FAQ

Which ports does adda need?

Open to the internet: 80 and 443 (the web app, through Caddy) and 1935 (RTMP, for OBS). Everything else (Postgres, Redis, the backend on 7001, mediamtx on 8888 and 9997) is published on 127.0.0.1 only.

I started streaming but the channel stays offline

On a development setup the encoder must reach mediamtx, and mediamtx must reach the backend. Check the mediamtx log (docker compose logs mediamtx). A line like failed to authenticate … no such host means mediamtx cannot find the backend: run make infra (it points mediamtx at the backend running on your machine). A 403 means the key is wrong: copy the address from Studio → Setup again.

Is there transcoding or several qualities?

No. Playback is passthrough HLS, so viewers receive the quality your encoder sends. That keeps CPU use tiny. Choose a sane output in OBS (720p at 4 to 5 Mbps suits most audiences) and put a CDN in front of the HLS path for large audiences. Recordings and uploaded videos are not transcoded either.

How far behind the live stream is playback?

A few seconds. It is HLS, not WebRTC. The Studio's Live tab shows the same delay viewers see.

Can viewers upload videos?

No. Only the channel owner (and the server admin) can upload, from Studio → Videos. Uploads play as they were sent, so they need H.264, VP8, VP9 or AV1 video; see Uploading videos.

An upload stopped halfway

Open Studio → Videos. The video shows as paused; choose Continue and pick the same file, and it resumes from where the server stopped. Uploads nobody touches for 24 hours are removed.

Do I need an email server?

No. Without SMTP_HOST, reset links are written to the backend log and the email controls in Settings do not appear. Add SMTP when you want emailed reset links and opt-in live emails.

How do I reset the admin password?

If email is set up, use Forgot password on the sign-in page. Otherwise an admin can set a new password through the admin API (POST /api/admin/users/{id}/reset-password).

Where are recordings stored?

In recordings/ next to compose.yaml, written by mediamtx as MP4 files. They are not in the database. Back that folder up together with uploads/ (emotes, banners, profile pictures and uploaded videos).

Can one server host many streamers?

Yes. Every channel has its own stream key and RTMP path. Two channels can be live at once; your server's upload bandwidth is the limit.

Chat shows "Reconnecting…"

The WebSocket dropped. The page retries with a growing delay and, once back, fetches what it missed. If it never reconnects, check that your reverse proxy forwards /ws with the upgrade headers (the bundled Caddy does).

Can guests chat?

No. Guests can watch and read. Anything interactive needs an account, which keeps every message tied to someone. Accounts can choose to appear as Anonymous.

Where is the interactive API documentation?

Set IS_DEBUG=true for the backend and open /docs on the backend port.