> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.gcore.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Getting started with live streaming

Gcore Live Streaming enables you to broadcast live video content to audiences worldwide with enterprise-grade quality and minimal latency. Whether you're streaming sports events, online courses, corporate webinars, or gaming content, our platform handles the complexity of video delivery at scale.

## Live player demo

<iframe title="Gcore live streaming demo player" src="https://player.gvideo.co/broadcasts/2675_21606?no_low_latency" width="100%" height="420" allow="autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" allowFullScreen />

## What is Gcore Live Streaming?

**Live streaming at scale**: Stream live with RTMP, SRT, or WebRTC WHIP ingest, transcode once, and deliver adaptive bitrate playback worldwide with HLS, MPEG-DASH, LL-HLS, and LL-DASH in standard or low-latency modes.

<Info>
  **Active by default**: Low-latency streaming (LL-HLS and LL-DASH) is available from the start for all accounts. It works during the trial period and after PAYG activation without a separate activation step.
</Info>

### Trial and activation

Trial accounts can start live streams for evaluation, but quotas can limit concurrent streams and available processing minutes. If the [Gcore Customer Portal](https://portal.gcore.com) shows a limit alert, contact support or an account manager to request a higher trial quota.

To remove trial limits, activate the paid PAYG tariff. The [tariff overview](/streaming/billing/overview-of-tariffs) lists trial and active PAYG limits for live streams, storage, transcoding, delivery, and AI services.

### Key capabilities

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Flexible ingest protocols">
    Broadcast from any source:

    * **RTMP/RTMPS**: Industry-standard protocol for encoders (OBS, vMix, hardware encoders)
    * **SRT**: Secure, reliable transport over unreliable networks
    * **WebRTC WHIP**: Stream directly from browsers without additional software
    * **Pull RTMP/SRT/HLS**: Fetch existing streams from your own servers
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Low-latency delivery">
    Deliver with minimal delay:

    * **LL-HLS / LL-DASH**: 2-3 second low-latency for real-time interactions using HLS CMAF, MPEG-DASH CMAF protocols
    * **Traditional delivery**: HLS MPEG-TS for maximum compatibility
    * **Adaptive bitrate (ABR)**: Automatic quality switching up to 1080p based on viewer bandwidth
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Interactive tools">
    Enhance your streams with powerful features:

    * **Overlays**: Add graphics, logos, and text overlays
    * **Playlists**: Schedule and automate content playback
    * **Live clipping**: Create highlights in real-time
    * **Restreams**: Broadcast simultaneously to multiple platforms (YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, etc)
    * **Recording**: Automatically save streams as VOD for replay
    * **DVR**: Allow viewers to pause and rewind live content
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Browser-to-HLS conversion">
    Stream directly from browsers:

    * **WebRTC WHIP -> HLS/DASH**: On-the-fly conversion enables browser-based streaming without plugins
    * Perfect for user-generated content, live interviews, or remote presenters
    * No encoder software required - just a web browser
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

### Why choose Gcore Live Streaming?

* **Global CDN delivery**: 210+ edge locations ensure fast playback worldwide
* **Scalability**: Handle 10 viewers or 10 million - our infrastructure scales automatically
* **Simplicity**: Create and configure streams in minutes through an intuitive dashboard

Ready to start streaming? Follow [Create a live stream](/streaming/live-streaming/create-a-live-stream) to configure your first broadcast.