revolution.fan / docs / streaming
Live Streaming Guide
Everything artists and fans need to know about going live and watching on revolution.fan. Artists can stream directly from a browser with no software required, or use OBS for professional setups. Fans can watch free streams with no account, or unlock paid streams with $FAN tokens or a card.
For Artists
Two ways to go live
Pick whichever fits your setup. Both use the same backend, your stream shows up on the Browse Live page and pushes a Crew notification to your followers either way.
Easiest, no software
Browser (WebRTC)
Camera + mic straight from Chrome/Safari. Pick Camera, allow access, done. Best for intimate sets, Q&As, and quick announcements.
Professional quality
OBS / RTMP
Full scene switching, screen share, virtual cameras, multiple audio inputs. Grab your stream key from the Go Live screen, connect OBS, then press Go Live when you can see your own feed is arriving.
Browser streaming (WebRTC)
No downloads, no accounts on external platforms. Works in Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari.
Go to the Go Live screen
Log in as an artist, then navigate to /go-live or open the Live tab in your artist portal.
Set your stream title and price
Enter a title that fans will see on the Browse Live page. Leave price at 0 for a free stream, or set a price in cents (e.g. 500 = $5 / 500 $FAN).
Pick 'Camera' as your source, then Continue
Your browser will ask for camera and microphone access, allow it. The stream starts immediately via WebRTC WHIP. Your follower feed gets a going_live Crew post automatically.
Watch your viewer count and chat
Viewer count updates every 10 seconds. Chat messages appear in real time. You can mute your mic or stop your camera without ending the stream.
End the stream
Click End Stream when you're done. The stream transitions to idle status and is no longer listed on the Browse Live page.
WebRTC quality depends on your upload speed. We recommend at least 5 Mbps upload for 720p video. If your connection is unstable, switch to OBS + RTMP which has better buffering.
OBS / RTMP setup
OBS Studio is free and available for Mac, Windows, and Linux at obsproject.com. You can also use Streamlabs, Ecamm Live, or any software that supports RTMP output.
Get your stream key
Go to the Go Live screen, pick OBS / Encoder under Stream Source, give the stream a title, and click Get my stream key.
This does not put you live. Nobody is notified, your profile does not show LIVE, and no Crew post goes out. You are just being handed your credentials.
Open OBS → Settings → Stream
In OBS, go to Settings → Stream and set:
Configure output settings (recommended)
In OBS Settings → Output → Streaming:
Set video resolution
In Settings → Video, set Output Resolution to 1280×720 or 1920×1080 and FPS to 30.
Click 'Start Streaming' in OBS
Within a few seconds the Go Live screen will say “Your encoder is connected. We can see your video.” You are still not live, this is your confirmation that the feed is actually arriving.
Click 'Go Live' on revolution.fan
The button turns on once your encoder is connected, and it is deliberately disabled until then. This is the moment your followers are notified, your Discord posts, and your profile shows LIVE.
Splitting those last two steps is on purpose. Notifying an audience before your encoder is connected sends them to a blank player, and people who arrive at a blank player assume the stream is broken and do not come back.
The stream key is single-use per stream session. If you end the stream and want to go live again later, create a new stream on the Go Live screen to get a fresh key.
Setting a price
Paid streams gate access behind a paywall. Fans can pay with $FAN tokens (instant, no credit card needed) or with a card via Stripe.
Revenue from Stripe payments will be processed after Stripe's settlement period. $FAN payments are instant and settled on-platform. Artist revenue split details are available in your artist portal.
For Fans
Finding live streams
Open the Browse Live page from the nav bar (🔴 Live) to see all active streams. Each card shows the artist, title, viewer count, how long they've been live, and whether the stream is free or paid.
You'll also see going_live posts in your Crew feed from artists you follow.
Watching a free stream
Click any free stream card and the player loads immediately. No account needed for free streams, though you won't be able to chat without signing in.
Unlocking a paid stream
Tap the stream card on Browse Live
You'll see the stream info and a paywall if the price is greater than zero.
Choose your payment method
Pay with $FAN, instant. Your $FAN balance is deducted and the stream unlocks immediately. Watching does not earn $FAN back: you collect stream points (1 per minute, up to 60), which are a per-stream score, not currency.
Pay with Card, Stripe checkout. Enter your card details and the stream unlocks once payment confirms.
Access is permanent for this stream
Once unlocked, you can leave and return to the stream as many times as you like while it's active. Access is tied to your account, not your device or browser.
Earning $FAN while watching
Every stream you watch credits +25 $FAN to your account when you join. You can check your balance and transaction history in your Vault.
Chatting during a stream
The chat panel is visible on the right side of the stream page on desktop, and below the player on mobile. Sign in to your account to send messages. Chat is moderated, be excellent to each other.
Troubleshooting
Stream says 'connecting' for more than 30 seconds
Check your upload speed, you need at least 3 Mbps. In OBS, try lowering your bitrate to 2500 kbps. For browser streaming, refresh the page and try again.
My viewer count isn't updating
Viewer counts refresh every 10 seconds from a rolling presence window, so there is a short lag by design. If it shows 0 after several minutes with viewers who can see and hear you, tell us, that is a bug on our side, not something you can configure.
Chat messages aren't appearing
Chat polls every 2 seconds. If messages are delayed or missing, check your network connection. Messages sent while offline will not be delivered.
Fan says they can't see the paywall unlock button
The paywall requires the fan to be signed in. If they're not logged in, they'll see a sign-in prompt instead of the payment options.
OBS says 'Failed to connect to server'
Double-check the server URL (rtmps://live.cloudflare.com:443/live) and that you pasted the stream key exactly. Keys are case-sensitive and expire when the stream ends.
$FAN balance shows 0 even after earning tokens
Balances update in real time from the API. Try signing out and back in. If the issue persists, check the Vault transaction history, the credit may be pending.