DEV Community: 2723659854

A lightweight RTMP live streaming server built with pure PHP

2723659854 — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 02:02:37 +0000

RTMP Server

A lightweight RTMP live streaming server built with pure PHP. No Nginx or other streaming software required.

✨ Features

🎥 RTMP Push/Pull - Standard RTMP protocol support
📡 HTTP-FLV / WebSocket-FLV - Low-latency playback in browsers
🧩 HLS Output - Automatic M3U8 + TS segment generation, mobile-friendly
💾 Auto Recording - Automatic recording during streaming, saves as both MP4 and FLV files
🖥️ Built-in Players - Multiple web playback pages, ready to use out of the box
🐳 Docker Support - One-click development environment, no manual extension configuration
⚡ Pure PHP Implementation - No need for Nginx, SRS, or other streaming servers

📋 Requirements

PHP >= 8.1 (CLI mode)
PHP extensions enabled:
- sockets
- pcntl (optional for Linux/macOS)

🚀 Quick Start

Installation

composer create-project xiaosongshu/rtmp_server
cd rtmp_server

Start Server

php server.php

Stop Server

System	Command
Windows	`Ctrl + C`
Linux / macOS	`ps aux \

🔧 Configuration

Port Configuration

Default ports (modifiable in {% raw %}server.php):

Port	Protocol	Purpose
1935	RTMP	Push/Pull streaming
8501	HTTP/WebSocket	FLV playback (live)
80	HTTP	HLS playback + Web pages + static file replay

📡 Pushing Streams

Push URL

rtmp://127.0.0.1:1935/{app}/{channel}

{app}: Application name, e.g., live
{channel}: Channel name, e.g., stream
Only English letters and numbers are supported

Streaming Tools

Using OBS Studio

Download OBS Studio
Settings → Stream → Custom RTMP Server
Server URL: rtmp://127.0.0.1:1935/live
Stream Key: stream
Start streaming

Using FFmpeg

ffmpeg -re -stream_loop -1 -i "video.mp4" \
  -vcodec h264 -acodec aac -f flv \
  rtmp://127.0.0.1:1935/live/stream

Parameter Description:

-re: Read input at native frame rate
-stream_loop -1: Loop infinitely
-i: Input video file
-vcodec h264: H.264 video codec
-acodec aac: AAC audio codec
-f flv: FLV container format

📺 Pulling & Playback Guide

Live Stream URLs (Real-time Playback)

Protocol	URL	Description
RTMP	`rtmp://127.0.0.1:1935/live/stream`	Native RTMP protocol
HTTP-FLV	`http://127.0.0.1:8501/live/stream.flv`	Low-latency browser playback
WebSocket-FLV	`ws://127.0.0.1:8501/live/stream.flv`	WebSocket protocol
HLS	`http://127.0.0.1:80/hls/live/stream/index.m3u8`	Recommended for mobile

Built-in Web Player Pages

After starting the server, open the following URLs in your browser (replace with your actual stream path):

🔴 Live Streaming Test Pages

Page	URL	Description
FLV Live Player	`http://127.0.0.1:80/index.html`	HTTP-FLV live stream with autoplay (first click required)
HLS Live Player	`http://127.0.0.1:80/play.html`	HLS live stream, compatible with mobile browsers

Note: The default stream URL is rtmp://127.0.0.1:1935/live/stream, which corresponds to stream name live/stream in the page. Modify the stream address in the page if using a different channel name.

🔵 Static File Playback Pages

Page	URL	Description
MP4 Playback	`http://127.0.0.1:80/mp4.html`	Play recorded MP4 files (auto-generated during streaming)
FLV Playback	`http://127.0.0.1:80/video.html`	Play recorded FLV files (auto-generated during streaming)

Note: Recorded files are saved in ./mp4/ and ./flv/ directories. Modify the video path in the page to play specific files.

💾 Auto Recording

How It Works

Streaming starts → Recording begins automatically
Streaming ends → Saves as both MP4 and FLV files
MP4 file location: ./mp4/{app}/{channel}/{channel}_full.mp4
FLV file location: ./flv/{app}/{channel}/{random_id}.flv

Notes

✅ Recorded MP4 files use standard fMP4 format, supporting drag-to-seek playback
✅ Recorded FLV files use standard FLV format, playable with VLC and other players
⚠️ Streaming with the same path will overwrite previous recording files
⚠️ The server does not automatically delete recording files; clean up as needed

FLV to MP4 Conversion (Manual)

To manually convert a recorded FLV file to MP4 format:

<?php
require_once __DIR__ . '/vendor/autoload.php';
ini_set('memory_limit', '512M');

// Path to the FLV file to convert
$file = __DIR__ . "/test.flv";

// Output directory for the converted MP4
$outputDir = __DIR__ . "/output";

try {
    $res = \Xiaosongshu\Flv2mp4\Client::run($file, $outputDir);
    echo "Conversion successful: {$res}";
} catch (\Exception $e) {
    echo "Conversion failed: " . $e->getMessage();
}

Tip: The server automatically converts live streams to MP4 during streaming, so manual conversion is usually unnecessary.

📁 Directory Structure

rtmp_server/
├── mp4/               # MP4 recording files
│   └── {app}/{name}/  # Organized by app/channel name
├── flv/               # FLV recording files
│   └── {app}/{name}/  # Organized by app/channel name
├── hls/               # HLS segment files
│   └── {app}/{name}/  # M3U8 + TS segments
├── MediaServer/       # Core server code
├── ../                # Other core service code
├── server.php         # Server entry point
├── index.html         # FLV live player page
├── play.html          # HLS live player page
├── mp4.html           # MP4 playback page
├── video.html         # FLV playback page
└── README.md          # Project documentation

❓ FAQ

1. Missing Extensions Error on Startup

Cause: PHP CLI mode and FPM mode may have different extension configurations.

Solution:

Run php -m to check installed extensions
Install missing extensions (e.g., sockets)
Using Docker environment avoids this issue

2. Port Already in Use

Solution:

Check port usage: netstat -ano | findstr <port>
Modify port settings in server.php
Update port settings in player pages accordingly

3. Player Page Cannot Connect

Solution:

Ensure the server is running and the port is not blocked by firewall
Verify the playback URL in the page matches the actual stream path
If using a different port, update the port number in the page

4. Recording File Overwrite

Symptom: Streaming with the same path overwrites previous recording files.

Solution:

Use different channel names when streaming
Or implement custom cleanup and backup logic for recording files

📄 License

This project is for learning and communication purposes only. Commercial use is not permitted.

⚠️ Disclaimer

Some project code originates from the internet; please contact us if there are copyright issues
This project is fully open source and intended for technical exchange
Users bear their own legal risks when using this project
The author is not responsible for any losses incurred from using this project

📧 Contact

For questions or suggestions, please contact via email:

📧 2723659854@qq.com

Pure PHP hand-built RTMP live streaming server

2723659854 — Tue, 26 May 2026 13:34:13 +0000

rtmp_server

A pure PHP-based RTMP live streaming server. Supports RTMP push and pull streaming, FLV streaming (HTTP/WS), HLS streaming, and includes a simple web-based player.

Features

🎥 RTMP push & pull streaming
📡 HTTP-FLV and WebSocket-FLV pull streaming
🧩 HLS output (M3U8 + TS segments)
🖥️ Built-in simple web player (FLV / HLS)
🐳 Docker development environment (includes FFmpeg and PHP extensions)
⚡ Pure PHP implementation – no Nginx or other streaming server required

Requirements

PHP >= 8.1 (CLI mode)
PHP extensions: sockets and others (see error messages if missing)

Quick Start

Installation

composer create-project xiaosongshu/rtmp_server

Configuration & Startup

Option 1: Using phpstudy (recommended for beginners)

Download and install phpstudy
Switch PHP version to 8.1
Install required extensions via phpstudy's package manager (follow any error prompts)
Navigate to the project root and start the server

Option 2: Using Docker (recommended – includes all dependencies)

Run the following command in the project root:

docker-compose up -d

The Docker environment includes PHP 8.1, all required extensions, and FFmpeg (for pushing streams, packet inspection, or transcoding).

Start the Server

php server.php

Stop the Server

Windows: Ctrl + C
Linux / macOS: kill -9 <PID> (find PID with ps aux | grep server.php)

Port Configuration

Default ports (can be modified in the entry file):

Port	Service
1935	RTMP
8501	FLV (HTTP & WebSocket)
80	Web (HLS + static pages)

Push Streaming

Push Stream URL

rtmp://127.0.0.1:1935/a/b

a = application name
b = stream key / channel name (customizable; only letters and numbers allowed)

Push Streaming Tools

OBS Studio

Download: obsproject.com
Tutorial: OBS streaming to custom RTMP server

FFmpeg

ffmpeg -re -stream_loop 1 -i "movie.mp4" -vcodec h264 -acodec aac -f flv rtmp://127.0.0.1/a/b

Parameter explanation:

Parameter	Description
`-re`	Read input at native frame rate
`-stream_loop 1`	Loop the input file once
`-i "movie.mp4"`	Input video file
`-vcodec h264`	H.264 video encoding
`-acodec aac`	AAC audio encoding
`-f flv`	FLV output format (required for RTMP)

Pull Streaming

Available Pull URLs

Protocol	URL
RTMP	`rtmp://127.0.0.1/a/b`
HTTP-FLV	`http://127.0.0.1:8501/a/b.flv`
WebSocket-FLV	`ws://127.0.0.1:8501/a/b.flv`
HLS (M3U8)	`http://127.0.0.1:80/hls/a/b/index.m3u8`

Players

VLC media player – Open Network Stream
Built-in web player:
- FLV test page: http://127.0.0.1:80/index.html
- HLS test page: http://127.0.0.1:80/play.html

Troubleshooting

Missing extensions at runtime: This project runs in PHP CLI mode, which differs from traditional FPM mode. Install the required extensions based on any error messages. If using Docker, all extensions are pre-installed.
Port conflicts: Check if ports 1935, 8501, or 80 are already in use. You can modify the port configuration in the entry file. If you change the ports, remember to update the built-in player pages accordingly.

⚠️ Disclaimer

Some code or materials in this project may originate from public sources. If there are any copyright concerns, please contact me for removal.
This project is fully open source, intended for technical sharing and mutual progress. The author is not responsible for any legal or commercial disputes arising from individual usage.
Users assume all risks associated with using this project, including but not limited to copyright and compliance issues.

For any questions or suggestions, feel free to reach out via email.

Contact

📧 Email: 2723659854@qq.com