OwnCast is sort of the Fediverse’s alternative to Twitch, and lets people set up their own independent live streaming servers with built-in chat windows. People can follow OwnCast accounts from Mastodon etc. and they’ll see a post in their timeline when the stream goes live. They can also use their Mastodon account in the chat.
You can find out more about it on the official OwnCast website ⧉. If you just want to see what it looks like in action, there’s a demo server that streams 24/7 ⧉.
How do I find OwnCast streams to follow?
Some places to discover OwnCast streams:
- There’s an official directory of OwnCast streamers ⧉ (but not all of them have activated following, so some of them won’t have a Follow button)
- Fedi.Directory has a list of recommended OwnCast stream accounts to follow ⧉
- Follow or browse the hashtags #FeaturedOwnCast, #OwnCast, #FediLive
- You can follow FediVideos ⧉ which boosts OwnCast streams as well as videos from PeerTube
How do I follow OwnCast accounts from Mastodon etc?
If you see an OwnCast account mentioned in your timeline on Mastodon etc, you follow it just like any other account by clicking on the mention and then clicking Follow on its profile page.
If you’re viewing an OwnCast account’s livestream website, there will be a Follow button at the right of the screen (if you’re viewing on mobile, turn the phone sideways into landscape/horizontal mode to make the Follow button appear). When you click this button it will show the stream’s Fediverse address which you can copy-paste into the search box on Mastodon etc to bring up its profile page, and then you can follow it just like any other account.
(The OwnCast website’s Follow button also gives you an alternative option to enter your own account’s Fediverse address, which takes you to your own Mastodon server’s website and asks you to log in there. This is pretty much just another way of doing the same thing as copy-pasting the OwnCast stream’s address into your app or server’s search box.)
What happens when a stream I’m following goes live?
If you’re following a stream from Mastodon etc and it goes live, a post will appear in your timeline telling you about it along with a link to the livestream.
How do I make sure I see the notification when the stream goes live?
If you’re following the stream from Mastodon, you can use the profile notification bell so that you get an additional notification when the stream posts that it is live.
How do I verify my identity in OwnCast chat? Can I use my Mastodon etc account to sign in on the chat?
Yes, you can verify your identity by connecting an OwnCast chat account to an account on Mastodon etc. Alternatively, you can register for a reserved name on the OwnCast server without needing an account anywhere else.
To do either of these things, click on the name button at the top of the stream and select Authenticate.
What if I don’t want to verify my identity? Do I need to register or sign in to chat?
No, you don’t need to sign in. Anyone can chat anonymously straight away without any registration. By default you will be automatically assigned a temporary name made of two random words, and you can just chat using this identity. You can change this temporary display name without registering by clicking the name button at the top and selecting Change Name.
However, if you don’t sign in or register then no one will know it is you, and someone else could start using the same temporary name. Signing in lets you make sure that no one will imitate you.
Is there an OwnCast app?
Yes! There is an official app called Owncasts for iPhone, iPad and Apple TV ⧉ and an official Roku app from Roku’s Channel Store ⧉. However, these apps do not let you take part in chats. You need to be viewing an OwnCast stream on its website to chat.
How do I host my own livestream on OwnCast?
OwnCast runs on free open source software, so anyone is allowed to set up their own server. You will need a bit of technical knowledge to do this, but there are various options to make it easier explained at the quickstart guide ⧉.
Alternatively, you could approach someone who already runs their own server and they may be able to accommodate your stream on there.
How do I get more people to watch my livestream on OwnCast?
There are lots of ways to build an audience on OwnCast:
- Switch on the Fediverse features so people can follow the stream from Mastodon etc. This lets you post in your followers’ timelines when you go live, and they may share your post with their followers too so that even more people notice it. It also means people can sign into your stream’s chat with their Mastodon etc accounts.
- In your stream description, try to give a good idea of what people can expect from your stream. If you play games, what kind of games are they? If you have chat, what kind of chat is it? What kind of atmosphere do your streams have? Also, really importantly: when do you stream, what day is it and what time is it?
- If you can, try to stream regularly on the same time and day every week or every month. It makes it easier for people who watched your last stream to watch the next one, as it probably fits their routine if it’s at the same time on the same day. A familiar schedule also makes people more likely to remember to watch.
- When giving stream times on schedules, try to include the time in UTC/GMT ⧉ as this is the standard used worldwide. Terms like “Eastern Time” aren’t used in most of the world, so you should also include the UTC/GMT version to reach an international audience.
- Encourage people to follow your stream account from Mastodon etc. If they’re unsure how to follow, tell them to copy-paste your stream’s Fediverse address into their search box, then click the stream’s profile and click “Follow”.
- If people are following your stream from Mastodon etc already, encourage them to also click the notification bell so that they receive a special notification when you go live. Clicking the bell means they will definitely notice your stream’s post about going live.
- If you can, upload a recording or “video on demand” (VOD) of your latest streams so new people can find out what your streams are like, and regular viewers can catch up if they miss one. Advertise links to your VOD on your stream page and profile. A really good option for uploading VODs is PeerTube as PeerTube accounts can be followed and interacted with from Mastodon etc. If you use PeerTube for VODs, people can follow and comment on your PeerTube VOD with the same Mastodon etc account they use to follow and chat on your OwnCast stream.
Does OwnCast have emoji and things?
There’s an emoji picker, stream owners can add custom emoji, and stream owners can set their stream to display chat emoji in the main video window when chat viewers use them.
Is there any way for streamers to get donations from viewers?
There’s no built-in bits-style donation system, but you can mention your own donation links when you’re streaming and include donation links in your stream description. You can then give manual shoutouts in your stream to people who have donated on your donation links.
Is there a video-on-demand (VOD) feature?
There is no VOD built in, but you can record streams and then upload them to a VOD account elsewhere. Many OwnCast users upload their VOD recordings to accounts on PeerTube, which is particularly useful because people can follow PeerTube VODs from the same Mastodon etc account they use to follow OwnCast streams.
OwnCast live streaming vs PeerTube live streaming
The Fediverse video platform PeerTube also has a livestreaming feature, but this isn’t as Twitch-like as OwnCast. There is no built-in chat on PeerTube streaming, so most people who see a stream on PeerTube cannot take part in the chat. There is an unofficial add-on for PeerTube which allows chat, but this hasn’t been integrated into the official platform yet.
If you want to run a Twitch-style stream on the Fediverse, OwnCast is the better option.