Owncast Newsletter, December 2023
Greetings from the editor, big changes at Jnktn, Owncast at Ubuntu Summit 2023, upcoming events, and more!
In this Issue
A Note From The Editor
Hi there! As the principal author/editor of the Owncast Newsletter, I'd like to welcome all of you to this new experiment in building community among Owncast users and developers. I'd also like to take a moment to introduce myself. My name is Kit Aultman. I've been using Owncast for a little over a year, mostly associated with my DJ persona, MXKS. I've made some small contributions to Owncast as well. Outside of Owncast, I've been a small-time contributor to various FOSS projects, and I'm active in the industry.
I've decided to write this newsletter because, while Owncast has given so many people the power to self-host their streaming projects, there's much work to be done to build the sort of social fabric that commercial streaming services have offered. In essence, the Owncast community is a loose collection of independent projects connected by a common tool enabling their streaming. As any streamer knows, though, getting the video to play is just the first step, and most of the steps that follow...audience building, promotion, etc...are social in nature.
It's my hope that this newsletter can be a step towards providing us all a place to catch up on the goings-on among Owncast streams, stay updated on releases, and find inspiration for new ventures in independent streaming. Each newsletter will feature a short catch-up on the state of Owncast development, news and notes from the community, and profiles of interesting projects from the community. This inaugural newsletter will fold those latter two topics together, as I'll be discussing recent news regarding Jnktn, an independent music streaming show.
Thank you for taking the time to read the newsletter. If you have news, upcoming events, or ideas you'd like to see in a future edition, please find me on the Fediverse a or email me at kit@kitaultman.com.
Owncast Technical Update
Owncast 0.1.2 Released
Owncast 0.1.2 was released on November 18, 2023. It is an incremental release consisting of various small bug fixes with some features of note:
- User leaving chat event
- Logging IPs when stream key is rejected
Call For Localization Help
Owncast can now support localization, and the project is actively seeking people to translate it into new languages. This is a valuable way to contribute to the project and does not require a particular set of technical skills. Would you like to help translate Owncast's UI into a language you speak? You can find instructions on how to get started here.
Owncast Troubleshooting Wizard
There are some pretty common problems and pitfalls to run into when starting your first Owncast streams. Of course, someone's usually around to help in the chatrooms, but to help solve the most common issues, Gabe has released a new troubleshooting wizard. Give it a try the next time your stream's not working quite right, and if you see an issue missing from it, please drop in the chat and let folks know!
A Change Of Leadership At Jnktn
Since 2020, Jnktn has been a signature home for independent live music streaming and performance. Jnktn airs most Saturdays 16:00-00:00 UTC through their Owncast-powered site, featuring an assortment of prepared audiovisual art and live musical performances, ranging from live piano improvisation and DJ performances to walking tours of European cities with custom musical soundtracks.
Often, no show would be complete without Jntkn founder Alex, aka Jumboshrimp, presenting his live DJ set, "Jumboshrimp's Catch Of The Week". Alex, the figure around whom Jnktn's stable of contributors revolved, not only provided the signature show, but managed most of the behind-the-scenes work to produce a multi-performer live show. Alas, on November 25, 2023, the final catch was hauled into market, sold, devoured, and loved, and Alex retired as "head honcho" of Jnktn to make ready for his new journey as a father.
Fortunately, Alex's retirement does not mean the end of the story for Jnktn. Alex's call for leadership support was answered by a team of Jnktn die-hards who are managing the efforts as a group:
- Meisam, producer of Unpopular Stream, is now serving as general manager of the project.
- ENOENT, producer of 422 Unprocessable Entity, and Iaian Powrie are leading the technical aspects of producing Jnktn
- Chris "grueproof" Miller, producer of Neon City Radio, is managing social media and promotion.
We wish the best for the leadership team in their transition process, and we likewise wish the best for Alex, his spouse, and their new child. Jnktn plans to take the winter holiday season off and return in early 2024. If you'd like to contribute to the project, either as a performer or behind the scenes, please visit their contacts page and choose the best way to get in touch.
Gabe Kangas Speaks At Ubuntu Summit
Owncast founder Gabe Kangas was invited to discuss and demonstrate Owncast at the Ubuntu Summit 2023 in Riga, Latvia on November 4, 2023. His talk, titled "Freedom, flexibility and fun. Taking back your live streams with Owncast," discusses the potential of self-hosted streaming and how Owncast offers simple solutions for those looking to stream independently of major platforms. Included in the talk is a walk-through of setting up Owncast from scratch, discussions about user engagement, and scaling an Owncast setup as the audience grows. Ubuntu OnAir has shared a recording of the video. Congratulations are in order for Gabe's very successful championing of Owncast to the wider FOSS community.
Upcoming Events
- January 1, 2024: Radio Free Fedi's Global 24-Hour Stream Parade! The folks over at Radio Free Fedi have organized an all-day all-night parade of streamers to kick off the new year, in a parade of community content. This marathon of streaming kicks off at 01:00 UTC and continues for the next 24 hours. Come join in this extravaganza of music, movies, games, chat, and good times. Some time slots are still available, so contact RFF if you'd like to contribute!
Closing Remarks
This newsletter is the product of, and a service to, the community of Owncast developers, streamers, viewers, and enthusiasts later. We cannot be a sounding board for the community without your support. Please do not hesitate to contact us with interesting project news, events, or other news of note, and if you'd like to help build the social fabric of the Owncast community, please consider checking out the #owncast-community channel on rocket.chat.