By Dacast Editorial Team | Reviewed by Jon Whitehead, COO at Dacast | Updated June 2026<\/em><\/p>\n Converting RTMP to HLS is one of the most common workflows in live streaming, it\u2019s how a feed from your encoder becomes a stream that viewers can watch on any device, from mobile phones to smart TVs.<\/span><\/p>\n RTMP and HTTP live streaming <\/span>HLS are two streaming protocols that help transport live streams between the recording equipment, the encoders, and the RTMP streaming platform<\/a>.<\/p>\n With the right video streaming host, you can automatically convert a single RTMP feed from your video encoder<\/u><\/a> to HTTP live streaming<\/span> on the server.<\/p>\n Here at Dacast, we use a stream packaging tool from Akamai for this process.<\/p>\n Today, we <\/span>explore RTMP and HLS streaming protocols and cover the <\/span>step-by-step <\/span>process of<\/span> how to <\/span>convert RTMP to <\/span>HTTP live streaming<\/span> for optimal live streaming. <\/span>We also look at the benefits of <\/span>RTMP to HLS conversion<\/span> and<\/span> the benefits of RTMP and HLS streaming protocols to enhance your viewers\u2019 experience.<\/span><\/p>\n Lastly<\/span>, we examine how Dacast and other <\/span>live video streaming platforms<\/span><\/a> use these protocols <\/span>and how they can enhance your streaming quality<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n Are you ready to learn about RTMP and HLS? Let\u2019s get started!<\/p>\n Streaming protocols<\/span><\/a> are seemingly magical technology that makes live streaming possible. From a technical standpoint, video streaming protocols are standardized rules and methods <\/span>that take<\/span> large media files or video files and <\/span>break them into smaller pieces so that the streamed video content is easily delivered to the viewer\u2019s devices.<\/span><\/p>\n Why are they important?<\/span><\/p>\n Video files are generally huge,<\/span> which makes their transmission from one device to another difficult. It gets even more difficult when it comes to transmitting live-streaming content because<\/span> video files in various formats<\/span><\/a> have to be transmitted from one device to another almost instantaneously.<\/span><\/p>\n Thanks to today\u2019s advanced streaming protocols, the files can be quickly delivered to the end user, reassembled, and turned back into videos you can watch.<\/span><\/p>\n There are several <\/span>video streaming protocols<\/span><\/a>,<\/span> including HLS, RTMP, SRT, MSS, and MPEG-DASH. However<\/span>, HLS <\/span>seems to lead<\/span> the way <\/span>among video content creators<\/span> with RTMP coming in second.<\/span><\/p>\n You must use either live stream encoding software or a hardware encoder when setting up a live stream. The encoder connects to your video camera and other <\/span>mobile live streaming equipment<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n Then, it converts its RAW video output to a digital format better suited for live streaming. Most often, the default streaming protocol format for your <\/span>encoder will be RTMP<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n RTMP stands for <\/span>Real-Time Messaging Protocol<\/span><\/a> and is a Macromedia (Adobe) standard created for real-time streaming of audio, video files, and associated data over the internet. It creates a constant connection between the client and server, <\/span>allowing instant data transmission<\/span> to the end user.<\/span><\/p>\n RTMP was originally designed to stream video to Adobe Flash Player, a technology discontinued by Adobe in 2020. Rather than disappearing with Flash, RTMP shifted to a new role: ingest; pushing the live feed from your encoder to the streaming platform. This is how it remains essential today.<\/span><\/p>\n Instead of disappearing, <\/span>RTMP has shifted gears <\/span>and <\/span>is now responsible for feeding data to the streaming solution from the encoder, <\/span>a process known as ingest.<\/span><\/p>\n RTMP remains the default ingest protocol for most live streaming software and hardware encoders in 2026, primarily because of its near-universal compatibility and straightforward setup.<\/span><\/p>\n Various streaming encoders, used by small operations and broadcast-level professionals, such as <\/span>Wirecast<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>vMix<\/span><\/a>, or <\/span>OBS Studio, <\/span><\/a>create feeds using <\/span>RTMP<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n For a complete technical breakdown of how RTMP works, including protocol internals, encoder setup, and comparisons with SRT and WebRTC, see our complete guide to the RTMP protocol.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Have you heard of HLS streaming? If you haven\u2019t, you must know it is an essential piece of streaming protocol technology.<\/span><\/p>\n HLS, shorthand for HTTP live streaming,<\/span> and it\u2019s a streaming protocol compatible with iOS devices.<\/span><\/p>\n Apple created the <\/span>HLS streaming protocol<\/span><\/a> to allow video streaming on mobile devices with an iOS operating system, such as the iPhone and iPad.<\/span><\/p>\nTable of Contents\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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What is a Streaming Protocol?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nWhat is RTMP?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
RTMP Today: From Delivery to Ingest<\/strong><\/h3>\n
What is HLS?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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