# Live Streaming Setup Guide

## Overview
Transform aethex.live into a fully functional live streaming platform.

## 🎥 Streaming Options

### Option 1: OBS Studio → Streaming Service
**Recommended for beginners**

#### Services to consider:
- **Cloudflare Stream** - $5/month, easy setup, global CDN
- **Mux** - Pay-as-you-go, developer-friendly
- **AWS IVS** - Scalable, AWS infrastructure
- **Twitch API** - If you want to use Twitch as backend

#### Setup with Cloudflare Stream:
1. Sign up at cloudflare.com/products/cloudflare-stream
2. Get your Stream URL and Key
3. Configure OBS Studio:
   - Settings → Stream
   - Service: Custom
   - Server: Your Cloudflare RTMP URL
   - Stream Key: Your key
4. Update `app/page.tsx` with your HLS playback URL

### Option 2: Self-Hosted (Advanced)
**For full control**

#### Requirements:
- VPS/Server (DigitalOcean, AWS, etc.)
- Nginx with RTMP module
- Domain with SSL

#### Stack:
```bash
# Install on Ubuntu server
sudo apt update
sudo apt install nginx libnginx-mod-rtmp
```

See `docs/SELF_HOSTED_SETUP.md` for full guide.

### Option 3: Multiple Stream Sources
Support streaming from:
- OBS Studio
- StreamLabs
- Mobile apps
- Pre-recorded content

## 💬 Real-Time Features

### Chat Implementation
**Option A: Firebase (Quickest)**
```bash
npm install firebase
```

**Option B: WebSocket Server**
```bash
npm install socket.io
```

**Option C: Third-party (Pusher, Ably)**

### Viewer Count
- WebSocket connections
- Analytics services
- Real-time database

## 🚀 Deployment

### Deploy Frontend to Vercel
```bash
npm install -g vercel
vercel
```

### Deploy to Custom Domain
1. Point DNS to Vercel
2. Add domain in Vercel dashboard
3. SSL auto-configured

### Alternative Platforms:
- **Netlify** - Similar to Vercel
- **Cloudflare Pages** - Free tier, fast global CDN
- **AWS Amplify** - If using AWS for streaming

## 🔐 Backend Needs

### Essential APIs:
1. **Authentication** - Clerk, Auth0, or NextAuth.js
2. **Database** - Supabase, Firebase, or PostgreSQL
3. **Chat Storage** - Real-time DB or Redis
4. **Analytics** - Track views, engagement

### Example Backend Stack:
```
Frontend: Next.js (current)
Auth: Clerk
Database: Supabase
Storage: Cloudflare R2
Streaming: Cloudflare Stream
Chat: WebSocket (socket.io)
```

## 📊 Monetization Features (Future)

- Subscriptions (Stripe)
- Donations/Tips
- Private streams
- VOD content
- Channel memberships

## 🎯 Quick Start Checklist

- [ ] Choose streaming service
- [ ] Set up OBS Studio
- [ ] Get HLS stream URL
- [ ] Update streamUrl in app/page.tsx
- [ ] Set up backend for chat
- [ ] Add authentication
- [ ] Deploy to Vercel
- [ ] Configure custom domain
- [ ] Test stream end-to-end
- [ ] Set up analytics

## 🛠️ Next Steps

Run the setup wizard to configure your platform:
```bash
npm run setup:streaming
```

Or manually update configuration in `config/streaming.ts`