPID field is set to the external ID of the live channel or live event.
• Status Information: Status information is provided for each target associated with your live channel or live event.

  Status	Description
  active	Indicates that your live channel or live event is currently being published to that target.
  stopped	Indicates that your stream is not being published to the target.
  scheduled	Indicates that your stream has been scheduled to be published to this target. This status occurs immediately after you start publishing a target and it should only last for a few seconds.
  error	Indicates that your stream could not be published to the target due to an error. Examples: Our service was unable to connect to the social media or content distribution platform using the provided stream URL. A social media or content distribution platform’s limitation has been exceeded.

• Encode all content, including slate, at the same resolution.
  Encoding content at different resolutions may cause your stream to be published at a sub-optimal resolution or bitrate. Additionally, it may cause large bitrate jumps or drop when switching between content.
  Example Let’s assume that your stream contains:
  • 720p slate
  • 1080p content
  If your stream started with slate and you published your target with High video quality, then the resolution of your published stream may be capped at 720p.
• You may add query string parameters to the playback URLs defined within the manifest file for the stream published to your social media or content distribution platform.
  Playback URL parameters provide more control over the live stream pushed to your social media or content distribution platform. For example, you may use them to include ad parameters or to add an artificial playback delay.

Publish Content to a Platform #

1. Create a Publishing Target. Repeat this step as needed.
2. HLS (Push/Pull): Slice content to the desired live channel or live event.
3. Add Publishing Target Configuration to your live channel or live event. Repeat this step as needed.
   • Navigate to the Publish Tab by clicking the desired live channel or live event. Click the Publish tab.
   • Add a Target by clicking Add Target.
   • Select a Publishing Target created in step 1.
   • Determine Stream Quality
     • HLS (Push/Pull):
       • From the Rays section, mark each ray that will be published to a social media or content distribution platform. Clear all other rays.
       • If the Rays section is empty, try slicing content to your live channel or live event.
       • The encoding profile determines the available rays.
     • All Other Targets:
       • Set the quality of the published stream through the Video Quality option, relative to your encoding profile.
   • Optional: Enable SCTE-35 Markers for HLS (Push/Pull) or Zixi: Toggle the SCTE-35 Marker Transmission option to enable SCTE-35 markers within the published stream.
   • Optional: Set Output Location
     • From the Output Location option, determine where your stream will be converted to a feed that may be ingested by the platform.
     • The recommended configuration is Default, which lets our system determine the optimal location. Set a specific location only under specific circumstances (e.g., locale-specific publishing).
4. YouTube (Integrated Authentication) Only
   • Set Video Title from the YouTube Title option.
   • Set Video Description from the YouTube Description option.
   • Set Privacy Level from the YouTube Privacy option. Set the video’s privacy level to either Public, Private, or Unlisted.
   • Specify Audience
     • From the Audience - is this video made for kids? option, choose whether the content was “made for kids.”
     • Learn how to determine whether your content is “made for kids.”
5. Facebook (Integrated Authentication) Only
   • Set Video Title from the Facebook Title option.
   • Set Video Description from the Facebook Description option.
   • Optional: Define Query String Parameters
     • Define the query string parameters to be added to the playback URLs in the manifest file.
     • Verify that the Key-Value Parameters option is enabled.
     • Define a query string parameter by setting a key and a value, then click Add.
     • Repeat steps ii and iii as needed.
     • Remove a query string parameter by clicking Remove.
   • Optional: Test Connection by clicking Test to verify that our service can connect to the social media or content distribution platform.
   • Complete Setup
     • Click Done.
     • Click Add.
     • Click Publish to start publishing your stream to the desired platform.
6. HLS Pull Only
   Configure each desired social media or content distribution platform to pull the HLS stream published in the previous step. Perform the following steps to copy a publishing target’s HLS URL.
   • Once the publishing target is in Active status, click on it to open it.
   • Find the HLS Master URL option and click Copy to copy the URL for pulling the HLS stream.
7. Configure Platforms
   • Facebook or YouTube (Integrated Authentication): Upon detecting a stream, we will automatically submit a “go live” request.
   • All Other Platforms: Start your live stream from within each social media or content distribution platform.
     If using a stream key for Facebook or YouTube, manually start your live stream.

Stop Publishing #

1. Navigate to the Publish Tab by clicking the desired live channel or live event and then the Publish tab.
2. Stop Publishing by clicking the X next to the desired publishing target. Repeat this step as needed for other targets.

Modify Publishing Stream Quality#

1. Navigate to the Publish Tab for the desired live channel or live event.
2. Select the Publishing Target.
3. Stop Publishing (If Active)
   • If your content is currently being published to that target, click Stop Publishing.
   • Once the target’s status indicates that it has been stopped, click on the desired publishing target again.
4. Adjust Stream Quality from the Video Quality option.
5. Publish or Save Changes
   • If you are ready to start publishing, click Publish.
   • Otherwise, click Done to save your changes.

Remove a Publishing Target from a Live Channel or Live Event #

1. Navigate to the Publish Tab by clicking the desired live channel or live event and then the Publish tab.
2. Select Targets to Remove.
3. Remove the Targets by clicking Delete (rubbish bin icon).

Publish Jobs #

• A live channel or live event.
• A publishing target.
• The job’s current status.
• The timestamp at which the job was last started and stopped.

• View all of your publishing jobs from the Jobs tab of the Publishing page. To access, from the main menu, navigate to Settings. Click Publishing from the side navigation pane. Click the Jobs tab.
• Filter your jobs by performing the following steps:
  1. Click the filter funnel icon.
  2. Optional. Click on either Channel or Live Event to filter for all jobs associated with either a live channel or a live event.
  3. Optional. Mark or clear each status according to whether jobs with that status should be displayed or hidden.
  4. Click Apply.
• Use this consolidated view of your publishing jobs to quickly assess the state of syndication publishing across your entire account.

Publish Job Event Notifications #

1. Syndication Publishing pushes data to Amazon SNS for any of the following events:

   Severity	Event
   Info	A user starts a publishing job.
   Info	A user stops a publishing job.
   Warning	Syndication Publishing restarts a publishing job. This typically occurs when the initial attempt to start a publishing job fails.
   Warning	Syndication Publishing was unable to communicate with the social media or content distribution platform.
   Critical	Syndication Publishing could not start or restart a publishing job. This event only occurs after multiple attempts to start or restart the publishing job have failed.
   Critical	Syndication Publishing was forced to stop the publishing job.

2. Amazon SNS broadcasts data to one or more destination(s) (e.g., mobile device, web server, or Slack).

Get Started with Publishing Job Notifications #

1. Set up an Amazon SNS topic.
2. Configure communication between Syndication Publishing and Amazon SNS.
3. Configure Amazon SNS to broadcast notifications to the desired destination(s).
   Learn how to set up Amazon SNS and Lambda to broadcast notifications to a Slack channel.

Set up an Amazon SNS Topic #

1. Sign in to the Amazon AWS Management console. If you don’t have an AWS account, then sign up for one.
2. Open the Amazon SNS console.
3. Click Get started.
   Amazon SNS may require Amazon SES (i.e., Amazon Simple Email Service). Please sign up for the Amazon SES service if an error message appears within the SNS dashboard.
4. From the upper-right hand corner, change your location to US West (Oregon) us-west-2
5. Click Topics from the side navigation pane.
6. Click Create topic.
7. Click Standard.
   Our service does not support pushing notifications to a First-In-First-Out (FIFO) topic.
8. In the Name option, assign a unique name (e.g., syndication-publishing) to the topic.
9. Optional. If notifications will be sent over SMS notifications, then set the Display name option to the desired name.
10. Expand the Access policy section.
11. From the Define who can publish messages to the topic option, select Only the specified AWS accounts. Set the Only these AWS users option to our AWS account ID: 545191325524
12. Click Create topic.
13. Copy the topic’s ARN.

Configure Communication with Amazon SNS #

1. Navigate to the SNS tab of the Syndication Publishing page. From the main menu, navigate to Settings. From the side navigation pane, click Publishing. Click on the SNS tab.
2. In the SNS Topic ARN setting, paste the ARN for the topic created above.
3. Click Save.

Integrating Slack with Amazon SNS #

1. Set up a Slack webhook.
2. Create an Amazon Lambda function that subscribes to the Amazon SNS topic.

Set up a Slack Webhook #

Subscribe to a SNS Topic via Amazon Lambda #

• Subscribes to a SNS topic.
• Identifies the Slack webhook through which it will post messages to a Slack channel.
• Strips out data added by Amazon SNS.

1. Open the Amazon Lambda console.
2. Click Get Started Now.
3. Click Blank Function.
4. Click the dashed box and then select SNS as the trigger for this function.
5. Verify that the SNS topic created earlier in this article is selected in the SNS topic option.
6. Mark the Enable trigger option.
7. Click Next.
8. Configure the Lambda function as follows:
   • Name: Set the Name option to the name of the function (e.g., forward_to_slack).
   • Description: Set the Description option to a brief description for the purpose of the function (e.g., Send Syndication Publishing information to a Slack channel.).
   • Runtime: Set the Runtime option to “Python 2.7.”
   • Code: Set the Lambda function code option to the following code:
     JSON

     Copy

     1import json
     2import urllib2
     3
     4def forward_to_slack (event, context):
     5    # The URL for your Slack Channel's webhook
     6    url = "https://hooks.slack.com/services/ABCDE1234/FGHIJ5678/KLMNOPQRSTUV901234567890"
     7
     8    # Format the message
     9    try:
     10        # Try to navigate to the Message that was sent via SNS and strip out the
     11        #  rest of the delivery information
     12        slack_data = {"text":str(event['Records'][0]['Sns']['Message'])}
     13    except:
     14        slack_data = {"text":str(event)}
     15
     16    # Dump the json to prepare it for sending
     17    data = json.dumps(slack_data)
     18
     19    # Create the request
     20    req = urllib2.Request(url, data)
     21
     22    # Send request
     23    urllib2.urlopen(req)

     Update the webhook URL defined in the code to point to the one copied in the Setting up a Slack Webhook section.
   • Handler: Set the Handler option to “lambda_function.” and then append the name of the function defined in the Name option (e.g., lambda_function.forward_to_slack).
   • Role: Set the Role option to “Create new role from template(s).”
   • Role name: Set the Role name option to the name that will be assigned to the new role (e.g., lambda_basic_execution).
   • Click Next.
9. Amazon Lambda will now allow you to review the function that will be created. Verify that the correct SNS topic has been selected and that the Lambda function configuration looks similar to the following illustration:

   

10. Click Create function.

Key Publishing Job Notification Fields #